What on Earth is Astrobiology? Jeff Bowman University of Washington School of Oceanography and Astrobiology Program bowmanjs@uw.edu What on Earth is Astrobiology? Finding the answers to life, the universe, and everything… Please stop me at any time with questions, comments, ideas What is astrobiology? Why might it be a useful tool in your classroom?

Understanding how life persists in its current state And understaniding how life originated in the first place, the ultimate chicken and egg question

What makes a body habitable? What is the origin of life on Earth? These are broad questions. More than just a science, a way of looking at our planet in a more holistic fashion. This might seem a little zen like, but in reality this is how science was viewed and taught for most of history. How does life influence the habitability of a body?

Brazelton and Sullivan, 2009 Charles Linnaeus Newton Fermi Rosalind Franklin Would argue that the tide started to turn in 1952 with the Urey-Miller experiment linking atmospheric chemistry to the origin of life, and The discovery of the structure of DNA and means of replication, which married evolutionary biology to biochemistry Brazelton and Sullivan, 2009

The big ideas of science Systems is a way of thinking that makes it possible to analyze and understand complex phenomena. Inquiry is a process of asking and answering questions about the natural world that forms the bedrock of science. Application is about the interaction between science and technology, and how both can help solve real-world problems. Force and Motion concerns the forces and motions that occur in our physical universe. At the highest level, students apply Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity to explain phenomena such as the fall of a leaf and the motions of planet Earth in space. Matter: Properties and Change concerns the fundamental nature of matter, including the atomic-molecular theory that explains macroscopic properties of materials and makes it possible to predict the outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions.

Energy: Transfer, Transformation and Conservation concerns energy as it changes forms and moves from one place to another. Energy is never created or destroyed. These concepts are useful in explaining phenomena in all domains. Earth and Space is the longest and most comprehensive story that can be told, beginning with the birth of the universe and our home solar system, to the dynamic Earth-Sun-Moon system that set the stage for the wide diversity of life. Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes includes the big picture of Earth as an interacting and dynamic system, including weather, and climate, the oceans, and the long-term movement of crustal plates that build up mountains and cause earthquakes, tsunami, and volcanoes. Earth History has been uncovered by observing processes that take place today, and projecting those processes back in time. These remnants, especially fossils, provide essential clues to understanding the evolution of our planet.

Because of small sample size there is no option but to break science to into manageable components, with real data sets (such as the discovery of extrasolar planets, or the diversity of microorganisms in the ocean). The power of the discipline comes from the ability of the specialists in each of these areas to communicate with each other, and see the relevance of each other’s work on their own field. Since I can’t go to Europa, if I want to study what is there I need to find an ananlogous environment here on Earth that I can study. In order to fully understand that environment, and to understand its relevance to the target environment, I need to understand many components outside of my discipline. This is not a new concept for science…

SO42- SO2 CH4 Fe Mn Volcanism is a common way to get these chemicals in close proximity Thanks to UW Astrobiology Prof. Jody Deming for this slide

This is what I think it might look like undeneath the Europan ice, where redox energy is at a maximum

Not all of your students will become scientists Not all of your students will become scientists. Regardless we are living in a data intensive world, keeping a larger view is the only way of not getting lost in the data. Helping students develop a more holistic view of everything is important. Farmers are the first astrobiologists.

Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/education-and-outreach/products-and-resources/life-on-earthand-elsewhere/ Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate It’s not that you need to have an astrobiology curriculum in your classroom, though I would argue that such things might help engage students and produce more efficient learning. It is important though, to realize that science doesn’t happen in bubbles of biology, chemistry, and physics. As science teachers in smaller schools many of you probably grasp this intuitively, because you have to teach more than one subject area.