Astrobiology

What is astrobiology? The name and description of the class had changed a bit since I initially signed up. I thought it was going to be about things living in the thermal pools of Yellowstone, but that was only the beginning. The class also covered the microbes living in Antarctica, deserts, miles below the surface of the earth, deep sea vents, toxic environments, and ultra salty places.

The common thread between these organisms is that they’re adapted to live in “extreme” environments, and these environments might be similar to the ancient earth and to other planets. Thus, it’s hoped that they can shed light on the origin of life, and life on other worlds. I was intrigued about how they would address the issue of faith, as I learned there were other religious people in the class as well. But like a good science course, this didn’t dwell on the supernatural or philosophical as much as it did pure observation—this is what we see here, this is what the DNA says, this is what the laws of chemistry tells us. What inferences can we make from this data? A good scientist isn’t afraid to admit there are gaps.

All the speakers they had speak to us were scientists in the height of their career, and I was impressed with their knowledge as well as their respect for us teachers. And the class was a good balance between scientists talking and us doing experiments and labs that we can use in our classrooms.

On the home front, a space opened up in the regular tenting zone so one of the neighbors helped Cara move the tent to the new spot under the trees. It was a good chance to get to know them. We got the impression that there were a lot of long-term residents there, as it’s the cheapest place to stay in town.