Meeting Time:
Tuesdays 8:00 - 9:20 AM, Union 111-40
Last revised 23 January 2025
This Syllabus is subject to change
Week
Date
Topic
1
Jan 28
Welcome to the Anthropocene
Topic:
Welcome; Definitions; Ages of the Earth
What is Science?
Readings:
A Definition
Gaia's Evil Twin
Articles 2
Feb 4
Living on a Restless Planet
Topics:
The GAIA hypothesis; Planetary equilibria
Geological disruptions and mass extinction events Discussion:
Survival of the Fittest?
Readings:
articles relevant to Planet Earth
articles relevant to asteroid impacts and mass extinctions
3
Feb 11
The Dark Side of the Sun Movies:
Links to movies are here
Topics:
stellar flares and coronal mass ejections;
the historical record: what the Sun can do;
Consequences of a Carrington-level event Discussion:
Are we over-reliant on technology?
Readings:
Sten Odenwald, The 23rd Cycle: Learning to live with a stormy star
Articles relevant to Living with a Star 4
Feb 18
How to Alter a Planet's Equilibrium
Topics:
Global Warming and Climate Change
the geological record; the physics of the greenhouse Discussion:
How do we know that climate change is anthropogenic?
Readings:
Jeffrey Bennett, Global Warming Primer Chapters 1-2
Articles relevant to Climate Change
5
Feb 25
Too Much of a Good Thing
Topic:
Overpopulation
and the nature of exponential growth Backups:
Invasive Species and Pandemics
The HANDY model Discussion:
On the interconnectedness of all things
Readings:
Articles relevant to Pandemics
Musical Interlude:
Uncle Bonsai: Problems in the First World
6
Mar 4
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Topics:
Forseeable Consequences of a Warming Planet
Water and Sea level rise; Wildfires; biological disequilibria Backups:
Resource depletion Discussion:
Can we stop the warming?
Readings:
Jeffrey Bennett, Global Warming Primer Chapters 3-5
Hansen et al. 2023, A Miracle Will Occur” Is Not Sensible Climate Policy"
Articles relevant to Climate Change 7
Mar 11
Clean Energy
Topics:
Energy generation
Physics of combustion; nuclear power; "clean" energy Discussion:
Will you give up your car?
Readings:
Articles relevant to Energy Sources
8
Mar 25
Societal Responses to Crises Topic:
Fates of Civilizations Discussion:
Are Western Democracies in Decline or Collapse?
Is AI a coming crisis? 9
April 1
Light and other forms of pollution
Topics:
Space Debris - Is it a problem? (ESA video)
Light Pollution
plastics, microplastics, and endocrine inhibitors Discussion:
Lead pollution in history; The future of transportation and cities
Readings:
Articles relevant to Light Pollution;
Articles relevant to Ecosystems
Musical Interlude:
Tom Lehrer: Pollution 10
April 8
Life is robust; we are not
Topics:
Lessons from Science and History
Discussion:
Cleaning up after ourselves: Ethical considerations
Technical Solutions or Managed Retreat?
Video:
Pale Blue Dot - Carl Sagan
Wanderers