Course description
1.The course teaching ideas and goals
There are three aims of this course for students. The first is to understand the story of Earth and be able to tell it, by learning the scientific evidence and rational induction that leads to the story. The students will gradually learn what we know, how we know, and how well we know about the story. The second is to see how human beings get involved in the planetary evolution. The course will show how the activities of human beings impact the planet and tell the students how our planet is impacted by these man-made impacts compared to geologic events. The last part of this course will lead the students to think whether there is other intelligent life in the universe. The students will be able to understand the implications of other life in our galaxy.
2.Teaching methods and means
This course is mainly consisted of lectures. It also includes field trips within reasonable distance, and observation of geologic samples, etc.
3.The assessment method
There will be four “pop-up” quizzes, a midterm and a final examination during the semester.
4.The teaching material
No textbook required.
Supplementary text:
Langmuir CH, Broecker W (2012) How to build a habitable planet. Princeton University Press. pp. 718.
5.Network resource
http://www.habitableplanet.org/
This site contains the teaching materials of the supplementary text used by Prof. Langmuir at Harvard University. We will use it as main reference by modifying it to fit our goal at Nanjing University.
Course plan
This course tells the favored story of the universe that eventually led to Earth inhabited by human beings. The story begins with the Big Bang, followed by the origin of the element, formation of inorganic and organic molecules, origin of the solar system, dating of the geologic events, layering and structure of planets, formation of terrestrial atmosphere, development of plate tectonics and mantle convection, origin of life, and co-evolution of ocean, atmosphere, solid Earth and biosphere that eventually lead to the appearance of human beings, and shows the impact of human beings on Earth. Finally the course will discuss the possibility of existence of other intelligent life outside the solar system.
