Existence – An Earthly Perspective

Are time and space the same throughout the universe? How did matter and life come to be? How do chance and change create complexity? Does consciousness determine reality? In this course we will explore how we know what we know, and how it has affected our scientific and cultural understanding of existence through history into the present.

Recommended Reading: Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything (2010 Special Illustrated Edition) ISBN 978-0307885159 or (2003 First Edition) ISBN 978-0767908177. Other readings will be available on the course website.

Barbara Snapp has taught and researched in science for over 50 years since receiving her PhD in biology from Cornell University. Her research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary adaptiveness of life. She most enjoys teaching broad survey courses where she can interweave basic themes to build a multidimensional understanding.