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53557-01 - Lecture: Early Life on Earth and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Tomaso Bontognali (tomaso.bontognali@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The course covers hypotheses on the origin of life, the earliest evidence of life on Earth, and the search for extraterrestrial life, with particular emphasis on past, present, and future robotic missions exploring Mars and other bodies in our solar system. |
| Learning objectives | Hypotheses on the origin of life, earliest evidence of life on Earth, microfossils, stromatolites, biomarkers, isotopic biosignatures, biominerals, the role of life in the evolution of the ocean and atmosphere, astrobiology, history of space exploration, the ExoMars mission, the Mars Sample Return mission, research in Mars analogue sites, planetary caves, and human colonization of other planets. |
| Weblink | Physiogeographie und Umweltwandel |
| Admission requirements | The course is open to students from all backgrounds: no specific knowledge of geology, biology, or robotics is required. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 18.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 25.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 02.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 09.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 16.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 23.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 30.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 06.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 13.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 20.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 27.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 04.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 11.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Thursday 18.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Geographie, Seminarraum EG 0-09 |
| Modules |
Modul: Fachkompetenz Globaler Wandel (Master's degree subject: Geography) Module: Landscape Systems (Master's Studies: Geosciences) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Student participation throughout the course and a brief final presentation on a personal project related to one of the course topics. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Science, studiendekanat-philnat@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Geowissenschaften |