Are we Alone in the Universe?

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Are we Alone in the Universe?

• Searching for life on other planets

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Nanobes
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Life Would you know it if you saw it?
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A virus?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

Ebola virus
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The potato thats been in the cupboard for 3
weeks?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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A human ovum (egg cell)?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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Blood?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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A embryo frozen at a fertility clinic?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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An apple seed?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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Your fingernails?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I dont know?

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Team think and share
Determine which of these is alive and which is
not. Then together in your group, choose one
that is definitely alive and one that is not, and
be prepared to defend/justify your choices.

• 5. Frozen embryo
• An apple seed
• Your fingernail

1. A virus
2. A potato thats been in your cupboard for 3 weeks
3. Human ovum (egg cell)
4. Blood

By defend/justify, I mean that you should back
up your argument with prior knowledge about what
it means to be alive!
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Team Think and ShareLife Would you know it if
you saw it?
Imagine that you were asked to design an unmanned
probe to go to Mars (or some other planet) to
search for the existence of life. What signs
of life might you design the probe to look for?
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Team discussion
What do these discoveries (extremophiles and
nanobes) say about what we must now consider in
the search for life on other worlds?
Share your ideas with your teammates, reach
consensus and be justify them to the class.
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Researching Learning Issues
Do some research on the state of our knowledge
with respect to those characteristics that a
scientist might be looking in the search for
extraterrestrial life. Be prepared to share your
research during the next class period.