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    Introduction to Astronomy | Life in the Universe | Introduction to the Earth's climate | Climate Change: Past and Future


      Introduction to Astronomy
        Discussion of the Field of Astronomy
        Important Units of Measurement
        Overview of the Course Structure and Objectives
        The Scientific Process
        The Test For Credibility
        The Big Bang
        Formation of Elements
        Different Kinds of Radiation ***
        Historical Overview of the Discovery of Galaxies
        Discovery of the Solar System
        Age of the Solar System
        Clues From Meteorites
        Clues From Comets
        Introduction to Telescopes
        Spectroscopy and Stars
        Measure Distances to Stars
        The Electromagnetic Spectrum
        The Sun's Structure and Nuclear Fusion
        The Jovian Planets
        The Terrestrial Planets
        Introduction to Earth
        Comparing Earth to Other Terrestrial Planets
        First Discoveries of Extrasolar Planets
        Life on Mars
        Water on Mars
        Martian History
        Predictions for the FUture of Our Universe


      Life in the Universe
        Some Basic Facts
        Classification of Living Things
        Basic Assumptions
        The Early Earth
        The Prebiotic Soup
        The Common Ancestor
        Growth and Reproduction
        The Significance of Ontogeny
        Organelles & Symbiosis
        Lateral Gene Transfer
        The Five Kingdoms
        Ways to Approach Life History
        The Controversy of Evolution
        The Fossil Record
        Extinction: A Brief History of an Idea
        Extinction Through Geological Time
        Introduction to Genetics & the Tree of Life
        Basic Musings on Big Brains
        Martian Meteorites: Evidence for Life?
        Mars as a Candidate For Life
        Europa and Titan: Moons with Life?
        Some Indicators of Life
        SETI and the Drak Equation
        Interstellar Travel & The Wow Signal


      Introduction to the Earth's Climate System
        Is the Climate Changing?
        Pundits, Advocates and Apocalpyse
        The Spectrum of Scientific Opinion
        How to Tell Science from Rubbish
        The Greenhouse Effect
        Why the Earth is a Nice Place to Live
        The Radiative Balance
        The Importance of Water
        NEW Greenhouse Gases: An Overview
        The Role of Carbon Dioxide
        The Role of Methane
        Major Uncertainties with the Greenhouse Effect
        Human Emissions of Carbon Dioxide
        How Much Carbon in the Ground
        Different Concerns of Rich and Poor
        Introduction to Biogeochemistry
        Why is the Atmospheric Carbon Reservoir So Small?
        The Breathing of Gaia
        NEW THe Missing C02 Sink
        The Physical Carbon Pump
        The Biological Carbon Pump
        The Marine Carbon Cycle
        The Terrestrial Carbon Cycle
        Climate and Weather
        The Earth's Climate Machine
        Trade Winds and the Hadley Cell
        The Highs and Lows of the Westerlies
        The Vital Importance of Monsoon Rains
        Why are there Seasons?
        Cloud Formation and Climate
        Hurricanes and Global Warming
        Ocean Circulation and Climate
        Strawberries in Norway
        The Icelandic Whirlpool
        Origin of the Gulf Stream
        The Deep Atlantic Conveyor
        El Niño and its Effects
        Upwelling and Climate
        Outlook for the Future
        Advances in Computer Modeling
        Physics versus Fudge Factors


      Climate Change: Past and Future
        General Overview of the Ice Ages
        The Mystery of the Mammoth Teeth
        Discovery of the Great Ice Age
        Discovery of Multiple Ice Ages
        Discovery of the Ice Age Record of the Deep Sea
        Discovery of the Ice Age Climate Cycles
        Milankovitch Theory Supported
        Ice Core Science and Fluctuating Temperatures
        The Marvelous Speed of Deglaciation
        Lessons from the Ice Ages?
        The Last Millenium
        A Tale of Viking Exploration
        The Riddle of The Little Ice Age
        Reconstructing Past Climate Change
        Stories Told by Trees and Corals
        Warming Since A.D. 1850
        The Statistics of Change
        NEW Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions
        Volcano Weather
        Sun Cycles and Climate Change
        Carbon Dioxide Through Geologic Time
        Carbon Dioxide Through the Ice Ages
        NEW The Recent Rise in CO2
        Climate in the Spotlight
        Is the Climate Changing?
        Regional Problems Ahead
        Kyoto and Den Haag: What is (not) Happening?
        The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
        The Role of Zone
        The Ozone Problem, CFC's and Alternative
        Attempts to Guess the Future
        Future Energy Use
        The Future of Methane
        The Future of Nitrous Oxide
        The Humpty-Dumpty Problem
        Lurking Monsters
        Strategies for Coping
        Strategies for Technologic Fixes
        Business as Usual
        The Good News
        The Role of Research


    Introduction to Astronomy | Life in the Universe | Introduction to the Earth's climate | Climate Change: Past and Future