Life in the Universe
Debi Prasad Choudhary
Los Angeles
11/5/2014
I think I am the most important person in the universe.
While walking to my car, if a speck of dust falls in my eye, removing them is
the most important task at that time for me. Yet, I know that every thing will
go on as usual, when I am gone. I do not know this directly, but deduce from
the fact that although some of my colleagues are no more with us, the world is
going on in the same way, the trees are there, most of the building are standing
as before. So the biggest quarry for me is: how was my grandfather like, whom I
have never seen, and his grandfather, and the first human, and before that the
first living entity. When did it happen?
How we came to the present state? These are big questions that were asked by
all civilizations by thinking persons and tried to give an answer to best of
their knowledge. There is no need for mocking the ancient answers that might
sound primitive in present standards.
Life consists of complex molecules of hydrogen, carbon and
oxygen. The life begins when a combination of ordinary molecules have strong
urge to survive and start reproducing. Although, we do not know at what stage
and how this transition takes place, it may be logical to think that life can start
if sufficient complex molecules are available. In 1952, Harold Urey and Stanley
Miller of University of California, San Diego conducted an experiment to show that complex molecules like amino acids
can be produced by mixing carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2),
hydrogen sulfide
(H2S), and sulfur
dioxide (SO2) for a long time
near electrical spark, similar to lightening. Amino acids being the predominant
life ingredient, Urey-Miller experiment could be the process of early life
formation at the early stages of earth, where such extreme conditions
prevailed. However, the yield of amino acid by this process being slow, it
would take a very long time to make sufficient molecules for life.
The life
ingredients are made in such harsh conditions but to sustain them, an
ultraviolet free friendly environment is necessary, which existed on earth only
after about 1.7 billion year of its formation. Fossil records show that
advanced form of life was already present on earth about 3.55 billion years
ago. Since, there is a short window in which life must exist on earth after its
formation, it is likely that they originated inside the comets and transported
on earth while colliding. Inside the comets also conditions that create life molecules
in Urey-Miller experiment can exist. Since there are 100 billion comets
existing for millions of years in our solar system, even the poor yield of
Urey-Miller experiment can produce enough molecule for life on earth.
If comets are
the sites for seeds of life, there could be billions of them circling other
earths around other stars, where life might originate and flourish. There are
about 2000 confirmed exoplanets until today and the number is growing. Are
there lives in any of them? Are they intelligent enough or more intelligent
than us? Are they trying to contact us? These are modern question many of us
are interested.
This reminds me
of a conversation with my graduate school buddy, who died early after
discovering the OJ287 (an active galaxy) changed its light output in about an
hours, that was published in the prestigious journal Nature. We were
considering, what will we gain after countering extraterrestrial intelligence?
Our conclusion was that we can verify if Physics is real, the truth. He was of
opinion that our physics is based on our observations and perceptions. It is a
working model, a very good and powerful one that predicts phenomena, which can
be verified in the laboratory. It is both valuable and useful. But, there is no
way to find out if this is ultimate truth. When we meet Extraterrestrial
Intelligent being, we shall ask if they have theories like Quantum Physics,
General Theory of Relativity, do they know the fundamental constants of nature
such as velocity of light and Plancks Constant, do they know that galaxies
recede from each other? These are the profound things we know. If they also
know these things, than our knowledge is verified. They are ultimate truth. My
friend died in 1986. The question still remains unanswered.
Hi Debi.... nice write-up and discussion. These are like eternal questions... no end of it... I have heard several talks in this subject... are we alone? Anyway, I propose a small correction here. In Urey-Miller experiments they used electric discharge (through a Tesla coil) and no UV was used. -subrata
ReplyDeleteThank you Subrata. I shall make the corrections. Glad you liked them.
DeleteHello Professor,
DeleteGreat writing on your closing blog! They all were very informative and educational!
ASTR 152 ONLINE
FALL 2016
MARINA MELKUMYAN
Hi Dr. Choudhary, thank you for sharing this post. The topic interests me tremendously and you presented it well. I still wonder, though, whether or not confirmation from alien beings as to the validity of physical laws would be enough to affirm that they are real. To me this seems to be a much larger question that cannot be traced simply with a scientific (outside observer) perspective- that is why I liked the way you began by saying that you were the most important person in the world. Personally, I believe that neither is correct (most important or least important) because the story is always in motion as your mind continues to move. So I think the answer lies in some sort of balance of internal science (from personal experience) and objective science.
ReplyDeleteWhen you said that "life begins when a combination of ordinary molecules have strong urge to survive and start reproducing," the word that struck me was urge. In my personal belief, I think there is a whole "consciousness" element to evolution that was completely overlooked by the Darwin theory of evolution. Natural selection is much more than survival of the fittest. It is deeper than that, in that there is a conscious decision among mates to choose more advanced characteristics, and this supposedly happened before there were 'thoughts' as we understand them. This is big so I'll cut this comment short now :)
Thank you
Hi Jake, Thank you very much. I am glad you liked it. I completely agree that "consciousness" has to be discussed. But, I must confine myself to what we know so far and what we can achieve during our lifetime by way of conducting research. I am not really an expert on consciousness and trying to learn. I could define life that way, only because that distinguishes ordinary atom or molecule from a combination of them that is "life". What exactly happens for a particular combination to become life - I would be interested to know!! "Natural selection" is a observational conclusion. I don't think it can be stretched to conclude the subject. And an independent observer would be better than biased observer, so alien affirmation would be better - I think. Again, thank you very much.
DeleteDear Dr. Choudhary,
ReplyDeleteYour introduction was amazing. I like how you expressed the fact that we should not mock historical research or even historical thoughts. Even as the world evolves, any individual who has contributed to our evolution should not be mocked weather their right or wrong. Without certain individuals we may or may not be where we are today. Therefore we should respect every contributor.
It also intrigues me that it is possible to life to be created by a group of molecules. Are molecules the true representation of starting point for human creation. I think it would be amazing it we traveled on a comet from space and landed on earth. Transforming over the billions of years into a intellectual structure almost incomprehensible.
I would also like to thank you for the great blogs. I feel you incorporated such informative information into your blog, yet you kept them all interesting and entertaining. Thank you professor, this was a great education experience for me.
Sincerely,
Richard Burson
I am glad Richard, you liked them. We shall discuss more as time passes.
DeleteWhen broken down in this way, living things seem so simple. I can not wait for the day that we find out that there is more life out there! I am hoping this will be a positive encounter where everyone can grow from it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your knowledge and personal stories throughout this course.
-Katlin Moody
I really enjoyed this blog especially when you mentioned that comets are the seeds to life. I personally believe this to be true. Given that there are so many comets the possibility of life elsewhere seems silly to debate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great course!
-Erick Fernandez
Thank you for sharing about your knowledge. Even though it was a long time ago, I'm sorry about your friend. Enjoyed taking your course!
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 OL
Elizabeth Narayan
Ashley Castellanos ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteI highly enjoyed reading the part when you mentioned, "Fossil records show that advanced form of life was already present on earth about 3.55 billion years ago". That is astonishing! I never knew this fact.
Its incredible how your graduate friend discovered OJ287 the active galaxy, which was published in the prestigious journal Nature. Yes I agree, I hope someday we can find if physics is real. Hopefully, we can soon explore answers.
Jessica Ovsepian
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I liked the way you began the article because I too find myself asking the same kinds of questions. Reading about the experiment conducted by Harold Urey and Stanley Miller was very interesting because I was unaware of not only this particular experiment but the findings. It was interesting to learn that the life ingredients are made in such harsh conditions and that to sustain them, an ultraviolet free friendly environment is necessary, which existed on earth after 1.7 billion years of its formation. I'm also fascinated by the fact that there might be other lives out there in the universe that we are not yet aware of. I was especially sorry to hear about your friend that passed away. However, I would like to thank you professor for all the blog posts and all the personal stories you incorporated into each one; that always made the articles extra interesting. I learned a lot of new information and really enjoyed this informative course.
Thank you for taking the course.
DeleteThank you for sharing your experience and tell us more knowledge about the astronomy. I am very enjoy reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteHeng Shen
ASTR 152 ONLINE
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteYour introduction made me think about how we are the center of the universe or at least to our own universe. I also think that I'm the most important person in this universe, I see everything through my eyes and personal perspectives. Yet I know I'm not the most important person in the universe, I know time will keep moving, the universe will keep expanding, and so on as I one day will no longer be a part of this universe. Life seems simple when we break it down, but it is complex.
Thank you for making this class interesting and making me think more about the universe. I enjoyed this course and reading all these blog posts.
- Yadira Morales-Chinchilla (ASTR 152)
Your analogy at the beginning is relatable and i sometimes think like that too. It is interesting to me how there is a possibility that there is some form of intelligent life form out there in space somewhere. in so many ways i think i absolutely want to find out but i am aware that there are people that are too afraid of what they may learn and it is completely understandable. Life is so much more complex than we think and more than i think we can truly appreciate.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog posts and thank you for the great learning experience throughout the course.
Yanin Peaches Ortega
ASTR 152 Online
The beginning of you blog post is true, and I am sure many of us think like that too. It is crazy to know what is still yet to be discovered and what is still left to created. I enjoyed reading your blogs this semester and thank you for allowing us to know about yourself and comparing it to astronomy.
ReplyDelete-Jazzlin Hernandez
Astro 151
I have always wondered if there is life on other planets. I am sure that one day someone will figure out wether or not there actually is life. I have yet to read an article or hear on the news that someone discovered another species or even on another planet besides earth. It is amazing how we have all these buildings,freeways,roads,etc. How is it possible that all of this came to how it is today?
ReplyDeleteYaqueline Carlos
ReplyDeleteASTRO 152
Your first paragraph caught my attention right away. This is so, because I too have these questions. Things run the same just as the day before because this is just how life is.
I really enjoyed your blog posts because now there are many facts that I know and that I can share with my friends because they are really interesting.
Erika Pina
ReplyDeleteAstr. 152
When I first read the first paragraph, I was kinda confused by the first sentence. Then I realized you were talking about the state of life. I find it amazing that the three molecules of life constant of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. All these blogs really taught me a lot about astronomy that I never knew about.
It is so fascinating to me that the world and all the people in it continue to operate normally, aside from a few that are hurting. For some people they are so heartbroken and yet every day the sun rises and sets and people get up and go to sleep. The experiment done by Harold Urey and Stanley Miller is pretty interesting. Amino acids were made mixing carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide and an electrical spark. It is interesting the the ingredients for life are made in such harsh conditions, yet all life is so fragile. It is incredible that your friend discovered and active galaxy! Its too bad he passed and wasn't able to continue his research!
ReplyDeleteAstr 152
ReplyDeleteMelissa Ramirez
I didn't know that the three molecules of life are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Thank you, for the amazing informative blogs they were awesome to read every week.
First, I think you are a very important person in the universe as well because one of your many purposes here on this universe is to educate people like me! I really appreciate everything that you have taught me because I really disliked science in general and you have helped me out grow out of that. I wouldn't pursue a career in science but after taking your one-line course I am able to say that I’ve become more interested in astronomy. I was born and raised in San Diego so of course I thought it was pretty cool how in 1952 Harold Urey and Stanley Miller colleges conducted a cool experiment that demonstrated the effect of mixing amino acids with other chemicals. You provided another great blog post and I appreciate the time and effort that you put into while making these informative blog posts.
ReplyDeleteAll the best. I am glad you liked the class.
DeleteI liked how you started the article. I am the same way I always have questions in my head. I found it very interesting that fossil records show that advanced form of life was already present on earth about 3.55 billion years ago. It always has me thinking what was happening back then. Thank you professor for a great semester. I really enjoyed reading your articles. I seriously learned a lot of new information from them. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteAram Teroganesyan
Astr152 online Yeseul kim
ReplyDeleteI LIKE how you start this article and I really enjoyed learning this course. I gained so much knowledge from your course and your blog. THANK you professor! :)
Astr152 online Yeseul kim
ReplyDeleteI LIKE how you start this article and I really enjoyed learning this course. I gained so much knowledge from your course and your blog. THANK you professor! :)
This was a great post to read especially how it started off. What really struck me the most is when you mentioned that when we are gone everything will move on the same as it has been. That to me was just something crazy to think about. These questions run through my mind and it was interesting to read them from someone as you.
ReplyDeleteASTR152 ONLINE
DeleteCaitlen Diab ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteThe questions that you pose in the introduction of this blog post are very relatable and are questions that always cross my mind on a daily basis. It's a theoretical concept to me that would be very interesting to do more research on and try to answer.
I think everyone plays an important role in our world, because "everything is a cause of everything", if that makes sense. No matter how little or big your role might seem, it will always have an effect on something else.
Your class has opened my mind to so many different concepts and ideas that were once foreign to me. All of your different views on certain topics really helped me understand the universe better and all of the different phenomenons that occur within it.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your different stories with us, especially your childhood stories! I really enjoyed them and they made the subject that much more enticing.
I have honestly taken a lot away from this class and I am so happy that I was able to participate in it. Thank you so much Dr. Choudhary for all of the effort and passion you put into teaching us and showing us how important Astronomy is. All the best!!
The way in which you present the topic was intriguing but, most of all, it was relatable. Presenting topics in this way really make understanding the astronomy lesson a lot easier. Thank you for all your stories and lectures.
ReplyDeleteChelsea Zaragoza ASTR 152
Your lectures have been very interesting. The way you begin with telling us stories from your life was what kept me wanting to continue. Thanks for the great lectures!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you started this blog because it really caught my attention and I never thought of it that way. Its true though its almost as if everyone believes the universe revolves around themselves and not in a conceited or bad way but because to us we are the most important thing. I do believe that our physics is based on our perspectives and thats strange to think about too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a great last lecture
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteFirst thank you for sharing your post and personal stories, I have truly enjoyed this class and reading these posts. You posed some very interesting questions in this post. I have asked many of them myself. I enjoyed how you started the post because I had this discussion with my brother when I was younger and with some of the children that I have worked with in the past. As a child I felt like I was the most important person in the universe until my brother was so kind as to challenge that theory. Learning about to answer these questions with science is very fun and interesting. I’m not sure if all of these questions can be answered with science or if science is the only way these questions can be answered. Thank you again for making this class interesting and giving food for thought.
Adrian Ruvalcaba
ReplyDeleteAstronomy 152
I enjoyed this last reading post, they have all been so informative and thank you for them. This reading was really interesting especially the way you started i enjoyed that, in the way that we part of the universe. Also I liked how you expanded our minds by explaining personal ways show the concept of this week and every weeks lecture.
I thoroughly enjoyed your blog entry. It is always easy to relate to your readings because of the way you break down and compare things. I found it interesting to read about Harold Urey's and Stanley Miller's experiment. Thinking about how amino acids can be created from CO2, N2, H2S and SO2 with an electrical spark.
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
Raymond Banting
The thought of whether life exists other than here on Earth has always been an interesting topic. There is lots of research being done to answer this curiosity many have. Although some may be intrigued to know more about their intelligence and such things, others fear the thought of aliens, just as in some movies they have been portrayed as scary beings who take over our bodies or want to take over our planet.
ReplyDeleteFrancisco Facio
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
May 01 2016
Thank you, I appreciate these blog posts due to the fact that I always learn at least one new piece of information when reading them. Also the attention grabbers in the beginning start off with an idea/ topic that one can relate to.
But the fact that we keep mentioning another extraterrestrial form(s) of life has been making me question the advancement of our society. As mentioned before, I do believe there is another form of life other than ourselves. Socially, our society is so self consumed and think everything revolves around us. And the day that we are proved wrong, will come.
Professor,
ReplyDeleteThe questions and thoughts that you list in the first paragraph are all too relatable, as I often have thoughts like these, especially after close family members have recently passed away. I really don't know how the world continues after other lives move on to the afterlife. But perhaps, I think these questions aren't meant to be answered.
Reading this post was very moving in the sense that it gave us great closure for the lectures you have been posting in the past couple of months. After reading all of them, I feel very much informed about not only astronomy but also Indian teachings! I found the personal incorporation of stories incredibly interesting and I could tell your love for the subject by the way you wrote these posts. So, thank you for this semester and I hope that you continue educating more students for years to come!
Luciana Moreno
AST 152
Hello Prof,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your blog posts of insight and knowledge about astronomy. I noticed that this blog post doesn't mention any of your stories from the past regarding gods and deities. In regards to this blog post, I only wonder that if there are extraterrestrial beings out there, what would they worship; Will they know what is fact about the universe; Would we know something they do not? Maybe their life isn't generated the way ours is.
Kristoffer Villabroza
ASTR 152
I really enjoyed this blog especially, I agree with you that you are the most important person in the universe. So, you can bring most interesting things to us. Then, we can easy to focus on the these astronomy problems.
ReplyDeleteHeng Shen
ASTR 152
Hello professor, my name is Maria Figueroa and I am part of your Astro 152 online class. this blog was very interesting and after reading it I found very interesting the fact that life consists of complex molecules of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. and that the life begins when a combination of ordinary molecules have strong urge to survive and start reproducing. It is amazing that it has to occur a combination for life to begin. In addition, its wonderful finding out the life ingredients are made in such harsh conditions but to sustain them, an ultraviolet free friendly environment is necessary, which existed on earth only after about 1.7 billion year of its formation. Overall, this is amazing and all the information that you provided is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteMaria Figueroa
By far my favorite post. Great introductory paragraph. Who would have thought carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen are the most important elements. Could there be life outside of earth?
ReplyDeleteSarine Mirzakhanian
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 online
Hi Professor, thank you for sharing these blogs during the semester. I learned the most from them. I lerend that life consists of the complex molecules such as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Earth is the only place in the universe, which has the ideal environment for life to begin or exist. And the earth has started being born in 1.7 billion years of the universes' existent. In addition the early, advanced form of life started 3.5 billion years ago according to the fossils.
Thank you.
Katherine Garay
ReplyDeleteAST 152 online
I'd like to say that this blog is perfect as our last blog! I like how you arranged these blogs nicely, leaving this one specifically at last. I've always been interested in knowing about extraterrestrial life. Like many, I believe that there is more out there in the universe. We can't possibly be the only individuals on the universe. There has to be more. And as you said, one of the first things we'd like to know is how their laws of physics are. Hopefully one day we'll have answers to all of these questions. I'd like to thank you for making this course an entertaining and interesting one. I wished I had taken this class with you on campus, It would have been even more entertaining. One thing I must say is that I gained very much insight and knowledge in the field of astronomy!
Your introduction was just so perfect and it is my favorite one so far, with all these questions and feelings. I feel like I can relate a lot to them also. This blog made me think about life, why are we here and I really liked how you mentioned the comets are seeds of life. I really liked this last blog and truly enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteCindy A
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
Once again I really enjoyed your blog. Most of all how you always add a personal touch makes it so much better. I too often find myself asking these same questions. It is quite mind boggling to think that there could possibly be some exterritorial intelligence out there. I was amazed to read that100 billion comets exist in our solar system! Thank you for sharing.
It is very interesting that how did early earth transition from hell like environment to more friendly environment for humans. Still science is not sure that how this transition happened and from where and how these three main elements of life was created. Your blogs are very interesting and make us think and research deeper about the unanswered questions.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blogs this semester! They were full of so much interesting information that enhanced my knowledge of the universe. I do believe in extraterrestial and do believe we are not alone. I think there are many more discoveries to be made regarding this. I never knew that comets were the seeds of life.
ReplyDeleteElisha Siem
Ast 152
I often wonder about life on other planets and it is reassuring to know that Professors and Scientists also have the same wonders. I don’t think all the questions in your blog will be answered until we actually do meet or contact extraterrestrials. If that time comes, hopefully it will be a mutual exchange of information, and that they too wish to find out about us. Perhaps if that day does come they may have meet many other life forms and are looking for something here on Earth that they need and have no interest in us. We may be like ants to them. So many questions yet to be answered and so much to still learn about the universe. Thank you Professor for a very informative course. I enjoyed the blogs and the material.
ReplyDeleteAlexander Weiss
Astr 152
Yajaira Tiscareno ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteOne of the many facts that stood out to me in the blog was that there are about 2,000 confirmed exoplanets to this day. As with everything, it makes me wonder what other information is not yet discovered. Overall, it was a pleasure reading your blog.
Nancy Moreno
ReplyDeleteAst 152OL
I like how this blog talks about the elements of creating amino acids. This class about astronomy has really opened my eyes and made me realize what world we live in. It is a large planet filled with surprises, such as a possibility of extraterrestrial life. There are many galaxies’s that might explore and bring light upon alien life, you never know? The elements of molecules are the beginning of life, and we depend on oxygen to produce carbon dioxide. This information will help me understand the stars, and life out in the space above us.
David Reyes
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
This article was very great at grabbing ones attention. The part in the article were it was stated that there were fossils found about 3.55 billion years ago blew my mind. Goes to show that existence really has been around for a really long time. I feel like there is still a lot to learn about existence, and I know that more will be discovered.
Allan Chan
ReplyDeleteAstr 152
In my personal opinion, I have always thought extraterrestrial life had existed since we can recall. The universe is way too big for earth to be the only place holding life. After reading comets bring life, it excites me to know that life can exist somewhere other than earth.
Sadly, this is our last blog but I really enjoyed it. Thinking about life being able to exist on other planets is something I think about often so its nice to know that there is a possibility.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoyed your lectures more than the actual chapters so thank you for that :)
Maria Camacho
Ast 152
This blog has been my favorite blog post of the semester. I found the way you started the blog to be very captivating and interested me in the rest of the post. It is interesting to me that although I have something going on in my life there are millions of lives and factors that are out there and have their own things going on. "life begins when a combination of ordinary molecules have strong urge to survive and start reproducing" this reminded me of how human life is produced and made me realize that we really are not so different from the universe.
ReplyDeleteHello professor,
ReplyDeleteI am very excited to talk about aliens and the mysteries of life. And I find it incredibly important when learning "truths" like math or science, that we put our knowledge into perspective. The human condition for the most part will always revolve around perception, and everything we know could end up being subjective. Just as we compare our experiences to gain more knowledge, I am eager for humanity to do the same with Extraterrestrial Intelligent Beings.
Robert Levy
ASTR 152
There is certainly a very great chance that there is other intelligent life on other planets. The universe is a big place and anything is possible.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is extraterrestrial life. there is no way that earth is the only planet with life. There has been talk, tv shows, movies, documentaries about aliens or UFO sightings but everything is brushed off as untrue because there isn't facts/hardcore. I can't wait to find out for sure that there is life somewhere else. I would have so many questions for them. Would they look like us? would they look like aliens? Are they more intelligent then we are? How long do they live? What do they eat? and so many more questions. In time we will have answers and hopefully that day will come in my life time. Thank you for these blogs they were always interesting, informative, and thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteMelanie Leyva
ASTR 152
It's crazy to think about the continuation of life after something or someone's death, and how there is no pause in routines of the biological world. I do though believe in absolute truth even though sometimes it seems as though we can't find it.
ReplyDeleteKelly McGiffney
ASTR 152
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI also think of myself as the most important person in the universe. Just kidding. Anyways, I enjoyed reading this blog because it opened up my mind to look into different aspects and perspectives on certain topics. It made me feel open minded about the concept of physics and how it can be utilized to help the world.
Astronomy 152
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was really relatable. Because our lives do revolve around our own selves. We make big deals about something which is irrelevant to everyone else and will be insignificant when we die because life goes on even when ours doesn't. I do believe that there is life beyond our Earth, it would surprise me if there wasn't, but even today there are species of animals in the ocean which we are unaware of, just showing us that there is so much more than we know.
I definitely agree that there is life beyond this Earth. I'm just not sure exactly what that life is but I can't wait for humans to discover it.
ReplyDeleteHello professor,
ReplyDeleteThis was a quite interesting post because you raised questions that I think almost all of us are interested in. I am still astounded that we have not found life on any other planets and quite honestly I am skeptical of our government. I feel as if our government is not being one hundred percent honest with us. But anyways, I certainly do believe there is life on other planets and I do think that there is life that is much more advanced than us. When it comes to anything being real it is quite a tricky question to answer. I am not sure if we know if anything is "real." Everything seems to be perceived through our senses that is "real" to us. This is quite fascinating.
As a child, I was always fascinated to learn if there was really life outside of earth. I always believed that somewhere there might be. It's fascinating to see that one day we might find some.
ReplyDeleteHeng Shen
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I always find interesting things from you blog. It is very best to learn some different knowledge form you own experience.
"If comets are the sites for seeds of life, there could be billions of them circling other earths around other stars, where life might originate and flourish" so are you arguing the bing bang theory is legit the start of life?
ReplyDeleteThank you Proff. Choudhary for these very informative blogs on the nature of the universe. I believe that there must be life out there somewhere in the universe since there are some many stars and planets that there MUST be other planets out there somewhere with conditions ripe for life to emerge just like it did on earth.
ReplyDeleteThis has been my favorite part of this class. These posts really do help me understand astronomy in ways I didn't before. Thanks for explaining astronomy matters in a relatable and fun way where I can actually have my questions answered and make my own conclusions.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit scary to think about such big questions like our own importance in the universe. When I start thinking about how big the universe and the galaxies really are, it gets a bit overwhelming because it might feel like a tiny human being wouldn't matter that much. These are all great questions to raise and comtemplate on sometimes. Even though they might seem like very vague and philosophical ones, that's not to say they aren't valuable.
To conclude this, I really appreacited the last paragraph about your friend and the unanswered question. It was a little bit chilling but ultimately your point absolutely got across! Thanks for the great posts professor!
I really enjoyed the beginning of this lecture. It really put things into perspective for me.
ReplyDeleteSelena Dang
ASTR 152
Emmeli Tomth (Astro Online Fall 2016)
ReplyDeleteIt will feel a bit empty without these weekly lectures. You are writing in such a personal way in which you open yourself to us through your personal stories from your life and your family. This has made it even more relatable and helpful for me to learn about the topics of Astronomy in which I did not have a lot of pre consisting knowledge before starting this class.
Fascinating that it may have been only when a comet collided with our earth when the last ingredients for our human creation arrived on earth. I never knew that Amin Acid was the predominant life ingredient. I had only heard about it when people talked about Vegans and Vegetarians needed to eat substitutes to get this in their systems.
Back to the topic.
Thank you for sharing the story about your friend. Its so true what he was saying that how can we truly know that any of our human knowledge is true and actual in reality when everything is discovered and analyzed through a human perspective.
Thank you!
I feel that there are things that have not been said to public, and could be life in different planets. It is weird that we have not found any other life forms today, even though the universe is so big. I like the way you describe talking about the term real. For me real is believing in what I see, smell, touch, feel, etc. and being able to see in my own perception of life. Real is believing in ones thoughts and mind, and being able to experience it for one’s self. Life can be brought up in so many ways, and is a miracle in the world today.
ReplyDeleteEdward Rodriguez
Astro 152
Fall 2016
This was one of my favorite blog posts. It's crazy to think of all the discoveries that have not occurred yet and all the things lurking in the universe waiting for us to learn of their existence. I do believe that there is life outside of Earth, but think there is still so much about our own planet that we do not know. All of these blogs were fascinating and enjoyable to read, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this interesting lecture. The study with Harold Urey and Stanley Miller’s experiment with complex molecules stood out to me. Especially when reading that Fossil records showed that the advance form of life was present about 3.55 billion years ago on earth. After reading this and realizing about comets, it may be possible that comets could be a way of other life forms communicating with us since there are about 2000 conformed exoplanets. Since the universe and space is enormous I do believe in other life forms that exist. Thank you for the post and my condolences to your friend.
ReplyDeleteDear Professor,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss. He wont be forgotten. I love that there it still so much left for us to discover, yet we have already discovered so much. I would like to thank you for sharing all your personal stories and knowledge with our class. All of your blog posts were a great read.
In this experiment you mentioned, the result were cells that should breathe life, but yet did not, right? Meaning that the scientists were able to make a perfect situation where everything should have lived, yet it did not happen? Why might you think this happened?
ReplyDeleteChrista Griffiths
ASTR 152 ONLINE (Fall 2016)
Great closing blog,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the class.
Brenton Filipi
ASTR 152
Wow, the first paragraph of this post was very deep and was quite insightful. Thank you for all these wonderful posts, I truly learned something new each week. The experiment mentioned in this article is interesting. There are still so many things in this universe we have yet to discover. It is crazy.
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
Maggie Chong
Thank you Professor! i really enjoyed this article and how you presented the topic with relation to everyday life situations. It really helped open my eyes, and helped me seek greater knowledge in astronomy! Thank you for all your hard work!
ReplyDeleteThe part that stood out to me the most was the fact that stated how fossil records show that advanced form of life was already present on earth about 3.55 billion years ago. I did not know that it has been that long since the form of life had existed. The universe it so big that there's still so much to know more about. Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteChristina Tran
AST152 Online (Fall 2016)
I am actually familiar with the Urey-Miller experiment. I just learned about it in my bio class. It's amazing that they were able to create amino acids from basically scratch. I loved that they used a light similar to lightning to mimic the environment of Earth millions of years ago to create those amino acids.
ReplyDeleteBrandy Nguyen
ASTR 152 online (F16)
Prior to this lecture, I never processed the reality of life existing in the same fashion post-death, as it would have prior to. Life has existed so long on this planet, so of course, it would continue for as long as it is meant to be present in our universe. Thank you for all you've taught us in these lectures. Your connections to your own personal life and to ours always made reading so relatable and interesting.
ReplyDeleteAshley Jackson
FALL 2016
ASTR152 ONLINE
I think this was a great lecture to end with. It really leaves us questioning whether or not life exists out there. It is crazy to think that we could be wrong about all of our theories and ideas.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline Anderson
ASTR 152
Thank you professor for sharing all of you stories that were handed down by your ancestors. I believe our ancestors were wise people and although science can prove those stories to be wrong, I believe that those stories made them curious enough to find out the truth. I am convinced and strongly believe that there are humans just like us in other universe. I know we like to call other life forms extraterrestrial which I believe exist as well, but I think there are other humans who look like us somewhere out there wondering about us. The universe is too big for only our existence. Maybe my children or grandchildren will have the opportunity to come into contact with forms of life that live in our universe. Who knows I might get too as well since I am only in my early twenties. We have discovered so much and will continue too. I enjoyed reading your blogs. Thank you and your grandparents for sharing your experiences and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteHi Professor, The previous blog was written by me. I just forgot to write my name before I published it. Please give me credit for my comment. I posted a blog behind Jacqueline Anderson in our previous blog. I hope that gives some proof it was me. Thank you for your understanding
ReplyDeleteIxtla Montanez
ASTR 152 ONLINE
Fall 2016
Thank you for all lecture for us and I really more interested in astronomy. Also thank you for sharing your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAll of your lectures are great and give a better understanding of everything. These lecture really makes me understand more about Astro and I think this lecture is perfect end it with and yes you are a very important to this universe.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Choudhary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for another interesting lecture post, and a concluding one at that!
I found this post leaving me wanting more. You've managed to write extremely interesting lecture posts every week since the beginning of this semester, and now I am sad that I don't get to read any more.
The black hole is something that has truly always fascinated me. The power and strength that it holds is truly intimidating. Its abilities are scary and beautiful at the same time. Where do things go that enter the black hole? I've always wanted to know.
Thank you again Professor!
Celina Carpina
ASTR 152
Fall 2016 ONLINE
Thank you for sharing your experiences and especially your knowledge! I'm glad I took your course.
ReplyDeleteTerrel Guliford
ASTR 152
Once again you've shown me the greater picture of something I only knew little about. I greatly appreciate your wise words and stories and the expansive and thoughtful way to end this course.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Haley Blevins
ASTR 152
First of all, Thank you professor for sharing your personal stories on blogs that you post for us to read. I remember reading your first blog and only got to think of the subject Astronomy class, but now I realized that through your blog post not only I got to learn more about information about Astronomy, but I also learn more about our life and it really had meaningful messages and lessons on your blogs!
ReplyDeleteIt was always fun and interesting to read your blog and I learned a lot from it.
Sungjoo Jeon
ASTR 152
Fall 16'
This is by far my favorite blog post from this semester. I am of the group who completely believes there has to be extra terrestrials we just need top find them. You conclude this chapter talking about how physics can only be confirmed by someone out of this planet to see if it is truly real. I agree that our perceptions completely change the way we see our universe and can change our theories but when an outer worldly being comes and confirms that will be the day we know its true.
ReplyDeleteRaymundo Ruvalcaba
astr 152
This is one subject that I have marveled at my entire life! I always am fascinated with life and the presence of living things throughout history. I would love to know the questions of what life was like millions of years ago and who was first, and how much different it is in present day. Yet another scientific study that poses more and more questions as life goes on.
ReplyDeleteASTR152
Riley Conlan
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your last lecture blog! When you had explained how life is just built with a bunch of molecules and elements, it really makes you think how it is all built together to bring open this beautiful life and world of ours. Just thinking about how everything just comes together so perfectly to create a real human being that speaks and talks really makes you wanna explore more about how it all works.
ReplyDeleteFrom the microscopic level to the vastness of the universe, there is so much activity and commotion that we as humans, in existence for a spec of this unraveling story. What will happen in the future as humans get smarter that they will be able to pick it apart at a finer level. It just seems like their is too much to know!
ReplyDeleteKierra Stepteau ASTR 152 Fall
This was the best blog yet! When I had to teach school children about the history of the planet, I had mapped it on a string that was 30 feet long. The amount of time that humans have been here is barely a wink. And that was only from the beginning of Earths history! To go back to the billions of years before that would make humans so infinitesimal in the history of the universe. Yet what we have been able to accomplish in that amount of time is astounding!
ReplyDeleteAshley Stepteau ASTR Fall
many people don't question life. I thought I was the only one but after reading this blog I am clearly not. I never really understood life because it comes with a bunch of questions. but reading your blogs always help understand things more clearer
ReplyDeleteDAJEION MYERS
ASTR 152
I tend to question life slot of times and ask questions similar to yours in this lecture daily. I am a very curious person in regards to the questions that have no answers. One day I hope I am able to meet our Creator and ask these questions that drive absolutely insane sometimes.
ReplyDeleteElias Orona
Astr 150
I would never have considered to comets to be the source of life. However, I suppose without religion, anyone's guess is as good as the next person's. Despite any factual evidence, there are still loopholes and questions remain as to how life began on earth. Not knowing whether or not there is extraterrestrial life in the universe bothers me because I would certainly like to know within my lifetime. Although, I could imagine them being far superior than humans, and if their scientific theories match with ours, then I suppose we've had the right idea, and that there are universal scientific applications to life. Such as the theory of relativity and quantum physics.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a valid point, who’s to say that aliens don’t exist or that comets where the upbringing of new life. But then again that’s one of many theories and I do agree that everything is based off of phenomena and perceptions. Which is why I find your blog post very interesting and definitely refreshing. You approach the subject from a different angle.
ReplyDelete-Diana Felix ASTR 152
I've learned so much information from these blog posts, answers to questions I've had and questions I developed along the way. Thank you. I appreciated the personal stories and experiences because it allowed me to stay in tune while reading the posts. I enjoyed having something to connect all this new information to.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Mejia
ReplyDeleteFall 2016
Astronomy 152
The introduction to this blog was quite jarring. How specific moments of self-need really are almost moments of selfishness- in a non-negative way. We function solely- and mostly for ourselves. It's quite interesting to hear it thought out this way- that in a single moment we believe ourselves to be the most important person in the universe.
Thank you, so much for this closing blog.
I have always watch videos on Youtube or documentary extraterrestrial encounters or Paranormal activity which is always fascinating. To think that there could be other life forms out in the universe maybe trying to find other forms of life as well. Thank you for your lectures full of knowledge and personal touches.
ReplyDeleteCELINNE HERNANDEZ Astr 152
Kathy Aguilar
ReplyDeleteAstr 152
I really do think that there is life beyond this Earth!!! I can't imagine how that's gonna turn out when we find it!.... so happy I took this course, always enjoyed your posts professor thank you for these lectures!!
The biggest question of life is when did everything begin? When was the first person made or born? We as humans all have stories like those of the bible but there is no evidence that is proven through science. science is our way of saying something is true that is why bible stories do no justice especially because there are people that do not believe in god. In scientific terms we are made through many molecules and require oxygen and water to live. To reproduce, molecules will combine and create a being and will grow through time. We will never know when things started but we will continue to research to find the answer to the biggest question of life.
ReplyDeleteSomething I felt was interesting was the beginning when explaining why your'e the most important person. I like that because it something that people can relate to because everyone lives there life in there own perspective, like a story and we're the main character.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I found interesting was the mention of the experiment by Stanley miller and Harold Urey and how anime acid can be created.
Henry Lamas
ASTR 152
Ryan Schlup ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteAnother great blog, and a very relevant topic one. I believe everyone at one point has questioned if there is extraterrestrial life, I sure know I have. The Universe is far too big and is ever expanding therefore some type of life has to exist beyond earth. Thank you once again Professor great lecture as always.
It will certainly be a life altering day to find out if there is life outside of our planet and if they are in fact intelligent beings. There is speculations that there is but we won't know until it actually happens and only then will we find out and get answers and if our theories of the universe are in fact ultimate truths. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in astronomy and life experiences.
ReplyDeleteI have learned so much from all your lectures and have given me a new perspective on life. That there is so much more to be learned and to explore. To learn new things everyday. Things that you did not know the day before. It has all been fascinating and I thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Posada
ASTR152
I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to know that fossils record shows advanced form of life lived on the earth 3.55billion years sgo. I can't even estimate how wonderful that is but feeling wow. To me, it is more getting me interested: how could discoverers/researcher calculate and discover the closely precise number of years.. Like that, it is fun and mystery that facts can arise another curiosity as the universe is expanding more and more. Then I notice; we never stop to learn!
Wow last blog post was amazing! We have so much more to learn about life. The physics of it is crazy. I've learned so much from this course. Learning from blog posts made it so much easier to understand. I will truly miss your stories professor! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteTien Ho
ASTR 152
The way you started your lecture made me connect in a personal level. I am pretty sure that everyone can connect to that because it happens almost all the time in our daily lives. I agree with your statement of comets being the seed of life. Comets carry a variety of particles that can indicate new life or anything new we do not know about. Comets also have been floating around for a while. Not only is our universe still not fully discovered but neither is our Earth. The fact that a fossil was found that indicated to be an advanced form of life gives me the though of, what else do we not know ? There is more to learn of life and if our lifetime there is not enough time to find everything.
ReplyDeleteKatie Rosa ARTONOMY 152 Online
I've enjoyed all the blog posts and this was a great end to them. They were all packed with interesting information and some stories from your childhood.I like the way you started this blog because everybody relates to it and it makes you want to keep reading. It would be amazing if humans discovered extraterrestrial life and were able to ask them the questions that were in your blog post. This was a great course and i enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteThank you professor for an interesting semester. Thank you for sharing your experience at home and with your family about what you have thought and witnessed. I enjoyed your class very much.
ReplyDeleteTalya Joffe
ASTR 152
CSUN
Spring 2017
ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteThis blog posts and others were very interesting to read. I enjoyed your own person touch and how you added personal information about your life, it made it more easier to connect to. These were definitely a fun and easier way to understand some topics, thank you.
La Vonne Centeno
ReplyDeleteAstr 152/Spring 17
For the last time, all the posts you have are wonderful. The introduction to this post was great. I have always been curious to learn about the extraterrestrial world because so many people mention it all the time. I also want to learn more about fossils. Maybe in the future I will take a class to find out more about it. Thank you for a wonderful semester. It was great reading about your personal life and stories.
Professor,
ReplyDeleteI have thoroughly enjoyed your discussions and posts as well as those of my fellow classmates. Again, this post ignites wonder and critical thinking. The start of the universe coincides with the start of life itself, how can we be sure it is all real? Thank you for relating each of our topics to something personal in your life to create a better understanding for your students.
Alexis Alvarez
Hi Professor,
ReplyDeleteThe more I read your blog posts the more I learn about astronomy. I like the example you give that when someone is gone, the world does not stop. The world keeps going like nothing has happened. Thank you for making the lectures interesting and relating it to your life. I am sorry about your friend. May he rest in peace.
Natalie Bedrosian
Astr 152
Thank you for an awesome semester professor!
ReplyDeleteIt has been an honor to take your class. Reading this post was a great way to end the semester!
So interesting as always and thought provoking!
Good Afternoon Professor
ReplyDeleteThis class has been very informative, I learned so much from your lectures and definitely know a lot more about the earth I live on and everything surrounding it.
Ariel Ford
ASTR 152
I believe that after several years , there will be life on a couple of the 2000 exoplanets. Jut like how the universe continues to expand, earth continues to develop so will change occur to the exoplanets.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Escareno
SP 17
Astro 152
Yekaterina Melnik, Astronomy 152 Online, Spring Semester 2017
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible that life presumably exists elsewhere, it is highly possible, we know that comets can transport bacteria and viruses and various forms of life, typically the likes of which are not found on our planet, they must have come from somewhere in the Universe and so there must be life out there! I certainly believe this; I do not believe we are the only ones out there. I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and the lectures provided, despite it being a general education course and not my field of study, I want to say thank you for connecting to your students in this course on a personal level, the stories of your childhood and heritage showed us the passion one has as an instructor for ones field of study and that is something every instructor should display, as it not only makes the learning experience more delightful, but it also inspires us to look at the world through the eyes of the instructor. I always found astronomy interesting which is why I decided to take this course to fulfill my general education requirement, but I never expected this class to connect me to mythology, philosophy and history, which are all aspects that I really love to learn about. This made the course even more enjoyable for me as I was acquiring new information on aspects I am fond of learning about. It has been a pleasure and honor taking this course with you Professor Dr. Debi Prasad Choudhary.
Alejandra Mora
ReplyDeleteAstro 152
WOW! Great way to end the course lectures!
Quite interesting how there is a possibility that life exists outside of our knowledge. Great questions as always, they truly make me question everything.
Dr. Choudhary it has been a pleasure taking this course with you. You were extremely helpful and did anything possible to help us understand.
Your are a great Professor!
Dominic Teran
ReplyDeleteASTRONOMY 152 ONLINE
That is a great opening paragraph. It really grabs at the attention of the audience and really encapsulates their interest as you bring up many intriguing questions that may or may not ever have 100% true answers. Very heavy topics are discussed through this blog post as it discusses life and death, two concepts that are argued about constantly and may always be argued about in one way or another. Another heavy topic is about the whole idea that we are not alone in this existence, as it would be very strange that only we are alive, we still have no true evidence of other life forms even existing. All these are very good questions to have and maybe even pursue to the best of our ability.
Soraya Gomez
ReplyDeleteAstr 152
That is a very interesting concept, that once you die you leave the world behind and life goes on. It is interesting to think about how everything first started, what the world looked like in the beginning. It is fascinating because i was thinking about how before there were organisms on this planet it must have been very quiet. Unlike how it is now with noise being everywhere.
Yessenia Gramajo
ReplyDeleteAstr 152 Spring 2017
Amazing great last article! I truly enjoyed reading this, it got me thinking about life alone and how it is we are all here, living in the same planet, same world, but not really the same world since it is different everywhere. It is a scary thought to think that once we leave the world, life still goes on, but then again, the world does not stop for just one person. It is amazing how everything started and how far we've gotten and how much we still have to learn since there is still many unknown elements in space/ other planets. Great article!
Really interesting blog to read. Growing up and still now I believe that there's other lives out there in this galaxy or other galaxies. I'm always scared about my death and what will happen once im gone. There will always be questions that will never be answered and that each generation will question about. These blogs were amazing how you connected each lecture to your life and why you picked this profession.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read this, because I too, did not get to meet my grandfathers or their fathers. I wonder, what was their question? I also agree that they are question each person has and that will never be answered. I believe that when one passes away that they go to heaven and watch from above. They are seeing the discoveries that are being made. I think the universe and those living in the universe are filled of questions of what if, and what is. There is an overwhelming number of questions that will never be answered. This blogs helped me understand more and sparked questions I did not know I had. The blogs were interesting to read, I enjoyed the fact that you began each blog with a personal story, with what you thought about it as a child or adult. Thank you for sharing you knowledge and stories.
ReplyDeleteJuliana De La Pena
Astr 152
Hi Professor,
ReplyDeleteI was always believe there is extraterrestrial wisdom in the huge universe. we have been billions of years to inform life and spend billions of years to survive. Our life is the consequence of time with some fortunes. Now have beed such long time in the universe, in this case, we shall not the only miracle in the galaxies. Besides, I think Urey-Miller's experiment need more time to verify since life are made with a huge amount of time.
Yang Liu
Astr 152
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteThe way you started this caught my interest and made me want to read on. This piece is so complex, but I truly hope one day our world will make of sense of everything that is going on around us! I find it insane that there are 2000 confirmed exoplanets alive today, and I wouldn't doubt their intelligence, but I would love to know the real answer behind what is really going on beyond our solar system! You started and ended this piece with the same type of energy and I admire that!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
-Ren
Eleonor Navarro ASTR 152-16522-Spring 2017
ReplyDeleteProfessor,
Your beginning paragraph made me wonder about how did the first humans come about. Of course there's the religious explanation with Adam and Eve or the scientific explanation with cavemen, but I do want to know more about the first humans. There are many other explanations that cultures use such as Greek methodology, etc. Life does go on even when we're gone and life has went on before we were even here. That's so interesting to think about. Thank you for an engaging semester, I have enjoyed all the blogposts because you put a lot of thought into them.
Carlos Murillo
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
As quite a philosopher myself at night when I can not sleep (haha), these questions have always crossed my mind. It is scary to think that even in today's day and age, people still cling on to the outdated and primitive explanations for those questions posed. I have encountered people so close-minded that they stand fool-hardy by their beliefs, whether they are wrong or just completely illogical. I hope there is intelligent life out there, because sometimes it feels like there is not intelligent life on Earth. Thank you again for another insightful and interesting blog post.
In this article I read that life consists of complex molecules of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. Amino aids begin the predominant life ignorant, as time progressed it began to make the right molecules that can hold life on earth. Thank you so much for these 16 articles and explaining your life story professor. I really enjoyed all of these.
ReplyDeleteReading through this blog post reminds me of how often I think about these sorts of things; if we'll ever meet another intelligent race, if they'll have similar laws that govern their existence, what will humanity be like in the future, etc. Only time will tell, and I have a feeling we will learn much, much more as the years pass by and we continue to advance.
ReplyDeleteJessica Levin Samarscova
ASTR 152 Spring 2017
Bertini Nguyen
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 Spring 2017
That's the way how everything works is what I got from this post. The molecules in which life is being molded around have a very important role. Even though they are very small; life and the universe itself would cease to exist.
Hello Professor
ReplyDeleteThe start of this blog was really amazing to me. It is fascinating to me to know how all this can as well connect to religion which tome is another topic that really interests me.
Megan Perez
ASTR 152 online
Spring 2017
The opening paragraph was absolutely amazing. Life and the universe is so mysterious and complex. It is so fascinating how everything connects with each other. One's perceptions on the universe definitely varies between person to person. I appreciate this blog posts so much because it showed me that science is not all that boring. Utilizing your personal experiences on top of mixing it with lecture makes it much more engaging and fun to read and learn about astronomy. Thank you for all of your blog posts and it was a pleasure to read them throughout the course!
ReplyDeleteAngella Dijamco
ASTR 152 ( Online )
Spring 2017
Kevin Whitmarsh
ReplyDeleteASRT 152 OL
Spring 2017
I have loved all of your posts from this year. I can conclude that you have a mind similar to my own in that we both question everything. I believe that there is a possibility for life and that, yes, it has existed before Earth. Although the question remains, why have we never heard of anything outside our solar system? It's possible that we are located so far from each other that communication between us is not and never will be possible. Thank you for the amazing posts and for giving me something to really think about all semester!
Cristian Gil 152 Spring 2017
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that we are alone in this universe let alone galaxy. Due to the vastness of it all there must be billions of planets similar to ours perhaps even more advanced. Will it ever be possible to contact theses distant companions? are we limited by the same elements and resources found throughout our solar system? Have we reached the extent of our reach? Do our resources allow us to go further?
I did not know that comets were the seeds of life. This expands the possibilities that an alien comet could have started life here on earth. Reading about the experiment conducted by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey was very thought-provoking. I was uninformed of this experiment but the discoveries they made. It was interesting to find out life ingredients are made in such harsh conditions and the difficulty in sustaining them.
ReplyDeleteMahrum Arya Zahiri
Astr152 Spring 2017
100859250
It is intriguing to explore what we simply believe as real and accurate as we can test its credibility as it is with the subject of physics. The ideas behind physics can be tested within our capacities and limitations but beyond our planets and solar systems, do these concepts apply to them as well. Or is another force of nature responsible for these processes or maybe extraterrestrial activity. We are diving into the unknown but I believe the universe is a really big place and many of our questions will have answers as we advance technologically and grow intellectually as human beings. It would be fascinating to answer all of these important question as they would help explain our reason for existence and everything about human life beyond the biological components that are most evident to us.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading all of the lecture blogs because I believe it gave me a different perspective on astronomy and it went into depth about the particular topics and concepts that revolve around not only the Earth but to us as human beings as well. One of the most interesting aspects of the lecture blogs were the stories that were given in great detail throughout the lectures because it gave a different sense of what astronomy really is. It can be interpreted through different lens, but despite the different points of views, what truly helps it all makes sense is that it comes down to the same information that is there to be discovered and researched. The facts about the sky can truly make a difference in our daily lives, and through these blogs I believe I still have yet to learn, but I enjoyed getting an insight and a little more understand as each lecture went on.
ReplyDeleteThese readings have been one of the most informative ways of teaching a class. I feel like we are able to get inside knowledge from a different perspective and its interesting to learn how one thing can connect to another thing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy how you question life in your first paragraph. I find myself randomly questioning life on random days, I too think how my ancestors were like, and who was the first, how were they like. How did life begin! The universe, the creation of the stars, sun, and galaxies are made of elements, similarly we are formed by elements. Everything leads to little dots that eventually were connected and have made us who we are today. Sadly, yes, we experience so much loss in the world and we suffer from the loss, yet life continues to be the way it is. There are no changes and life continues as if nothing ever happened. This is sad, but we could not cut out a piece of the world just because of a loss, because the living is expanding. As a kid, that experienced her grandmothers death, I would always think one life would be taken so another one could be made, and that is why we have to continue the way we do.
ReplyDeleteCristina Zakaryan
Astr 152 OL Spring 2017
Sebastian Artola
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 OL
Sad to see this is the final lecture, but what a blast it has been, Professor Choudbary! I enjoyed the semi existential tone of the first paragraph here, because that is one of the questions I have raised myself while taking this class and reading the lecture blogs: Where exactly do we come from, matter itself as well. Physics being real is something I never thought of, and I am sad to hear that you and your friend will never be able to finish your studies due to his unfortunate passing. Perhaps we may never know that ultimate truth. Moving on though, these lecture blogs were great and I felt I learned just as much here as I did during the actual course!
ASTRO 152
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting a little bit of your own thoughts and knowledge into us and expressing to us your love of the subject as well. This class definitely taught me a lot more than I would have ever learned elsewhere. Thanks again!
I think if anything in this world were to think that they are insignificant and do not have the potential to be or do something greater, I don’t think this world would function. I’d like to think that everything would be able to survive and thrive and reproduce as its main function, but becoming something much bigger is beyond just its strict basic functions. The world would forever keep changing but our lives are a much smaller than we would like to believe.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Garcia
Astr152 Spring 2017
Thank you for all of your explanations, connections to other things, and personal stories.
ReplyDeleteI love how you always bring in personal stories to tie in with the chapter. I'm glad because it makes reading the blog more interesting and gives the reader a way to connect to the post. I think the whole concept of aliens is fascinating to me. There are things that we can't explain and it would be interesting to discover what extraterrestrial life have discovered throughout their existence.
ReplyDeleteEmery Hernandez
ASTR 152 Online
Spring 2017
Professor,
ReplyDeleteAs this is the last lecture blog, I really want to thank you for your knowledge and insight in the astronomy subject. Your stories and your teachings from your own learning really help put into scale the study of astronomy, as well as help promote individual thinking and learning. Additionally, I really enjoyed the mixture of the religious and scientific explanations for similar concepts. This final lecture title of "Is physics real" is VERY appropriate and great to think about it. While taking this course, the magnitude of how vast and unknown everything is combined with us tackling explanations for how our universe works; one really can't help but question the reality and authenticity of our understand of astronomy/physics THUS FAR. However, with our current understanding, it is great to learn overall and still fascinating. Thank you so much!
-Anthony Martires (ASTRO 152)
I am touched by this blog. We spend most of our lives living in our own bubble, yet we sometimes forget that there are bigger things than our existence. Thank you Professor for all your insightful blogs. I am truly inspired to write more and be as reflective as much as you are.
ReplyDeleteI like how philosophical your blogs are. You would think you'd be all about the facts like most men of science but you question things most scientists haven't-- which is the best part of science. It is all about questioning things but from what I have seen most scientists are close minded when it comes to religions or mythology, but you always incorporate it somehow. This blog post is more existential than the rest, but you make valid points. How will we know if anything is fact unless we have confirmation. As far as we know it is just us in this big universe, so how would we know if we are wrong about everything. If there is other life out there they could see us and think we're primitive. Although they may be wrong as well. It's a very big, very vague, and very important question.
ReplyDeleteRayleen Silva
ASTR152-- Summer 2017
I love these types of existential questions. It shows that we really know very little about the universe. I agree with your friend, that physics is based off of our observations and interpretations. The physics here on Earth may be different than the physics in other galaxies. However, that wouldn't make our physics any less valid, it would just mean that it isn't a universal truth.
ReplyDeleteAs for extraterrestrial beings, I believe they are out there, and we just haven't made contact yet. The universe is too large and expansive with so many different stars and planets for us to be alone in the universe. They are probably just too far away for our technology to have discovered yet. And there is always the possibility that these beings are too far away for us to ever reach. It would take to long for us to get to them and vice versa. But we can hold out hope that someday we can discover and make contact with other life forms.
Heather Friedman
ASTR152 Summer 2017
I remember being in high school and learning about the Urey Miller experiment and thinking how fascinating it was to be able to have the knowledge and technology to create living conditions years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that strikes me the most in this post was when you said, "If comets are the sites for seeds of life, there could be billions of them circling other earths around other stars, where life might originate and flourish," and continuing your talk about extraterrestrial beings. As other comments before me, I too believe that our universe is too vast to not have any other life forms.
Elia Narvaez
ASTR 152 (Online) Summer 2017
There are so many questions that are being answered as the years go by but in my opinion the most important question that needs to be answered is, are we alone? It's hard to think that we are when we know how big the universe is. I always thought there is no possible way that we're alone considering how much there is that we don't know. When I was a kid I was afraid of the thought of aliens but now I just can't wait until the day we know the answer to the most important question. This is one of my favorite blogs Professor!
ReplyDeleteNazenie Parsamyan
ASTR 152 (Online) Summer 2017
So many of us think that we are the most important people on this earth. But the earth as we know, is not going to stop spinning when we pass on. What fascinates me about this blog post was the experiment you mentioned. I did not know that scientists were able to create such living environments of the past. It leads me to question all the possibilities of life out there in the universe. With galaxies expanding as we speak, it is going to become increasingly difficult for us to figure it out. As we may not come close to any other information regarding other life forms during our lifetime, I am glad I took this course as I have a greater appreciation for the world we live in. Thank you Professor.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not believe I will necessarily use what I learned from this class in my field of study, I can definitely say that this class has humbled me to try to make each day as meaningful as the next day. You're right. After we have live in this Earth, life and the universe continues to go on. Doubts that we may have about taking a risk to get a job, to change our habits, or to travel the world are all a figment of our imagination. The obstacles that restrain us are our attitudes towards the situations we will face in the future. I thought that the theory of comets carrying the necessary components to create life on Earth was very intriguing because I have not yet encountered this particular idea. There remains big questions about the universe that we don't know about yet. I don't know if we will get the answers in our life time, but when we do I hope that it verifies that physics is real.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a pleasure being a part of your class.
Julius Loredo
ASTR 152 Summer 2017
It was a pleasure to have you in the class. I enhance my own understanding from all your comments.
DeleteIt is interesting to think about how many people in this world only focus on the world we are living on. We might not be the most intelligent creatures in this universe. I tend to think about what else is out there and maybe something we perceive to be usual is actually a way that another life-form is trying to communicate with us. You mention that the question is still unanswered and that is true with most questions. In my opinion, there are more questions than there will ever be answers.
ReplyDeleteShayla Mayers
ASTR 152 Summer 2017
Even though, I do not reply to the comments individually, I read them all and appreciate that you take time to comment. I enhance my own understanding of the subject through these communications. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteI also am curious if there is life on other planets. We are taught things like physics and are raised to assume their truth. It would be interesting to confirm if physics is real as we are typically taught.
ReplyDeleteKathryn Munster
ASTR 152 Summer 2017
thank you for a great post, each blog you post brings more information to our lives and how you connect every lecture blog post to your life just brings us more into the lecture. life was simple it is still in a way but know knowing all of what you posted and from the lectures it is much bigger than what we used to have as is. thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteABDULAZIZ ALMURAD
ASTR 152 SUMMER 2017
Yasaman Khani
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
Professor, like always I enjoyed your last blog. It would be interesting if we ever find out there are other intelligent creatures somewhere in the universe and that "aliens" actually exits. Perhaps, kids cartoons are not always unrelated and completely fantasized!
This blog is interesting and i really enjoyed your all blogs. This is a very different to learn knowledges. I have learned a lot from your blogs. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYiting Wu
Astr 152 Online
Summer 2017
This was an interesting blog. It shows how much we don't know despite knowing almost everything there is about life. This is one of those subjects that will never end, but continue to fascinate.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Daniel Kwon
ASTR 152 Summer 2017