ORIGINS 1I03 - Introduction to Origins Research

Fall 2013 - Instructor - Dr Paul Higgs

The Origins Institute at McMaster carries out interdisciplinary research based on fundamental scientific themes encompassing cosmology, the formation of stars and planets and the chemical elements, the origin of life, the origin of species, and human evolution. This course will introduce students to these themes using a mixture of lectures, group work, discussions and debates. Students will gain practice at reading and interpreting scientific papers, in presenting their own arguments in written and verbal form, and in selecting useful new scientific questions of their own. We will think carefully about what constitutes good science, how science is related to religion, and how to explain the value of science to the general public. We will consider the way that science is presented in the news and science fiction movies.

There will be no exam or mid-term tests. Marks will be based on written assignments and verbal contributions in class. Some written work will be placed on a wiki so that it can be shared with other students. The wiki address is http://wiki.mcmaster.ca/Physics_Research_Group

1. Groupwork: Life Sciences Themes

We will work in small groups to study the three life-science themes of the Origins Institute.

• The Origins of Life
• The Origins of Species
• The Origin of Humanity

Each group will come up with one important research question for each of these themes. They will prepare a wiki page to explain their findings. Each group will then be asked to present one of their three topics in a talk to the rest of the class. (Group mark 25%).

2. Essay: Developing Your Own Point of View on Science

Why do you want to be a scientist? Why did you sign up for a science degree? How do you think that science is viewed by the general public? How is it presented in the news media and in the movies? What is the value of fundamental science research, and how would you justify spending money on it? Is science compatible with religion? What is the difference between a scientific argument and a faith-based argument? Is science solving the problems of the world or causing them?

We will discuss these issues in class and each student will write an essay describing his/her own point of view. (Individual mark 15%)

3. Debates

We will use a debate format to discuss some tricky questions for which there is no easy answer.

Motions for debate:

• Humans are no longer subject to natural selection.
• Religion is irrelevant to a modern scientist.
• Movie science is nonsense and dangerously misleading to the public.

Each student will be asked to speak for or against one of these motions, and the class will vote at the end. (Individual mark 15%)

4. Essay: Why Life may be Common in the Universe

The research field of Astrobiology and the Origin of Life is central to the activities of the Origins Institute. There will be lectures on this field running through the course. Current research suggests that there has been life on Earth for most of the time that the Earth has been here, that life can survive in a wide range of extreme environmental conditions, and that there are many planets around other stars that may be habitable. Students will write an essay summarizing the reasons we believe that life may be common in the universe. (Individual mark 20%)

5. Groupwork: Physical Sciences Themes

We will work in small groups to study the three physical-science themes of the Origins Institute.

• The Origin of Space-Time
• The Origins of Structure in the Cosmos
• The Origins of Elements

Each group will come up with one important research question for each of these themes. They will prepare a wiki page to explain their findings. Each group will then be asked to present one of their three topics in a talk to the rest of the class. (Group mark 25%).

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The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

Reminder on university policies regarding academic dishonesty

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Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by
other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the
grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the
transcript (notation reads "Grade of F assigned for academic
dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic
dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty
please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3,
located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one's own or for
   which credit has been obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
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