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The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience (Transcript)
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About this ebook
The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience is the companion book to the audio/video series of the same name. It contains a full transcript of the series as well as the complete course guidebook which includes lecture notes, bibliography, and more.
About this series:
Are we alone in the universe? Or does the cosmos pulse with diverse life forms? This is one of the most profound issues facing mankind—and one of the unresolved questions that science may finally be able to answer in this century.
Both scenarios are mind-boggling and, to quote futurist Isaac Asimov, equally frightening. No matter what the answer, the implications are vast.
If even the most rudimentary life forms could be found elsewhere in our universe, it would be a paradigm-shifting revelation on par with discovering the atom. Finding microbes in an extraterrestrial location would dramatically increase the chances of life being common everywhere, and encountering intelligent life would forever alter our place in the cosmos.
There has never been a better time to study our universe. NASA's Kepler mission, the first dedicated extrasolar planet-finding spacecraft, is rapidly changing what we understand about planets around other stars. At present, it has detected hundreds of confirmed planets, and well over 2,000 likely new planets have been identified. And exponential growth in telescope power and other critical technologies is enabling scientists to make new discoveries every day.
Life in Our Universe reveals the cutting-edge research leading scientists to believe that life is not exclusively the domain of Earth. Taught by Dr. Laird Close, an award-winning Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Arizona, these 24 mind-expanding lectures offer an unparalleled look at the subject of life and the mysteries that remain. Supported by stunning visuals, this course shares some of the most intriguing discoveries that the fields of astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics have to offer.
You'll examine the remarkable coincidences that created our planet and sustained its habitability for 3.5 billion years. And you'll join the hunt for microbial life elsewhere in our solar system and Earth-like planets in alien solar systems—one of astronomy's "holy grails."
Discover the New Field of Astrobiology
Life in Our Universe offers unprecedented access to the new and exciting field of astrobiology. Until recently, universities didn't even offer astrobiology courses, and such courses are still quite rare. With Professor Close's expert guidance, you'll delve into some of the biggest questions facing science today, including the five that shape this course.
What can the Earth and its current and past life tell us about life in our universe?
Where else in our solar system can there be life?
Are there habitable planets and life around other stars?
Is there other intelligent life in our universe?
Is there a new home for mankind? If so, how can we find it?
You'll rewind 13.7 billion years to the big bang, when the first stars and galaxies took shape. Then, you'll fast-forward to see how a series of mishaps and cataclysmic events set the stage for early Earth—a dead planet—to become a "lucky planetesimal" that blossomed with life.
You'll learn in detail how, in its first 650 million years, Earth sustained repeated massive impacts during a period dubbed the Late Heavy Bombardment, leaving it trapped in a lifeless state devoid of a stable atmosphere or oceans.
DNA and RNA traces of humans and single-celled extremophiles help you understand how early life quickly evolved from a single common ancestor once the bombardment ceased.
You'll look closely at
the importance of liquid water, and whether another liquid might be capable of supporting life;
how Earth has maintained habitable temperatures despite fluctuations in oxygen;
how tiny microbes from outer space may be bombarding the Earth with regularity;
stars, and why their death makes our
About this series:
Are we alone in the universe? Or does the cosmos pulse with diverse life forms? This is one of the most profound issues facing mankind—and one of the unresolved questions that science may finally be able to answer in this century.
Both scenarios are mind-boggling and, to quote futurist Isaac Asimov, equally frightening. No matter what the answer, the implications are vast.
If even the most rudimentary life forms could be found elsewhere in our universe, it would be a paradigm-shifting revelation on par with discovering the atom. Finding microbes in an extraterrestrial location would dramatically increase the chances of life being common everywhere, and encountering intelligent life would forever alter our place in the cosmos.
There has never been a better time to study our universe. NASA's Kepler mission, the first dedicated extrasolar planet-finding spacecraft, is rapidly changing what we understand about planets around other stars. At present, it has detected hundreds of confirmed planets, and well over 2,000 likely new planets have been identified. And exponential growth in telescope power and other critical technologies is enabling scientists to make new discoveries every day.
Life in Our Universe reveals the cutting-edge research leading scientists to believe that life is not exclusively the domain of Earth. Taught by Dr. Laird Close, an award-winning Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Arizona, these 24 mind-expanding lectures offer an unparalleled look at the subject of life and the mysteries that remain. Supported by stunning visuals, this course shares some of the most intriguing discoveries that the fields of astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics have to offer.
You'll examine the remarkable coincidences that created our planet and sustained its habitability for 3.5 billion years. And you'll join the hunt for microbial life elsewhere in our solar system and Earth-like planets in alien solar systems—one of astronomy's "holy grails."
Discover the New Field of Astrobiology
Life in Our Universe offers unprecedented access to the new and exciting field of astrobiology. Until recently, universities didn't even offer astrobiology courses, and such courses are still quite rare. With Professor Close's expert guidance, you'll delve into some of the biggest questions facing science today, including the five that shape this course.
What can the Earth and its current and past life tell us about life in our universe?
Where else in our solar system can there be life?
Are there habitable planets and life around other stars?
Is there other intelligent life in our universe?
Is there a new home for mankind? If so, how can we find it?
You'll rewind 13.7 billion years to the big bang, when the first stars and galaxies took shape. Then, you'll fast-forward to see how a series of mishaps and cataclysmic events set the stage for early Earth—a dead planet—to become a "lucky planetesimal" that blossomed with life.
You'll learn in detail how, in its first 650 million years, Earth sustained repeated massive impacts during a period dubbed the Late Heavy Bombardment, leaving it trapped in a lifeless state devoid of a stable atmosphere or oceans.
DNA and RNA traces of humans and single-celled extremophiles help you understand how early life quickly evolved from a single common ancestor once the bombardment ceased.
You'll look closely at
the importance of liquid water, and whether another liquid might be capable of supporting life;
how Earth has maintained habitable temperatures despite fluctuations in oxygen;
how tiny microbes from outer space may be bombarding the Earth with regularity;
stars, and why their death makes our
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The Spiritual Brain - Andrew Newberg
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