Jan 21.    Introduction I:  Course overview; Notes/Discussion topics - philosophical commitments, methodological naturalism, nature of science, historical versus experimental sciences, audio clip - lecture by Paul Nelson on methodological naturalism at "Design and Its Critics" conference, clip of P. Johnson's lecture at Yale conf. "Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe", video clip - interview with Michael Denton
 
 

Jan 28.    Introduction II:  Readings: P. Johnson, R. Pennock and F. Grinnell; Notes/Discussion topics - protecting the integrity of science, trends with scientific progress, detecting design - short video clip from “Contact”, the history of attempts to formulate an objective test for design
 
 

Feb 4.    Introduction III/Cosmology I:  Readings:  Maxwell and Delaney, Cleland, final discussions on Introductory topics,  Cosmology: Notes/Discussion topics -some key observations (Hubble deep field, redshifts, CMB), video clip on extent of the observable universe, video clip - brief interviews with astronomers on redshifts and CMB
 
 

Feb 11.    Cosmology II:  Readings:  Jastrow, Overmann, Perlmutter's article in Physics Today; Notes/Discussion topics: inflation, dark matter, dark energy; video clip - brief interviews with astronomers, lecture/discussion on cosmological measurements and models with UNM astronomy prof. John McGraw
 
 

Feb 18.    Cosmology III: Readings:  S. Hawking, Schaefer, Guth's Grand Guess; Discussion topics:  origin of the universe - imaginary time, fluctuation out of nothingness, introduce anthropic coincidences and principles;  video clip of Alan Guth's lecture at "Nature of Nature" conference, video clip - brief interviews with astronomers on fine-tuning
 
 

Feb 25.    Cosmology IV: Readings:  selections from Ward and Brownlee’s “Rare Earth”,  Denton’s “Nature’s Destiny”, and Simon Conway Morris’ Life’s solution; student presentations of selected examples of “anthropic coincidences”, Weinberg, Ball, Pearcey, video lecture by Walter Bradley at UCSB on anthropic coincidences; discussions with UNM physics prof. John Caffo on anthropic coincidences, anthropic principles
 
 

Mar 3.    Origin of life I:  Readings: Shapiro, Notes/Discussion topics: chemistry of life, steps in spontaneous origin of life, problems/difficulties, main steps of progress, other theories, Lecture by UNM Chemistry prof. David Keller, video clip from Unlocking the Mystery of Life
 
 

Mar 10.    Origin of life II: Readings: Davies I, Notes/Discussion topics: chemistry of life, steps in spontaneous origin of life, problems/difficulties, main steps of progress, other theories; Lecture by UNM Chemistry prof. David Keller, video interviews with Schaefer and Kenyon
 
 

Mar 17.    Spring break
 
 

Mar 24.    Origin of life III: Readings: Davies II, Notes/Discussion topics: chemistry of life, steps in spontaneous origin of life, problems/difficulties, main steps of progress, other theories; Lecture by UNM Chemistry prof. David Keller
 
 

Mar 31.    Origin of life IV:  Readings: Overmann; Audio lecture by Poenie on RNA world, video lecture by Braterman at Sandia labs, video lecture by Christian de Duve from “nature of nature” conf., analysis and final discussions on Ool
 
 

April 7.    Molecular Biology I:  Readings:  Behe; Discussion topics:  recent discoveries  - molecular machines, irreducible complexity, mousetrap analogy and counterarguments, video interview with Behe, video clip of Mark Ptaschne’s remarks at nature of Nature” conf.
 
 

April 14.    Molecular Biology II:  Readings: Behe and Miller; discussion topics:  cilia, eubacterial flagellum, co-optation, audio lecture by Miller at "Design and its critics" conference, video lecture by Minnich on eubacterial flagellum, type III secretory apparatus and co-optation
 
 

April 21.    Molecular Biology III: Readings: articles regarding blood clotting; discussion topics: Doolittle/Ruse/Miller/Behe exchanges on blood clotting; Summary of all material to date
 

April 28.    Discussion of sociological aspects of origins
 
 

May 5.  Student Presentations