Discussion Questions for Will the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Ever Succeed?

Discussion questions are written responses to targeted questions that are due in advance of a class discussion (so you may wish to make a copy for yourself to use during class). These may be hand written, informal notes.
  1. Research the credentials of the YES and NO authors, including their educational backgrounds and fields (credentials), their expertise, and where they are today, and summarize what you found.
  2. For each "side" in the reading (yes, no), list the most compelling argument(s).
  3. Create a Decision Matrix - with one item in each spot:

                      Best Case Scenario                 Worst Case Scenario
    Yes Side:
    No Side:

  4. Name at least two cause/effect (or if/then) relationships that were stated or implied.
  5. Did you find any logical errors in these articles like distortion of information, oversimplification or faulty generalization?
  6. Write down an idea or topic, which arises from these readings, that you would like to share and/or discuss during our class discussion.