The possibility of extraterrestrial life, in particular, intelligent extraterrestrial life, has fascinated cultures throughout history and is a central topic of modern scientific research. “Aliens” have been represented in literature and film both as benevolent and malevolent creatures, divine and monstrous.
This course investigates the cultural and scientific roots of these polar representations and how they evolved from the 17th century onwards. Through a critical analysis of fictional and nonfictional texts and a representative sample of movies, we will examine how the fictional alien mirrors shifting social and scientific values. Readings will include texts by Kepler, de Fontenelle, Huygens, Voltaire, H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Olaf Stapledon, and Carl Sagan.
Exclusive course with limited attendance.
Meet the Professor
Marcelo Gleiser is the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, a world-renowned theoretical physicist and public intellectual. He’s authored hundreds of technical and nontechnical papers and essays, and seven books in English translated to 18 languages. His writings explore the historical, religious, and philosophical roots of science, past and modern. Gleiser is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a recipient of the Presidential Faculty Fellows Award from the White House, and founder and past director of the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Engagement at Dartmouth. He co-founded National Public Radio’s 13.7 Science and Culture blog, and currently writes weekly for BigThink.com. He is the 2019 Templeton Prize laureate, an honor he shares with Mother Tereza, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, and scientists Freeman Dyson, Jane Goodall, Sir Martin Rees, and Frank Wilczek.