Buitenaards leven
Buitenaards leven

Extraterrestrial Life

One of the biggest questions for humanity is: are we alone in the universe? In this Honours Studio, we dive into this topic. How are we looking for other civilizations? What would it mean for humanity if we find extraterrestrial life? What would they look like? Who would be allowed to contact them?

    General

    Group assignment

    Form groups of 3 or 4 students, making sure to make the groups as diverse as possible. 

    Each group picks either a movie, a TV series, a book, or a game that deals with finding or contacting extraterrestrial life, but is also set in a universe where Earth (similar to how it is now) exists. Examples are Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., The Expanse, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Deception Point, Lilo & Stitch, but feel free to find one yourself. 

    Make a short summary of the story, and then reflect on it using both your study backgrounds as well as the models and backgrounds from the guest lectures. Lastly, make a suggestion on how you would change the story to make it fit better with the guest lectures. You can use the time after the guest lectures to ask the lecturers some questions tailored to your story. 

    You can convey this information in different ways, either a classical report, but also feel free to create a podcast, use animations or drawings, create a website, or come up with something else.

    Starting date

    To be announced
    23 September 2025
    Costs
    Free
    Main Language
    English

    Factsheet

    Type of education
    Seminar

    Contact information

    For more information about this studio, please contact the programme director:

    Heleen Loof
    heleen.loof [at] ru.nl (heleen[dot]loof[at]ru[dot]nl)

     

    Meetings

    The meetings will take place on Tuesday evenings from 18:30 – 21:00.

     23 September 2025
    Introduction meeting, Guest lecturer: Victor Reijnders

    • General introduction of the studio, the participants and lecturers
    • Introduction into astronomy and extraterrestrial life
    • Brainstorm about final assignment topics and questions for the guest lecturers

    30 September 2025
    Where do we find extraterrestrial life?, Guest lecturer: Rens Waters

    • Exoplanets and how they form
    • Biomarkers and habitable zone

    7 October 2025
    Impact of extraterrestrial life, Guest lecturer: Arjan Sterken

    • How do stories about extraterrestrial life develop from older folklore and mythology?
    • In what way do stories about extraterrestrial life fit in with folkloric and mythological systems from diverse human cultures?
    • What do these stories tell about ours and others’ society and culture?

    Literature: 
    Bullard, Thomas. “UFO Abduction Reports: The Supernatural Kidnap Narrative Returns in Technological Guise.” The Journal of American Folklore 102, no. 404 (1989): 147–70.

    No meetings on the 14th and 21st of October.

    28 October 2025
    Movie analysis, Guest lecturer: Wilco Versteeg

    • How do we analyze movies?
    • What terminology and tools can we use to make an analysis?

    4 November 2025
    UFO and extraterrestrial life spotting, Guest lecturer: Guyana Zijl

    • How do you deal with spotting UFOs, or extraterrestrial life?

    11 November 2025
    Excursion

    • Visit the telescopes from the astropysics department at Radboud University 

    18 November 2025
    Workshop interdisciplinarity

    • Workshop from the Radboud Honours Academy regarding the skills to become an interdisciplinary researcher

    25 November 2025
    Work session

    • Time to work on the group assignments
    • Possible short lecture

    2 December 2025
    Work session

    • Time to work on the group assignments
    • Possible short lecture

    No meeting on the 9th of December. 

    16 December 2025
    Final meeting

    • Present your group assignments to each other
    • Feedback

    Docent

    • Veerle van der Werff