Astrobiology, Art and Critical Thinking

Consider the process that goes into creating a painting — the attention to detail, the need to interpret the world around you. A scientist goes about his or her work using many of the same skills. This concept is the focus of a recent study that describes the development and implementation of a learning module that introduces astrobiology students to the concepts of creative and scientific inquiry.

The study, “Developing the Critical Thinking Skills of Astrobiology Students through Creative and Scientific Inquiry,” was published in the journal Astrobiology. The study received no funding, but includes work from Jamie Foster at the University of Florida, who is supported in part by the Exobiology & Evolutionary Biology element of the NASA Astrobiology Program. Foster presented her research in microbiology as part of the class.