Introduction to KSU Virtual Space Academy Orientation Course on Space/Earth Science

(The Kepler Space Telescope is launched on March 6, 2009 to study planets beyond our solar system)

The first objective of this course is to help you become a “systems thinker”. Systems thinking can be fun to play with, for example, each system has operating principles and it is interesting to take these principles from one system and apply them to another system, thereby adding to our understanding and improve the efficiency of the system. For example, what if an engine powers the hydraulic system instead of the wheels and the hydraulic system powers the wheels of the car? (Interesting—but more on this subject later). For now, let us use the example of an engine as a system. Like some systems there is an input and an output. We put fuel in and the output is energy + exhaust in the form of carbon dioxide (waste). We can reduce the exhaust waste by recirculation (or cleaning) but in doing so we must draw upon some of the produced energy and thereby reduce available power from the engine to the car. Can we create a fully closed engine system? Well, maybe through nuclear power but there still remains a waste by- product that can be rather nasty to deal with. How about solar power? On March 20, 2009 President Obama announced a proposal to spend two billion on developing electrical powered cars. (As an assignment please do some research on the Web and report back on the feasibility of using solar or electrical power as a closed system for powering cars. You can post your responses as a comment to this blog).

Another characteristic of a system is that it may have circular flows (continuous loops) within it. As an example global weather represents a circular flow with water entering the atmosphere primarily from the equatorial tropical areas where major weather patterns are created and then are circulated around the world by the earth’s rotation, distributing this water in the form of rain. The rain fall (which is essential for life) then pools; which then forms streams; which then forms rivers; and eventually the water is returned to the sea-- ideally maintaining a perfectly balanced closed loop system. However, as I am sure you are aware, external factors can influence this otherwise balanced system. These could include natural environmental changes like historical cyclical warming and cooling trends or this system could also be affected by man. (As a Web assignment research the effect of deforestation in the tropical zone and the resulting reduced evaporation and increased carbon emissions).

I am sure that you can think of many other ways that man can interfere externally on otherwise closed systems--one example might be man’s influence on global warming. If you accept this proposition, which most people do, then you need to expand your systems thinking to contemplate all possible system outputs/outcomes. For example, there appears to be a connection between global warming and powerful hurricanes like Katrina in the U.S. But did you also consider the increasingly powerful El Niño affects in Sub Sahara Africa which create raging rivers that in turn destroy bridges—the very bridges that subsistence farmers rely on to get their excess products to market?

You can see that to become true systems thinkers there is a lot of homework and a lot of thinking for you to do--but put in the right perspective, it can be a lot of fun. For our studies in Earth Science we must think in terms of Eco Systems and there are many. If we consider water again, water contains dissolved salt. With large commercial farms drawing water from rivers for irrigation, the overuse of water allows for significant evaporation leaving behind salt deposits. This salt is not only bad for growing crops but the runoff back into the rivers allows for high levels of salt concentration downstream making water unusable for either drinking or irrigation. Again, we have an example of man’s interference with a natural closed system resulting in environmental damage. If you lived in another country downstream and were denied useable water, how would you feel? Is not water a human right? Historically wars have been fought over water rights! Now you have entered the world of “systems theory” because you have added to the subject of nature the study of science and society. What could be the solution to the above? For a Web assignment: search desalinization, cogeneration, Mexico and the Colorado River.

Congratulations, you are now on your way to becoming system thinkers. In the KSU Virtual Space Camp courses you will be challenged to think in terms of systems: what are the boundaries of the system; is it a closed or open system; what are the cycles within a system; how can nature or man interfere with systems; how can we learn from operating principles in one system and apply them to other systems; and how can we improve efficiency within a system? As we learn to appreciate and understand systems on Earth, we will be well prepared to appreciate systems in space. It may very well be that the universe is a very fragile system which could be disturbed by space travelers with dire consequences unless our entry in to space is thought out very carefully in advance.

To continue with these studies go to http://www.ashburnuniversity.org/ and enroll and then join our courses at KSU Virtual Space Camp.