Jordan Bimm takes students on an exploration of Mars in spring quarter MAPPS course

What’s it like to work on Mars? Undergraduates from a diverse array of majors found out in the Spring Quarter Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) course "Exploration of Mars'," taught by Jordan Bimm, a historian and postdoctoral researcher in the Stevanovich Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (SIFK).

Examining the history, culture, science and politics of our long obsession with the Red Planet, the course brought together students from geophysical sciences, history, neuroscience, environmental and urban studies, international relations and economics to think deeply about Mars.  

“The millennia-old fascination with Mars is swiftly growing in importance,” said Bimm, noting both the flurry of recent rover activity and SpaceX’s plans to quickly settle the planet. “My goal is to create Mars experts in the social sciences and humanities because those are badly needed right now.”  

To that end, the course included deep dives into cutting-edge Mars-focused academic scholarship into the history of science and science and technology studies (STS), but each week students also chose selections from science journalism, performing arts, literature and digital media for a comprehensive grasp of how the planet is being understood and represented. 

Bimm launched each class with the latest news from Mars. During one class, Bimm shared a quote from a recent interview with SpaceX founder Elon Musk about sending humans to Mars, during which he said "a bunch of people will probably die in the beginning." The class enthusiastically discussed various interpretations of Musk’s comments, in which he also compared himself to Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Bimm’s extensive knowledge of the history of exploration allowed him to pinpoint flaws in that comparison: Shackleton’s crew all survived, and Shackleton himself endured the ordeal alongside them.  

Wrapping up on current events, the class then moved to discuss the topic of the week: "Is there life on Mars?" Scientists have long been searching, but have continually come up empty. Could sending our life to Mars in the form of astronauts complicate this search? The students kicked off a dynamic and far-ranging discussion drawing upon learnings from their reading, listening and viewing options. The hour-long exchange covered everything from the ethics of astrobiology to pop culture portrayals of Martian life.

This course emphasizes the Institute's focus on the formation of knowledge, specifically how we make knowledge about outer space and Mars. With an academically diverse group of students examining a fascinating topic, this class extended beyond disciplines, offering fresh perspectives on space exploration hard to find anywhere else.  

Bimm says a major goal of his research and teaching is to use the lessons of history to inform and guide the present and future. He likes to point out that future leaders in space—and maybe a future Martian astronaut or two—are likely sitting in the seminar right now.  

Whether you plan to be an astronaut, rover driver, historian, science journalist or space-minded business leader, Bimm’s focus on the historical and cultural dimensions of space aims to map a better Mars for all of us.  

Jordan Bimm is a historian of science, technology, and medicine focused on the human and biological aspects of space exploration. His forthcoming book, Anticipating the Astronaut, examines the surprising history of pre-NASA space medicine test-subjects contributing to early visions of an ideal spacefaring body, including push-button soldiers, high-altitude Indigenous people, mountaineers, women pilots, and animals. This summer he holds a Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Fellowship at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. KNOW 36070 Exploration of Mars will be offered Autumn 2021.