Lectures / 18/11/2009 7:30 pm

Are we alone? A scientific take on the question of extraterrestrial life

At the borderline separating astrophysics and biology a new scientific discipline is in the making that deals with issues related to extraterrestrial life.

Extrasolar planetary systems, organic molecules, the genesis of life on Earth, e.g. through panspermia, the search for traces of life on Mars: ours is the first generation to contemplate the existence of planets outside our solar system. Researchers of the next generation may already be in a position to identify the first earth-like planets and even answer the question as to the uniqueness of life in the universe.