NASA scientists claimed in August 1996 to have found evidence in
a
meteorite of primitive life on Mars in ancient times. This discovery,
if true, suggests life is not unique to Earth and may be plentiful
in
the universe. We will discuss, the physical conditions necessary
for
life, how it start on Earth and how we are searching for it
elsewhere in the universe.
It is thought the impact of a 10 kilometer asteroid or comet killed
the dinosaurs. Such collisions were much more frequent
when life
was trying to get started on Earth. They could have "seeded"
Earth
with organic compounds crucial to life. Topics covered include: the
origins of the Universe (in the Big Bang), the Galaxy, the
Chemical Elements and the Solar System, important physical laws for
the
evolution of stars and planets, the chemical basis of life, the
history of life on Earth, comets and asteroids and the impact of
comet Shoemaker Levy 9 wit Jupiter, the exploration of Mars and finally
the
search for planets around other stars. We end with the search
for
extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and finally the fate of the earth
and
life on earth in the far future.