'Life in the Universe' - Are the aliens really there? Astronomical & evolutionary factors for assessing the probability of there being complex life "out there".
The areas discussed include:
| Introduction | Why are we so interested in this subject? Our cultural background to this question; The Drake Equation |
| Development of the Universe & our Galaxy | How we get to have the chemical materials and environment available for life to exist, including appropriately placed stars |
| Local Astrophysical Requirements | The need for stability; What we've found with exoplanets; What sorts of stars are appropriate; The effect of the Moon; Bombardments and impacts |
| Early Biological needs | How quickly life arose on Earth; how complex life may have developed; biological and environmental constraints on its development |
| Planetary Stability and Environment | The Moon and Tides; Plate Tectonics; Temperature Stability (Snowball Earth); Major Volcanism; Degassing Sea Floor; Impact Events |
| Other Biological Phenomena | Why the 'Cambrian Explosion' was when it was; Mass Extinctions; Climatic Needs |
| Likelihood of Complex Life Elsewhere | Back to the Drake Equation and review each of the terms - Conclusion |