'Planets, Life & Panspermia' - What does it take astronomically to make an appropriate environment for life to get started, and what sort of life can cross space.
The areas discussed are extracts from the 2 talks 'Life in the Universe' and 'How (on Earth) did Life Start?', and include:
| What is Life? | Definition of life as we know it |
| Bootstrap Biochemistry | The structure of DNA; How it makes amino acids and proteins; What may have preceded DNA; Various RNA forms; Auto-catalysis |
| Where and How can Life Develop? | The early Earth and its environment; The oceans; The deeps; The tree of life; The 'breakthrough' problem; Complex molecules in space |
| Crossing Space | Survival of spores in space; Radiation; How likely is it? |
| Did Life on Earth Come from Mars? | Meteorite ALH84001 and what it tells us; The general case for interplanetary contamination |
| Other Panspermia Theories | Pseudo panspermia; Basic panspermia; Radio panspermia; Directed panspermia; Modern panspermia; Strong panspermia |
| Conclusion | It's tricky! We're getting much nearer to an understanding of how life can start de novo; Plausibility of panspermia |