The search for life in the Universe
3 September 2015
Each recent report of liquid water existing elsewhere in the solar system has reverberated through the international press and excited the imagination of humankind. Why? Because in the last few decades we have come to realize that where there is liquid water on Earth, virtually no matter what the physical conditions, there is life.
What we previously thought of as insurmountable physical and chemical barriers to life, we now see as yet another niche harboring “extremophiles”. This realization, coupled with new data on the prevalence of potential abodes for life in our solar system and beyond, the survival of microbes in the space environment, modeling of the potential for transfer of life between celestial bodies, and advances in synthetic biology suggests that life could be more common than previously thought.
With these data mounting, are we truly “alone”?
Prof Lynn Rothschild, of the NASA Ames Research Center, UCSC and Brown University (USA) will talk about this fascinating topic in a free public talk on Thursday 3 September at 6pm in the Darwin Lecture Theatre at UCL.
The event is completely free and open to all, but please reserve your place online.
The event is being run in parallel with the Astrobiology Society of Britain’s 6th biennial conference, which is being held at UCL.
EU Referendum
EU referendum: UCL Provost’s message to students and staff
In light of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, UCL President & Provost Professor Michael Arthur assures UCL students and staff from EU countries that they will continue to be as valued and as welcome as before. Professor Arthur also confirms that there will be no immediate changes to arrangements for EU staff and students.
Open Days
The Faculty participates in a number of open days throughout the academic year, including the UCL Undergraduate Open Days and the UCL Graduate Open Day.
Friends of Out@UCL
Professor Ivan Parkin -
Dean, UCL Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
“I fully support the aims of the Friends of Out@UCL campaign. I have
personal experience of the need for such a campaign and the
difficulties that the LGBTQ+ community face.” Read more…
Snapshots from Space History
Online exhibition of historic space photos from the faculty’s planetary science archives.