Charles Cockell Professor of Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh Author: Equations of Life, Space on Earth, Impossible Extinction, Astrobiology: Understanding Life in the Universe

How will humanity first discover ET Life?Best guess: Biosignature from life in exoplanet atmosphere Details: Biospheres produce gases and our best chance might be an anomalous concentration of gases in a distant exoplanet atmosphere, produced by microbes or their alien equivalent, for example oxygen or sulfur gases of various kinds. The search for life in the subsurface of Mars or in the plumes of Enceladus are good candidates, but three relevant points are: 1) Exoplanet analysis will allow us to examine thousands of locations. Statistically, this gives us a better chance, 2) We might construct telescopes to study exoplanet atmospheres before we can get deep into Mars or get plume samples from Enceladus, 3) The request didn’t specify truly alien life, but if we want that, then looking outside our Solar System to avoid life possibly related to life on Earth might yield earlier results.

Video that Charles Cockell contributed Life in the Universe Pandemic Series. A short series of lectures I recorded during lockdown on some thoughts about Life in the Universe: https://tinyurl.com/ybavydty

Return to 100th Anniversary Page