Life in the Universe: Rule or Exception?

Almar, Ivan

One of today's most exciting inter-disciplinary fields is astro-biology where the true synthesis of the knowledge of many disciplines is realised.
The major task is to clarify the true relation of Life and the Universe that is to answer the question: Is life in the Universe a rule or an exception? The lecture briefly overviews the history of astro-biology - introducing the fundamental equation of the subject area, the so-called Drake-formula, - then goes on to demonstrate the location and basic characteristics of the solar system and the Earth. It tries to determine whether the appearance of Life is a necessity everywhere where appropriate conditions prevail.
In one of the most exciting parts of the lecture - which promises great discoveries in the near future - we come to learn about celestial bodies of the Solar system, where life as we know it may be possible. In the past few years it has become clear that life is incredibly robust, there is almost no hostile place on our own planet where simple structured forms of life could not exist. The list of organisms living in extreme conditions (extremophiles) has considerably increased over the past few years. These organisms provide a lot of information on the early evolution of life on Earth, and we stand a good chance of finding their analogue forms on other celestial bodies, the environmental conditions of which we are gradually learning more from planetology.
Leaving the Solar system we take a glimpse at the most dynamically developing areas of astrology, the research of the exoplanets. Finally, we look at the possibilities of the development and spreading of civilisations and Mankind's attempts at making contact with other life forms.

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