Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

planets, dna strand

What is life and how did it evolve on earth? What are the prospects for life on other planetary bodies and how do we go about searching for it? How might humans deal with contact an extraterrestrial intelligence? 

In this course, Professor Charles Cockell, Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology: 

  • outlines the conditions that are required for a planet to be habitable
  • explores how we can search for and detect life on other planets.

This introductory course is for anyone with an interest in understanding the fascinating field of astrobiology.   

View course on Coursera

This course is hosted on an external learning platform.

 

A great opportunity to learn a lot of things especially in terms of seeking the origin of life here on our planet Earth and beyond in the vast universe.
Summary
  • Type of course
    Short course: Study a subject through videos, articles, discussions or quizzes.
  • Cost and certification
    Free, with option to upgrade for a certificate
  • Duration
    5 weeks
  • Weekly effort
    2-3 hours
  • Difficulty level
    Introductory: No previous knowledge required
  • Learning platform
    Coursera
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