#159 Ian Crawford: Astrobiology, Space Exploration, and Big History

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Dr. Ian Crawford is Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, University of London. His research activities mostly lie in the fields of space exploration (especially lunar science and exploration), and the science of astrobiology (the search for life in the Universe).

In this episode, we talk about astrobiology and Big History. What is astrobiology, and the criteria that are used to search for life in the Universe, and also the limitations of those criteria, including the Goldilocks conditions (or the habitable zone). Also, the life forms that we should expect to find on other planets, and the places in our solar system which have the highest probabilities of hosting life. The special case of looking for intelligent life, and the many complications of it. The scientific, societal and political relevance of lunar and space exploration, and why it’s not in conflict with other human social and political endeavors. And, finally, Big History, and the relationship between astrobiology and Big History.

Time Links:

00:38 What is astrobiology?

01:41 The criteria for searching for life in the Universe          

06:15 Goldilocks conditions, or the “habitable zone”    

09:05 What extremophiles tell us about life        

11:25 The life forms we should expect to find      

17:58 Places in our solar system most likely to host life         

23:06 How to know if there was life on a planet that no longer has it     

26:17 When should we stop looking for life on a particular planet?  

29:26 The special case of intelligent life 

36:44 The scientific, societal and political relevance of lunar and space exploration 

41:47 Space exploration is not that costly

45:41 Why terraforming other planets (including Mars) is not a viable strategy to counter climate change problems

49:28 Big History and Astrobiology

56:00 Our position as humans in the Universe

58:56 Follow Dr. Crawford’s work!   

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Follow Dr. Crawford’s work:

Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/6fc74ra

Articles on Researchgate: https://tinyurl.com/y4nywjc6

How ‘Big History’ can save the world: https://tinyurl.com/y4f5jk9p

Why looking for aliens is good for society (even if there aren’t any): https://tinyurl.com/yxhcjhww

The long-term scientific benefits of a space economy: https://tinyurl