February Swansea Science Cafe – Life in the Universe, an introduction to astrobiology

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The Swansea Science Cafe offers opportunities for anyone to find out more about new, exciting and topical areas of science. Designed to be informal and entertaining, the cafe typically runs on the last Wednesday of every month at the Dylan Thomas Centre. Entry is free and talks start at 7:30pm.

Title: Life in the Universe, an introduction to astrobiology

Speaker: Mike Edmunds, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics, Cardiff University, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry


Date: Wednesday 29th February 2012

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

Admission: Free, all welcome


Event Summary: Professor Mike Edmunds will review the recent flood of observational evidence about the existence of planetary systems around other stars and make some estimates of the likely number of planets in the Universe. Based on a short description of the history of life on Earth, we will then try and agree on a definition of "life" and discuss where life might exist in the Solar System or in other systems. The critical issues will be highlighted and extended to discussion of the difficult question of whether intelligent life might exist elsewhere in space or time.

This news item has been posted for the Swansea Science Cafe by Katy Drane, Swansea University Public Relations Office, Tel: 01792 295050, or email: k.drane@swansea.ac.uk