Title: "Life Beyond Earth" 

Speaker: Dr Michael De Robertis, York University

Is there life beyond Earth?  Earth’s fossil records suggest that under the right conditions, simple life can emerge soon after a planet forms.  I will discuss what we mean by the “right conditions” and where these might be found in our own solar system and beyond. 

And what about complex life?  How ubiquitous might intelligent civilizations be among the billions of stars and galaxies in the observable universe?  Some have argued that the evolution of intelligence should be commonplace.  If so, others ask, where are they, why haven't we any evidence for these civilizations?  What might the prevailing silence mean? 

Finally, I will describe strategies used by scientists to search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, speculate on whether these will succeed in the near future and what their success might mean for humankind. 

The meeting will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The University of Toronto,Mississauga Campus, in lecture hall SE2074 in the William Davis Building. The meeting is open to the public and is free.  

Directions: Enter off of Mississauga Road. Park in lot 4 or the parkade, across from the fitness centre south of theDavis Building. Enter through the Fitness centre, walk up the stairs untilyou reach the main corridor then turn right. (If you need an elevator,follow the corridor to the right of the stairs, then go up to the mainfloor.) Look for the Mississauga Centre sign in front of the lecture room.

Post meeting plans: we usually continue the discussion post-meeting at a local bar – please join us!