The trail to the origin of life

Lecture by Dr. E. Bianchi (Vera Rubin Fellow at the Excellence Cluster ORIGINS) – in English

Friday, 12 April 2024, 8 p.m.

How did our planet form? Why is there life on Earth? Each of us has asked these questions at least once in our lifetime. Planets are the product of a cosmic recipe that begins with a cold and dark cloud and ends with a star and its planetary system. As of today, astronomers detected more than 5000 planets orbiting around stars that are not our own Sun. Although we are still not able to detect evidences of life on other planets, upcoming space missions will make it achievable in the near future. Terrestrial life is based on relatively small molecules containing carbon atoms, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.
During the presentation, I will talk about the origins and formation of organic molecules in space and discuss their potential role in seeding life on a young Earth.