The New Science of Life's Origins and Distribution in the Universe

Join a special seminar lecture where John Eiler from Caltech explores the evolving scientific landscape surrounding the origins of life and its potential existence beyond Earth. Delve into the transformation of this field from its speculative beginnings to its current status as a rigorous, multidisciplinary endeavor connecting astronomy, synthetic chemistry, geology, geochemistry, and biological sciences. Examine the significant progress made in the last decade while considering the fundamental challenges that remain in discovering definitive evidence of life's origins on Earth and its presence in the universe. Learn about the field's development since the 1990s, including both the initial top-down funding investments and early setbacks, and understand how modern methodologies and cross-disciplinary approaches are reshaping our search for answers to one of humanity's greatest scientific questions.