Lecture 21: Summing Up - The Future of Life

The Life Story of our Universe

HotDenseSmooth

ColdThinClumpy

3

Parent & OffspringAge: 14 Ga Age: 4 Ga

The Universe The Earth Biosphere

Age: 92 Age: 65

History of the Universe: Counting Stars

Our Universe forming stars

FirstStars Today

Rate of new stars

10 Gy ago

The stars forming the elements

FirstStars Today

Rate of new stars

10 Gy ago

No heavyelements

FirstSuper-Earths

Metallicity time-lineStellar Spectra

Time since Big Bang

[Fe/H]= 0

[Fe/H]= -4

[Fe/H]= -5

[Fe/H]= -∞

9100 million planets have habitable potential

10

Finding ‘New Earth’

First Data Release - June 15, 2010

11

We can discover about 80 of them

by 2013

12

Nicolaus CopernicusMay 22, 2010

13

Earth: the Tiny Blue Dot

14

Is Life on Other Planets

the Same as Life on Earth ?“Life on Earth” =

“Biochemistry”

Photo: HST

15

Is Earth Biochemistry Universal ?

“Life on Earth” = “Biochemistry”

Photo: Univ. of Bergen

QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Cell-like bubbles form & divideSzostak Lab

17

Is Life on Other Planets

the Same as Life on Earth ?“Life on Earth” =

“Biochemistry”

18The Plurality of Worlds?

Is the Root the same on other

planets ?

Tree of Life

19The Plurality of Worlds?

20

The New Revolution:

Synthetic Biology with

Inter-Planetary Reach

21

origins.harvard.edu

Our Team:G. Church J.

Szostak

A. Knoll

G. Whitesides

S. JacobsenD. SchragD. CharbonneauA. Pearson

J. C. Venter D. LathamS. Martin

22

Mirror Life

Why on Earth is Life Left-handed ?

23

Mirror Life: Mirror Proteins

made of right-handed amino acids

Mirror Life: if all is equal,

why is Earth devoid of it ?

Summary

Earth is a good living planet (complex chemistry)

Super-Earths are better, and• ~100 million are habitable in our Galaxy,• Kepler should discover at least ~ 80 of them.

The Universe is young - we might be Generation I, - BUT we are on verge of Generation II.

Earth & Moon seen from Mars - Oct. 2007