Colloquium time! Grab some coffee, cookies, and fruit at the pre-talk reception in the Physics Library at 3pm, then stick around for an exciting talk at 3:30 PM. Everyone’s welcome—faculty, grads, and undergrads alike!

So far, Earth is the only planet that is habitable, and inhabited.

The search for life on other planets, both within and beyond

our Solar system, has entered a new era with the discovery

of more than 5500 exoplanets, planets orbiting stars other

than our Sun. These planets not only orbit different types of

stars, but also are unique with no equivalent objects within

our Solar system. A broader picture is emerging, where

our Sun and its planets occupy a small piece of a larger

puzzle. Can habitable conditions and life arise on these

wide varieties of planetary systems? What are the current

efforts to discover biosignatures (signs of biology), and

Technosignatures (signs of technology)?

I will discuss the current status of the search for exoplanets

and in particular habitable worlds, summarizing the most

important discoveries and potential climates of these planets.

I will conclude with discussing the current and planned

missions to find extraterrestrial biological and technological

life, and prospects of identifying inhabited worlds in our

galaxy through remote observations.