The question of whether we are alone in the Milky Way (or in the universe) is one of the most intriguing questions in science and astronomy. Our solar system formed half way through the history of the universe, and many sun-like stars that host planetary systems are billions of years older than our Sun.

The odds of finding evidence for life are unknown, but the search continues as astronomers observe the nearby universe for earth-like planets and seek signs of life on exoplanets that resemble the earth in terms of atmosphere, composition and climate.

The answer to 'are we alone?' affects our claim for being special in the cosmos, and we shall never know unless we search.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/are-we-alone-in-the-universe

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 2,000 lectures free to access or download from the website.

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