Einstein in the dome: Searching for Life in Space

Is there life on other planets in the universe? Or does it only exist on Earth? These are some of mankind's oldest questions. Today we dispose of technologies that might help to answer them. Andreas Elsaesser and Riccardo Urso from Freie Universität Berlin study the conditions for life in space and on other planets. Their lecture will give us an insight into the scientific possibilities of searching for extraterrestrial life today. What are researchers actually looking for in the endless universe? How can we explore life and its prerequisites in space without leaving Earth? Not least, their research touches upon the big philosophical question: What is life?

Dr. Andreas Elsässer is head of the research group for Experimental Biophysics and Space Science at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Riccardo Urso is a former Einstein International Postdoctoral Fellow at Freie Universität Berlin in the group of Andreas Elsässer.

The research group is interested in fundamental aspects of how space environments affect organic molecules and living organisms. The researchers combine laboratory experiments and space research in the search for life beyond Earth and perform planetary simulation experiments to decipher reactions of organic molecules in space.