Learn about the origin and evolution of life and the search for life beyond the Earth.
Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
The University of EdinburghAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
33%
started a new career after completing these courses
27%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English, Russian, Romanian, German
Skills you will gain
BiologySolar SystemsMicrobiologyAstrobiology
Learner Career Outcomes
33%
started a new career after completing these courses
27%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English, Russian, Romanian, German
Offered by
The University of Edinburgh
Influencing the world since 1583, The University of Edinburgh is consistently ranked as one of the world's top 50 universities. Today, we are an established and global leader in online learning, providing degree-level education to 3,000 online students in addition to 36,000 students on-campus. We also offer a wide range of free online courses in a variety of subjects. To find out more about studying for one of our online degrees, search for ‘Edinburgh online’ or visit www.ed.ac.uk/studying/online-learning/postgraduate
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
4 hours to complete
Life and Its Origins
What is life and what are the definitions of life? What do we know about the origin of life and what are the current hypotheses for how it originated on the Earth?
4 hours to complete
10 videos (Total 132 min)
10 videos
Welcome1m
Introduction17m
History of Astrobiology20m
What is Life?20m
Life on Earth13m
Structure of Life: Building Blocks9m
Structure of LIfe: Cells14m
Origins of Life: Building Blocks11m
Origins of Life: Location11m
Origins of Life: Alternative Chemistries11m
3 practice exercises
Introduction and History of Astrobiology20m
Life: The Basics40m
Origins of Life40m
3 hours to complete
Life on Earth
What was the environment of early Earth like when life first emerged and what do we know about life on the earliest Earth? How did life evolve to cope with survival in extreme environments? What have been the major evolutionary transitions of life on the Earth?
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 82 min)
7 videos
Conditions on the Early Earth 12m
Evidence of Early Life7m
The Tree of Life9m
Life in Extreme Environments18m
The Rise of Multicellularity13m
The Great Oxidation Event17m
2 practice exercises
Life on the Early Earth40m
Life Through Time40m
2 hours to complete
Habitable Environments Elsewhere in our Solar System?
What are the prospects for life on other planetary bodies in our Solar System and how do we go about searching for it? What conditions are required for a planet to be habitable?
2 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 71 min)
7 videos
The Search for Life on Mars10m
Mars as a Location for Life15m
Could We All be Martians?7m
Europa7m
Enceladus6m
Other Icy Bodies14m
2 practice exercises
The Habitability of Mars40m
Life and Icy Bodies38m
2 hours to complete
The Search for Habitable Exoplanets
How do we search for Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars and how would we detect life on them?
2 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 36 min)
5 videos
Methods6m
Types of Planets8m
Biosignatures of Life in Exoplanet Atmospheres8m
How to Look for Biosignatures6m
Missions to Search for Biosignatures6m
2 practice exercises
The Search for Exoplanets40m
Biosignatures on Exoplanets40m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM ASTROBIOLOGY AND THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
by KGJul 24, 2020
A great opportunity to learn a lot of things especially in terms of seeking the origin of life here on our planet Earth and beyond in the vast universe. Thank you for the knowledge and everything.
by ELOct 11, 2015
Very interesting and engaging course. There are longer and more in-depth courses if you want them but if you want a concise overview of astrobiology on your own time, then this course is perfect!
by NANov 10, 2018
This was a very informative course and it widened my field of thinking and knowledge. I was amused by the vast amounts of wonders that this Universe has to offer. I thank the Professor for this.
by RPApr 28, 2020
Excellent Course. And not just this course but also the Pandemic series of lectures on Youtube. Glad I discovered Charles Cockell. Will be looking for more of his classes/lectures in the future.
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