Learn about the origin and evolution of life and the search for life beyond the Earth.
Offered By


Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
The University of EdinburghAbout this Course
Skills you will gain
- Biology
- Solar Systems
- Microbiology
- Astrobiology
Offered by

The University of Edinburgh
Since 1583 the University of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of innovation in education and research. Ranked 20th in the world, we have been an international leader in online learning since our first online degree launched in 2005. As part of our commitment to making learning accessible to all, we offer free courses in a variety of subjects including philosophy, health, animal welfare and STEM courses, all designed to build the skills of the global community.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
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?
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?
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?
The Search for Habitable Exoplanets
How do we search for Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars and how would we detect life on them?
Reviews
- 5 stars81.24%
- 4 stars16.30%
- 3 stars1.83%
- 2 stars0.32%
- 1 star0.28%
TOP REVIEWS FROM ASTROBIOLOGY AND THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
Really interesting course- both scientific and philosophical. This course is a great overview of astrobiology and gives insight into a more niche area of science not offered at school.
This course is fascinating, accessible, and well-paced. It is short but packs a huge punch of information into that time. It does not require any technical skills or previous knowledge base.
Jee, that was really interesting ! Professor Cockell explains the material in a very enthousiastic way. Good and nice voice to listen to. The course also has a very good structure.
Great course, Charles does a great job teaching the course! opens up the possibilities of the origins of life and other possible life in our solar system and universe. thanks to Coursera.
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