Learn about the origin and evolution of life and the search for life beyond the Earth.
Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Instructor: Charles Cockell
Sponsored by Coursera Learning Team
89,246 already enrolled
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8
(2,628 reviews)
11 hours to complete
3 weeks at 3 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
97%
Most learners liked this course
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Assessments
5 quizzes, 6 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 5 modules in this course
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?
What's included
10 videos1 quiz2 assignments
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?
What's included
7 videos1 quiz1 assignment
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?
What's included
7 videos2 quizzes
How do we search for Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars and how would we detect life on them?
What's included
5 videos2 assignments
What are the possibilities for intelligent life elsewhere? How would we deal with contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence and what would be the impact on society? Who would represent Earth?
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 quiz1 assignment
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.9 (572 ratings)Offered by
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Learner reviews
4.8
2,628 reviews
- 5 stars
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16.17%
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1.90%
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0.30%
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Showing 3 of 2628
EG
5
Reviewed on May 16, 2020
Excelente curso, te guía desde lo más básico hasta lo más sofisticado en los conceptos de evolución de la vida y como entender estos en otros ambientes distintos al de nuestro planeta tierra.
PA
5
Reviewed on May 4, 2020
Amazing course, very interesting topic and was delivered in a clear and concise way, I really enjoyed it and will definitely be looking at other courses from Professor Charle Cockell.
PM
5
Reviewed on May 9, 2020
Good, I liked but from some of the lectures I guess it was recorded around 2012, and in this field this is starting to feel a bit dated, and may need updating in certain areas now!
Recommended if you're interested in Physical Science and Engineering
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