20 May 2002

What we might have in common with aliens

Do aliens exist, and if so, what common culture might we share with them? What is special about our universe that life has been able to evolve in it?

On 29 May The Astronomer Royal, Professor Sir Martin Rees, will look at these questions and give his view on our cosmos and its future. He will also discuss:

• What astronomers will be able to tell us twenty years from now about life on planets in other solar systems
• The long-range future for human life, perhaps beyond the Earth
• Whether there could be multiple universes, where "what we call the laws of nature would be no more than local bylaws"

Our biophilic universe and its future is a joint meeting of the RSM and the RSA to be held at the RSM in Wimpole Street.

Martin Rees is a Royal Society Research Professor and a fellow of King's College at the University of Cambridge. He holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal and also Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and at Leicester University. He is the author or co-author of nearly 500 research papers, mainly on astrophysics and cosmology, as well as six books, the most recent of which for general readership is Our Cosmic Habitat.

The RSA exists to encourage the development of a principled, prosperous society. It does this through a programme of projects and events and with the support of a network of influential Fellows from every field and background. With a mission to encourage creativity, innovation and good practice, it seeks to educate and agitate for change in all its fields of interest: business, design, education, the arts and the environment. Visit the RSA website at www.theRSA.org.

Download the text of the lecture [PDF 38k]