Are we alone? Is there Life in the Universe?

This talk will examine the potential for life to exist outside the Earth and discuss the current research findings and mission results. Of all the bodies of the solar system, earth stands alone as the only planet with clear evidence of life. But could there be life beyond the Earth? Are we alone in a vast sea of perhaps perhaps 1022 stars stars and trillions of planetary systems? Or could life be abundant in the universe? Recent research has greatly expanded the conditions we believe necessary to harbor life both here on Earth and beyond.