05/27/2026
Is Our Civilization the First in the Universe?
It is quite common in science fiction, as exemplified by Star Wars and Star Trek, to presume that life exists in multiple places / galaxies in the universe and has existed long before life existed on earth. In fact, many people (including scientists) think that this is highly likely to be true, given the vastness and estimated age of the universe. Is it possible that life exists elsewhere in the universe, either now or in the distant past? This talk will focus on a scientific evaluation of such an idea from the perspective of a
chemist, Dr. Steven W. Baertschi.
Free food will be provided