Unraveling the origins of life on Earth and determining whether life exists beyond Earth will likely be two of the most significant scientific discoveries in the 21st century. The Program in Planets and Life (link is external)is an interdepartmental, multidisciplinary plan of study designed for students interested in these two questions. The goal is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental astrophysical, chemical, biological, and geological principles and engineering challenges that will guide our search for life in extreme environments on Earth and on other planets and satellites in the solar system and among neighboring planetary systems. Research on and teaching of these topics are typically performed under the rubric of astrobiology.
The program will equip participating students with the skills they will require to assume leadership roles in discovering the origins of terrestrial and extraterrestrial life over the next decades. The cooperating departments from which the Program in Planets and Life draws faculty and other resources include Astrophysics, Chemistry, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geosciences, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Operations Research and Financial Engineering, as well as the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.