Pale Blue Dot

Maybe FBI Agent Mulder should have spent more time in microbiology class rather than looking to skies to search for alien life. Extremophile organisms are those that thrive in the coldest, hottest, deepest, saltiest, most acidic parts of the habitable earth. They have been studied by scientists as one of the earliest forms of life on Earth, and are capable of everything from running your digestive system to growing gold in soil. They have even been considered as potential alien hitchhikers as a panspermic arrival on Martian projectile! What does that even mean? Join David, Luke, and expert Professor Gordon Southam from the University of Queensland to find out. Hosted by Dr Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.

This week we dive into an introduction of fossils - what exactly are they? Is a turd considered a fossil? How have they helped define periods in our vast geological time scale? Fossils can invoke feverish pursuit of the perfect specimen and give windows to the lives past that otherwise would be lost to time. Hosted by Dr Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.

We are all just meatbags driven by microbial superorganisms - says David on this week's podcast. As our special guest, Dr David Flannery discusses the journey of developing spacecraft, from idea to hardware, and the different types of evidence for life that we might find on Mars. Hosted by Dr Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.

Today's episode features an interview with certified exoplanet killer Professor Jonti Horner. Jonti talks about his journey into astrobiology and answers questions about solar system formation. Hosted by Professor Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.

A doona is a quilted blanket that keeps you warm at night. Find out how the Earth's doona keeps our planet habitable in our second episode, featuring special guest Professor Balz Kamber. Hosted by Dr Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.

Hear a brief introduction to some of the topics that we will cover in this podcast series. Hosted by Dr Luke Nothdurft and Dr David Flannery. Edited by Carol Liang.