Astrobiology in the UK

For an update on the current extent of Astrobiology teaching and research currently being conducted in the UK, see the article on the ASB website here.

Interdisciplinary work at the interface between biological and space sciences has a long history in the UK.

Robert Boyle (1627-1691)

In 1670 Robert Boyle (1627-1691), wondered what role the atmosphere had in sustaining life and, using his newly invented vacuum pump, he set about to demonstrate the importance of atmosphere. By placing ducks, kittens and other animals into his chamber and drawing out the air, he demonstrated that the Earth’s atmosphere was a fundamental requirement for life (Boyle, 1670). The experiments seem bizarre, but in the 17th Century they were seminal as they demonstrated a fundamental link between life and its planetary atmosphere. Just a year later, Isaac Newton (1643-1727) published a paper demonstrating that white light could be split into the colours of the spectrum (Newton, 1671), a discovery that would prove to be of fundamental astronomical and biological importance.

Astrobiology was back in the UK news in the 19th Century when Lord Kelvin (Sir William Thomson) (1824-1907) , suggested that spores might be carried through space on meteorites. In 1871 he wrote (Thomson, 1871):

Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)

Should the time come when this earth comes into collision with another body, comparable in dimensions to itself . . many great and small fragments carrying seeds of living plants and animals would undoubtedly be scattered through space. Hence, and because we all confidently believe that there are at present, and have been from time immemorial, many worlds of life besides our own, we must regard it as probable in the highest degree that there are countless seed-bearing meteoric stones moving about through space. If at the present instance no life existed upon this earth, one such stone falling upon it might, by what we blindly call natural causes, lead to its becoming covered with vegetation.’

This startling contribution to what is now called ‘panspermia’ today remains fiercely debated within the astrobiological community.

Panspermia Principles

New opportunities have emerged for the UK to make contributions in astrobiology. The strengthening links with European partners through the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) and ESA together with links with partners in the US through the NASA Astrobiology Institute mean that there are new opportunities to develop the community.

The Astrobiology Society was previously the UK Astrobiology Forum and Network that was founded in 1999. The society was formed at the UK's first Astrobiology Conference held at Girton College, Cambridge in March 2003. The Society seeks to communicate opportunities to the UK astrobiology community along with universities and institutions in the UK that are developing courses and centres in astrobiology-related fields.

The Beagle2 Mission looking for traces of life

Boyle, R. (1670) New pneumatical experiments about respiration. Philos. Trans. R. Soc., 6, 473-512.
Newton, I. (1671) New theory about light and colours. Philos. Trans. Royal Soc., 6, 3074-3087.
Thomson, W. (1871) Presidential address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Nature, 4, 262.
Tikhov, G.A. (1953) Astrobiology. Molodaya gvardia (Young Guard) Publishing House, Moscow.

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Last Updated on Saturday, 17 April 2010 16:19

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