In the next decade, spacecraft will visit the watery worlds of our solar system equipped with instruments capable of detecting complex organic molecules. The most powerful telescopes in history will look through the atmospheres of exoplanets for the gasses created by living organisms.
UC Santa Cruz stands at the forefront of this endeavor, with faculty who are world leaders in the study of exoplanets, the origin of life, planetary science, and instrument development. UC Santa Cruz Astrobiology will continue its groundbreaking research while training diverse new generations of astrobiologists.
This effort is inherently interdisciplinary, demanding varied expertise. On a campus with a tradition of breaking barriers between academic disciplines, the humanities, social sciences, and the arts will play a central role, engaging the public in our discoveries and their societal implications. We invite you to join us on this great frontier of science and humanity.