Interested in aliens? So are we! This class is on the most extreme life on Earth and how it can inform us in the search for life outside Earth! A lot of the life forms that you can find on Earth seem pretty alien already -- there are microbes that can survive in boiling pools of acid, in Antarctic lakes that have been frozen over for millions of years, and at the bottom of the ocean around underwater volcanoes. What are the limits for life as we know it and what does this extreme life on Earth mean about the possibility for life on planets completely different from our own? We hope to not only share some of the insanely cool science being done, but to inspire students to ask questions of their own about life and the universe.

Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear, starry night and wondered "are we alone?" If you have, you're not alone. Come and learn more about the scientific field of astrobiology, the study of life outside Earth and the origins of life. In this class, we'll discuss everything from exoplanets to extremophiles, as well as show you how you can join the hunt for life outside Earth.