This course explores the possibility of life on Mars, examining the scientific evidence and theories that might someday prove that we are not alone in the universe — or explain why we are.

Mars might be our closest planetary neighbor, but we know hardly anything about it.

It is only in the last hundred years that humankind has been able to identify Mars' physical characteristics.

We know now that life can survive in Earth's most inhospitable environments. Could Mars also sustain life?

Louisa Preston is an astrobiologist, geologist, and author. Her work includes investigations with the European Space Agency's mission to Mars, aiming to identify signs of ancient life on the planet.

Mars is the most studied planet in our Solar System, besides Earth.

No matter how small, the discovery of a single living organism on Mars would change our understanding of the entire universe, and our place within it.