Life, the universe and intelligence

Grade 9 Middle Years Programme (MYP) students have been considering whether we are the only intelligent beings in the universe.

Professor Jonathan Tennyson from the Department of Physics & Astronomy at University College London gave a lecture at Southbank Westminster. He focused on the immensity of the universe and the human ingenuity of scientific theories, posing the question: what kind of evidence should we look for if we want to search for extra-terrestrial intelligence? To answer that question, you need to consider aspects of biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy and indeed history and technology.

"The lecture encouraged students to consider the breadth of knowledge required to tackle the really big questions," explained MYP Co-ordinator Lori Fritz. "It was great for the students to see and hear an actual physicist who was so obviously inspired by and enthusiastic about his work."