Why do you believe that there is life on other planets?

Why do you believe that there is life on other planets?

Colin Pillinger (Professor of Planetary Sciences) gives expert video advice on: Do you think there will be a base on the moon?; Do you think we will colonize other planets?; What are the benefits of space science to humanity? and more...

The reason why I believe that life is prevalent throughout the entire cosmos is that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the cosmos by far. The next most abundant element which is reactive, the next one is helium but that doesn't do anything. It's just a nerve gas. The next one is oxygen. Oxygen and hydrogen combine explosively. So if they mate, you have water. Water is the fundamental solvent of life because it allows chemical reactions to go on and allows things to happen, cells and so forth. The next two most abundant elements are carbon and nitrogen. Now you've got virtually everything that makes up most of the important molecules in your body. These elements are everywhere. They are the first, second, fourth and fifth most abundant elements and they're reactive. In lots of places this accident must have happened that suddenly and life's chemistry sorted itself into becoming biology.