AstroTalk #8 – Esistono altri mondi abitabili?

A meeting with Amedeo Balbi, astrophysicist and associate professor at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata". Humanity has always questioned its place in the Universe and whether our planet is the only inhabited one. Finding an answer to this question requires, on the one hand, a better understanding of the mechanisms that make a planet suitable for life; on the other, the observation and study of a large number of planetary systems around other stars (or exoplanets), to try to understand whether the conditions found on our planet are common or rare. In recent years, we have made enormous progress toward a possible answer. We now know of thousands of exoplanets, and in the coming years, we will study their physical characteristics in ever greater detail. This will allow us to identify candidates that could have the characteristics suitable for hosting life. At the same time, the exploration of our solar system may also hold some surprises, not only through the direct exploration of Mars, but also through the study of environments once thought to be inhospitable, such as the icy moons of the giant planets. Amadeo Balbi, an astrophysicist, is an associate professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His research interests range from cosmology to astrobiology. The author of over one hundred scientific publications, his research has contributed, among other things, to the first precision measurements of cosmological parameters and the determination of the geometry of the universe. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union, the Foundational Questions Institute, the IAA SETI Permanent Committee, and the scientific committee of the Italian Society of Astrobiology. In terms of outreach, he has written a column for the monthly magazine Le Scienze for years, collaborated on radio and TV programs, and written for numerous newspapers and periodicals, including Repubblica and La Stampa. In 2015 he won the National Prize for Scientific Dissemination with the book «Seekers of Wonder» (Rizzoli) and in 2021 the Asimov Prize with «The Last Horizon» (UTET).