The hunt for life beyond Earth: a co-ordinated school and adult outreach programme

天体生物学是一个新的科学领域，研究地球以外存在生命的可能性。它是深度跨学科的，并将许多不同科学领域的线索拉在一起：地质学，生物化学，微生物学，机器人探索，行星科学和天体物理学，其中最后几个代表核心STFC领域。天体生物学研究可能提供具有深远社会意义的知识-在我们的太阳系中发现外星生命，或者在绕其他恒星运行的遥远植物的大气中发现生命迹象。这样一个发现，以及认识到我们在宇宙中并不孤单，将与认识到地球不是平的，或者是地球绕着太阳转，而不是太阳绕着地球转一样重要。我还发现，天体生物学是一种令人信服的有效手段，可以让社会的不同成员参与当前的科学研究--他们用税收支付的工作，这对继续提供支持至关重要，特别是在经济困难时期。人们对寻找地球以外的生命有着与生俱来的兴趣。第三，天体生物学是一种非常成功的方式，用科学的回报来激励学生，并突出了现代研究是多么的多学科和相互关联。这对于社会鼓励学生在学校学习STEM（科学，技术和数学）科目，然后选择职业非常重要。我们生活在一个技术和数字化程度很高的社会，但申请STEM学位的大学人数却在下降。正是由于这些原因，我相信天体生物学和太空探索在科学和社会中都非常重要，在过去的几年里，我一直在努力让学生和公众参与前沿研究。有了STFC社会科学奖学金，我将有专门的时间和资源，能够扩大和发展这项活动。我建议在三年的奖学金中专注于三个关键项目：1将我提供的公共活动和现场表演的数量扩大到50多个，每年达到3,900人。我还想在奖学金的过程中开发几个新的节目，以突出天体生物学空间探索的不同方面2扩大我的大众媒体参与，超越现场广播和电视采访，以及迄今为止取得的电视纪录片。由于我的一些时间被STFC SiS奖学金买断，我想专注于为即将委托制作的关于天体生物学的主流电视纪录片做准备。有机会STFC的SiS奖学金提供了我的一部分时间来科学写作，我想专注于研究和写一个重要的新的科学书籍的公众。这本书已经与包括企鹅出版社在内的大型国际出版商签约，因此将在全球范围内吸引广泛的读者，并将探讨关键科学原理与它们所实现的技术进步之间的相互关系。

Astrobiology is a new field of science, dealing with the possibility of life beyond the Earth. It is deeply interdisciplinary, and pulls together the threads of many different fields of science: geology, biochemistry, microbiology, robotic exploration, planetary science and astrophysics, the last few of which represent core STFC areas. Astrobiology research potentially offers knowledge of profound societal importance - the discovery of extraterrestrial life in our solar system, or perhaps signs of life in the atmospheres of distant plants orbiting other stars. Such a discovery, and the realisation that we are not alone in the cosmos, would be as fundamentally important as realising that the Earth isn't flat, or that it is the Earth that orbits the sun not visa versa.I also find that astrobiology is a compellingly effective means for engaging diverse members of society with current scientific research - work that they have paid for with their taxes, and which is crucial to continue supporting, especially during times of economic hardship. People have a great innate interest in the search for life beyond the Earth. Thirdly, astrobiology is a wonderfully successful way of inspiring school children with the rewards of science, and highlights just how multidisciplinary and inter-linked modern research is. This is important for society in encouraging students to study STEM (science, technology and maths) subjects at school and then choosing a career. We live in a deeply technological and numerical society, and yet the numbers of university applications for STEM degrees are slumping.It is for all these reasons that I believe astrobiology and space exploration are of great importance within both science and society, and over the past handful of years I have been striving hard to engage both school students and the general public with the cutting edge of research. With a STFC Science in Society fellowship I will have the devoted time and resources to be able to expand and grow this activity. I propose to focus on three key projects over the three years of the fellowship:1 Extending the number of public events and live shows I deliver to just over 50, reaching a calculated 3,900 people every year. I would also like to develop several new shows over the course of the fellowship, to highlight different aspects of astrobiology space exploration2 Expanding my mass media involvement beyond the live radio and TV interviews, and TV documentary appearances that have achieved so far. With some of my time bought-out by the STFC SiS fellowship I would like to focus on preparing pitches for mainstream TV documentaries about astrobiology to be commissioned.3 Completing my third popular science book. With the opportunity a STFC SiS fellowship offers to devote a portion of my time to science writing I would like to focus on researching and writing a major new science book for the public. This book has already been signed to large international publishers, including Penguin, so will reach a very wide audience worldwide, and will look at the interrelationship between crucial scientific principles and the technological advances they enable.