Dr Chris Cowie | University of Durham
Christopher Cowie is Associate Professor at the University of Durham. He was previously Junior Research Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and has held visiting fellowships at Harvard and Stanford. He is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is currently working on the implications of axiological paradox, and, unrelatedly, the philosophy of the search for alien life.
Date | 24 September 2025
Title | 'The Epistemology of the Search for Alien Life'
Abstract:
There is widespread optimism within the scientific community that we will – perhaps sooner rather than later – find evidence of extraterrestrial life. For this to be well-founded, two conditions must be met.
Firstly, we must have good reason to think that life exists in non-negligible quantities beyond earth. Secondly, we must be able to recognise evidence of it when we come across it. The arguments in favour of these conditions being true often have a surprisingly philosophical flavour.
I explore two such arguments. First, that the large number of planets supports optimism. Second, that the early emergence of life in earth’s history supports optimism.