Extremophiles are organisms that are adapted to survive in extreme

environments. This lecture describes the challenges that

extremes of heat, cold, acidity, salinity, and radiation pose to

organisms, and show examples of how evolution has nonetheless allowed

some organisms to adapt to not just survive but thrive in such extreme

conditions. Finally, we will explore the possible limits of life on

Earth, and find that while you can make things pretty extreme and still

have organisms adapt, you reach the limit if there is no water. Rather

than being oddballs, these organisms give us important insights into the

origins of life on Earth, and widens the possibilities for life on other

worlds. Recorded live on 2009 Oct 16 in Room 1005 Smith Laboratory on

the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.