Dr. Robert Hazen is a mineralogist and astrobiologist based at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and George Mason University. His research interests focus on life's origins, mineral evolution, and mineral ecology. Hazen, who also had a 40-year career as a professional trumpeter, has authored more than 400 articles and 25 books on science, history, and music. Robert joins the podcast to discuss the co-evolution of life and minerals, the stories rocks can tell us if we learn to read them properly, and why humans are drawn to the search for life outside of our planet.