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.