A bare minimum would be sufficient – a bit of liquid water in any state and some source of nutrients. It should be kept in mind that nutrients for microorganisms is a rather broad term, as some can live on inorganic compounds, explains Dr Tanja Berić, a full professor at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, for ‘Garden of Physics when discussing conditions necessary for life beyond our planet.
Following the discovery of planets beyond the Solar System, astrobiology has experienced significant growth over the last three decades. Questions such as Is there life beyond Earth? Where does it originate? How does it evolve? are the ones posed by astrobiologists. Astrobiology has found its place as an interdisciplinary field at the Institute of Physics Belgrade at the Laboratory for Experimental Astrobiology, headed by Dr Tanja Beric.
The series ‘The Garden of Physics’ was launched by the Institute of Physics Belgrade, inspired by the concept of popular IPB forums, which had brought together a large audience at the big hall of the Students’ Cultural Centre. Realised in cooperation with the portal ’Science Through Stories’, each episode of ’The Garden of Physics’ is dedicated to one of the fundamental topics of modern science.
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Authors: Marija Đurić and Slobodan Bubnjević, Jovana Nikolić Živković
Scenario: ‘Science through Stories’
Camera/Drone: Zoran Veljanoski, Bojan Živojinović (Twotech Solutions)
Production associate: Jovana Nikolić Živković
Director and editor: Bojan Živojinović
Produced by: the Institute of Physics Belgrade, 2025