How to build a habitable planet: an interview with Charles H. Langmuir

Abstract

Earth is the only known habitable planet in the solar system. Understanding how Earth developed its unique habitability has been the frontier ofEarthsciences andhas become one ofthe main themes ofcurrent deep-space explorations. What are the decisive factors that ledto a habitable planet? What is the role of solid Earth processes in the origin of life and in modulating the surface environment? Are Earth’s habitability studies relevant to current challenges that human beings face? These questions have attracted the interest of both scientists and the public alike. NSR spoke to Prof. Charles H. Langmuir from Harvard University in the USA, who is a solid Earth geochemist who carries out research on diverse aspects of the plate tectonic geochemical cycle, including ocean ridges, convergent margins and intraplate volcanism. Prof. Langmuir is the author of the book How to Build a Habitable Planet (www.habitableplanet.org), one of the best Earth science books published in 2012.