The next great leap in evolution may lie beyond Earth

Life on Earth has made several “great leaps” in its evolutionary history: from unicellularity to multicellularity, from sea to land, and from land into the skies. 
What if the next one lies beyond our planet? That’s the question behind Caleb Scharf’s latest book, The Great Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life, which explores how cosmic evolution and human technology are shaping the next phase of life’s story. 
Scharf is an astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and author whose work bridges science, philosophy, and the future of humanity. He serves as Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA’s Ames Research Center and is a recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society.
I’ve known and collaborated with Caleb for a while, and I’m always inspired after talking with him — he’s the kind of person who thinks on a large scale. We recently sat down (over Zoom) to discuss his new book and its themes.
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