I present some of the theories and ideas that make the case for us to be generous to future generations, to offer them the same life chances we have today as the environmental and economic state of the world changes.

Life on Earth is perhaps older than 3.5 billion years. Even more remarkable is that once it started it never stopped - there is an unbroken chain of organisms between us and the very first forms of life. Has the Earth been lucky in being able to maintain conditions on its surface that allows liquid water and so life? Or, is there more than luck at play? In this talk I present some of my work that suggests life on Earth hasn't been a passive passenger on its home planet, but may have exterted important influences that have allowed it to persist.

Bright Club events feature scientists doing stand up comedy based on their research. I stretched this format a little and mentioned sustainability science, but really talked about the terrors of the red back spider. Please be advised that this video was to an adult audience. Reviewing the British Board of Film Classification, I would rate this as a 15 http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15. But don't get too excited - there is no sex or violence!

By the middle of this century there will be over 9 billion people living on planet Earth. Where are we going to grow all the extra food? What energy sources will we need to keep the lights of our civilisation on at the same time as avoiding dangerous climate change? This public lecture that I gave at the end of the University of Southampton’s multidisciplinary week was intended to start a discussion on how we can think about these global challenges.