The interdisciplinary field of astrobiology attempts to answer the question: What is the (cosmic) recipe for life? Currently there are only very few known elements in this vast mosaic. This book brings together leading specialists to provide tutorial accounts.

How did life originate in the universe? How did it all start after the creation of matter and the formation of elements in the stars? What are the pathways from the first organic molecules in space to the evolution of complex life forms on Earth and perhaps elsewhere? And how will it all end? The Universe itself sets the stage for the very interdisciplinary question: what is the (cosmic) recipe for life? Currently there are only very few known elements in this vast mosaic. This book brings together leading specialists from different backgrounds who lecture on their fields, with close relevance to astrobiology, providing tutorial accounts that lead all the way to the forefront of research.

Organic Material in Space and Habitable Zones.- Water and Life.- Electromagnetic Fields, Radiation and Life.- Gravity and Life.- Complexity and Life.- Forthcoming Space Missions Relevant for Astrobiology.