“I look around here on planet Earth and I say,

No matter how extreme the environment here on Earth,

no matter how dark,

how cold,

how hot,

how arid,

how acidic,

No matter how extreme the environment, there seems to be Life.

And that’s what inspired me to say that Nature seems to be prolific and creative and robust and puts itself in every nook and cranny.

And if it does that here on planet Earth, my thought is that it’s going to do it out there in the Universe as well.”

– Natalie Batalha,

Research Astronomer at NASA Ames Research and

Mission Scientist with Kepler space telescope,

Speaking to Krista Tippett on February 14, 2013.