We have a guest on the show today - Professor Lewis Dartnell. Lewis is an author, presenter, and Professor of Science Communication at the University of Westminster, and has written and researched on topics as diverse as astrobiology, how to rebuild civilization after the apocalypse, and the influence of Earth's geology on the history of the development of the species.

I first came across Lewis' work reading an excellent book he wrote "The Knowledge", which is like a how-to guide on how one might try and restart civilization after a cataclysmic event. We talked about the book, and the prospects for finding life in the Universe, in this interview - which I really enjoyed. You can find Lewis' work at LewisDartnell.com where you'll find links to his previous presenting work, his TED Talk, his academic publications, and various different multimedia appearances that he's made over the years. You can buy Origins and The Knowledge in all good bookstores, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of the former having devoured the latter one. You can also follow him on Twitter @Lewis_Dartnell if that floats your boat. I'd like to thank him again for being so generous with his time for this interview.