Abstract:
As we begin to answer the question of the origin of life in the Universe, we must first understand the only planet currently known to have life, Earth, within the context of terrestrial planets as a whole. An exoplanet's structure, composition and heat budget are first-order controls of the planet's habitability. First, I will discuss whether we'd classify the Earth and Venus as "Earth-like" if observed as an exoplanet given our current models. Next, I will present results of recent studies examining how mineral physics, geodynamics and observational astronomy inform our understanding of an exoplanet's potential habitability and likelihood of being "Earth-like." Each of these topics not only greatly inform whether the Earth's history and chemical and physical state are responsible for creating the habitable planet we know today, but can guide future research into the formation of our Solar System as a whole. As the search for habitable planets continues, the studies. I present here lay the foundation for answering the question "Is the Earth special?" and indeed whether the conditions for life are broader than we previously imagined.