Caleb Scharf

Caleb Scharf is an astrobiologist and recipient of the 2022 Carl Sagan Medal. He was Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University in New York and is now the Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. His popular science books include Gravity's Engines, The Copernicus Complex, The Zoomable Universe, The Ascent of Information, and (in 2025) The Giant Leap. He is also author of more than 120 scientific papers and over 500 popular science articles published by Scientific American, Nautilus, Aeon, and more. He is a frequent consultant and speaker for TV and live audiences.