MARTIN REES is the UK's Astronomer Royal. He is based at Cambridge University where he is a Fellow (and Former Master) of Trinity College. He is a member of the House of Lords, a former President of the Royal Society, and co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risks at Cambridge University (CSER). His research interests include space exploration, black holes, galaxy formation, the multiverse and prospects for extraterrestrial life. He has written ten books, most recently On the Future: Prospects for Humanity.