What do we really know about the origins of life? Located in Ethiopia, in one of the world’s hottest regions, is the volcanic site of Dallol. At 120 meters below sea level, it is one of the most astonishing areas on our planet.

The area features toxic springs, fumaroles, geysers and highly acidic concretions. Life is virtually absent from the site. The environment has almost every extreme condition imaginable: heat, salinity, acidity, a virtual absence of water, and isolation. Perhaps it could provide answers to the fundamental question of how life was formed on earth. And, therefore, could it exist on other planets?