  The history of life on Earth and in other potential life-bearing planetary
platforms is deeply linked to the history of the universe. Since life as we
know it relies on chemical elements forged in dying heavy stars, the universe
needs to be old enough for stars to form and evolve. Current cosmological
theory indicates that the universe is 13.7$\pm 0.13$ billion years old and that
the first stars formed hundreds of millions of years after the big bang. At
least some stars formed with stable planetary systems wherein a set of
biochemical reactions leading to life could have taken place. In this lecture,
I argue that we can divide cosmological history into four ages, from the big
bang to intelligent life. The Physical Age describes the origin of the
universe, of matter, of cosmic nucleosynthesis, as well as the formation of the
first stars and galaxies. The Chemical Age begun when heavy stars provided the
raw ingredients for life through stellar nucleosynthesis and describes how
heavier chemical elements collected in nascent planets and moons to give rise
to prebiotic biomolecules. The Biological Age describes the origin of early
life, its evolution through Darwinian natural selection, and the emergence of
complex multicellular life forms. Finally, the Cognitive Age describes how
complex life evolved into intelligent life capable of self-awareness and of
developing technology through the directed manipulation of energy and
materials. We conclude discussing whether we are the rule or the exception.
