POC: Craig Moore, 256-544-7585, Craig.E.Moore@nasa.gov
The Marshall Space Flight Center is sponsoring a Space Sensors and Measurement Techniques workshop in August to discuss new technologies for sensor development. The two-day workshop will be held Aug. 5-6, 2008, at the Nashville Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn.
Continue reading "NASA Marshall to Host Space Sensors Workshop" »
The European Workshop on Astrobiology will be held in Neuchatel, Switzerland, from 1 to 3 September. The event is organised by the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Space Exploration Institute Neuchatel. In a number of sessions, the main topics of astrobiology are on the agenda, including:
Continue reading "European Workshop on Astrobiology, Neuchatel, Switzerland" »
"The CheMin mineralogical instrument on the MSL mission and the field-portable TERRA version available for NAI field campaigns"
Speaker: David Blake
Date/Time: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:00AM Pacific
Abstract: Dr. Blake will describe the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) '09 mission and its CheMin XRD/XRF instrument. A terrestrial field-deployable version of CheMin (called "TERRA") will be available to perform in situ analyses during NAI field campaigns. The TERRA instrument has already been proven to be invaluable on field expeditions to Spitsbergen (Norway), the dry valleys of Antarctica, Canada (twice), and Rio Tinto (Spain).
Overview:
The 2008 Summer School program will be focussed on the exploration of icy worlds orbiting the giant planets of our Solar System. These satellites are important astrobiology targets in the exploration plans of space agencies as refl ected in the successes of the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn.
Presenter: Giovanna Tinetti, University College, London
Date/Time: June 2, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific
Abstract: In the past decade, over 280 planets orbiting other stars (extrasolar planets) have been discovered. For a growing sample of giant extrasolar planets orbiting very close to their parent star (hot-Jupiters), we can already probe their atmospheric constituents using transit techniques. With this method, we can indirectly observe the thin atmospheric ring surrounding the optically thick disc of the planet -the limb- while the planet is transiting in front of its parent star. This method was traditionally used to probe the atmospheres of planets in our Solar System and most recently, thanks to the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, was successfully applied to exoplanets.
Co-chairs: Dr. Barbara Cohen (Barbara.A.Cohen@nasa.gov) Dr. Stephen Mojzsis (mojzsis@colorado.edu)
Even as we approach the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, one of the more remarkable results to come out of lunar sample analyses is the hypothesis that a large number of impact events occurred on the Moon during a narrow window in time approximately 3.8 to 4.1 billion years ago (the lunar "cataclysm"). Subsequent work on the lunar and martian meteorite suites; remote sensing of the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and icy satellites; improved dynamical modeling; and investigation of terrestrial zircons extend the cataclysm hypothesis to the Earth, other terrestrial planets, and possibly the entire solar system. Renewed US and international interest in exploring the Moon offers new potential to constrain the Earth-Moon bombardment history. In light of these opportunities, this session invites the latest views on the evidence, timing and mechanism for cataclysmic bombardment of the solar system and its effects on the nascent Earth, including evidence in terrestrial rocks, effects on terrestrial systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere), and questions that may be answered in a new age of exploration.
Santa Clara, California, April 14–17, 2008
The 5th Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon08), hosted by the SETI Institute, brings together a community of scholars, students, and educators that is as vigorous and intellectually diverse as ever. These qualities are reflected in the content of this volume, which includes 647 abstracts involving 1,683 authors from 28 countries. These abstracts are organized into 38 topical sessions and 6 plenary sessions that were developed around the three major themes of the conference: the astrophysical and planetary context for life; the origin and evolution of life; and the search for life in our Solar System and beyond. An astounding range of subjects is covered--from prebiotic chemistry to cosmology, with stops at virology, Precambrian geochemistry, and Mars exploration, among other subjects, along the way. Presenta- tions on engaging students, teachers, and the public in astrobiology thread throughout the conference, reflecting its broad appeal. Clearly, the community is healthy and poised for a vibrant future!
Continue reading "The Astrobiology Science Conference, 2008" »
Conference Center Floor Plan http://www.santaclara.org/conventioncenter/floorplan.cfm [Source: NAI newsletter]
July 21-25, 2008, St Andrews, Scotland
The Cool Stars meetings have a long tradition of presenting cutting edge science in the fields of cool stars, exoplanets and solar physics. Topics of interest at Cool Stars 15 will include seismology, surface and atmospheric dynamics, angular momentum evolution, dust formation, coronae, magnetospheres and winds. The conference aims to gather scientists working in all these fields in order to stimulate cross-disciplinary exchange. The NAI is sponsoring 9 speakers at this meeting.
For a preliminary program and registration see: http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/coolstars15/
The deadline for contributed talks is May 2, 2008. [Source: NAI newsletter]
Presenters: Jody Deming and James Staley (University of Washington)
Date/Time: Monday, March 31, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific
For more information and participation instructions: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=119
Presenter: J. William Schopf
Date/Time: 2/25/2008 11:00 AM PST
Throughout recorded Earth history, microbial life has been ubiquitous, abundant, metabolically diverse, and, for the Precambrian four billion years of geologic time, biotically predominant. In the search for life elsewhere in the Cosmos, the prokaryote-dominated world of the Precambrian is the best analogue we know. Though evidence of microbe-level life will thus be sought in rocks returned from Mars, for the first such missions only minimal samples will be available. This raises important questions: What amount of rock is needed to detect past life? What evidence is required to establish biogenicity? How can true fossils be distinguished from contaminants?
Dear ASGSB Members and Friends
The Second Announcement of the ESA ISGP ASGSB ELGRA meeting in Angers, France, June 23-27 will be sent to you soon from the ESA Conference Bureau. The scientific committee is very excited about the developments so far leading up to the meeting, which is titled "Life in Space for Life on Earth". Here are a few things you should know right away.
Continue reading "ESA ISGP ASGSB ELGRA meeting in Angers, France" »
This past summer, NAI participated in organizing a special weekend workshop held at NASA Ames Research Center entitled "The Future of Intelligence in the Cosmos." The workshop brought together internationally renown scientists and thinkers to explore potential scenarios for the evolution of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. The talks were organized into sessions including The Fermi Paradox, Cultural Evolution, The Nature of Intelligence, and Technological Evolution, followed by several breakout sessions. The proceedings are now available for download at: http://event.arc.nasa.gov/main/home/reports/CP2007-214567_Langhoff.pdf
[Source: NAI newsletter]
January 30th: "The New Worlds Observer: A Mission to Open Up Detailed Study of Planetary Systems"
NAI will be broadcasting this virtual seminar over the web at 2pm MST on Wednesday, January 30th. Webster Cash from UC Boulder will present. Please contact Marco Boldt for information on how to join. Marco.S.Boldt@nasa.gov
NASA Science Mission Directorate to Sponsor NASA Academy of Program, Project, and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) Mission Principal Investigator Training Course
Beginning in 2008, the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) will be sponsoring a series of offerings of a one-week Mission Principal Investigator (PI) Training Course to help mission PIs lead NASA science missions more effectively.
NAI is sponsoring the workshop Cyanobacteria in the Lunar Environment" at NASA Ames Research Center from January 28-30, 2008. It will bring together microbiologists, planetary scientists, and experts in flight experiments and hardware to assess the value and feasibility of studying cyanobacteria in space environments. Cyanobacteria are of great interest as model microorganisms to space programs because of their antiquity on earth, metabolic diversity, resilience to adverse conditions, ability to efficiently produce oxygen and hydrogen, and the existence of advanced capabilities for their genetic manipulation. Furthermore, cyanobacteria have considerable potential value for in-situ resource utilization and life support technologies.
Continue reading "Cyanobacteria in the Lunar Environment Workshop" »
December 3rd A reminder, the abstract submission deadline for AbSciCon has been extended to December 3rd. For more information, see: http://abscicon.seti.org/
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
Dear ASGSB members: We have received a Dear Colleague notification from ESA that our joint international meeting is proceeding on schedule. A call will come shortly for abstract submission. This is a rare opportunity to share our research and strengthen our interactions in the global community. Please try to find a way to participate in person at our 24th Annual ASGSB Meeting to demonstrate the collective spirit and importance of international collaboration in space-related science.
Danny A. Riley President, ASGSB, dariley@mcw.edu
Nov 5 – 7, 2007, Kauai, HI
This interdisciplinary meeting is aimed at understanding the chronology of the processes in the early solar system as revealed by meteorites. This includes the astrophysical setting of solar system formation, the origin of short-lived radioisotopes, and the chronology of nebular and asteroidal processes: formation of chondrules, refractory inclusions and matrices of primitive chondrites, timing of accretion and thermal processing (aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, and igneous differentiation) of asteroids and comets.
For more information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metchron2007/metchron2007.1st.shtml [Source: NAI Newsletter]
The organizers of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference are pleased to announce that the deadline for abstract submission has been extended!
The revised deadline for submission of abstracts is December 3, 2007.
Abstracts should be submitted via the conference website (http://abscicon.seti.org), where a complete list of topical sessions can also be found.
Questions regarding submission of abstracts can be addressed to abstracts@seti.org.
As noted in the Spring 2007 newsletter, nominations for the following ASGSB awards are due no later than 5 PM PST, October 1, 2007. Please note that the individual selected must be at the meeting to receive the award.
Previous winners of the awards can be found at http://www.asgsb.org/awards.html
1. Thora W. Halstead Young Investigator Award: This award honors a young scientist who exemplifies Thora's drive and enthusiasm for science, and who has made significant contributions to the field of space biology.
2. Orr Reynolds Distinguished Service Award: This award is made to an individual for distinguished service to the Society "above and beyond the call of duty."
3. Founder's Award: This award is the highest honor given by the Society. It is made to a member of the Society for distinguished scientific contributions to and leadership in the field of gravitational and space biology.
The final recipients of these awards are chosen by the Awards Committee, in consultation with the current President and the Executive Director. Nominations from the Society's membership are very strongly encouraged and may be submitted to Chair Emily Holton or to the Executive Director.
Nominations should be accompanied by the name and professional address of the candidate and a short Curriculum Vitae, along with a paragraph outlining why the candidate is particularly deserving of the award. The most direct mechanism for submissions is by e-mail to Dr. Emily Holton, Chair, Awards Committee, eholton@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D.
Chair, Awards Committee
A special session titled "Return to Europa" will be held at the 2007 fall AGU meeting in San Francisco (Dec. 10-14) [ http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07 ]. This is an exciting opportunity for presentations on Europa research and analog studies which inform our understanding of this fascinating satellite, and which set the stage for its future exploration. The deadline for abstract submissions is September 6 at 23:59 UT (4:59 pm PDT, 7:59 pm EDT). [Source: NAI Newsletter]
September 20, 2007 to September 21, 2007
The NAI Icy Worlds Focus Group will hold a workshop from September 20-21, 2007 at NASA Ames Research Center. The workshop will concentrate on mission-related astrobiology issues relating to our Solar System’s icy moons such as Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. Participants will share their work, making presentations and assessments of the four NASA-sponsored mission studies, and considering the measurements and instruments appropriate for astrobiological exploration of icy objects.
August 6, 2007 to August 10, 2007
Each summer, NAI's Marine Biological Laboratory Team offers a one-week workshop for middle and high school teachers focusing on activities that can be incorporated into existing classroom curricula. Resident and visiting scientists from the Woods Hole community present teachers with background information and updates on current research developments on a variety of topics related to the importance of microbes and microbial processes in the biosphere.
Many NAI members will be attending next week's Bioastronomy meeting in San Juan Puerto Rico. As an experiment at this interdisciplinary conference, we have asked our meeting attendees to define jargon and vocabulary words that someone outside their discipline might not understand in an interdisciplinary event. We have had quite good response to this, but would like to fill out our list a bit more, and are asking you to help. Think back to your recent talks or upcoming talks and select a few words you use that could be entered into our glossary. Our hope is that this will be a continuing/ evolving resource for the whole institute.
Continue reading "Your Assistance is needed for Bioastronomy 2007 Meeting" »
The Science Steering Committee of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference (April 15-17, Santa Clara, California, USA) invites proposals for sessions related to the major scientific themes: "The Astronomical and Planetary Context for Life", "The Origin and Evolution of Life", and "The Search for Life in our Solar System and Beyond". To submit proposals, and for more details, please go to the conference website, http://abscicon.seti.org. The deadline for submission of session topic proposals is July 23, 2007. Questions can be addressed to: session.proposals@seti.org.
Members of the media are invited to attend Bioastronomy 2007, a meeting convened by an international organizing committee of representatives from the scientific community. Scientists from all over the world will gather at this meeting in San Juan to report on latest findings in the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.
Dear ASGSB members, The deadline for submitting abstracts for the 2007 Annual Meeting is Friday, July 6 (http://www.asgsb.org/abstract/abstractsubmission.html).
The Science Steering Committee of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference (April 15-17, Santa Clara, California, USA) invites proposals for sessions related to the major scientific themes: "The Astronomical and Planetary Context for Life", "The Origin and Evolution of Life", and "The Search for Life in our Solar System and Beyond".
The National Research Council's Space Studies Board will host a colloquium on astrobiology and Mars exploration at the Hilton Pasadena Hotel. Participants will hear briefings from the chairs of three recent Academies studies on different aspects of exploration for life on Mars and other potential organic environments in the universe. There will also be a status report on NASA's plans for Mars exploration. This Research Council colloquium precedes the 7th International Conference on Mars at California Institute of Technology.
Continue reading "National Academies Advisory: July 8 Mars Colloquium in Pasadena, CA" »
On Monday, June 18, 2007, astrobiologist Robert Hazen of the Carnegie Institution and George Mason University, will provide insights into the emergence of life on our planet--and perhaps others--during a Directorate for Biological Sciences Distinguished Lecture at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Va.
Continue reading "Astrobiologist Robert Hazen lecture at NSF on the origin of life" »
NAI is offering ten full-funded scholarships for students who wish to attend the 2007 International Summer School in Astrobiology, Santander, Spain, July 2-6. The topic for this year's school is "Mars Exploration: The next ten years." The summer schools are co-sponsored by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiologia and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The application deadline is May 31. For more information, please see: http://nai.nasa.gov/UIMP/MarsExpl [Source: NAI Newsletter]
A NASA Astrobiology Institute Field Workshop "Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks (BAR)" will be held during September 18-28 in Ontario, Canada. See the details at http://psarc.geosc.psu.edu/RESEARCH/New_Conference/Ontario_new.htm [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Speaker: Steven D'Hondt (University of Rhode Island); Date/Time: Monday, April 30, 2007 11AM PDT
For more information and participation instructions, visit: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=102 [Source: NAI Newsletter]
We're getting AbGradCon back on track! The next installment of AbGradCon (The Astrobiology Graduate Conference) will be held July 14 & 15, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The goal of AbGradCon is to foster communication and collaboration within the broad astrobiology-related graduate student and postdoc community, and to give early graduate students a chance to practice speaking in a collegial atmosphere. AbGradCon 2007 @ Bioastronomy is being organized in cooperation with the IAU Bioastronomy Symposium being held July 16 - 20, one of the largest astrobiology-related conferences of 2007.
Applications are due May 15, 2007, for NASA's 19th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 23-27 and August 6-10, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
Continue reading "NASA Planetary Science Summer School- APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 15" »
Special session at the 210th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii
Thursday May 31 (Morning) Convenors: Nader Haghighipour and Eric Gaidos (University of Hawaii NAI Lead Team)
Continue reading "Hot Earths: Formation, Detection and Structure" »
From Hawai'i to Massachusetts, workshops offering hands-on, in-the-field, in-the-lab experiences for teachers are being held this summer by NAI teams and others. The workshops feature cutting edge astrobiology research delivered by scientists and education professionals, as well as inquiry- and standards-based activities ready for the classroom. Many offer stipends and/or education credits. Click here for offerings from NAI's Teams at MBL, Penn State, University of Hawai'i, and the SETI Institute, as well as the Lunar and Planetary Institute. http://nai.nasa.gov/teachers/index.cfm#7 [source: NAI Newsletter]
Vienna, Austria, 15 - 20 April 2007: Session Description: Exo/Astrobiology - the study of the origins, early evolution, distribution and destiny of life - is a multidisciplinary science which encompasses, amongst others, the disciplines of chemistry, biology, geology, palaeontology, atmospheric physics, planetary sciences, astronomy and astrophysics. With the wealth of new information arriving from surface and orbital missions, there is plenty of fuel to fire our imaginations regarding the search for traces of past or present life on Mars. We therefore invite papers for this session on all aspects of astrobiology, especially those having particular relevance for upcoming and planned Mars missions, such as the European ExoMars mission (2013) and NASA's Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL-possibly in 2016).
Continue reading "Exo/Astrobiology: European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2007" »
Speakers: Lisa Pratt (Indiana University) and T.C. Onstott (Princeton University)
Date/Time: Monday, January 29, 2007 11AM PST
Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar 1/29: Long-Term Sustainability of a High-Energy," »
"Dear Colleagues: I am pleased to announce that the 23rd Annual Meeting of the ASGSB will be held October 25-28, 2007, at the NASA Research Park, adjoining the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. Responding to the clear mandate that the Governing Board received from the poll of attendees at the Business Meeting last November, the Board has taken advantage of a cost-effective opportunity to utilize the Conference Center at the NASA Research Park and provide a traditional meeting format.
Continue reading "ASGSB To Meet at NASA Ames Research Center" »
The 9th International Thermophiles Conference will be held from 24th to 27th of September 2007 in Bergen, the "Gateway to the Fjords of Norway". The conference will cover all aspects of microorganisms living at high temperatures. Registration and abstract submission will open on January 15, 2007.
Join us for the next University of Washington Astrobiology Seminar! David Deamer of U.C. Santa Cruz will be speaking on the topic "Self-assembly Processes in the Prebiotic Environment"
Microbial Diversity in the Deep Sea and the Underexplored Rare Biosphere - Presenter: Julie Huber:
10/16/2006 11:00 AM PDT: The world's oceans are teeming with microscopic life forms. The staining of cells with DNA-binding dyes (DAPI and acridine orange) coupled with epifluorescence microscopy demonstrated that nominal cell densities exceed 105/ml of sea water.
Continue reading "Explore the "Rare Biosphere" with Julie Huber at the Oct 16 Director's Seminar" »
November 14-16, 2006
Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Supported by: NASA Planetary Protection Office and NASA Astrobiology Institute
Registration Deadline: October 7, 2006
Continue reading "Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices, a short course" »
Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment: Adaptive roles, microbe-mineral interfaces, and contributions to global biogeochemical cycles
In most natural environments microbial communities are associated with surfaces in structures known as "biofilms". Numerous observations from terrestrial and marine subsurface settings, hot springs, and acidic mine drainage attest to the importance of the biofilm mode-of-life.
Continue reading "Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment" »
The UK Space Biomedicine Group (UKSBG) is hosting the 3rd UK Space Medicine Conference on the weekend of the 30th September - 1st October at the National Space Centre in Leicester, UK
Editor's note: I have spent the last few days as a participant in the NASA Next Generation Exploration Conference at NASA ARC - a fascinating assembly of young space professionals and students from around the U.S. - and the world. This has been a refreshing break from the cynicism I usually encounter as I "watch" NASA. These folks see their future in space - and they are determined to make it happen. A moment ago I made an offer to all participants to post anything they might wish to send me about this conference - and what they'd like to see come from it.
More at A Bright Ray of Hope, NASA Watch
"The deadline for submission of abstracts for making presentations at the ASGSB (American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology) annual meeting in November has been extended to August 6. Any abstracts received after that will be too late for inclusion in the program. We look forward to seeing you in November and hearing about your recent work." [source: ASGSB]
The NAI has awarded $4000 to support student participation in "Changes in Ocean and Atmospheric redox state and the evolution of life" session of the 2006 GSA Annual Meeting.
Continue reading "NAI Student Travel Funds Available for 2006 GSA Annual Meeting" »
Join NAI for the Polycom and WebEx broadcast of the second annual Summer Student Seminar Series. The talks will be given on Friday, July 28th and Friday August 11th at 12:00pm PDT (9:00am HT/1:00pm MDT/2:00pm CDT/3:00pm EDT.)
Continue reading "Second Annual Summer Student Seminar Series Begins July 28" »
With NAI support, the Evolutionary Genomics Focus Group hosted a one-day symposium on Friday, May 26th, at Arizona State University. Blair Hedges (Penn State) organized the event, which featured 15 speakers from the U.S. and Europe and more than 100 participants, during the annual meeting for the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.
Continue reading "Discovering the Timetree of Life Symposium" »
July 24 - August 11, 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii. The University of Hawaii Astrobiology Institute (UH-NAI) is hosting the Computational Astrobiology Summer School from July 24 until August 11, 2006. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students in computer science and related areas to learn about astrobiology, and to carry out substantial projects related to the field.
Continue reading "Computational Astrobiology Summer School" »
The third Pale Blue Dot workshop will be held at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago from 17-20 September, 2006. (The first two Pale Blue Dot workshops were held at NASA Ames Research Center in 1996 and 1999.) Many NAI members are on the program organizing committee, including the Chair Vikki Meadows, and NAI is a co-convenor of the meeting along with Adler.
Continue reading "Pale Blue Dot III Registration Now Open" »
16-18 Oct. 2006 Lyon, France The deadline for registration, abstract submission and travel grants applications has been extended to 14 July 2006. You can register and submit contributions to the 6th European Workshop on Astrobiology (16-18 Oct. 2006, Lyon, France) at http://eana06.univ-lyon1.fr/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]
"To ASGSB members: Please submit your abstract for the 2006 Annual Meeting. The deadline for submission is July 7, 2006, and abstracts can be submitted via the society's homepage (http://www.asgsb.org/)."
Continue reading "ASGSB 2006 Annual Meeting Abstract Deadline" »
In conjunction with the 2006 GRC Origin of Life conference, organizers are offering the first Origin of Life Graduate Research Seminar. The Graduate Research Seminar is designed to identify top young talent in diverse fields and encourage them to present cutting edge research in origin of life contexts.
Continue reading "Graduate Research Seminar - Origin of Life (Gordon Research Conference)" »
19-21 September 2006 Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC - Purpose: The purpose of this conference is to undertake a broad overview of the societal impact of space exploration, especially as illuminated by historical research. The purpose is not to conduct an exercise in public affairs or a debate over public policy, but to examine with rigorous research what the impact has been, both nationally and internationally.
Led by the E/PO Leads from NAI's University of Arizona, teachers from across the country convened in Alberta, Canada this past weekend for a two day professional development experience focused on astrobiology science and the latest research in pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Continue reading "Astrobiology Summer Workshops for Educators Kick Off in Canada" »
Europlanet #1, European Planetary Science Congress 2006, Berlin, Germany, 18 - 22 September 2006 - The intention of the European Planetary Science Congress 2006 is to cover a broad area of science topics related to planetary science and planetary missions. The program of the congress will contain oral and poster sessions, and it will emphasize workshops and panel discussions in order to have a strong interaction between the participants.
Continue reading "Call for Papers: European Planetary Science Congress 2006" »
The NAI sponsored workshop of the Europa Focus Group at NASA Ames Research Center, from February 27 - 28, 2006, involvied 115 participants. Presentations from this successful meeting are now available at: http://astrobiology.asu.edu/focus/europa/discuss/discuss.html
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International (IODP-MI) and Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) announce an international workshop on subseafloor life. The workshop will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, October 3-5, 2006.
September 17-21 2006, Brest, Brittany, France
Extremophiles 2006 International Conference will be held at the Quartz Congress Hall, Brest, Brittany, France, from 17th to 21nd September 2006. After the series of successful conferences since 1996, Extremophiles 2006 will offer an exciting opportunity for the colleagues to share the latest scientific knowledge in this fascinating field and to enjoy the remarkable and breathtaking natural beauty of the very western part of Brittany.
Abstract Deadline: May 31, 2006
Early Registration Deadline: May 31, 2006
For more information: http://www.extremophiles2006.org/
The 6th workshop of the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) will be held the 16-18th October 2006 at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France. This workshop will address all the main topics of astrobiology, as described at the website, http://eana06.univ-lyon1.fr/.
The 19th UCL (University College London) Astronomy Colloquium: "Astrobiology" will be held at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, from Monday 10 (noon) to Thursday 13 (morning) July 2006.
Continue reading "19th UCL Astronomy Colloquium: "Astrobiology"" »
Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 Gordon Research Conference on the Origin of Life, at Bates College, Maine, July 23-28. Please visit http://www.grc.org/programs/2006/origin.htm for more information. Due to the the first Origin of Life Graduate Research Seminar being held in conjunction with the regular GRC OOL, a significant response is anticipated. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.
The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum and the NAI (http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/) are co-convening the third Pale Blue Dot workshop, which is made possible by the Brinson Foundation. Pale Blue Dot III will provide a venue to forge links between terrestrial and astronomical biosignatures, and to develop ideas and methods that may be used for the detection of life beyond Earth. Pale Blue Dot III will also establish a two way dialogue between scientists and media that will facilitate lasting relationships, better media coverage of science, and enhanced public awareness and understanding of science.
Session 1: July 24 - July 28, 2006 (18 participants)
Session 2: July 31 - August 4, 2006 (18 participants)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Applications are due May 15, 2006, for NASA's 18th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 24-28 and July 31 -August 4, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Science and engineering post-doctoral and graduate students with a strong interest in careers in planetary exploration are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to U.S. citizens.
U.S. Astrobiologists Convene Biannual Conference Amid Devastating NASA Budget Threats, SETI Institute
"Although astrobiology is clearly one of the most exciting and productive programs in the space science portfolio, the proposed FY 2007 NASA budget inexplicably aims to disembowel astrobiology research funding with a 50% cut. An astrobiology community Town Hall meeting will be held on March 28, 2006 from 1-2 p.m., at the Ronald Reagan Building, Amphitheater. This meeting is designed to be a forum for community members to comment on the proposed cuts and the implications to the field."
The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2006 will be held March 26-30, 2006 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. All are invited to join the astrobiology community at this exceptional facility that lies in the heart of Washington.
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) will hold its biennial member's meeting for 2005 in Boulder, Colorado at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel. NAI 2005 will be held April 11-14th (a three-and-a-half-day meeting), with Sunday, April 10th, set aside for splinter groups, local field trips, and primer sessions covering topics in astronomy, geology and biology. There will be no parallel sessions, and ample time is provided for poster presentations. We anticipate an engaging and stimulating event, addressing all aspects of astrobiology and the activities of the NAI.
Welcome to the third Astrobiology Science Conference! Astrobiology is a novel approach to the scientific study of the living universe. It seeks to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth, to determine if life exists elsewhere in the universe, and to predict the future of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. To this end it relies on a diversity of disciplines, and has inspired new metadisciplines.
General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Insititute: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ., February 10-12, 2003: Over the past five years, the research accomplishments of the Institute’s science teams have been interwoven with the linking efforts of our collaborative technologies and outreach activities. In this General Meeting, the Program Organizing Committee has mirrored our science content and our cooperative aspirations to create an agenda reflective of our priorities and interests. We gather to reinforce our personal interactions, our friendships, and to learn the latest from our colleagues—those familiar to us and those we will come to know over the next few days.