Meeting Dates: December 13-17, 2010
Abstract Submission Deadline: September 2, 2010.
The following is a list of some of the astrobiology-related sessions that will be held at the 2010 AGU fall meeting. For more information and to submit an abstract: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/program/abstract_submissions.php
Continue reading "Call for Abstracts: Astrobiology Related Sessions at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting" »
Abstract Submission Deadline: August 10, 2010
2010 Geological Society of America National Meeting: T110, Mountain Formation and Landscape Evolution in the Solar System: Implications for the Origin of Life.
Organizers: Joseph Kula, Suzanne L. Baldwin
Session Summary: Terrestrial mountain formation in the solar system is related to thermal decay, tectonics, and impact events. The processes and timescales of landscape evolution will be explored with implications for the origin and search for life.
For more information: http://geosociety.org/meetings/2010/sessions/topical.asp?SponsorID=GSA+Planetary+Geology+Division
Join us for the second in a series of NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program (NPP) seminars!
Date/Time: Monday, July 12th, 11am Pacific Time
Title: "Impact Bombardments on Early Earth and Mars: Implications for Habitability"
Speaker: Oleg Abramov, University of Colorado, Boulder
Abstract: Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9 Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). We report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth and Mars; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biospheres. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth and Mars, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts. In fact, on Mars, the LHB may have been very beneficial for habitability by generating widespread hydrothermal activity, releasing water vapor into atmosphere, and likely temporarily changing global climate to a warmer and wetter state.
For more information and connection information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/178
Source: NAI Newsletter
Researchers from around the world participated in the first NAI Workshop Without Walls in March 2010--with no travel required. The workshop, on "The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Solar System," was organized by George Cody and Doug Whittet, PIs of the NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute teams, respectively. Drawing registrants from 21 US States and 16 other countries, the workshop was a great success in terms of the scientific knowledge exchanged, and as an illustration of the maturity of the NAI's suite of collaborative tools.
We have the technology! - and now we're ready for the next round of topics and organizers. NAI Central will offer full support for the technical production of a workshop, so that organizers can focus on the scientific content. George and Doug have offered their support to future workshop organizers to pass on their advice and lessons learned.
There are some significant advantages to organizing a "virtual" workshop compared to a typical in-person workshop. The timeline for producing the first Workshop Without Walls was just six weeks, from the issuance of the call for abstracts to the workshop itself--and could be even shorter for future workshops if desired. A Workshop Without Walls could be organized very quickly around a breaking discovery, for example. Carbon footprint is low and the fact that the workshop is accessible from anywhere in the world via the internet encourages broad international participation. One hundred percent of participants replying to a survey after the first workshop said they would attend future workshops of this kind.
If you're interested in organizing a Workshop Without Walls, have new ideas about how to use the NAI collaborative tools to advance science, or would simply like to know more, please contact Wendy Dolci (Wendy.W.Dolci@nasa.gov).
For more information on the first Workshop Without Walls: http://tinyurl.com/2blm5s3
Source: NAI Newsletter
All Kepler Mission science results, from exoplanet transits and the frequency of Earth-like worlds to asteroseismology. Participants: All interested scientists and journalists are welcome to attend the First Kepler Science Conference Location: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California in the Building 3 Conference Center (outside the Center gates). Dates: December 5-6-7, 2011. For more information: http://kepler.nasa.gov/Science/keplerconference/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]
The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) will hold a symposium on "Searching for Life Signatures" at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre in the UK on October 6-8, 2010. The IAA symposium will immediately follow a Royal Society meeting "Towards a Scientific and Societal Agenda on Extra-terrestrial Life," also at the Kavli Centre on October 4-5. A Call for Papers for the IAA symposium, including information on the Royal Society meeting, can be found at http://iaaweb.org/content/view/413/572/ The deadline for abstract submission to the IAA symposium is June 15. [Source: NAI Newsletter]
October 4-5, 2010 The Kavli Royal Society International Centre, UK
Organised by Dr. Martin Dominik and Professor John Zarnecki
Should extra-terrestrial life exist, upcoming efforts will provide living generations with a realistic chance of its detection. Even more than the scientific agenda, a corresponding complementary societal agenda needs to be debated. With a mix of invited talks and panel debates, we particularly look into the detection of life, the communication with potential extra-terrestrial civilizations, the implications for the future of humanity, and the political processes that are required. For more information: http://royalsociety.org/extra-terrestrial-life/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Date/Time: Monday, June 21, 2010 11:00AM Pacific Speaker: Lee Kump (Pennsylvania State University) Title: "Evolution of the Oceans: Pale Pink Dot"
Although uniformitarian views dominated early thinking of ocean chemical evolution over geologic time, today we recognize that the composition of seawater has varied significantly over Earth's history. Some changes are ingrained in our thinking (for example, that the Archean ocean was anoxic and iron-rich) while others are rarely considered. For example, if sulfate was a trace constituent of the Archean ocean, then the chemistry of hydrothermal fluids would have been significantly different (more reduced, with high hydrogen partial pressures and iron concentrations but low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide); this may be of significance to those considering such environments as the locus for the origin of life and for early ecosystems. Refinement of radiometric ages of banded iron formations suggest that their deposition was episodic, not continuous, and this may require us to rethink the notion of a persistently Fe-replete Archean ocean. The rise of atmospheric oxygen in the earliest Proterozoic ironically created the potential for highly reducing marine conditions with free hydrogen sulfide in the upper water column supporting anoxygenic phototrophs. The persistence of these conditions through the Proterozoic is uncertain, but when they occurred, the "pale blue dot" may have been pink. Strategies for life detection on distant planets is based in part on our interpretation of Earth's oceanic and atmospheric evolution, and we have some way to go before we can confidently describe the evolutionary history and persistence of particular conditions on Earth.
For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/174 [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Date/Time: Monday, June 7, 2010 11:00AM Pacific Speaker: Katrina Edwards (University of Southern California) Title: "Intraterrestrial Life on Earth"
In 1986, scientists sailing in the Pacific Ocean made an astonishing discovery. In sediments collected from 850m below the seafloor, they identified that microbes were living and thriving in an environment not previously known to contain life. This discovery has spawned a new field of research on the "deep biosphere" with researchers exploring how life persists and evolves at hostile temperatures and pressures. With estimates that the sub-seafloor may contain as much as two-thirds of the Earth's microbial population, research today focuses on understanding the importance, or lack thereof, of this community to the Earth's systems. This presentation will focus on the current state of knowledge with respect to the deep biosphere and the major questions being addressed in this field, such as what are the nature and extent of life on Earth? What are the physico-chemical limits of life on Earth? How metabolically active is the deep biosphere, and what are the most important redox processes? What are the dispersal mechanisms for life in the deep biosphere? How does life evolve in deeply buried geological deposits that can occur more than a km beneath the ocean floor? What is the influence of the deep biosphere on global-scale biogeochemical processes?
For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/174 [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Session Proposals for the 2010 American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco are now being accepted. The deadline for all session proposals is 27 May 2010. Members of the Earth and space sciences community may submit a session proposal to any of the existing disciplines. Session proposals must focus on scientific results and/or their applications. Further details are available at http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/program/session_proposals.php
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
The Planets, Life, and the Universe Astrobiology Lecture Series is supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Space Studies Initiative and the Department of Biology of The Johns Hopkins University.
Upcoming Lectures:
Jun 18, 2010, 12:00p - 2:30p Wes Traub (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech) "Astrobiological Factors in Exoplanet Exploration Strategies"
Sep 3, 2010 12:00p - 2:30p Stephen Freeland (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii) "Will Alien Life Resemble Us (and How Could We Possibly Know)? Astrobiology, Evolution and the Amino Acids"
More information and webcast information is available at http://astrobiology.stsci.edu/
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
Dear Members of the Exoplanet Research Community, We are pleased to announce that the second meeting of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG-2) will be held Thursday and Friday, June 24-25, 2010 in Pasadena, CA. The tentative venue for the meeting is the Hilton Pasadena Hotel. Although the meeting agenda is still being formulated, it will likely include discussions in the areas the five science analysis groups (SAGs) established after the inaugural ExoPAG meeting. For reference, those 5 SAGs span the topical areas of:
1. Debris Disks and Exozodiacal Dust 2. Potential for Exoplanet Science Measurements from Solar System Probes 3. Planetary Architecture and Dynamical Stability 4. Planetary Measurements Needed for Exoplanet Characterization 5. State of External Occulter Concepts and Technology
More information about the scope of the current SAGs, as well as the ExoPAG in general, can be found on the ExoPAG website: http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/ExoPAG/. Information about meeting logistics will also be posted on the ExoPAG web site as planning proceeds.
Of course, we welcome any suggestions from stakeholders in NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program for additional topics of ExoPAG discussion and analysis. Please send any suggestions you might have to: NASA-ExoPAG@nasa.gov .
We hope to see you in Pasadena!
Jim Kasting - ExoPAG Chair Douglas Hudgins - NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
June 13-18, 2010
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI
Chairs: Rachel N. Austin & Ariel D. Anbar
**APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 23, 2010**
This interdisciplinary meeting will gather together scientists--structural biologists, chemists, geneticists, chemical and biological oceanographers, geochemists, and other specialists--who study the flows of essential and toxic elements through the environment and living systems, on timescales ranging from femptoseconds to eons. Of particular interest are the molecular mechanisms that govern element acquisition and use in organisms, and the tools and techniques used to study these phenomena. The aim of this community is to use these molecular-scale insights to understand the interconnected biotic and abiotic processes that shape the macroscopic environment and its development and change over a range of time scales.
For more information: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2010&program=envbiochem
Date/Time: Monday, June 7, 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Katrina Edwards (University of Southern California)
Title: "Intraterrestrial Life on Earth"
In 1986, scientists sailing in the Pacific Ocean made an astonishing discovery. In sediments collected from 850m below the seafloor, they identified that microbes were living and thriving in an environment not previously known to contain life. This discovery has spawned a new field of research on the "deep biosphere" with researchers exploring how life persists and evolves at hostile temperatures and pressures. With estimates that the sub-seafloor may contain as much two-thirds of the Earth's microbial population, research today focuses on understanding the importance, or lack thereof, of this community to the Earth's systems. This presentation will focus on the current state of knowledge with respect to the deep biosphere and the major questions being addressed in this field, such as what are the nature and extent of life on Earth? What are the physico-chemical limits of life on Earth? How metabolically active is the deep biosphere, and what are the most important redox processes? What are the dispersal mechanisms for life in the deep biosphere? How does life evolve in deeply buried geological deposits that can occur more than a km beneath the ocean floor? What is the influence of the deep biosphere on global-scale biogeochemical processes?
For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/174
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
The NAI once again hosted the Student Poster Competition at the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2010, held in League City Texas on April 26-29, 2010. Louis Lerman and Steve Benner from the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (FfAME) provided a generous contribution in support of the competition, as they did for AbSciCon 2008.
Thirty posters were submitted to the competition, and four cash prizes were awarded.
The first place prize went to Jorge Nunez, a graduate student at Arizona State University, for his poster entitled The Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) and the Mars Microbeam Raman Spectrometer (MMRS): An Integrated Payload for the In-Situ Exploration of Past and Present Habitable Environments on Mars. Jorge’s co-authors were J. D. Farmer (advisor), R. G. Sellar, S. Douglas, K. S. Manatt, M. D. Fries, A. L. Lane, Alian Wang, and D. L. Blaney.
Second place in the competition was awarded to Jennifer Glass, a graduate student at Arizona State University for her poster Signatures of Low-Mo Ancient Ocean May be Preserved in Cyanobacterial Genomes. Jennifer’s co-authors were Felisa L. Wolfe-Simon, A. T. Poret-Peterson and A. D. Anbar (advisor).
The third place winner was Eva Stueeken, a graduate student at the University of Washington, for her poster Selenium Biogeochemistry as a Planetary Deep-Time Redox Proxy. Eva’s co-authors were Julien Foriel, B. K.Nelson, and Roger Buick (advisor).
Fourth place in the competition was awarded to undergraduate student Dyana Lucas of the Native American Research Laboratory (NARL) at The University of Montana, for her poster Evidence for Local Adaptation in Extremophilic Crenarchaeal Systems: A SSV-Sulfolobus Study. Dyana’s co-authors were Manny Ceballos, and Michael Ceballos (advisor).
Congratulations to these four outstanding students for their achievement! [Source: NAI Newsletter]
The deadline for the Research Focus Group Workshop for Early Career Astrobiologists has been EXTENDED to March 26th! There are a few spots left, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications for the RFG are due by *March 26* and can be found on the RFG website: http://sites.google.com/site/abscicon2010rfg/ The second astrobiology Research Focus Group (RFG) workshop will take place the weekend before AbSciCon2010 on April 23-25 at Crockett Family Resort. The RFG workshop is an opportunity for early career astrobiologists to develop original research proposals in a collaborative setting. All costs associated with the RFG weekend, including food, lodging, and transportation, are supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute. [Source NAI newsletter]
Scholarship application deadlines plus new information for Canadian students and a worldwide opportunity provided by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative
Topic: Extrasolar Planets and Habitability
Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Spain
Dates: June 21-25, 2010
The ninth annual Summer School in Astrobiology, Extrasolar Planets and Habitability, organized jointly by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiología and the NASA Astrobiology Institute will be held at the Santander campus of Spain's national university, Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo (UIMP).
The 2010 School lecturers are Dr. Jack Lissauer, NASA Ames Research Center, co-investigator on the Kepler space telescope mission; Professor Eduardo Martin, CAB and University of Central Florida, co-discoverer of the first brown dwarf; Professor Victoria Meadows, University of Washington, head of NAI's Virtual Planetary Laboratory (VPL); and Professor Michel Mayor, University of Geneva, co-discoverer of the first hot Jupiter, 51 Peg b.
The deadline for NAI applications is March 31. Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodations, and meals are provided by NAI for students of any nationality studying at U.S. institutions. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details. CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research funds scholarships for 3-4 Canadian students. One or two additional scholarships sponsored by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative are available on a worldwide basis. Applications for CIFAR, and Harvard scholarships should be made via NAI by April 14. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details.
European students may apply for scholarship support provided by UIMP and the European Space Agency (ESA) through the UIMP website ( www.uimp.es ) at a later date.
The Summer School includes a week of lectures, round-table discussions, astronomical observations, and a half-day field trip to a site of astrobiological interest. Students completing the school receive a UIMP Diploma in Astrobiology. Accommodations and meals are provided on-site at the Palacio de la Magdalena ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_la_Magdalena ).'
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) hosted a "Workshop Without Walls" using advanced collaborative technologies on March 11-12, 2010. The workshop, on "The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Earth," was organized by George Cody and Doug Whittet, PIs of the NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute teams, respectively.
The experience was truly global, with over 170 registrants from 21 US States and 16 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, six western European nations, Ukraine, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. A total of 33 scientific talks were presented over two days, with fully interactive Q&A among the participants at eight sites equipped with HD-video/audio, and streaming with real-time question submission through the Adobe Connect web interface.
Continue reading "NASA Astrobiology Institute Hosts Science "Workshop Without Walls"" »
The NAI has organized a session entitled "Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community" at the upcoming 2010 Astrobiology Science Conference in League City, Texas. The purpose of this session is to stimulate new research collaborations across the astrobiology community and beyond by presenting broad nascent or ongoing collaborations as well as new collaborative opportunities. The session will be held on the last day of AbSciCon, Thursday, April 29, from 2:00 to 4:45pm. This session continues a process of integrating astrobiology research that lies at the heart of the NAI. A new phase of this process began in early 2009 when 10 new teams joined the Institute. The NAI Strategic Science Initiative Workshop - held May 13-15, 2009 in Tempe, AZ (see http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/executive-council/strategic-initiatives-workshop ) was a major milestone focused on developing new and expanded collaborations among NAI teams.
Continue reading "Integrating Astrobiology Research at AbSciCon" »
TO: NAI Newsletter distribution list
FROM: George Cody (NAI CIW team) and Douglas Whittet (NAI RPI team)
SUBJECT: Announcement and invitation to attend NAI "Workshop Without Walls": The Organic Continuum from the ISM to the Early Solar System
DATES: March 11-12, 2010
Workshop Website: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/2010vcworkshop
A two-day workshop using NAI remote communications tools will be held on March 11 and 12, 2010 to present topics spanning the cosmic evolution of organic complexity, from small molecule formation in interstellar clouds to organic synthesis and inventories in protoplanetary disks, the solar nebula, and primitive bodies such as comets and asteroids in our solar system.
Workshop topic areas include
* Interstellar Dust and the Organic Inventory of Protostellar Envelopes
* Organic Astrochemistry of Protoplanetary Disks
* Laboratory Studies of analog ISM and outer Solar System Materials
* Organics and Volatiles in Comets
* Organic matter in Interplanetary Dust particles.
* The Organic Inventory in Asteroids and Primitive Meteorites
This workshop is also a test of how to best use the advanced virtual communications capabilities of NAI to initiate greater cross-team awareness and dialog on a focused research area well represented across the NAI. What we learn from this will inform the greater NAI community.
The workshop is open to all and will be accessible via internet browser- no special software or equipment is required. To receive connection details, please register on the NAI website: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/2010vcworkshop
In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history (June 14-18). Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together in Taellberg, Sweeden to present their research in a comfortable environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees. Abstract submission deadline: February 28, 2010. For more information: http://www.abgradcon2010.org
Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Dates: June 21-25, 2010
Deadline: Closing date for NAI scholarship applications - March 31, 2010.
Overview: A week of lectures from international experts, plus round-table discussions, student projects, night-sky observations, and a field trip to a nearby site of astrobiological interest. On-site accommodation and all meals are provided at the Santander campus of the Spanish National University, UIMP. Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodation and meals are provided by NAI for approximately 10 American students. Additional opportunities are available for students of other nationalities. For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010
Source: NAI newsletter
Leroy Nelson and Scott Sandford take questions about both science and culture; The inter-cultural team facilitates educators learning the classroom activities.
On January 28-29, 2010, the "NASA and the Navajo Nation" project team hosted a large-scale workshop for educators across the Navajo Nation. Over 100 teachers participated, despite the worst snow storm in 25 years, some traveling hours through severe conditions. On the first day, the teachers heard background lectures from both a cultural expert and an astrobiologist, Scott Sandford from NASA Ames Research Center. On the second day, the team trained teachers on classroom use of the six activities in the So' Baa Hane' booklet, inter-cultural materials developed by the project in 2006.
Continue reading "NASA and the Navajo Nation Project Hosts Teacher Workshop" »
30 January - 4 February 2011 at the Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel, Ventura, CA
Microbial Ecology in the Early Fossil Record of Earth and Modern Analogues
Convenors: Nora Noffke & John Stolz
This GRC will discuss the latest research highlights in geobiology and will invite exciting case studies that demonstrate the potential of this interdisciplinary research field. The aim is to involve geoscientists as well as bioscientists into this discussion and to initiate collaboration between the disciplines. Geobiology involves the study of both modern and ancient environments and life therein. It is not only relevant to the appearance and evolution of life and habitats on Earth, but has implications for the detection of life on other planetary systems. The main themes of this conference are: i) Biofilms and microbial mats; ii) Biologically controlled sedimentary processes in modern environments; iii) Products of biologically controlled sedimentary processes in fossil environments: biogenic sedimentary structures; (iv) The geobiological approach for the search for life on other planets; and (v) Perspectives and outlook.
For more information: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2011&program=geobiology
Source: NAI newsletter
Session description:
The biogeochemical cycle of silicon, the second most abundant element of the earth's crust and a key nutrient element for numerous organisms, extends from the continents, via estuaries, to the oceans. In all environmental reservoirs (geo)physical, chemical, and biological processes affect the cycling of silicon. We invite research conducted on all aspects of the silicon cycle, at all spatial and temporal scales, using experimental, observational and modeling techniques. We particularly encourage contributions that explore the interconnections between the geological and biological roles of silicon.
For more information and abstract submission: http://www.goldschmidt2010.org
Source: NAI newsletter
The NASA Astrobiology Institute is offering funding for students and postdocs to attend the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2010 in League City, Texas, on April 26-29, 2010. Information about AbSciCon is available online at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010. Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs are eligible to apply for funding.
The deadline for applications is Friday, March 5. Award decisions will be made and applicants notified by Friday, March 19.
More information and an application form is posted on the NAI website at http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/abscicon-student-funding.
Please direct any comments or questions to Wendy Dolci: Wendy.W.Dolci@nasa.gov
Every summer, NAI teams and others host hands-on, in-the-field, in-the-lab workshops for educators. The workshops feature cutting edge astrobiology research delivered by astrobiology scientists and education professionals, as well as inquiry- and standards-based activities ready for your classroom. Below is the list of offerings for Summer 2010.
ASTROBIOLOGY SUMMER SCIENCE EXPERIENCE for TEACHERS (ASSET)
Dates: July 18 -24, 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Applications due: February 12, 2010
URL: http://www.seti.org/epo/ASSET
The ASSET experience will be intense and exciting, interactive and content rich, with presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA, and the California Academy of Sciences. Participants receive the Voyages Through Time curriculum. All expenses covered by grant funds.
TELESCOPES: TOOLS FOR ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS
Dates: July 26-30, 2010
Location: Pennsylvania State University
URL: http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/telescopes.html
Educators will build a simple telescope, utilize telescopes in distant object observations, and learn how modern telescope technology allows us to probe the most distant objects in the universe and may help us discover other habitable planets. [Source NAI Newsletter]
January 7-8, 2010 (Thursday 1:00-5:15pm and Friday 8:30am-12:00noon)
Marriott Wardman Park, Washington DC
Scientists interested in exoplanet exploration from space-based platforms are encouraged to attend the upcoming meeting of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG). You can review the agenda from the Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) website listed below. Note that you do not need to register for the AAS in order to attend; it's at the same location, but is a separate meeting.
Taellberg, Sweden - June 14-18, 2010.
Registration Deadline: May 1, 2010
Abstract submission Deadline: February 28, 2010
Conference Poster: http://www.abgradcon2010.org/attachments/049_abgradcon2010.pdf
In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history. Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together to present their research in an informal environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network, and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees.
Further information is available at the conference website: http://www.abgradcon2010.org
[source: NAI Newsletter]
The Planets, Life, and the Universe Astrobiology Lecture Series is supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Space Studies Initiative and the Department of Biology of The Johns Hopkins University.
Upcoming Lectures:
Jamie Elsila Cook (GSFC/Goddard Center for Astrobiology), "Cometary Amino Acids from the STARDUST Mission" Dec 4, 2009, 12:00p - 2:30pm EST
Stephen Mojzsis (University of Colorado), "Habitability of the Hadean Earth" Jan 8, 2010, 12:00pm - 2:30pm EST
More information and webcast information is available at http://astrobiology.stsci.edu/
Loren Williams, "Where Did Protein Come From?"
Date/Time: Tuesday December 8, 2009 2:30PM Pacific
Speaker: Loren Williams (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Abstract: Ribosomes are RNA-based macromolecular machines responsible for the synthesis of all proteins in all living organisms. Ribosomes are the most ancient of life's macromolecules and are our most direct link to the deep evolutionary past, beyond the base of the phyologenetic tree. The recent availability of high resolution 3D structures of ribosomes provides us with new methods of detection and inference. We will discuss methods for resurrection and biochemical characterization of aboriginal ribosomes.
For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/166
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is organizing a session at AbSciCon 2010 on "Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community." The concept for the session reflects one of astrobiology's defining characteristics and a core mission of NAI: bringing together researchers from many disciplines to develop and foster interdisciplinary collaborations in astrobiology research. Participation in this session is invited regardless of affiliation with the NAI. The goal is to develop and foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the astrobiology community, with other science communities not currently engaged in astrobiology research, and with other communities such as philosophy of science, ethics, anthropology, etc.
We invite you to submit an abstract for this session. Abstracts should describe an innovative interdisciplinary collaboration addressing astrobiology research or its societal implications. Presentations on collaborations that are underway, in formation, or contemplated/desired are all welcome. Please note that the abstract deadline is Dec. 3, 2009. For further information about AbSciCon 2010 and abstract submission, please see the following websites:
Meeting date and location: April 26-29, 2010, at the South Shore Harbor Resort and Conference Center in League City, Texas.
Conference website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010
Abstract submission information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/abscicon2010.elecinstr.html
ABSTRACT DEADLINE: 5:00 p.m. (CST) Thursday, December 3, 2009
[Source: Carl B. Pilcher, Director NASA Astrobiology Institute]
Taellberg, Sweden - June 14-18, 2010: In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history. Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together to present their research in a comfortable environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees. Further information is available at the conference website: http://www.abgradcon2010.org [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Astrobiologists searching for life in the universe, believe that Darwin's vision of natural selection promises to profoundly alter and expand the notion of life and its origins.
John Baross, an oceanographer and astrobiologist from the University of Washington, Seattle, will explore this topic on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. PST at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, Calif. Baross will reflect on Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and possible evolutionary adaptations on other planetary bodies, in a lecture titled "Evolution of Astrobiology: Searching for Life in the Universe - A New Darwinian Voyage." Admission is free.
Sponsors of the lecture include the NASA Astrobiology Institute at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sunnyvale. Calif. This is the last in a series of Ames-hosted public lectures centered on the concept of evolution. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species," Ames is looking at the evolution of science and technology, particularly as it contributes to the NASA mission.
For more information, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/
The deadline for proposing Session Topics to AbSciCon 2010 has been extended until September 30. The organizing committee is soliciting community input for session topics. Suggestions will be reviewed by the organizing committee, and the approved list of session topics will appear in the second announcement along with the call for abstracts. The announcement of Session Topics, along with instruction for submitting abstracts, will be online by October 14. The Abstract deadline remains December 1. For more information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/abscicon2010.topics.shtml Source: NAI Newsletter
November 25-27, 2009 in Frascati, Italy - The NASA Mars Program Office has announced that travel funding will be made available for as many as 5 students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, with Mars-related interests, to attend the Workshop on Methane on Mars: Current Observations, Interpretation and Future Plans, November 25-27, 2009 in Frascati, Italy. An application must be submitted by September 28, 2009, to be considered for this funding. NASA Headquarters will make the selections and students will be notified no later than October 15, 2009. Reimbursable costs include registration fees, transportation (airfare, mileage to/from airport, parking, rental car) and lodging/per diem. In most cases, actual expenses will exceed the funding provided.
Continue reading "Student Travel Grants - Workshop on Methane on Mars" »
Danny Glavin (speaker) and Jason Dworkin, "Southpaw Solar System: L-Amino Acid Excesses in Meteorites and the Implications for the Origin of Homochirality on Earth"
Abstract: Meteorites provide a record of the chemical processes that occurred in the early solar system before life began on Earth. The delivery of organic matter, including amino acids, by carbonaceous meteorites could have been an important source of the early Earth's prebiotic organic inventory. The earlier discovery of slight to significant excesses for several indigenous left handed
The Astrobiology Science Conference 2010 will be held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) April 26-29, 2010. Please submit the Indication of Intent form [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/iofi/ ] by October 1, 2009, in order to be added to the mailing list to receive reminders and other pertinent information related to the conference.
View the Announcement Now!! Source: NAI Newsletter
Dear members and friends of ASGSB,
Make plans to join with your colleagues and friends in Raleigh, North Carolina, from November 5-8, 2009, for the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. The scientific committee is very excited about the program, which will include symposia on Habitation Science (chaired by Cary Mitchell), Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biology (chaired by Marshall Porterfield) and The ISS as a National Laboratory (chaired by Ken Souza). We will also have posters, oral sessions, committee meetings, and plenty of time for networking.
Weary of catching planes, burning up fossil fuels, and spending lots of time and money to attend meetings? Take heart! Virtual worlds are shaping up as possible venues for online meetings--and astrobiology graduate students are leading the way in exploring their potential. On July 17-18, 2009, early-career astrobiologists met at the University of Washington in Seattle for the 6th annual Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon), and simultaneously in the virtual world Second Life. Students presented talks that were streamed live into Second Life and participated in a real-world and virtual world "mixed reality" poster session. Social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were also used for sharing information before, during and after the conference. MORE
Greetings!
Amid the turmoil of new grant solicitations plus the coming holiday, you may have set aside your ASGSB abstract. This is a reminder that the deadline is imminent. Even with some leniency from beneficent organizers, you should get set to submit. The official deadline is Monday, July 6.
Submit your abstract(s) for the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. The meeting roster already contains a range of excellent symposia and paper sessions. To submit an abstract, go to the ASGSB website: http://www.asgsb.org
Date/Time: Monday June 29, 2009 11:00AM Pacific
Presenter: Chris Scholin, Molecular Biologist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
Abstract: In late April 2009, a team of MBARI researchers tested the world's only deep-sea robotic DNA lab beneath the waters of Monterey Bay. This instrument is the latest version of the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP), which MBARI molecular biologist Chris Scholin has been developing for over 10 years. The ESP is a self-contained robotic laboratory that collects samples of seawater and tests these samples for different types of genetic material, such as DNA.
Ames is proud to announce the first lecture in a series on the Evolution of Science and Technology. On Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 PM at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. James Strick of Franklin & Marshall College will talk about Charles Darwin and his thoughts on the origins of life. Employees and members of the public are invited to attend this free public lecture sponsored by Ames and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Additional lectures in the series, which honors the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth among other significant anniversaries, will be announced at a later date.
Continue reading "Lecture on Darwin and the Origin of Life" »
A Meeting-in-a-Meeting to be held during the 214th Meeting of the AAS, June 7-11, 2009, Pasadena, California ( http://aas.org/meetings/aas214 ) Sponsored by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA) - ( http://www.aas.org/labastro/ )
Abstract Submission deadline: 2 March 2009
Late Abstract Submission deadline: 30 April 2009
Continue reading "Bridging Laboratory and Astrophysics: From the Infrared to the Submm" »
Starting on February 23rd, 2009, each of the NAI teams began giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which are broadcast via videoconference and web, provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams. These seminars take place at 11am Pacific time. The schedule of the remaining talks follow.
Monday, March 9: Isik Kanik, NASA JPL - Icy Worlds
Wednesday, March 11: Mark Allen, NASA JPL - Titan
Monday, March 16: Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University
Wednesday, March 18: Clark Johnson, University of Wisconsin
Monday, March 30: John Peters, Montana State University
Wednesday, April 1: Loren Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology
Monday, April 6: Chris House, Penn State University
Wednesday, April 8: Doug Whittet, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Monday, April 13: Vikki Meadows, VPL at University of Washington
Wednesday, April 15: Mike Mumma, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Monday, April 20: Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wednesday, April 22: Karen Meech, University of Hawaii
For more information about these seminars, podcasts of previous seminars and participation information, please visit http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
The Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference, hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Education Office, was held on January 24-25, 2009 in JPL's von Karman auditorium. E/PO Leads from NAI's teams at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, JPL-Titan, and JPL-Icy Worlds participated in producing the event. Eighty-one educators attended. The program included an introduction to astrobiology, as well as more detailed presentations outlining astrobiology research into extrasolar planet habitability, pre-biotic chemistry, spectral "bio"signatures, and planetary protection. NAI educational materials were distributed.
Continue reading "Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference" »
Starting on February 23rd, 2009, each of the NAI teams will be giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which will be broadcast via videoconference and web, will provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams. These seminars will take place at 11am Pacific time. The schedule of the talks follows:
Continue reading "NAI Team Overview Seminars to begin February 23rd" »
Come join an interdisciplinary gathering of scientists, artists and writers as they explore human futures in fact and fiction at the annual CONTACT conference.
WHERE: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., Building 943 located at the main gate. To reach NASA Ames, take U.S. Highway 101 to the Moffett Field, NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett Boulevard towards the main gate and bear right into the parking lot. Building 943 is located across the street from the large white dome.
WHEN: Friday, April 3, 2009 to Sunday, April 5, 2009
Come hear an interesting exchange of ideas as Lynn Rothschild, evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center, and Father George Coyne, Director Emeritus of the Vatican Observatory, astronomer and Jesuit priest, discuss "Are We Alone? The Dance of the Fertile Universe." Ames Center Director, S. Pete Worden will moderate as they consider the fact that while the potential for life was present at the Big Bang, Earth may be the only place that promise was realized. They will also discuss from their different perspectives what niches life may have found since the Big Bang and muse on the significance of the fertile universe.
Continue reading ""Are We Alone? The Dance of the Fertile Universe" Public Lecture" »
Workshop: OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE ORIGINS OF LIFE
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN, MAY 20-23, 2009
Organizers: Pier Luigi Luisi and Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo
The overall idea behind this workshop is to tackle a number of key questions about the origin of life that still remain unanswered, attempt to clarify why it is so, and to discuss how to progress in our efforts to answer these questions.
In the field of the origins of life, as in many other fields, there is a tendency and a danger for all of us to keep working in our own, fairly narrow areas of expertise and ignore "the big picture". Thus, from time to time, it is important to ask "where are we in the field and what are the main stumbling blocks on the road?" A similar meeting was already held, in a preliminary form, in Erice, Sicily, in 2006. It created a considerable interest so many researchers asked that we continue the experiment in a more developed form. In fact, one conclusion of the Erice meeting was that it should be repeated, possibly on regular basis (every 2-3 years) and involved more countries and a larger number of young researchers.
Continue reading "Astrobiology Workshop: Open Questions on the Origins of Life" »
Message from the Center Director Revised: Ames Takes On...The Vatican?
Well, not exactly. But at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, Ames' own Lynn Rothschild will engage Father George Coyne, Director Emeritus of the Vatican Observatory (and my college adviser) on "The Limits to Life in a Fertile Universe." I will moderate as they consider the fact that while the potential for life was present at the Big Bang, the only place that the promise may have been realized is planet Earth. George Coyne, an astronomer and Jesuit priest, and Lynn Rothschild, an evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist, will approach this question from their different perspectives. They will consider what niches life may have found since the Big Bang, and muse on the significance of the fertile universe.
The talk will take place in the ballroom in Building 3 at 7 p.m. on February 19, 2009. It is being jointly hosted by ARC, the Commonwealth Club and the Yale Club. The event is open to the public; admission is $10, payable in advance or in cash at the door. If you wish to pay in advance via credit card, please contact Georgette Gehue of the Commonwealth Club at (408) 280-5842 or at email address ggehue@commonwealthclub.org. She will add your name to the list of attendees. She can also reserve a spot for you even if you pay at the door.
Light refreshments will be served.
I think this will be an extremely interesting exchange of ideas, and hope you will be able to join us.
S. Pete Worden
Center Director
The next Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held July 17 - 20 2009 at the University of Washington in Seattle. The primary objective of AbGradCon is to improve the future of astrobiology research by bringing together in a unique setting the early-career astrobiologists (graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within 2 years of finishing their Ph.D.) who will lead such research in the years to come. The conference is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and round-table discussions are fostered along with numerous social activities. AbGradCon will also be hosted in the virtual world of Second Life at the NASA CoLab Sun Amphitheater.
For more information: http://tinyurl.com/abgradcon09
Source: NAI Newsletter
Date/Time: Monday, January 12, 2009 11:00AM Pacific
Join us for the next FAR Seminar! The topic for this seminar is "Habitability" Please see http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/event/habitability-seminar/ for more information and participation instructions.
Source: NAI Newsletter
Dates: February 4-6, 2009
Location: NASA Ames Research Center
Reconciling observations of extrasolar planets with those of the solar system will engage the efforts of planetary formation observers and theorists for the foreseeable future. The aim of this meeting is to promote cross-fertilization between the extrasolar and the solar planetary communities. The topics will include both theoretical and observational characterization of protostars and planets. The emphasis of the meeting will be to compare and contrast planetary systems. Ideally, constraints derived from diverse planetary systems will be complementary; yet, the extent to which such systems can be viewed under a common prism remains to be clarified.
Continue reading "Solar-Extrasolar Meeting to be held as NASA Ames Research Center" »
Dates: February 4 - 6, 2009
On the first day, the meeting will address the stellar environment during planet formation. On the second, invited talks will touch on extrasolar planets and planet formation. The third day will cover solar system talks. Since the range of topics is quite broad, a preliminary schedule is included below. When submitting an abstract please take into consideration how well your chosen topic fits into the program, as this will be one of the criteria for the selection panel. We will schedule 10 or so contributed talks, and will have a poster session if there is sufficient interest.
Please Contact Ignacio Mosqueira at mosqueir@cosmic.arc.nasa.gov with an abstract of 1000 words or less in word or pdf format before November 15. Abstracts should emphasize the broad theme of the Origins of planetary systems.
Source: NAI Newsletter
The NAI Planetary System Formation Focus Group (PSFFG) invites interested astrobiologists to participate in a review of the astrobiological value of upcoming and proposed NASA space telescopes relevant for the general question of planetary system formation. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Long Beach, California on January 4-9, 2009. For details about the AAS meeting, please see:
http://aas.org/meetings/aas213
Continue reading "NAI Planetary System Formation Focus Group Meeting" »
The next Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held July 17 - 20 2009 at the University of Washington in Seattle. The primary objective of AbGradCon is to improve the future of astrobiology research by bringing together in a unique setting the early-career astrobiologists (graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within 2 years of finishing their Ph.D.) who will lead such research in the years to come. The conference is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and round-table discussions are fostered along with numerous social activities. AbGradCon will also be hosted in the virtual world of Second Life at the NASA CoLab Sun Amphitheater.
For more information: http://tinyurl.com/abgradcon09
Source: NAI Newsletter
Date/Time: Monday, November 24, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific
Presenter: Roger Summons (Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT)
Abstract: A great mass extinction took place 252 million years ago when approximately 90% of the existing marine taxa were lost. Both the magnitude of the extinction and the slowness of the subsequent faunal radiation are enigmatic. The event is also known for the number and diversity of theories about its cause(s) including catastrophic volcanism, sudden climate change, overturn of stagnant oceans and bolide impact. Studies of molecular fossils confirm that the oceans were stagnant (euxinic) for some considerable period of time before and after the main biological turnover. Accordingly this event appears to be the culmination of particular paleo-oceanographic circumstances that happened on a geological timescale.
For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/133
Source: NAI Newsletter
Presenter: Rory Barnes
Date/Time: October 7, 2008 02:30 PM Pacific
Abstract: The first terrestrial-like exoplanets will likely be observed in tight orbits around low-mass stars. Conveniently, planets on these orbits receive about as much starlight as the Earth does from the Sun, and hence have to potential to be habitable. Such planets may also experience significant tidal forces from the star which can result in orbital decay, a specific planetary rotation, and significant internal heating. I describe how these phenomena are likely to impact habitability. In some cases orbital decay may result in planets moving too close to their star for habitability. For planets on non-circular orbits, rotation periods may be similar to the Earth's and hence may produce similar atmospheric circulation patterns.
Salle Cassini, Observatoire de Paris, November 19-21 2008
Exoplanets are being discovered at an ever accelerating pace. As a result planetary scientists and astronomers are increasingly called upon to make the transition from discovery to characterization, so that we can begin the long journey of understanding these planets in the same way that we understand those in our own Solar System. Among the known exoplanets, hot-Jupiters and hot-Neptunes that transit their parent stars present the first real opportunities to determine key compositional and atmospheric parameters.
Continue reading "Molecules in the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets - A Workshop in Paris" »
WHEN: November 19, 2008 (Wed) ~ November 21, 2008 (Fri)
WHERE: Salle Cassini, Observatoire Paris, Paris, France
Exoplanets are being discovered at an ever accelerating pace, and planetary scientists and astronomers are increasingly called upon to make the transition from discovery to characterization. This workshop aims at bringing together different scientific communities: solar system planetary scientists, brown dwarf and exoplanet modellers and observers, molecular spectroscopy and instrument development experts.
We will cover different topics: radiative transfer, line lists, photochemical models, dynamics, and observations using space- and ground-based facilities. Current results will be discussed in the context of the preparation of upcoming missions, SPITZER, JWST, and SPICA, and the next generation of direct detection mission concepts from ground and space.
Posted by: Daniella Scalice, NASA Astrobiology
Oct. 7-9, 2008
Location: Center of Marine Biotechnology, 701 East Pratt Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202
NASA has developed this course on planetary protection policies and practices to familiarize current and future practitioners with NASA and COSPAR planetary protection programs. The course provides a comprehensive review of all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program, emphasizing integration of managerial, administrative, and laboratory aspects of planetary protection.
Continue reading "Courses and Conferences: Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices" »
Date/Time: Monday, September 29, 2008 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Norm Sleep, Stanford University
Abstract: Silicate super-earths are rocky planets with masses up to ~10 that of the Earth. They are of astrobiological interest because they are relatively easy to detect around other stars. Tectonics enhances habitability on the Earth by exhuming biologically important elements. Plate tectonics are too poorly understood on the Earth to tell whether this process should occur on larger planets. Still the Gauss' law relationship that surface heat flow scales with surface gravity provides some insight and yields that the geotherm expressed in terms of pressure is to the first order invariant to planetary size.
Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar: Norm Sleep, "Habitability of Superearths"" »
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.
Welcome to the second 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, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington D.C., April 10-12, 2001
Welcome to the first 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.
Astrobiology Roadmap Workshop: Fundamental Questions, Specific Science Goals, and Measurement Objectives in Astrobiology, 20-22 July 1998
Goal: The Astrobiology Roadmap Workshop will be held July 20-22, 1998 at NASA Ames Research Center. The goal of the Workshop is to develop a research and development plan for the nascent field of Astrobiology for the 2000-2020 time frame, with focus on the first ten years.
First Astrobiology Workshop, 1996: Background and Purpose: Multidisciplinary research promises opportunities for important gains through cross-fertilization of ideas and the development of new perspectives. NASA scientists are charged with helping to bridge the gaps between traditional disciplines and working with the external scientific scientific community to identify and implement new ways for the agency to approach the challenge of understanding the living universe.