NASA will present a series of public talks about astrobiology on
Sunday, March 28. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution,
distribution and future of life in the universe.
The agenda will include a special session in Spanish, “Astrobiologia
en Espanol,” from 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. PST. At the session, 12
speakers from the United States, Spain and Latin America, will
deliver 15-minute talks highlighting the latest research in
astrobiology. Topics will include life in extreme environments, the
origin of life and the response of aboriginal societies to the
effects of ‘El Nino.’
“The public Sunday astrobiology sessions will bring an accessible,
integrative view of science to the community,” said Dr. Lynn
Rothschild, organizing chairperson of the conference and a researcher
at Ames. “This is a great opportunity to expand public awareness,
provide teachers with resources for exploring astrobiology in the
classroom and reach out to our Spanish-speaking constituents.”
An “Astrobiology and Man” session will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3
p.m. PST. In addition, an educators’ event will be held from 4 p.m.
to 6 p.m. PST. Teachers may talk with astrobiology educators, gather
teaching materials and participate in hands-on classroom activities
about astrobiology.
The public astrobiology talks are an adjunct to the Astrobiology
Science Conference, which will be held at NASA Ames from March 28 to
April 1. Astrobiology experts from around the world will gather to
discuss exploration strategies, research targets and current missions
planned to further the search for life in the universe. The
conference will feature more than 50 presentations and five days of
poster sessions by pre-eminent researchers and scientists.
Conference abstracts, a meeting agenda and further information about
the Astrobiology Science Conference are available at:
NASA Ames Research Center is the location of the central offices of
the NASA Astrobiology Institute, an international research
consortium. Information about NASA’s astrobiology programs may be
obtained at:
