Contact Ames Symposium 2002: March 1, 2002

Is the Cosmos Rife with Life?

Organizers: Seth Shostak, Michael Sims & Chris McKay

Location: NASA Ames, Moffett Training and Conference Center (Bld. 3)

Moffett Field, CA 94035


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Morning moderator: – Chris McKay, NASA Ames

9:00 Welcome

9:10 What is Life?Ê- Baruch Blumberg, NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, Nobel laureate in medicine
Will we recognize life when we find it?

10:00 Writing the Field Guide to Unknown Organisms: Earth, Mars, and Beyond – Penelope J. Boston, Univ. New Mexico; Complex Systems Research, Inc.

10:45 Life Around Giant Planets – Chris Chyba, SETI Institute, 2001 McArthur Grant Recipient

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Afternoon moderator: Seth Shostak, SETI Institute

12:45 Far Out Life – Seth Shostak

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ If the universe is rife with life, where is it?

1:00 Looking for other Earths – Bill Borucki, Kepler Mission, NASA Ames

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ How can we find and recognize distant worlds with life?

1:45 Looking for Life Amongst the Stars – Frank Drake, SETI Institute

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ How can wsoutnd thinking beings at a distance?

2:30 Panspermia – Robert Zubrin, The Mars Society, Pioneer Astronautics

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Transfer of life between worlds

3:15 Social implications of the discovery of non-Earth life – Al Harrison, UC Davis

3:35 Social implications of failure to find non-Earth life – Jim Funaro, Founder of Contact, Cabrillo College

3:55 Epilogue – Joel Hagen, Co-founder of Contact, Space Artist, Modesto College

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Additional activity:

Art Show: Roger Arno‘s Space Art during the day Friday. Macon Room.
Contact Workshop: March 2-3, http://www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/contact
Contact’s Friday Banquet: Apollo Astronaut Rusty Schweickart will be dinner speaker at the Contact Workshop. Banquet requires preregistration (see http://www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/contact)
(Note: Contact Ames Symposium is free.Ê Contact Workshop requires registration.)

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This year’s Contact, in addition to Rusty Schweickart as the keynote speaker, will include:

  • Tribute to Poul Anderson.Ê Speakers include: Karen Anderson, Marvin Minsky, Greg Bear, Jerry Pournelle, Vernor Vinge and Larry Niven
  • Botball competition with David Miller
  • Workshops and sessions on World Building, Solar System Simulation, Cultures of the Imagination for high school students, Education for the Future and art galleries.

    Points of contact:Ê jafunaro@cabrillo.cc.ca.us or Michael.Sims@arc.nasa.gov