GREENBELT, Md. — NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will host two panel sessions at the 47th annual Nebula Awards Weekend on Friday, May 18th beginning at 9:00 AM. The Nebula Awards Weekend begins on Thursday, May 17th and goes through Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Both NASA panels will be held in room Washington B located on the Ballroom Level.
NASA’s presence at the 47th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend is part of the agency’s ongoing campaign to emphasize the historically strong affinity and synergy between the science research and science fiction communities. Many people currently involved in science and technology credit science fiction as a significant early inspiration for their career choices. In this way, the continued high popularity of science fiction literature, films, and games can serve as an important gateway to the general public.
The first session, entitled “The Potential for Life Beyond Earth: Exoplanets and Astrobiology” will be presented by NASA scientists who study exoplanets, life in extreme conditions, and complex molecules in the solar system. Topics to be discussed are the current state of research and what discoveries may be coming in the near future. Moderating this session will be Dr. Stephen Rinehart, Associate Lab Chief, Goddard Observational Cosmology Lab.
The second panel, entitled “Exploring the Earth — From Above,” is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. This session will present a discussion of NASA’s latest scientific developments in areas such as climate change and space weather. Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak directly with NASA scientists and engineers to learn about new ways of collecting data through some of NASA’s novel laser technologies. The moderator for this session will be Darryl Mitchell, Senior Technology Transfer Manager, Goddard Innovative Partnerships Office.
For additional information please contact: Enidia Santiago-Arce of the Innovative Partnerships Office at NASA GSFC enidia.santiago-arce@nasa.gov, or 301-286-8497.
For more information about NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html
For more information on the Nebula Awards please visit: http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards
