Searching for Life Across Space and Time (FREE with Registration)

A Workshop on Searching for Life Across Space and Time

by Space Studies Board

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YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP.

The Space Studies Board’s Committee on Searching for Life Across Space and Time is hosting a community workshop on December 5-6, 2016 at the Beckman Center in Irvine, CA to explore the current status of activities to detect extraterrestrial life in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems. The workshop will feature a series of sessions that will feature presentations from experts on current understanding of the environmental (physical and chemical) limits of life, life’s interactions with the environments of planets and moons, habitable environments in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems, extraterrestrial biosignatures, life detection capabilities remotely or in situ in the solar system and from afar on extrasolar worlds, instrumentation, and targeted precursor research.

FREE REGISTRATION CLICK HERE (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-workshop-on-searching-for-life-across-space-and-time-registration-26689574235#tickets)

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

For in-person participants, registrations will be accepted through the day of the event, subject to space availability. However, we can not provide pre-printed name badges to those who register after November 30th.

DIRECTIONS AND LOGISTICS

The Beckman Center is located at 100 Academy Dr, Irvine, CA 92617. The closest airport to the Beckman Center is John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA).

Parking is available on-site at no charge and consists of 172 regular spaces, 5 handicapped spaces, and 100 overflow spaces.

FREE REGISTRATION CLICK HERE (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-workshop-on-searching-for-life-across-space-and-time-registration-26689574235#tickets)

EVENT WEBCAST

Watch the live webcast of this workshop here:

workshop webcast (https://livestream.com/accounts/15221519/events/6098927)

. The webcast recordings will be available approximately 1-2 weeks after the event on the

workshop's website (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/ssb/currentprojects/ssb_173278)

. Please note that due to logistical constraints, online audience participation during question and answer sessions will not be possible.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions about the event, please contact Dionna Williams at dwilliams@nas.edu. For more information about the workshop, including the statement of task, please visit the

Space Studies Board website (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/ssb/currentprojects/ssb_173278)

. A preliminary agenda is outlined below and will be updated closer to the event. AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

View PDF of the agenda here (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/ssbsite/documents/webpage/ssb_174664.pdf)

Day 1: December 5, 2016

Session 1: Setting the Stage

How likely is it that life exists off the Earth? - John Baross, University of WashingtonCurrent understanding of the environmental limits of life and life's interactions wiht its environment - Tori Hoehler, NASA AmesIs life a cosmic imperative: How did thermodynamics force life into existence? - Eric Smith, Santa Fe Institute

Session 2: Habitable environments in the Solar System

Habitable environments on present and ancient Mars - John Grotzinger, CaltechHabitable environments on ocean worlds and a summary of the Ocean Worlds Life Detection Workshop - Kevin Hand, JPLPlanning for the Exploration of Mars and Ocean Worlds - Ellen Stofan, NASA

Session 3: Exoplanets

Current state of knowledge of exoplanets and their habitability and a summary of the Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop - Vikki Meadows, University of WashingtonExtrasolar biosignatures: Thinking out of the box - William Bains, MITThe First Spaceborne Direct Imaging Exoplanet Mission: WFIRST Coronagraph - and Starshade? - Margaret Turnbull, SETI InstituteProspects for ground-based characterization of Proxima Centauri b - Matteo Brogi, University of Colorado, BoulderPractical biosignatures that can be exploited to search for life in situ in the solar system and from afar on extrasolar worlds - Discussion

Session 4: Poster Display and Reception

FREE REGISTRATION CLICK HERE (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-workshop-on-searching-for-life-across-space-and-time-registration-26689574235#tickets)

Day 2: December 6, 2016

Session 5: Life Detection Techniques

Life Detection: 40 years after Viking - Ben Clark, Space Science InstituteSignatures of life as we know it - Ken Nealson, University of Southern CaliforniaSignatures of life as we don't know it - Steve Benner, the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution

Session 6: Instrumentation

In-situ life detection, Ocean Worlds - Morgan Cable, JPLLife detection capabilities of LUVOIR and HabEx - Shawn Domagal-Goldman, NASA GSFCIn-situ life detection, Mars - Jen Eigenbrode, NASA GSFC

Session 7: Future Directions - Breakout Groups

Focus question: How could targeted research over the next 5-10 years help advance the state of the art for life detection, including instrumentation and precursor research.

Discussion topics will include:

In situ detection of life as we know itIn situ detection of life as we don't know itRemote detection of life as we know itRemote detection of life as we don't know it

Session 8: Conclusions

Summary of key points raised during the workshopConcluding remarks

Header Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

FAQs

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

No.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No.