|
2010 Spring Astrobiology Seminar
Follow the water has been the mantra for solar system life searches, but potentially habitable environments are likely to be cold, so follow the ice might be more appropriate. In this seminar, we will focus this semester on learning about water in the solar system from understanding how it arrived on the terrestrial planets, and current existence on Mars, the Moon and evidence for primordial solar system water in primitive bodies and on Earth. We will also discuss microbes in extreme icy environments, and biosignatures. This seminar will cover both basic techniques and interdisciplinary intorductions as well as highlight current research in astronomy, modeling, cosmochemistry, geochemistry and astrobiology.
Syllabus
Date | Speaker | Institute | Title of the Talk
Jan 11 | Freeland | (UHNAI) | "Why model molecular evolution with accuracy?"
Jan 18 (MLK Jr. DAY)
Jan 25 | Hope Jahren | (UH SOEST) | "The complexity of biosignatures: an unexpected photosynthetic response to elevated CO2"
Feb 1 | Freeland | (UHNAI) | "The Genetic Code as a determinant of molecular evolution"
Feb 8 | Dina Prialnik | (Tel Aviv U.) | "Ice and water in the small bodies of the Solar System"
Feb 15 (PRESIDENTS' DAY)
Feb 22 | Timm Riesen | (UHNAI) | "Rosetta - A deep space probe that will perform the /closest inspection of a comet ever/ attempted"
Mar 1 | Bin Yang | (UHNAI) | "Water in primitive solar system bodies"
Mar 8 | Thor Thordarsson | (U Edinburgh) | "Emplacement modes of basaltic lava flows on Earth and Mars"
Mar 15 | Joseph Smyth | (U. Colorado) | "Water Planets and Water in the Earth's Interior"
Mar 22 | (SPRING BREAK)
Mar 29 | Oleg Abramov | (U. Colorado) | "Habitability of young Mars"
Apr 5 | Bo Reipurth | (UHNAI) | "The Birth of Stars and Multiple Systems"
Apr 12 | Brian Glazer | (UH Dpt. Oceanography) | "Extremophiles"
Apr 19 | Rich Gazan | (UH Comp. Sci.) | "Progress with AIRFRAME: a tool to aid astrobiology research"
Apr 25 | (ABSCICON)
May 3 | Gayle Philip | (UHNAI) | "Exploring life's standardized amino acid alphabet"
|
|
