Geologists of JH: Astrobiology: The Search for the Past and Future of Life in the Universe

Program Type:

Community Sponsored Program/Event/Class

Age Group:

Adults (Ages 19+)
Please note you are looking at an event that has already happened.

Event Details

“Astrobiology: The Search for the Past and Future of Life in the Universe” by Dr. Jian Gong, University of Wyoming

Astrobiology is often described as the search for life beyond Earth, but at its heart it asks a deeper question: What is life, how did it arise, and where is it going? From the earliest traces preserved in Earth’s ancient rocks to robotic explorers on Mars and planets orbiting distant stars, we are discovering that life emerged early and in close partnership with planetary processes. The search therefore focuses not only on organisms, but on biosignatures—patterns in chemistry and environment that reveal life as a planetary phenomenon. At its core, life is a complex adaptive system: it senses, responds, evolves, and reshapes its surroundings. In this sense, astrobiology is not just about finding life elsewhere—it is about understanding how the universe becomes alive, and how it may remain so.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4555651818?pwd=U09ObDNZOEIyZmRtMEtsdUowQnJqdz09 Meeting ID: 455 565 1818 Passcode: 576063