NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

AbSciCon 2010 First Announcement

The Astrobiology Science Conference 2010 will be held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) April 26–29, 2010. Please submit the Indication of Intent form http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/iofi/ by October 1, 2009, in order to be added to the mailing list to receive reminders and other pertinent information related to the conference.

          Lunar and Planetary Institute               

August 7, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt

AbGradCon 2009: A Glimpse into Mixed-Reality Meetings of the Future

Avatars in a virtual amphitheatre watch and listen to a graduate student presentation streamed from AbGradCon into Second Life.

Weary of catching planes, burning up fossil fuels, and spending lots of time and money to attend meetings? Take heart! Virtual worlds are shaping up as possible venues for online meetings—and astrobiology graduate students are leading the way in exploring their potential. On July 17-18, 2009, early-career astrobiologists met at the University of Washington in Seattle for the 6th annual Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon), and simultaneously in the virtual world Second Life. Students presented talks that were streamed live into Second Life and participated in a real-world and virtual world “mixed reality” poster session. Social...

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July 29, 2009 / Written by: Wendy Dolci

Planetary Science Decadal Survey: White Papers Posted for Comment

Comments are being solicited from members of the astrobiology community on the following paper(s) that will be submitted to the 2009-2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Papers will be revised based on community feedback. Additonal papers will be posted here as they become available.

• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Exoplanets (Last Updated: May 28, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mercury, Venus, and the Moon (Added: June 8, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mars (Added: June 10, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for the Outer Solar System (Added June 15, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Primitive Asteroids (Added July 22,...

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July 27, 2009 / Posted by: Marco Boldt

Students Monitor Hydrothermal Features in Lassen Volcanic National Park

The Lassen Astrobiology Student Internship Program, a collaboration between NAI’s Ames team, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Red Bluff High School, will wrap up its first year of activity in August. Nine high school students and their chemistry teacher, with training from NAI scientists and under the supervision of a park ranger, have made eight field trips to various sites within the park throughout the course of the school year. They monitored field sites and made seasonal measurements of temperature, pH, and water chemistry of the hydrothermal features. PBS station KNPB, Reno, NV,...

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July 23, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Escuela International de Astrobiología

The Josep Comas i Solà International Astrobiology Summer School, held annually in Santander, Spain, has become a tradition in the astrobiology community, as this summer marked its seventh year. The week-long program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows provides lectures from international experts, round-table discussions, student projects, night-sky observations, and a half-day field trip to a nearby site of astrobiological interest.

This summer’s program, held from 22-26 June, was devoted to an understanding of the characteristics and diversity of organisms that inhabit Earth’s extreme environments and the implications for the habitability of environments beyond Earth. About...

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July 14, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Summer Camp: The Quest for Life

This summer, NAI’s new team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) played a major role in hosting the 2009 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp. The camp is a free, academic program of The Harris Foundation, named for Bernard A. Harris, MD, an accomplished NASA astronaut, physician and entrepreneur, and the first African American to walk in space.

The theme of this year’s camp, held from June 14-26th, was The Quest for Life, and 50 middle school students participated. During the two exciting weeks, students went on several field trips to The Albany Pine Bush,...

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July 13, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Lead Astrobiology Civil Servant Position Now Available

The Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is now advertising for the senior Program Scientist for Astrobiology. In general, this civil servant will oversee the science content and execution of the Astrobiology Program. A detailed description of the position and how to apply for this opportunity can be found on http://www.usajobs.gov/ with a announcement number (or search number): HQ09B0156. This position opened on July 10 and will close August 10, 2009. I encourage anyone who is interested to apply.

James L. Green
Director Planetary Science Division

July 10, 2009 / Written by: James Green