Conference: Evolution of Chemical Complexity
Conference Announcement: Evolution of Chemical Complexity: From simple interstellar molecules to terrestrial biopolymers”, Liblice Castle, Czech Republic, 13 – 15 September 2016. The meeting will try to map the chemical evolution of the molecular building blocks of life from their possible sources in the interstellar medium, the atmospheres of planets and on their surfaces. It also aims to serve to engage the astrochemistry and systems chemistry communities into a dialogue. The meeting venue is Liblice Castle (http://www.chateau-liblice.com/), an 18th century castle in a wonderful park...
Read MoreBill Gates on Nick Lane’s “The Vital Question”
ASB committee member and UCL biologist Nick Lane caught the attention of Bill Gates recently when the Microsoft founder came across his book “The Vital Question”. In a blog post about the book, Gates writes that Nick is “…one of those original thinkers who makes you say: More people should know about this guy’s work”. He concludes that the book’s focus on the importance of the role of energy in biology “will be seen as an important contribution to our understanding of where we come from, and where are we going”. The full review can be found...
Read MoreUKSA: Aurora Science Announcement of Opportunity
The UK Space Agency is making funding available for Aurora science. The purpose of this AO is to support science associated with planetary exploration to enhance the UK’s capabilities and cross-disciplinary approach to planetary science. The scientific objectives of the first mission in the Aurora programme, ExoMars, are to target the questions of past and present life on Mars, investigating the presence of water and the geochemical environment as well as atmospheric trace gases and their sources. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter was successfully launched in March 2016 and will reach Mars in...
Read MoreNew Conversation Articles
Explore the links below for the latest in-depth articles from The Conversation on a diverse range of astrobiological topics. This latest roundup explores the question of whether Alpha Centauri is the right place to search for life elsewhere, the topic of bacteria in space, and the role of ‘stellar weather’ in the search for life. Is Alpha Centauri the right place to search for life elsewhere? Bacteria found to thrive better in space than on Earth What the ‘weather’ is like on a star can help in the search for life
Read MoreEANA & AbGradE 2016
The European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) 2016 meeting will be held in Athens on 27th-30th September. Sessions will include talks on any astrobiological discipline. An optional field trip to Milos Island will take place after the conference (if there is sufficient interest). Registration and abstract submission deadline: 31st July. More information can be found here: http://www.astrobiology.gr/eana16/ The 2016 AbGradE (Astrobiology Graduates in Europe) Symposium 2016 will be held directly before EANA 2016 in Athens between 25th-27th September. AbGradE is an independent association...
Read MorePost-doc Opportunities: International Space Science Institute, Switzerland
Two post-doc opportunities are being offered by the International Space Science Institute, Switzerland; one in space sciences and one in Earth sciences. Applications for the post-doctoral position in Space Sciences relating to space physics, or to solar system sciences, or to astronomy are particularly welcome. Applications for the post-doctoral position in Earth Sciences relating to remote sensing of the Earth system including climate are particularly welcome. The successful candidate is expected to pursue his/her independent research program, and will participate in the Institute’s...
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