The University of Colorado at Boulder's Center for Astrobiology will host a multi-disciplinary panel of experts for its third annual public symposium titled "What Is Life?" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Cristol Chemistry Building room 140.
The field of astrobiology draws from many disciplines to understand what factors determine if there is life beyond Earth
Panelists for the free event will discuss wide-ranging questions surrounding the definition of life, then open the floor for a question-and-answer session. The evening will be moderated by Bruce Jakosky, director of the CU-Boulder Center for Astrobiology and a professor in the geological sciences department and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
"The problem is that we have no experience with life other than our own example here on Earth," said Jakosky. "We don't know what to look for elsewhere. We don't know what will be similar and what will be different."
Seating in the 500-seat auditorium, located north of the University Memorial Center on the CU-Boulder campus, will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parking will be available in the Euclid Avenue Autopark adjacent to the University Memorial Center for a nominal fee.
The evening will conclude with a reception, where members of the audience can talk one-on-one with the speakers. Refreshments will be provided.
"The path we're taking with the symposium is to try to address the question, 'What is life?' from different sides," Jakosky said. "What can we learn about what life is by understanding the origin of life on Earth or from looking at the molecular biology of life today? What are the societal connections of the science -- such as the theological, philosophical and human perspectives?"
Speaking at the symposium will be renowned science-fiction author Ben Bova, who will explore the human perspective on what constitutes life. Bova's many books and novels often focus on the implications of scientific developments for society as a whole.
The panel also will include Gerald Joyce of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, who will examine the evolution of life from its basic building blocks. Joyce's talk will focus on how the machinery of life works at the molecular level of RNA. A number of scientists now believe that RNA may have been the progenitor of DNA, and that the appearance of this self-replicating molecule on Earth heralded the arrival of life.
Other panelists include Noreen Herzfeld, a professor at St. John's University who will speak on the theological issues surrounding the "What Is Life?" question, and CU geological sciences Professor Stephen Mojzsis, who investigates life's earliest history on Earth.
This year's event will bring the basics of the mystery of life into sharp focus for those who attend, said Jakosky. He stressed that the symposium will offer insight into questions that are of interest to everyone. "This won't just be a bunch of scientists," he said.
The speakers are a diverse mix of individuals, representing all the different perspectives encompassed in astrobiology. "The pure science and the humanities together -- it's really exciting," he said.
Jakosky also is an interdisciplinary scientist for NASA's Mars Global Surveyor Mission, now orbiting the red planet, and a member of the science team for the 2001 Mars Odyssey Mission.
The symposium will take place just two weeks before the 2001 Mars Odyssey probe arrives at its destination. Part of the probe's mission is to identify sites where a search for life might best be conducted.
"I think that ours is the first generation that has a real claim to the potential of finding life elsewhere," said Jakosky. "Part of this issue is understanding the philosophical and societal implications of life's existence here and life's possible existence elsewhere."
The symposium is sponsored by CU-Boulder's Center for Astrobiology, the CU-Boulder Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Planetary Society.
The CU-Boulder Center for Astrobiology brings together faculty and students from the geological sciences, astrophysics and planetary sciences, atmospheric sciences, molecular biology, evolutionary biology, biochemistry and the humanities.
CU-Boulder is one of 15 institutions around the country that make up the NASA Astrobiology Institute. For more information about the symposium call (303) 735-3800 or visit .