"Life in the Universe": In-Person Badger Talk in Madison, WI

Name: "Life in the Universe": In-Person Badger Talk in Madison, WI
Start: 2025-01-10T10:30:00-06:00
Location: Vista West

Schedule

Fri, 10 Jan, 2025 at 10:30 am

UTC-06:00

Location

Vista West | Madison, WI

Join us for this free in-person event on January 10, 2025, at 10:30 AM. Registration is required—please call Caitlin at 608-820-1803 to RSVP. The event will be held at the Vista West Senior Living Community.
What are the chances that there is life elsewhere in our universe, and how might we first detect or find it? It is currently unclear if life is common or not, given that we only know of one planet (the Earth) that is inhabited. Why might life not be common and why don’t we see signs of it when we look out in space? Here, I will discuss these possibilities and open-ended questions that grapple with humanity’s place in the universe.
Presenter Zoe Todd studies astrobiology and is interested in investigating the origins of life on Earth and understanding the implications for the possibility of life on other planets. Her research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to explore how astronomical and planetary environments may enable the chemical and biochemical origins and evolution of life. For example, she works on identifying favorable planetary environments that may provide the chemicals necessary for the origins of life. She also investigates prebiotic chemistry in the laboratory to better understand the constraints of planetary environments and the plausibility of the chemistry. Her goal is to trace a continuous and plausible path for the origins of life: from astronomical and planetary environments seeding the necessary feedstock chemicals, to the synthesis of the building blocks of life (e.g., ribonucleotides, amino acids, or alternatives), and ultimately to the development of the first self-replicating and functional protocells.