July 10, 2020 7-9PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: You'll Know It When You See It: Defining, Describing, and Detecting Life in the Universe
Lecturer: Cecilia Sanders
Position: PhD Candidate
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
When scientists search for life in the universe, what in the world are we looking for? What kinds of "fingerprints" or signatures do living things leave behind on their non-living surroundings, and what tools do we need to detect them? In this talk, I will attempt to define life, give a brief history of life (as we know it) in the universe, and talk through some of the astro-bio-geo-chemical techniques that we use to study it.