NASA's Ask An Astrobiologist

Our guest is Dr. Natalie Batalha, astrophysicist and professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, specializing in detecting and characterizing exoplanets, including potentially habitable alien worlds! Dr. Batalha was the Co-Investigator and Mission Scientist for the Kepler Space Telescope, and today uses the world's most powerful ground-based telescopes to identify planets suitable for further study with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode:

Our guest is Dr. Geoff Wheat, professor of geological oceanography at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks! Dr. Wheat studies processes that influence the cycles of elements in the oceans, following the transport of materials through the oceanic crust in a variety of settings, including hydrothermal systems. Geoff has also participated in 79 ocean expeditions, including 49 submersible/ROV based endeavors. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/52/

Our guest is Prof. Abel Méndez, a planetary astrobiologist and Director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo! His research focuses on the habitability of Earth, the Solar System, and extrasolar planets. Prof. Méndez is best known for developing the Earth Similarity Index, the Visible Paleo-Earth Project, and maintaining the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, a database of potentially habitable worlds. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/51/

Our guest is Dr. Alfonso Davila, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center! His research focuses on the biological and biosignature potential of terrestrial environments considered to be analogous to extraterrestrial environments, and using that knowledge to develop strategies to search for evidence of life beyond Earth. His current research involves instrument testing in the Atacama desert and Antarctica to inform drilling techniques for the icy regions of Mars. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/50/

Our guest is Dr. Heather Graham, organic geochemist and research associate from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Graham's research focuses on the scientific development of tools and techniques that can help us identify “agnostic biosignatures” – evidence of living systems that may not share common biochemistry with life on Earth. Dr. Graham is also involved in studying the asteroid samples returned by the Hayabusa 2 mission. In addition to her work as an astrobiologist, she also co-wrote and directed an experimental rock opera about "Hidden Figures" Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughn, more than 2 years before Hollywood. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/49/

Please join us for a special panel episode all about the OSIRIS-REx mission, which just left asteroid Bennu with asteroidal material on its way back to Earth! This episode's guests are all collaborators on the OSIRIS-REx mission: Drs. Eve Berger, Jason Dworkin, and Scott Sandford. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/48/

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Jen Blank, an astrobiologist at the NASA Ames Research Center and a Research Scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Jen has been a member of the Mars Curiosity science team and studies Mars analog environments on Earth, focusing on the potential of water-rock interactions to support microbial life. Dr. Blank is also the Principle Investigator of BRAILLE (Biologic and Resource Analog Investigations in Low Light Environments), a NASA PSTAR project to characterize life in lava tubes and use robots to look for signs of life there, on Earth, Mars, and other worlds. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/47/

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Cynthia Phillips, a planetary geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory! She serves as a project staff scientist and the project science communications lead for the Europa Clipper mission, as well as the deputy project scientist for the Europa Lander mission concept. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/46/

This is a special Mars 2020 panel episode featuring Dr. Kennda Lynch, Dr. Frances Rivera-Hernandez, and Dr. Svetlana Shkolyar! The Perseverance rover is on schedule to arrive on Mars on February 18th, and we'll be discussing all the incredible science and exploration to come. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/45/

Our guest is Dr. Melissa Trainer, a Deputy Principal Investigator (PI) for the Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon Titan, and lead for the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS), an instrument supporting the Dragonfly investigation of Titan's surface composition and characterization of potential prebiotic chemistry! She has spent more than a decade characterizing the chemical and physical properties of Titan and early Earth organic aerosol analogs. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/44/

This is a special panel episode featuring previous attendees and organizers of the Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon), including Drs. Sandra Siljeström, Lena Noack, Marc Neveu, and Vlada Stamenkovic. We’ll discuss the impacts of conferences like AbGradCon and AbGradE for early career researchers, as well as how these experiences have impacted the careers of early astrobiologists. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/43/

Our guest is Dr. Ravi Kopparapu, a research scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, whose research interests include extrasolar planet habitability, atmospheric modeling, technosignatures, and more! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/42/

Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/41/

Our guest is Dr. Eddie Schwieterman, an astrobiologist and astronomer interested in studying planetary habitability and remote biosignatures to uncover the distribution of life in the Universe. Eddie received his undergraduate degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology in Physics and Astrophysics and his PhD in Astronomy and Astrobiology from the University of Washington in Seattle, working with the Virtual Planetary Laboratory and his advisor Dr. Victoria Meadows. After receiving his PhD, Eddie spent three years as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Riverside working with the Alternative Earths team led by Dr. Timothy Lyons. Dr. Schwieterman is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech and will be starting as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Riverside next month. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/40/

Please join us as we welcome Dr. Kevin Peter Hand, the Director of NASA JPL’s Ocean Worlds Lab! He's also a pre-Project Scientist for development of a Europa Lander/Ocean Worlds Lander mission concept. His research in the realm of astrobiology involves both numerical modeling and experiments in the physics and chemistry of the icy moons in our solar system. He’s recently authored the book “Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space”. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/39/

Our guest is Dr. Betül Kaçar, an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona. She and her team explore the molecular mechanisms of evolution, the origin(s) of life, and the distributions of life in the cosmos. Dr. Kaçar uses a paleophenotyping method to resurrect ancient genes within modern organisms. Outside of her incredible career in research, she's also an educator and was one of the co-founders of SAGANet! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/38/

Our guest is Dr. Colin Goldblatt, an Associate Professor of Earth System Evolution at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. His research has focused on the atmospheric evolution of Earth and Earth-like planets elsewhere; bringing together atmospheric and climate science, geology, and geochemistry. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/37/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Hiroyuki Kurokawa, a research scientist at the Earth-Life Science Institute in Tokyo, Japan, who studies the formation and evolution of planets. Dr. Kurokawa received his PhD from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, as well as studying at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. Hiro is currently working on JAXA's Hayabusa 2 mission, as well as future endeavors, such as the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/36/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Daniel Angerhausen, an astrophysicist and astrobiologist at the Center for Space and Habitability at Bern University! A former NASA postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Angerhausen is also the founder and CEO of the science and tech communication start-up 'The Explainables'. On his search for planets around other stars, Daniel has flown five missions on the NASA airborne telescope SOFIA. Daniel is also mentor and science committee member of NASA Frontier Development Lab, an Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning incubator tackling challenges in various fields of space sciences in collaboration with industry stakeholders such as Google Cloud, Nvidia or IBM. Daniel also plays Sepaktakraw, an artistic foot-volleyball game and competed several times at World Championships in South East Asia. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/35/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Susan Schneider, the current Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. Dr. Schneider is an Associate Professor of philosophy and cognitive science, as well as the director of the AI, Mind and Society Group, at the University of Connecticut. Her new book “Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind” is now available! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/34/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Aaron Gronstal, a graphic artist and communications specialist for the NASA Astrobiology Program. Aaron began working for NASA as a geomicrobiologist and is now engaging in science communication for astrobiology as a writer and graphic artist. He is most widely known for creating the Astrobiology graphic novel history series that is celebrating its 7th issue! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/33/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Laurie Barge, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, and the Oak Crest Institute of Science. She studies topics like self-organizing chemical systems, the emergence of life on early Earth, hydrothermal vents and mineral-organic chemistry, and the habitability of other worlds. Dr. Barge recently become the Science Principle Investigator for the InVADER project (In-situ Vent Analysis Divebot for Exobiology Research), and is also deeply invested in outreach and mentoring for women and minorities in STEM fields. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/32/

EDM remix of our theme song for our new season 4 launch. Created by Mike Toillion.

Join us as we welcome, Dr. Bruce Damer, a multi-disciplinary scientist, researcher, and public speaker! Dr. Damer has worked on developing and testing a new model for the origin of life on Earth, and in the design of spacecraft architectures to provide a viable path for expansion of human civilization beyond the Earth. He has given numerous talks on a variety of subjects related to astrobiology and the quest to understand the past, present, and future of life. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/31/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Lucianne Walkowicz, an astronomer based at the Adler Planetarium. Dr. Walkowicz has done research in stellar magnetic activity and its impact on planetary suitability for extraterrestrial life. Lucianne has also spoken about the importance of inclusivity in space exploration and the importance of language in how we develop our space exploration initiatives, and has been recognized for advocacy in the conservation of dark skies. Dr. Walkowicz is a Senior TED Fellow and was the 5th Chair of Astrobiology at the Library of Congress. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/30/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Yasuhito Sekine from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Dr. Sekine studies the origin and evolution of life on Earth and the potential of life on other planets and satellite bodies in the solar system. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/29/

Join us as we welcome Dr. Gordon "Oz" Osinski. Dr. Osinski is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Western University, and the Director of the Center for Planetary Science and Exploration! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/28/

Please join us as we welcome Dr. Jason Wright of Penn State University! Dr. Wright is an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics and a member of the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State. His research includes the study of stellar atmospheres, exoplanets, and SETI. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/27/

Join us as we welcome, Dr. Sarah Rugheimer from Oxford University! Dr. Rugheimer is a Glasstone Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Oxford University and a Hugh Price Fellow at Jesus College. Her research includes modeling the atmospheres and climates of extrasolar planets with a particular focus on atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like planets, as well as modeling early-Earth conditions. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/26/

Please join us as we welcome, Dr. Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute! Dr. Tarter is an astronomer best-known for her work in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, her work in communicating the science of astrobiology, and as the basis for the character of Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan's novel "Contact" (and the film of the same name starring Jodie Foster). "Ask an Astrobiologist" is a live interview with a renowned astrobiologist! This format is interactive and allows participants to ask questions on Twitter, Facebook, & SAGANet! Check the "How to Ask" section below for participation instructions. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/25/

Please join us as we welcome, Dr. Oleg Abramov! Dr. Abramov is a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, currently on detail in New Zealand. He has researched the effects of planetary impacts on terrestrial worlds, worked on simulations of hydrothermal systems, and has been involved in instrument development for studying icy worlds, like Jupiter’s moon Europa. "Ask an Astrobiologist" is a live interview with a renowned astrobiologist! This format is interactive and allows participants to ask questions on Twitter, Facebook, & SAGANet! Check the "How to Ask" section below for participation instructions. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/23/

Please join us as we welcome, Dr. Morgan Cable, from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory! Dr. Cable is a Technologist in the Instrument Systems Implementation and Concepts Section at NASA JPL, and the Assistant Project Science Systems Engineer for the Cassini Mission, which explored the Saturn system for over 10 years. "Ask an Astrobiologist" is a live interview with a renowned astrobiologist! This format is interactive and allows participants to ask questions on Twitter, Facebook, & SAGANet! Check the "How to Ask" section below for participation instructions. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/22/

Please join us as we welcome, Dr. Amanda Stockton, from Georgia Tech! Dr. Stockton is the Principle Investigator for FELDSPAR, the Field Exploration and Life Detection Sampling for Planetary and Astrobiology Research, a project that explores Icelandic lava flows in order to better understand our search for life on Mars. "Ask an Astrobiologist" is a live interview with a renowned astrobiologist! This format is interactive and allows participants to ask questions on Twitter, Facebook, & SAGANet! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/21/

We welcome, Dr. Steve Vance from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory! Dr. Vance is an astrobiologist and geophysicist studying the mechanics of icy ocean worlds. He addresses questions of ocean composition, dynamics, and habitability through simulations of icy world ocean chemistry in the laboratory. "Ask an Astrobiologist" is a live interview with a renowned astrobiologist! This format is interactive and allows participants to ask questions on Twitter, Facebook, & SAGANet! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/20/

We welcome Dr. Jennifer Glass from Georgia Tech! Professor Glass is a biogeochemist at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She integrates field and laboratory studies to explore connections between biology and chemical species in biogeochemical cycles. The major focus of her research is characterizing novel biological and abiotic mechanisms of greenhouse gas cycling in general, and methane in particular. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/19/

We welcome Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman from NASA! Dr. Domagal-Goldman is a research space scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he specializes in exoplanets, Archean geochemistry, planetary atmospheres, and astrobiology. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/17/

We welcome Dr. Sara Imari Walker! Dr. Walker is a co-founder of SAGANet and currently an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University! She holds a doctorate in theoretical physics from Dartmouth. Her research focuses on questions surrounding the origin of life. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/16/

We welcome Dr. Sean Raymond of the Université de Bordeaux, France! His research focuses on planet formation and dynamics. He has worked on terrestrial planet formation, dynamics of extra-solar planetary systems, dynamical instabilities in giant planet systems, tidal evolution, and searches for Near Earth Objects. You can find his blog at planetplanet.net. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/15/

We welcome to SAGANet, Dr. Carl Pilcher, former director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute! Dr. Pilcher has had careers in both academia and NASA management. He came to the NASA Ames Research Center from NASA Headquarters, where he was the Senior Scientist for Astrobiology with overall management responsibility for NASA’s astrobiology program. His career began with bachelors and doctorate degrees in chemistry from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. While still a graduate student, he led scientific teams that discovered water ice in Saturn’s rings and on three of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites including Europa, now a high priority astrobiology exploration target because of its subsurface liquid water ocean. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/14/

We welcome to SAGANet, Dr. Darlene Lim, a geobiologist based at the NASA Ames Research Center, who is actively involved in the development of operational concepts for human scientific exploration of our solar system. She is currently the PI of BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains), PI of the Pavilion Lake Research Project, and Deputy PI of FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration). Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/13/

We welcome to SAGANet, Dr. Alexis Templeton, Associate Professor of Geology at the University of Colorado, Boulder! Dr. Templeton is a Geomicrobiologist with expertise in microbe/mineral interactions, biomineralization, chemical imaging, spectroscopy, and isotope geochemistry. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/12/

We welcome to SAGANet, Dr. Eric Boyd, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Montana State University! Dr. Boyd is an expert in extremophiles and hot spring microbiology. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/11/

Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/10/

We welcome to SAGANet Dr. George Cooper, Senior Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, and an expert in meteorites and their potential role in the emergence of life on Earth! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/9/

We welcome to SAGANet Dr. Aki Roberge, Study Scientist of the next generation LUVOIR telescope at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center! The Large UV / Optical / IR Surveyor (LUVOIR) is envisaged a highly capable, multi-wavelength observatory with ambitious science goals. Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/8/

We are delighted to start afresh with our new program, “Ask an Astrobiologist”. This new format will be more interactive and allow participants to ask questions on Twitter! Use #askastrobio to submit your questions before the event! Questions will still be taken via SAGANet chat! We welcome to SAGANet Dr. Juan Pérez Mercader, Founder & former Director of the Centro de Astrobiologia and current Professor at Harvard University! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/7/

We are delighted to start afresh with our new program, “Ask an Astrobiologist”. This new format will be more interactive and allow participants to ask questions on Twitter! Use #AskAstrobio to submit your questions before the event! Questions will still be taken via SAGANet chat! We welcome to SAGANet, Dr. Charles Cockell, Director of the UK Center for Astrobiology and Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh! Check out our website for the full transcript of this podcast, plus the full YouTube version of this episode: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/episodes/6/