Royal Observatory Edinburgh Workshop 2008

8-10 October 2008, Royal Observatory Edinburgh
(http://www.roe.ac.uk/roe/workshop/2008/)

Habitability in our Galaxy

Registration now CLOSED!

The scope of the meeting is to consider the origins of life in our galaxy. The aim is to gather researchers from areas including astrophysics, geophysics and biology. The workshop will also include discussions on astronomical instruments, both present and future, and laboratory based experiments studying extreme environments.

The diversity of the meeting means that there will be many review-like talks that will be at a level appropriate for the intended audience. Topics will include:

1. Exoplanets: observation, habitability, and future
ground-based and space projects

2. Solar System: life in the Solar System, current and
future missions to Solar System objects

3. Origin and Prospects for Life: signature of life, extraterrestrial
life (including SETI), simulation of extreme environments

Invited speakers (not definitive list):

Monica Grady (Open University), Jane Greaves (Univ. of St-Andrews), Leslie Hebb (Univ. of St-Andrews), Don Pollacco (Queens University, Belfast), John Parnell (Univ. of Aberdeen), Helen Fraser (Strathclyde University), Simon Conway Morris (Univ. of Cambridge), Markus Kasper (ESO), Giovanna Tinetti (UCL), Lewis Dartnell, Alan Boss (Carnegie Institution of Washington)

Public Lecture by Prof. Monica Grady (Open University)

8 October 2008

at Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh