Alien Life - Will We Know It When We See It?

Overview

Explore the multidisciplinary search for extraterrestrial life in this 1 hour 34 minute conference talk from the 2014 World Science Festival. Delve into the perspectives of astronomers, planetary scientists, chemists, computer scientists, and geneticists as they discuss the challenges and possibilities of detecting alien life. Learn about the latest tools and techniques used to find exoplanets, the potential for life in unexpected forms, and the scientific criteria for identifying extraterrestrial organisms. Hear from experts Paul Davies, Sara Seager, Jack Szostak, and others as they examine topics ranging from microbial life to the possibility of ancient Martian inhabitants. Gain insights into the role of water in the search for life, the development of space telescopes, and the study of extremophiles on Earth as a means to understand potential alien communication.

Syllabus

Carl Sagan and the future of finding alien life.
John Hockenberry's Introduction.
Participant Introductions.
How close are we to finding aliens?
How can you detect exoplanets that far away?
Kepler 186 system.
What are the tools you use to find Exoplanets?
Detecting beer drinkers at a football game.
What are we looking for on the microbial level?
What starts life on any planet?
Who will we call when aliens land on earth?
Processing in analog and digital with a two denominational cellular optometer.
The "awakening" of extraterrestrial life from the Vatican.
How we may have cheated to form life from other planets?
If we look for life where water is located are we ignoring life everywhere else?
Can you elaborate on the possibility life on ancient mars?
What are the new tools coming online today?
What is the direct imaging technique?
Testing the pedals on a space telescope.
The conditions on earth that we need for life elsewhere.
Communication basics from extremophiles.