Extraterrestrial life
BètaBreak edition September 2020
With next-generation telescopes, tiny space probes, and more, we continue our search for life beyond our solar system to answer the intriguing question: is there life out there? Also here at the faculty of science at the UvA. Students and researchers see the telescope on top of the faculty’s building every day when approaching the building, but what are they actually doing up there? The BètaBreak is hosting an edition on extraterrestrial life to find out what science can currently tell us, and to ask questions such as what is crucial for extraterrestrial life to exist? If we discovered evidence of alien life, would we even realize it? And what would we do? What forms of alien life are possible and which are most likely? The range of entirely novel environments open to investigation are essentially limitless, creating a great topic for the upcoming BètaBreak discussion on September 23th, 13:00-14:00.
Vincent Icke is Professor in astrophysics at Universiteit Leiden and endowed Professor in cosmology here at Science Park Amsterdam. His research focuses on the hydrodynamics around white dwarfs and the behaviour of dark matter. Besides his academic work, Mr. Icke is a visual artist and he also has an active role in popularizing science. He wrote several books, was a columnist for NRC Handelsblad and has regular appearances in the popular Dutch tv-show De Wereld Draait Door.
René Demets is an astrobiologist working at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). At ESTEC he fulfills the role of scientific coordinator and project scientist, currently active in astrobiology, radiation dosimetry and biological microgravity experiments. He has been involved in more than 150 different biological experiments including projects such as parabolic flights, sounding rockets, Russian recoverable capsules, the US Space Shuttle and the ISS.
Speakers
Prof. Vincent Icke (professor in astrophysics at Universiteit Leiden and endowed professor in cosmology at the UvA)
Dr. René Demets (scientific coordinator at ESTEC)
