Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference
The Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference, hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Education Office, was held on January 24-25, 2009 in JPL’s von Karman auditorium. E/PO Leads from NAI’s teams at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, JPL-Titan, and JPL-Icy Worlds participated in producing the event. Eighty-one educators attended. The program included an introduction to astrobiology, as well as more detailed presentations outlining astrobiology research into extrasolar planet habitability, pre-biotic chemistry, spectral “bio”signatures, and planetary protection. NAI educational materials were distributed.
The conference also served as a platform from which to test a remote video connection to educators in Barrow, Alaska, a remote field site for NAI scientists. This test was important, as the NAI-Icy Worlds team will continue to communicate with educators and students in Barrow over the next several years. The connection was made successfully, and several participants joined from Barrow.
For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/life-in-extreme-environments-educator-conference/
[Source: NAI Newsletter]