2024 Neil Graham Lecture in Science
The Search for Signs of Life Beyond Earth in the New Space Era presented by Professor Sara Seager
Wednesday September 25, 2024
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
In-person and online
Paul Cadario Conference Centre at Croft Chapter House
University College
15 King's College Circle
Toronto, ON
M5S 3H7
*In-person registrations are currently at capacity and the waitlist has closed. Please join us online to view the lecture at the webinar link below.
For thousands of years, inspired by the star-filled dark night sky, people have wondered what lies beyond Earth. Today, the search for signs of life is a key motivator in exoplanet and solar system research. The discovery of biosignature gases in exoplanet atmospheres and biomarkers in situ on Solar System bodies has become a central goal. This search is fueled in part by the unprecedented capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, despite challenges such as faint signals, unknown planetary environments, and contamination from host stars. Concurrently, the enigmatic clouds of Venus, rich in sulfuric acid yet potentially hospitable to complex chemicals essential for life, rekindle debates over habitability in our Solar System and beyond. The innovative practices of the New Space era, with emphasis on agility, focus, and cutting-edge technology, are poised to significantly accelerate our progress in these quests. But we must strategically navigate both challenges and opportunities to edge us closer to answering one of humanity's most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe?
Professor Sara Seager (BSc 1994 UC, Hon PhD 2023) is an astrophysicist and a Professor of Physics, Professor of Planetary Science, and a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she holds the Class of 1941 Professor Chair. She has been a pioneer in the vast and unknown world of exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Her ground-breaking research ranges from the detection of exoplanet atmospheres to innovative theories about life on other worlds to development of novel space mission concepts.
In space missions for planetary discovery and exploration, she was the Deputy Science Director of the MIT-led NASA Explorer-class mission TESS; she was PI of the JPL-MIT CubeSat ASTERIA; is a lead of the Starshade Mission (a space-based direct imaging exoplanet discovery concept under development) to find a true Earth analog orbiting a Sun-like star. Most recently she runs the Morning Star Missions to Venus, an international consortium with a series of private-public funded missions to find signs of life or life itself in the Venus atmosphere. Her research earned her a MacArthur “genius” award and other accolades including: membership in the US National Academy of Sciences; the Royal Canadian Geographical Society Gold Medal; the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics; and one of Canada’s highest civilian honors, appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Professor Seager is the author of, The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir.
The Neil Graham Lecture series was established through the generosity of Mr. Neil Graham, a 1930 graduate of University College and a former teacher of high school mathematics.
The 2024 Graham Lecture is being held in-person at University College, as well as streaming live online for home viewers. In-person registrations are currently at capacity and the waitlist has closed. Please join us online via the webinar link below. Faculty, students, staff, and the public are cordially invited to this hybrid lecture.
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