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The John W. Kluge Center presents “The Emergence of Life: On the Earth, in the Lab, and Elsewhere,” an astrobiology symposium, on September 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The emergence of life is among the most compelling questions in astrobiology. This symposium brings together scientists, humanists, and authors to explore what we know about the origins of life, how we came to know it, and what it means. Organized around the spaces in which we explore the origins of life—in terrestrial nature, in the laboratory, and on other planets—participants will each discuss a different aspect or approach to the exploration.

The event will be hosted by Nathaniel Comfort, the current NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. Participants include:

• Nsikan Akpan, science writer and producer, PBS News Hour
• Steven Benner, synthetic biologist, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution
• Jim Cleaves, chemist, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute
• Bill Mesler, independent science writer
• Sophia Roosth, historian of science, Harvard University
• Matt Schrenk, geomicrobiologist, Michigan State University
• Carl Zimmer, award-winning science writer, New York Times

The symposium will also feature the incoming NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology for 2016-2017, historian of science Luis Campos, and two previous chair holders: planetary scientist David Grinspoon and historian and astronomer Steven Dick.

The event is free and open to the public. A full schedule is available at: http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/news/originslife.html

Following the event, a recording of the symposium will be available to view as a webcast.