Presenter: Lisa Kaltenegger
2017 Fall Kavli Fulldome Lecture
“Are We Alone in the Universe?”
Presented by Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger
November 2017
Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered over the past two decades. In this lecture, Dr. Kaltenegger discussed these discoveries and explored how we can determine which of these exoplanets might be suitable for life. She also discussed techniques and missions that could detect life itself on these worlds, finally answered the question,”Are we alone in the Universe?”
About the Speaker
Lisa Kaltenegger is director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University and an associate professor in Cornell’s astronomy department. Her research focuses on exploring worlds around alien Suns and searching for signs of life. Her awards include the 2014 Doppler Prize for Innovation in Science and the 2012 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize for Physics. She was named an innovator to watch by TIME, a Role Model for Women in Science and Research by the European Commission, and one of America’s Young Innovators by Smithsonian Magazine. She is featured in the new IMAX movie “Search for Life in space”. Asteroid 7734 Kaltenegger is named after her.
