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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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The Astrobiology Science Conference 2012 (AbSciCon 2012), hosted by NASA and Georgia Tech, is the next in a biennial series of meetings organized by the astrobiology community. The conference will convene scientists from all over the world who are working in the multidisciplinary field of astrobiology — the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe — to report on research findings and plan future endeavors.
Astrobiology examines stress, stasis and change from the cosmic to the molecular level. What is necessary for life, and where does it come from? How do habitable environments develop and change? How does life begin and evolve? How does life accommodate environmental change, and vice versa? Can change be engineered, and should it? These are some of the questions that may be addressed at this conference.The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for reporting on new discoveries, sharing data and insights, advancing collaborative efforts and initiating new ones, planning new projects, and educating the next generation of astrobiologists. The conference will feature plenary sessions on current and controversial topics, topical sessions, evening programs, and public events.
