Main Presentation

We are very pleased to have Jon Willis, Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria present in person:

Title: The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life

Summary:

Is there life beyond Earth? Astrobiologists can’t always leave our planet, so they study life here to help answer the question. Imagine what life might look like in other worlds by looking at what we know on Earth—our single “pale blue dot,” as Carl Sagan called it—or, in Willis’s words, their “pale blue data point.”

Dive into the Pacific Ocean on the E/V Nautilus, search the Australian desert for some of the oldest fossils, visit mountaintop observatories in Chile and even listen to dolphins in the Bahamas—all to learn what life might look like on other planets and moons.

 Bio:  Jon Willis is a professor of astronomy at the University of Victoria. In addition to performing active research into the physics of our Universe, Willis is fascinated by the science of astrobiology—the scientific search for alien life. He has published two books on astrobiology, All These Worlds Are Yours: The Scientific Search for Alien Life and The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life.

Follow Up Presentations: It’s great to have local talent showcase their expertise and experiences. Robert Lachance will give a brief presentation on ‘Mobile Phone Astrophotography’ and Greg Arkos will do a quick summary of the Artemis mission with the latest information available.

NAS April 2026 Meeting QR Code