Nordic-NASA summer school "Water, Ice and the Origin of Life in the Universe"

Nordic-NASA summer school "Water, Ice and the Origin of Life in the Universe" Nordic-NASA summer school "Water, Ice and the Origin of Life in the Universe"
  • Contact

    Wolf D. Geppert
    phone: + 46 8 5537 8649
    fax: + 46 8 5537 8601

  • Working language

    English

  • More info about this event Click to track this event on your google calendar Share this event via Twitter
  • Updated on 2012-01-22 13:45:00

    The information is outdated?.

    Please let us know

  • Other events of interest

This Summer School aims to give students a thorough high-level introduction into the role of water in the evolution of life in the Cosmos, starting from formation of water molecules in space and ending with evolution of the first organisms. Field work on colonisation of new lava fields (in the Eyjafjallajökull area) will complement the teaching.

Water is fundamental to life. Nevertheless, quite a few fundamental questions about water are still unsolved, i.e.:

  • How were the atomic and subatomic building stones of matter (including water) formed in the Cosmos?
  • How and where is water produced in space?
  • What is the role of water and ice during the formation of stars and planetary systems?
  • Was water delivered to the early Earth from space or generated on our planet?
  • How did water affect the climate of early Earth?
  • What can microbes living in very hot and cold water tell us about the evolution of life?
  • Is there a possibility of water-based life on other planets?
  • Which role does water play in the colonisation of new habitats by life?


These crucial issues can only be solved by intensive collaboration of researchers from a multitude of disciplines (astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, biology etc.).

Moreover it is important to train a new generation of scientists who are able to work in an interdisciplinary environment to tackle these fundamental questions. The Summer School will bring together students and scientists from various different science branches, making it a truly multidisciplinary event.