Complimentary Wi-Fi
For your convenience, complimentary wireless high-speed internet access will be provided in the common areas of the hotel and conference center. As a courtesy to presenters, audience members will not be permitted to use electronic devices during sessions.
Meal Options
Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center
Complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon break will be served daily in the Ballroom Foyer and in the break area near Conference Rooms One – Nine.
The Conference Dining Room will offer a hot buffet and limited menu service for participants who wish to purchase a heartier hot breakfast.
Onsite lunch options include Chef’s Selection hot buffet lunch in the Conference Dining Room for $12.00 per person. Menu selection will change daily. Daily menus will be posted in the Conference area. Grab and Go Deli Kiosks will be set up in the conference area. Selections will include $6.00 deli sandwiches, including a vegetarian option, and chips, fruit, and bottled drinks for $1.00 each. ONLY CASH will be accepted at the Grab and Go Deli Kiosks. Banquet tables will be set up on the outdoor Terrace and Atrium (located next to the Ballroom Foyer) for you to enjoy outdoor dining.
There are also a large number of quick-service restaurants within a couple of blocks of the conference center.
Lunchtime Meetings and Focus Groups
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
***Special note about meetings scheduled during the lunch hour: Food and drinks from outside vendors are not permitted in meeting conference rooms. If you attend a lunchtime meeting in an AbSciCon designated conference room, you will not be allowed to bring in outside food or beverages, including fast food.***
The
will have a lunch meeting during AbSciCon. We welcome new and current members to join us for a discussion of future initiatives and collaborations. Conference Room Four.
Dave Des Marais,
, will summarize recent exciting discoveries and upcoming missions. He will also discuss the development of a long-term vision and strategy for the Mars Exploration Program that addresses the challenges that it currently faces. Conference Room Six
The
- Astrobiology Program Virus Focus Group (ViFoG)
welcomes new and current members to a lunch meeting in which we will introduce the features of the new ViFoG website and make plans for the coming year. Conference Room Two
Anyone interested in evolutionary genomics is welcome to attend this lunchtime meeting. Bring your ideas! We would especially like to identify astrobiological questions that are best addressed by a group of collaborators in this field. Conference Room Four
- Astrobiology Early Career Town Hall
This will be a meeting of, by, and for early career astrobiologists. At this lunch, we will discuss current and future grassroots efforts within the community, including the Astrobiology Primer, Astrobiology Graduate Conference - AbGradCon, and the Research Focus Groups. If you are an early career scientist (i.e. student or postdoc), please come and find out all the wonderful things this “self-assembling system” is up to. Lunch will be provided by the NASA Astrobiology Institute. If you have something you would like to tell the early community about, please contact Shawn Domagal-Goldman and Katherine Wright. Conference Room Seven
- Focus Group on Astrobiology and Society:
Does your research interest the public or perhaps have societal or legal ramifications in the years ahead? Do you want to interact with researchers from non-science disciplines as they examine questions about Astrobiology and its broad implications? Join us for a Lunchtime discussion to learn more about this new focus group and meet people with similar interests about science and beyond. Now is the time to get involved in crafting our collective plans and activities, and sign up for future notifications about our video meetings, collaborative projects and workshops. Bring your lunch...Snacks and Beverages provided! For more info, contact Margaret Race (925) 890-3963 or Kathryn Denning. Conference Room Two
will meet daily in Conference Room 5 each day
Blogging AbSciCon
You can post your thoughts about astrobiology and AbSciCon at PaleBlueBlog, a community blog centered on astrobiology, space exploration, and planetary science. We welcome your thoughts and posts, even if you do not maintain your own blog or have any blogging experience. The blog is open to “guest posts” through its “PaleBlue.you” feature, available here. All topical and appropriate posts will be published. Contact Shawn Domagal-Goldman for questions or issues.
Workshop on Intelligence in Astrobiology
Friday, April 20, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Georgia Tech
Lori Marino and Kathryn Denning invite AbSciCon attendees to attend the second of a series of workshops intended to integrate the study of intelligence on Earth within an astrobiological framework. Please see www.yorku.ca/astrobio/intelligence, and http://intelligence.seti.org/ to learn more about this NASA Astrobiology Institute-funded project. We recently held our first virtual workshop, "What Don't We Know About Intelligence?" and are looking forward to bringing the results to the research community during our AbSciCon session.For this workshop, "Intelligence and Astrobiology: Deep Integration", we are bringing together astrobiology researchers with researchers who specialize in the study of nervous systems and intelligence. We hope to have an informal dinner together afterwards. This workshop will follow our AbSciCon session "Integrating the Study of Intelligence Within Astrobiology" which will be held Friday morning from 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Participants are encouraged to attend the AbSciCon session in the morning if possible, to learn more about the Intelligence in Astrobiology project, history of research in this area, and recent work from many researchers. Our format for the afternoon workshop will include short talks from researchers in intelligence / nervous system evolution and astrobiology researchers who work on the big picture of life in the universe. We will then move to a brainstorming and discussion format where small groups put their heads together to consider questions and possible new areas for research. Graduate students are welcome! To attend this or future workshops, contact Lori Marino at lmarino@emory.edu
Download the awesome AbSciCon 2012 poster and origami folding instructions to transform it into a globe of Mars, Earth, or Io.
AbSciCon and Art
"Habitable Zones - Creative Responses to the Field of Astrobiology” art exhibit at the Young Blood Art Gallery, 636 N Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306.
Center for Chemical Evolution Visiting Artist Exhibit at Spruill Gallery
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Other helpful links:
Previous Astrobiology Science Conferences:
