Global experts and aliens descend on Great Barrier Island

Global experts and aliens descend on Great Barrier Island

AUGUST 29 2016 - Great Barrier Island will this September attempt to get to the bottom of one of life’s deepest mysteries– is there life out there?

World-leading experts and academics from across the globe will travel to the remote Hauraki Gulf Island to thrash out the question of where other life may reside in the Universe and how modern technology is helping us find it.

Among participants in the September 10th event are USA planetary scientist and astronomer Dr Faith Vilas, the Director of the Vatican Observatory Brother Guy Consolmagno, microbiologist and evolutionary scientist Prof Steve Pointing, and Gino Acevedo, Weta Digital Creative Art Director responsible for some of the other-worldly characters in Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hobbit and Avatar. Philosopher Tim Mulgan from Auckland University will moderate. (1)

The event is organised by Awana Rural Women (ARW), a voluntary group of 30 local women.

“Scientists are making huge strides in the search for life,” says ARW President Gendie Somerville-Ryan. “It’s an exciting time with space probes and powerful telescopes searching the skies for clues. But we’re still not certain… is there life out there? We hope to find out in September!”

Is There Life out There? is the second of ARW’s “No Barriers – Small Island, Big ideas” events. They are free and open to localresidents and visitors alike.

“Great Barrier Island may be isolated and off the grid, but it’s a highly educated community, with a big appetite for expert knowledge and informed debate,” says Somerville Ryan.

As well as attracting people from the mainland, last year’s inauguralBig Ideas festival (which focused on global pandemics) was attended by, over 12 percent of island residents.

Along with the main panel discussion, Is There Life Out There willinvolve breakout sessions and an art exhibition and book month at the local library.

The Auckland Astronomical Society will also run a educational programme on the island during the week, giving local school students and adults the chance to see the stars thorugh an 8 inch telescope.

ENDS

For further information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/176274629407195/
Information on how to get to Great Barrier Island and where to stay can be found at http://thegreatbarrier.co.nz/.

(1) Participants in the 2016 festival:

Steve Pointing- microbiologist and media commentator, will look at where life came from and how it evolved. His research into microbes in extreme places and his fascination with astrobiology give insights into how life might exist on other planets. Steve is Professor of Applied Ecology at Auckland University of Technology and Director, Institute for Applied Ecology.

Faith Vilas- planetary scientist and astronomer, will tell us about the search for life in the stars – where we are looking, how we are looking and what we are looking for. Faith is Project Scientist at the United States Planetary Science Institute and Program Director, National Science Foundation in charge of Solar System and Exoplanets grants.

Guy Consolmagno - is an astronomer and Jesuit Brother. Guy will look at the interface between science and humanity exploring such issues as our place in the Universe and what it would mean to us if life was found out there. Guy is Director of the Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.

Gino Acevedo - is a master of creature creation. Film goers will be very familiar with Gino’s work on such movies as Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hobbit and Avatar. Gino will explore the human imagination when it comes to aliens – what makes aliens friendly or fierce and why we depict them as we do. Gino is Creative Art Director – Textures Head of Dept at Weta Digital.

The panel will be moderated by Tim Mulgan, philosopher and author of such books as Ethics for a Broken World and Purpose in the Universe. Tim is Head of the Philosophy Department at Auckland University.

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