Spotlight on Science.

The origin of life is a captivating scientific mystery that has intrigued researchers for centuries. It refers to the process by which life began on Earth, transitioning from simple organic molecules to complex living organisms. Dr. Chen will provide insight into how life may have originated; its processes as well as the latest findings from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft which was packed with life’s building blocks.

Dr. Chen is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She received a B.A. in chemistry and an M.D.-Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard. She has received the Searle Scholar award, NIH New Innovator award, and the David White award for outstanding contribution in astrobiology. She has been a Simons Investigator for the Collaboration on the Origin of Life since 2013.

Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving field that promises to revolutionize the way we process information but what is quantum computing? Doug Finke will take on this daunting topic and make it more approachable for us to understand by exploring the basics of quantum computing, its progress and application.

Finke is the Chief Content Officer of Global Quantum Intelligence (GQI) and the Managing Editor of the Quantum Computing Report by GQI, which he founded in 2015 as the first news and analysis website dedicated to quantum technology. He holds degrees in computer engineering and management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and MIT, respectively, and holds eight patents in the field of computer technology.

Dr. Charles D. Norton is the Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA JPL/Caltech responsible for JPL’s technology strategic planning, research, and infusion into flight missions. Dr. Norton is the Special Advisor for Small Spacecraft Missions at NASA HQ. In that role he is responsible for advising NASA’s cross-agency strategic direction for innovative small satellite science, exploration, and technology missions from ESPA-Class spacecraft down to CubeSats. Previously, he was a Principal Technologist and Program Manager Associate at JPL where he developed and led multiple small spacecraft missions. Charles is a recipient of numerous awards for new technology and innovation, including the JPL Lew Allen Award, Voyager Award, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.

Dr. Barry Barish received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pivotal role in the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) detector and the observation of gravitational waves, sharing the honor with Rainer Weiss and Kip S. Thorne. He began his career in high-energy physics, making significant contributions at Stanford and Fermilab. In 1994, Barish became the principal investigator for LIGO, implementing necessary design changes and establishing the LIGO Scientific Collaboration to involve more scientists. Construction of LIGO’s interferometers began in 1994, with observations starting in 2002. After years without detection, Advanced LIGO successfully detected gravitational waves on September 14, 2015.