The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) will be holding its 3rd International Symposium on January 13-15, 2015, in Tokyo, Japan.

The main theme of ELSI’s 3rd International Symposium is the fundamental question: “Is there life in the Universe, outside Earth?”  We still don’t know the answer, but there is a good chance that the answer will be found within our lifetime.  Robotic exploration within the solar system, as well as observations of planets circling other stars, may soon give us more tentative hints, and possibly even convincing evidence, of extraterrestrial forms of life.  During the 3-day symposium, we will address three questions, respectively: 1) which planets seem fit as potential cradles of life; 2) what can we say about the likely properties of more universal forms of life, different from the one specific example we know on Earth; and 3) how can we best try to find signs of life elsewhere.

For more information: http://www.elsi.jp/en/research/activities/symposium/2015/01/sympo-03.html