Astrophysics Colloquium The Best of All Possible Worlds Presented by Patrick Young School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University Thursday, December 10, 2020 Virtual Event starts at 11:00 A.M. Abstract Estimating the potential of the solar neighborhood to host planets with life requires a holistic view of planetary habitability. Combining astrophysics with planetary geoscience and biogeochemistry allows a much more complete picture of a planet's potential to host life that can produce biosignature gasses that are distinguishable from abiotic sources. Even stars without identified planets can provide probabilistic estimates of habitability and detectability through measure stellar properties. JPL Contact: Eric Mamajek (4-2153) About the Speaker Patrick Young is an Associate Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2004 working with Dave Arnett. He was then a Director's Postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Lab before moving to ASU as a faculty member in 2007. He is currently Associate Director for Community Engagement and an ADVANCE Leadership Fellow working on issues of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEM. His research ranges from theoretical simulations of stellar evolution, supernovae, and nucleosynthesis, to characterizing exoplanet host stars and understanding planetary habitability.   Site Manager: Webmaster: CL 08-3220