Schedule and Events

Join your colleagues for the Ice Breaker reception to kick off AbSciCon 2024! Sponsored by the SETI Institute.

Open to All

Sunday, 5 May

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Convention Center, East Prefunction

Fifth Floor

The NASA Headquarters Astrobiology Leadership Team will update the community on recent changes in organizational structure, current operations and activities, and future plans and opportunities in the NASA Astrobiology Program.

Open to All

Monday, 6 May

6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Convention Center

Ballroom A

Dive into an evening where wit meets wonder at the most anticipated early career trivia night of AbSciCon 24! Whether you're a lone astronaut or part of a crew, join us at Kimi's Bar in downtown Providence, the AbSciCon NExSS of early career networking, discovery, and astrobiology nerd culture. Prepare NOW to dive into an evening of astrobiology-themed trivia, where you can expect the limits of life and knowledge to NFoLD, with the only LIFE line available will PCE3 a curious mind and a bold spirit (or two). Teams will battle through rounds of meticulously crafted questions, with each category designed to challenge, educate, and (hopefully) amuse. Have the stars not yet aligned between you and an early career RCN group? No problem! Between each round we'll showcase these amazing communities, giving you an opportunity to meet like-minded extremophiles! Bragging rights as large as claiming the discovery of extraterrestrial life awaits, but the true reward will be the new friends and colleagues we make along the way.

Open to All

Monday, 6 May

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Kimi’s Bar, 373 Providence Street

On Tuesday evening, please come to the “Inside Stars and Bodies” reception. Interpretations on the origins and future of life and its relationship to the cosmos are on display. All week, reproductions of work are up in the poster hall. Tonight, original work is on view, attended by the artist-astrobiologists and members of Rhode Island’s vibrant art community who created it. Creatures from the Big Nazo Lab will be making their rounds. This includes a full reception and bar on the 5th floor of the Convention Center.

Open to All

Tuesday, 7 May

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Convention Center, East Prefunction, Fifth Floor

A new issue of the Astrobiology Graphic History will be released at AbSciCon! Issue 9 of Astrobiology: Becoming an Astrobiologist. Get your copy signed by the artist/author, Aaron Gronstal.

Open to All

Wednesday, 8 May

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Convention Center
Halls C-D

Join fellow imaginative and artistic astrobiologists for a special open-mic and creative writing event. This will be held in the basement of the local watering hole, Trinity Brewhouse, a pub and full restaurant, just a couple short blocks from the convention center. Join in with your favorite piece of music, a story, or whatever other form of performance art you want to share. The event will feature some of the selected winners of this year's creative writing competition, too! Join in or just enjoy a beer and good fun.

Open to All

Wednesday, 8 May

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Trinity Brewhouse, 186 Fountain Street

Moons of Jupiter is a performance collaboration between musicians/artists Kevin Gilmore and Jacob Richman, and astronomer Scott MacNeill. It combines acoustic and electronic music, live processed video and telescope imagery, and scientific presentation to explore the unique qualities and astounding environments of the worlds that orbit Jupiter.

It's initial performance was in 2021 at Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, RI, outdoors under the stars, and was followed by Q&A lead by Scott MacNeill and open viewing of the night sky with the Observatory's telescopes.

Moons of Jupiter is made possible by generous grants from the University of Rhode Island Center for the Humanities, URI Graduate School of Oceanography, URI Office for Research and Economic Development, and Brown University Office of the Vice President for Research.

Open to All

Thursday, 9 May

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Convention Center, Junior Ballroom