From stardust to life

Where do we come from?

The atoms that make up our bodies and everything around us were forged deep inside massive stars and expelled into space in spectacular supernova explosions. In the vast, cold clouds that remain, atoms gather on dust grains and gradually assemble into increasingly complex molecules, from water to organics. As these clouds collapse, new stars and planets are born, inheriting and reprocessing this chemical heritage. Over time, comets and asteroids have also delivered prebiotic building blocks to young planets, sprinkling seeds of life. Unraveling this grand cycle is at the heart of astrochemistry. By combining powerful telescopes such as ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) with lab experiments and computer models, researchers from various fields are piecing together how the universe became capable of producing life.
 
On Thursday, October 23, Science Café Nijmegen hosts a special edition at De Achtertuin (Vasim), in collaboration with the international Astrochemistry: From Quantum to Cosmos conference. Three of its participating scientists will guide us through this cosmic story and share their latest insights. Pioneer and leading voice in astrochemistry Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University) will open the evening with an overview of the field, tracing molecular evolution through star and planet formation and sharing the latest JWST discoveries. Niels Ligterink (TU Delft) will then take us to the recently discovered interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, an ancient traveler of over 10 billion years, offering a glimpse of some of the oldest water and organics and carrying its story of deep-space irradiation. Klaus Paschek (MPI for Astronomy, Heidelberg) will explore prebiotic molecules in meteorites and on the early Hadean Earth, revealing life’s earliest chemical pathways.

From 19:45 onwards, pianist Jonne de Meij and friends will set the stage with live jazz — proof that the universe also knows how to swing!