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SUMMARY:Catriona McDonald - The Comet’s Tale: A game of chance. - Catrio
 na McDonald (Cambridge IoA)
DTSTART:20250403T100000Z
DTEND:20250403T110000Z
UID:TALK221524@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Paul B. Rimmer
DESCRIPTION:In person\n\nComets have a long history of being observed and 
 admired throughout human history. They have been seen as harbingers of doo
 m\, indicators of divinity\, and maybe even the key to life. Through an as
 tronomical lens\, their occasional forays into near-Earth space provide a 
 window into the far reaches of the Solar System\, and a glimpse of the (re
 latively) pristine material that built the planets. \n\nUnderstanding the 
 extraordinary circumstances that allow humans to observe comets\, and for 
 comets to impact the Earth\, requires us to consider their entire story\, 
 from birth to destruction. In this coffee talk\, we will play an interacti
 ve game of chance to decide our own cometary story and assess our chances 
 of seeding life on Earth.\n\nWith broad brushstrokes\, we will paint the l
 ife story of a comet\, from its formation and the dynamic production of co
 met reservoirs\, to the processes that drive comets towards the planets. N
 ext\, we will consider how the violent impact processes affect both the co
 met and the prospects for delivering prebiotic feedstocks to the Earth. Fi
 nally\, we will explore the long-lasting effects of such an impact on our 
 planet.\n\nWill any of our cometary stories end with the possible beginnin
 g of humanity’s?
LOCATION:Battcock\, Room F17
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