Astrobiology Influx to Astrobiology in Flux

摘要

The Field of astrobiology is currently in crisis. Proposed changes to the NASA 2007 budget, which have the potential to damage this discipline and have lasting negative effects on our exploration for life in the universe, have sent Shockwaves through the Astrobiology community. Graduate students, the future of Astrobiology, are naturally concerned about their impending academic and scientific careers. The student concerns may not be unwarranted: one of the first casualties of these proposed budget changes has been this year's Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon), a meeting that, in the past, has provided an opportunity for young researchers to present their work while interacting with their peers in the field.