September 29, 2022
The origin of life on Earth stands as one of the great mysteries of science. Various answers have been proposed, all of which remain unverified. To find out if we are alone in the galaxy, we will need to better understand what geochemical conditions nurtured the first life forms. What water, chemistry and temperature cycles fostered the chemical reactions that allowed life to emerge on our planet? Because life arose in the largely unknown surface conditions of Earth’s early history, answering these and other questions remains a challenge.
“Right now we are getting truly unprecedented amounts of data coming in: Missions like Hayabusa and OSIRIS-REx are bringing us pieces of asteroids, which helps us understand the conditions that form planets, and NASA’s new JWST telescope is taking astounding data on the solar system and the planets around us,” said Prof. Ciesla. “I think we’re going to make huge progress on this question.”
September 24, 2022
UChicago Geophysical Sciences Department alumnus Nicole Xike Nie has been appointed to MIT's faculty. Nie, who is currently a postdoc at the Carnegie Institution for Science, received her PhD in isotope geo/cosmochemistry from the University of Chicago in 2019, working in Louis Block Professor Nicolas Dauphas' Origins Lab. Nie will start her appointment as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in 2023.
September 23, 2022
The Department of the Geophysical Sciences is accepting applications to join the faculty at the rank of Professor, Assistant Professor (tenure-track), or Associate Professor. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2022 and will continue until the position(s) are filled. EOE/Vet/Disability