Visualizing Nature: From Cosmos to Living Systems

This talk explores how astrovisualization can help us search for life beyond our solar system by making exoplanet data easier to understand and investigate. Exoplanets are planets orbiting other stars, and scientists study them through observations and derived data to identify worlds that may be able to support life. A central focus is the habitable zone, the region around a star where conditions may allow liquid water to exist. The presentation shows a visualization tool that supports the exploration of exoplanet attributes in an interactive 3D environment. By combining a broad overview with detailed views of individual planetary systems, the tool helps researchers and audiences alike better understand where potentially habitable worlds might be found.
Consent: You have my consent to use my image for the website and social media. The license for the image is CC-BY.

Climate change and a growing global population are putting increasing pressure on how we produce food. To meet this demand, we need plants that can better withstand stress, such as drought or heat, while maintaining efficient growth. In this talk, I will show how we are developing new technologies that allow us to “connect” with plants. Using bioelectronics, we can monitor plant signals in real time and gain insights into how plants respond to their environment, how they grow, and how they cope with stress. We can also use electricity to make plants grow faster, opening new ways to cultivate plants more efficiently. I will also explore a broader idea: what if we could use living systems as part of technology? By integrating biological components into materials and devices, we can create systems that are not only sustainable but also dynamic and responsive. These materials can grow, adapt, and interact with their surroundings, pointing toward a new generation of sustainable technologies.