LibertyCon 38

Step into the cutting edge of real world cosmic discovery as NASA’s leading astrobiologist Dr. Becky McCauley Rench guides you through how thousands of newly discovered exoplanets—many stranger than anything in our own solar system—are reshaping our understanding of what worlds can be, how they form, and where life might take hold. This talk dives into the surprising ways planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics work together to decode alien atmospheres, star–planet interactions, and the clues that distinguish lifeless planets from potentially living ones. From hot Jupiters and super Earths, to NASA’s upcoming Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, you’ll get an insider’s look at how today’s science is rapidly catching up with science fiction—and why the next decades may bring the most exciting discoveries in the history of exploring other worlds.