Professor Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist interested in the origin of life and how to find life on other worlds. While there are many things to be solved, she is most interested in whether or not there are ‘laws of life’ - related to how information structures the physical world - that could universally describe life here on Earth and on other planets.
At Arizona State University she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Associate Director of the ASU-Santa Fe Institute Center for Biosocial Complex Systems and Assistant Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. She is also Co-founder of the astrobiology-themed social website SAGANet.org, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Blue Marble Space. She is active in public engagement in science, with appearances at the World Science Festival and on "Through the Wormhole" and NPR's Science Friday.
Dartmouth College, Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy (2010)
Florida Institute of Technology, B.S., Physics (2005)
Cape Cod Community College, A.A. Math/Science/Pre-Engineering (2003)
origins of life, physics of life, artificial life, complex systems, astrobiology, theoretical physics, exoplanets, intelligence, biosignatures
Our team's research is motivated to uncover the fundamental principles explaining life, including its origins. That is, we seek to answer the question "What is Life?" by identifying whether there are laws of life. Our idea is that if there are universal laws that describe living systems on Earth and elsewhere, these should ultimately have something to do with information and how it structures physical reality.
We look at life across all scales of biological organization from cells to civilizations, on Earth and beyond to answer:
What is life?
We study collective behavior in a variety of living systems, from gene regulatory networks to ant colonies, to determine how information structures matter in living systems.
How did life get started?
We are developing new theory for how life can emerge from non-living matter based on the idea that information plays a critical role in the transformation of matter to life.
Are we alone?
We are working on new ways of thinking about the search for life on other worlds, building quantitative criteria for identifying life.
Selected Recent Publications:
Summer 2022 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Spring 2022 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
GLG 495 | Undergraduate Thesis |
SES 592 | Research |
SES 599 | Thesis |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2021 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
SES 591 | Seminar |
SES 592 | Research |
SES 599 | Thesis |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2021 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Spring 2021 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
SES 592 | Research |
SES 599 | Thesis |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2020 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
GLG 460 | Astrobiology |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2020 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Spring 2020 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
SES 592 | Research |
SES 599 | Thesis |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2019 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
AST 498 | Pro-Seminar |
AST 591 | Seminar |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2019 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
PHY 792 | Research |
Spring 2019 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
SES 598 | Special Topics |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2018 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
SES 106 | Habitable Worlds |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2018 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 692 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
Spring 2018 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
SES 311 | Essentials of Astrobiology |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2017 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
GLG 460 | Astrobiology |
SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
SES 692 | Research |
SES 792 | Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
SES 799 | Dissertation |
PHY 799 | Dissertation |