Aspen MOL Workshop?
Following on the success of the “Re-Conceptualizing the Origins of Life” meeting held by MOL at the Carnegie Institution for Science in November, there was a lot of discussion about broadening future activities and organizing additional meetings and working groups. One venue that potentially could be a great setting is the Aspen Center for Physics in Aspen, CO (http://www.aspenphys.org/), which hosts three week summer programs on topics in physics. These are meant to act as working groups encouraging collaborative exchange, and Aspen is a beautiful place so it is a great atmosphere (the Center itself is a wonderful place to work). More information about programs can be found here: http://www.aspenphys.org/physicists/summer/index.html.
This seems like a good venue for MOL members to get together for a few working weeks and also to bring in new people to the community. We might aim for proposing a summer program in 2017. But first, is there interest among this group? And who might be willing to co-organize?
If you are not yet enticed, I’ve attached a photo of the garden at the Center in summer below. And, proposals are fairly easy to prepare (see here: http://www.aspenphys.org/physicists/proposals/summerproposals/index.html)
As a note to early career MOL scientists, the first ECOLI (Early Career Origin of Life Initiative) meeting will likely be organized in conjunction with a summer 2017 MOL conference/workshop. For more information or to join the organization on that front, see Alyssa Adam’s post about ECOLI.
-Cole