This spring, we invite you to four selected Thursday evenings where popular science is combined with fascinating planetarium shows in Wisdome Umeå. Curiosum Space is aimed at a more adult audience and offers space experiences that open new perspectives on the universe and our place within it.
On this evening, we turn our gaze to the cosmos and ask one of humanity’s biggest questions: Are we alone, or could life exist elsewhere in the universe? Hear researcher Merve Yesilbas talk about the search for life on Mars, and join us on a visual journey deep beneath the Earth’s surface in Wisdome Umeå – discovering a hidden biosphere that challenges our understanding of where life can exist.
Please note: All sessions will be held in English.
▷ Free admission all evening!
▷ Click here to reserve your seat
18:00 Lecture: Chemical Signatures of Life on Mars, with Merve Yesilbas, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Umeå University
Mars has long captured our imagination as a place where life might once have existed. In this talk, I will explore how scientists search for signs of life on the Red Planet by following chemical clues found in water, organic molecules, minerals, and microorganisms. Drawing on laboratory studies of Mars-relevant materials and microbial systems, we will examine the kinds of signatures life may leave behind, and how chemistry helps us address one of humanity’s biggest questions: Are we alone?
(approx. 40 min)
19:00 Wisdome Premiere: Dark Biosphere
Deep beneath the Earth’s crust, far from light and oxygen, microorganisms thrive in extreme environments once thought to be completely lifeless. This immersive show explores the “dark biosphere” – a hidden world of life that is reshaping our understanding of how and where life can exist. Could similar forms of life exist on other planets?
(approx. 30 min)
You can reserve your place free of charge via the link below. You may choose to attend the full programme or individual sessions. Tickets must be collected no later than 15 minutes before the start of each session. Unclaimed tickets will be released for drop-in visitors.
▷ Reserve your seat by clicking here.
Merve Yesilbas, based at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, studies how life can emerge and be detected on Mars by investigating some of Earth’s most extreme environments – from the frozen landscapes of Antarctica to volcanic regions such as Hawaii and Iceland. Using advanced spectroscopic techniques, she examines how minerals and rocks can preserve water and support life-sustaining processes.
Her research connects laboratory studies with data from Mars missions, including satellite and rover analyses, to identify potential signs of life. At the intersection of biogeochemistry, astrobiology and planetary science, her work seeks to answer a fundamental question: Is there – or has there ever been – life on Mars?
She collaborates with leading international institutions such as SETI and NASA, alongside several major research organisations.
Curiosum Science Center
We are open 10 AM–4 PM on weekends, public holidays and school holidays, Wednesday evenings 5–9 PM, and selected Thursday evenings. For programme details, opening hours and prices, please visit www.curiosum.umu.se.
Curiosum is for curious minds of all ages. Children visiting Curiosum on their own, without an accompanying adult, must be at least 13 years old.
