Graham Lau
@cosmobiologist.bsky.social
Astrobiologist, communicator of science, orator, musician, meditation guide, fan of sci-fi, singer of forgotten songs.
If biospheres on alien worlds develop predation as a form of symbiosis, I have to wonder what similarities and differences there may be to life as we know it.
November 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
If biospheres on alien worlds develop predation as a form of symbiosis, I have to wonder what similarities and differences there may be to life as we know it.
The process of writing on Substack has really shown me how far some of my little notes and ideas I've had over the years can go when I simply start typing and stop worrying about being perfect.
October 27, 2025 at 7:47 PM
The process of writing on Substack has really shown me how far some of my little notes and ideas I've had over the years can go when I simply start typing and stop worrying about being perfect.
Our future could be one of self-destruction or sustainable growth. It could be one of isolation or exploring and settling elsewhere.
We have choices to make collectively, but we lose our power when we allow systems of wealth inequality to control our civilization.
We have choices to make collectively, but we lose our power when we allow systems of wealth inequality to control our civilization.
October 6, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Our future could be one of self-destruction or sustainable growth. It could be one of isolation or exploring and settling elsewhere.
We have choices to make collectively, but we lose our power when we allow systems of wealth inequality to control our civilization.
We have choices to make collectively, but we lose our power when we allow systems of wealth inequality to control our civilization.
This is the cover of the 1977 issue of Newsweek where Sharon Bagley wrote "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known" at the end of an article that included quotes from Carl Sagan.
It's a fantastical quote, but one that often is misattributed to Sagan himself.
It's a fantastical quote, but one that often is misattributed to Sagan himself.
October 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
This is the cover of the 1977 issue of Newsweek where Sharon Bagley wrote "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known" at the end of an article that included quotes from Carl Sagan.
It's a fantastical quote, but one that often is misattributed to Sagan himself.
It's a fantastical quote, but one that often is misattributed to Sagan himself.
Maybe the ants have been trying to communicate with us and we just haven't noticed. Or, maybe they think whatever we are isn't trying to communicate with them 😂
October 5, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Maybe the ants have been trying to communicate with us and we just haven't noticed. Or, maybe they think whatever we are isn't trying to communicate with them 😂
As a scientist who speaks with students often about careers in the sciences and engineering, I can say wholeheartedly that, while it is crucial to develop our skills in mathematics and realms of the sciences, we need the beauty and depth of the experience and imagination to make it all worthwhile.
October 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
As a scientist who speaks with students often about careers in the sciences and engineering, I can say wholeheartedly that, while it is crucial to develop our skills in mathematics and realms of the sciences, we need the beauty and depth of the experience and imagination to make it all worthwhile.
Sometimes taking a moment to feel the wonder and awe of living and experiencing this universe is enough to remind us of why we carry on, why we should care for each other, and why we can’t let gloom and the wishes of narcissistic people overcome the light within us.
October 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Sometimes taking a moment to feel the wonder and awe of living and experiencing this universe is enough to remind us of why we carry on, why we should care for each other, and why we can’t let gloom and the wishes of narcissistic people overcome the light within us.
Kind of hard to only do the small talk thing, really.
September 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Kind of hard to only do the small talk thing, really.
Will AI look back at us as the ancestors that were and are no more?
I certainly hope not. And I honestly don’t think so.
I think what we’re truly approaching is not a replacement or deletion of what we were, but a next evolution. A new step in what it means to be human.
I certainly hope not. And I honestly don’t think so.
I think what we’re truly approaching is not a replacement or deletion of what we were, but a next evolution. A new step in what it means to be human.
September 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Will AI look back at us as the ancestors that were and are no more?
I certainly hope not. And I honestly don’t think so.
I think what we’re truly approaching is not a replacement or deletion of what we were, but a next evolution. A new step in what it means to be human.
I certainly hope not. And I honestly don’t think so.
I think what we’re truly approaching is not a replacement or deletion of what we were, but a next evolution. A new step in what it means to be human.
Traveling without moving.
September 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Traveling without moving.
What will we discover in the library of alien dreams?
September 5, 2025 at 3:44 PM
What will we discover in the library of alien dreams?
When are we finally going to collectively realize that our real strength lies in building a better future for everyone and not in the extreme financial wealth that some seek at the expense of others?
August 19, 2025 at 11:00 PM
When are we finally going to collectively realize that our real strength lies in building a better future for everyone and not in the extreme financial wealth that some seek at the expense of others?
What do you think would be the most likely sign of a technological alien civilization that we could find in the next decade or so on an exoplanet?
Image Credit: NASA/Jay Freidlander
Image Credit: NASA/Jay Freidlander
August 17, 2025 at 3:27 PM
What do you think would be the most likely sign of a technological alien civilization that we could find in the next decade or so on an exoplanet?
Image Credit: NASA/Jay Freidlander
Image Credit: NASA/Jay Freidlander
We have an all new poll out for Ask an Astrobiologist for this week!
Jump over here to vote and share your answer!
www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxt_q...
Jump over here to vote and share your answer!
www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxt_q...
August 12, 2025 at 11:54 PM
We have an all new poll out for Ask an Astrobiologist for this week!
Jump over here to vote and share your answer!
www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxt_q...
Jump over here to vote and share your answer!
www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxt_q...
Co-leading @abgradcon.bsky.social in 2016 with Jennika Greer when the conference was in Colorado was a highlight of my time as a doctoral student.
Now the meeting is once again taking place at CUBoulder, and I am super stoked to be joining in for a panel to discuss careers outside of academia.
Now the meeting is once again taking place at CUBoulder, and I am super stoked to be joining in for a panel to discuss careers outside of academia.
June 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Co-leading @abgradcon.bsky.social in 2016 with Jennika Greer when the conference was in Colorado was a highlight of my time as a doctoral student.
Now the meeting is once again taking place at CUBoulder, and I am super stoked to be joining in for a panel to discuss careers outside of academia.
Now the meeting is once again taking place at CUBoulder, and I am super stoked to be joining in for a panel to discuss careers outside of academia.
I'm excited to take part in this workshop led by the Red Ecuatoriana de Ciencias Planetarias y Exploración Espacial.
I'll be sharing a little bit about the Panzoic Effect, astrobiology, and our present moment of awareness of our place in the cosmos.
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I'll be sharing a little bit about the Panzoic Effect, astrobiology, and our present moment of awareness of our place in the cosmos.
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
June 10, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I'm excited to take part in this workshop led by the Red Ecuatoriana de Ciencias Planetarias y Exploración Espacial.
I'll be sharing a little bit about the Panzoic Effect, astrobiology, and our present moment of awareness of our place in the cosmos.
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I'll be sharing a little bit about the Panzoic Effect, astrobiology, and our present moment of awareness of our place in the cosmos.
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
We have a new poll running for our coming episode of Ask an Astrobiologist!
Jump over to the poll to drop your vote and comment with your own ideas: www.youtube.com/channel/UC14...
Jump over to the poll to drop your vote and comment with your own ideas: www.youtube.com/channel/UC14...
May 23, 2025 at 11:13 PM
We have a new poll running for our coming episode of Ask an Astrobiologist!
Jump over to the poll to drop your vote and comment with your own ideas: www.youtube.com/channel/UC14...
Jump over to the poll to drop your vote and comment with your own ideas: www.youtube.com/channel/UC14...
Awww, yeah! Buckle up, buttercup, and come join us on the NASA Astrobiology channel next week for an all new Ask an Astrobiologist!
Join us for the live show to ask questions in the chat or subscribe to get notified about the recording as soon as it premiers.
www.youtube.com/@nasaastrobi...
Join us for the live show to ask questions in the chat or subscribe to get notified about the recording as soon as it premiers.
www.youtube.com/@nasaastrobi...
May 22, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Awww, yeah! Buckle up, buttercup, and come join us on the NASA Astrobiology channel next week for an all new Ask an Astrobiologist!
Join us for the live show to ask questions in the chat or subscribe to get notified about the recording as soon as it premiers.
www.youtube.com/@nasaastrobi...
Join us for the live show to ask questions in the chat or subscribe to get notified about the recording as soon as it premiers.
www.youtube.com/@nasaastrobi...
You won't ever have any impact on other people's opinions of you if all you do is spend time worrying about those opinions.
April 22, 2025 at 3:02 PM
You won't ever have any impact on other people's opinions of you if all you do is spend time worrying about those opinions.
Today is the last day to submit an application for the 2025 BMSIS YSP!
It will be a busy weekend for me, but it's always so much fun to have the first peek at all of the remarkable applicants who want to take part in our online internship program.
bmsis.org/ysp/projects/
It will be a busy weekend for me, but it's always so much fun to have the first peek at all of the remarkable applicants who want to take part in our online internship program.
bmsis.org/ysp/projects/
April 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Today is the last day to submit an application for the 2025 BMSIS YSP!
It will be a busy weekend for me, but it's always so much fun to have the first peek at all of the remarkable applicants who want to take part in our online internship program.
bmsis.org/ysp/projects/
It will be a busy weekend for me, but it's always so much fun to have the first peek at all of the remarkable applicants who want to take part in our online internship program.
bmsis.org/ysp/projects/
We have an all new episode of Ask an Astrobiologist coming this Thursday!
Sara Russell will be joining us to talk about the samples from asteroid Bennu, her work on meteorites and the history of the solar system, and far more!
Learn more here: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
Sara Russell will be joining us to talk about the samples from asteroid Bennu, her work on meteorites and the history of the solar system, and far more!
Learn more here: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
March 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
We have an all new episode of Ask an Astrobiologist coming this Thursday!
Sara Russell will be joining us to talk about the samples from asteroid Bennu, her work on meteorites and the history of the solar system, and far more!
Learn more here: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
Sara Russell will be joining us to talk about the samples from asteroid Bennu, her work on meteorites and the history of the solar system, and far more!
Learn more here: astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the collection of the Pale Blue Dot image!
The picture inspired Carl Sagan to write not only a fantastic speech, but it also was the inspiration for Sagan's book, The Pale Blue Dot, where he eloquently laid out a vision for humanity in space exploration.
The picture inspired Carl Sagan to write not only a fantastic speech, but it also was the inspiration for Sagan's book, The Pale Blue Dot, where he eloquently laid out a vision for humanity in space exploration.
February 14, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the collection of the Pale Blue Dot image!
The picture inspired Carl Sagan to write not only a fantastic speech, but it also was the inspiration for Sagan's book, The Pale Blue Dot, where he eloquently laid out a vision for humanity in space exploration.
The picture inspired Carl Sagan to write not only a fantastic speech, but it also was the inspiration for Sagan's book, The Pale Blue Dot, where he eloquently laid out a vision for humanity in space exploration.
Episode 74 of #AskAstrobio, featuring Dr. Nathalie Cabrol of the SETI Institute, will be dropping live on YouTube tomorrow!
Join in on the chat and ask your questions for Dr. Cabrol about her research, life, and work 🚀
astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
Join in on the chat and ask your questions for Dr. Cabrol about her research, life, and work 🚀
astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
February 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Episode 74 of #AskAstrobio, featuring Dr. Nathalie Cabrol of the SETI Institute, will be dropping live on YouTube tomorrow!
Join in on the chat and ask your questions for Dr. Cabrol about her research, life, and work 🚀
astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
Join in on the chat and ask your questions for Dr. Cabrol about her research, life, and work 🚀
astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astro...
The future of 2009, as predicted by people using the Long Bets platform (image from Information is Beautiful).
December 14, 2024 at 4:13 PM
The future of 2009, as predicted by people using the Long Bets platform (image from Information is Beautiful).
After straining a bicep at the gym last night, it's going to be a rather slow and meditative day in the office, I think. Sometimes I wish I were an actor or celebrity, just so I could afford the high level of care for injuries when they happen.
December 4, 2024 at 2:57 PM
After straining a bicep at the gym last night, it's going to be a rather slow and meditative day in the office, I think. Sometimes I wish I were an actor or celebrity, just so I could afford the high level of care for injuries when they happen.