Why you should listen
Tara Djokic observes the world through the lens of geology and astrobiology. During her studies as a geology graduate student, she discovered direct evidence that indicates some of Earth's oldest life once thrived in hot springs on land -- pushing back the record of land-based hot springs on Earth by approximately three billion years and supporting Darwin's theory that life may have started in some "warm little pond." Djokic's discoveries have also been used to help guide the search for life elsewhere in our solar system. She was involved in the third and fourth "Site Selection Workshops" for the NASA Mars2020 Rover, which is due to launch in July-August, 2020.
Djokic's scientific passions are equal to her passion for sharing knowledge. During her graduate studies, she designed and developed an immersive virtual field trip (VFT) that has been used to teach astrobiology at UNSW Sydney since 2016. Her geological research also led to her involvement in the IMAX documentary The Story of Earth, which (as its title suggests) illustrates Earth's approximately 4.6-billion-year history. She is a seeker of knowledge and believes all people should be encouraged to be curious about our world.
