Time:14:30 APRIL  19th(TUE)

Place: Meeting Hall, 4th Floor, ICT, CAS

Speaker:Prof. Paulo de Souza, Research Director of Tasmanian ICT Center, CSIRO, Australia

 Abstract: 
The purpose of the Mars mission is to look for geological evidence concerning whether the red planet had conditions on its surface that would have been suitable for life as we know it. In other words, we set out to look for sedimentary rocks: a sure sign that there was once water on Mars. After seven years of intense exploration and key discoveries on Mars, the rovers are showing signs of age. You will be introduced to these rovers' curriculum vitae. You will also understand the role of ICT research in make the exploration of Mars real.

Bio:
Paulo de Souza is a physicist with expertise in characterization of iron-bearing minerals. He has published almost 200 scientific papers in many fields including geochemistry, geology, mining, field robotics, sustainability, sensor and sensor networks, to mention a few. He has 17 years of experience in industrial research. During the last eight years Paulo worked as a participating scientist on NASA’s Mars exploration rover project. Paulo is co-author of a series of papers awarded as the Breakthrough Paper of the Year in Science by Science Magazine, 2004 (doi: 10.1126/science.306.5704.2010). These papers reported the findings of a suite of instruments onboard of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers. The papers reported the discovery of minerals on the Red Planet that could only be formed in the presence of liquid water, providing evidence of a once habitable Mars. Paulo de Souza is Research Director of the Tasmanian ICT Centre in Hobart.