AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion

Biography

Christopher P. McKay is currently a planetary scientist with the Space Science Division of National Aeronautics and Space and Space Administration (NASA)-Ames Research Center. He received his Ph.D. in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982 and has been a research scientist with the NASA Ames since that time. Dr. McKay is one of the world's leading researchers studying Titan, and has been involved in numerical modeling of planetary atmospheres for many years. He is currently working on models of Titan's thick atmosphere in support of the joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) mission to the Saturn system. Dr. McKay is co-Investigator on the Titan probe atmospheric structure experiment (HASI). His broader interests focus on understanding the relationship between the chemical and physical evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He has been actively involved in planning for future Mars missions including human settlements. Dr. McKay has also been involved with polar research since 1980, traveling to the Antarctic dry valleys and more recently to the Siberian Arctic to conduct research in these Mars-like environments.