DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER): Human Exploration of Mars

EVENT INFO

When: 19 February 2026 at 6:30 PM – 9:15 PM (EST)

Where: Fred Kavli Auditorium, National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418 (In-person event)

Registration via EVENTBRITE

Access Info

• Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport) required for building entry

• Event will be recorded and made available after the event

• No live streaming

What role does imagination play in exploring realms beyond Earth?

Imagining the human exploration of Mars depends on creative inquiry across the arts, sciences, and engineering, where speculation becomes essential in the face of profound unknowns. This cross-disciplinary LASER/DASER event examines how imaginative thinking informs scientific research, drives technological development, and supports the collective effort to envision human life beyond our planet.

The program is presented in connection with the recent National Academies report A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars. The evening includes short talks by invited speakers, a moderated panel discussion, audience Q&A, a community-sharing segment, and a reception.

SPEAKERS:

Richelle Ellis, Artist, Analog Astronaut, Co-founder of Inploration

Pascal Lee, Artist and Planetary Scientist, SETI Institute

Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Harvard–MIT Health, Sciences, and Technology faculty member, and former director of the MIT Media Lab

Carolyn Russo, Museum Specialist and Curator of the Art Collection, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

AGENDA:

6:00 – 6:30 Check in, take seats in Fred Kavli Auditorium

6:30 – 6:40 Welcoming remarks and introductions by JD Talasek, director, Cultural Programs, National Academy of Sciences (CPNAS), Washington, D.C.

6:40 – 7:25 Presentations

7:25 – 8:10 Discussion and Audience Q & A

8:10 – 8:30 Community Share: If you’re working at the intersection of science and humanities, you have 30 seconds to share your work. Please present it as a teaser so those interested can find you. during the reception.

8:30 – 9:15 Reception in the Great Hall and Upstairs Gallery with time to view Symmetries and Broken Symmetries: Shanthi Chanddrasekar and Michael Albrow

Photo ID Requirement

This is an in-person event with the option to watch the recording afterward. A government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) is required to enter the building.

SPONSORS

About DASER: DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER) is organized to explore several key questions: What are the relationships among art, science, technology, culture, and all related disciplines or systems of understanding? How do these disciplines relate to one another to foster creativity, innovation, and discovery? What are the tangible results of these interactions? DASER aims to create community and discussion around the intersection of art and science. DASER is organized by Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Leonardo, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the DASER events are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the National Academy of Sciences or of Leonardo.

More about LASER Talks: The Leonardo/ISAST LASERs are a program of international gatherings that bring artists, scientists, humanists and technologists together for informal presentations, performances and conversations with the wider public. The mission of the LASERs is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 60 cities around the world. To learn more about how our LASER Hosts and to visit a LASER near you please visit our website.