Earth, life and gravity

by Jonas Enander

Friday 26 Sept 2025, 16:00 → 17:30 Europe/Stockholm

Floor 6 - Fika Area (AlbaNova Main Building)

While busy with our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that we’re situated on a rocky planet whizzing through the solar system at 30 kilometers per second, all the while feeling the thug of the Moon and the Sun which deforms the planet and its oceans alike. So what does it actually mean for an organism to not only be a part of a local ecosystem, but a much wider celestial system?

In this talk I’ll take a closer look at some fascinating aspects that link biology to gravity and our immediate celestial surrounding. I’ll discuss how the tides work and how many organisms synchronise their activities to the tides in a way that is still not completely understood. I’ll take a look at microgravity experiments to see how the specific gravity of our planet affect plant growth. I’ll also speculate around some wild ideas concerning the link between biology and gravity. Finally, I’ll try to convince you why it’s imperative that we shoot algae into space.

Note: This event is open to the everyone.