This project will create an “Ask an Astrobiologist” interactive booth for public education and engagement at gaming and sci-fi conventions. The booth will be debuted at Dreamation, a yearly convention in Morristown, NJ that features tabletop, live-action roleplaying, and other games, from Feb 21-24, 2019. This convention serves as a testing ground for independently-produced games of all types. The gaming community has a broad interest in science fiction and popular science, but has yet to be targeted by most science communication efforts. Many game developers wish to create science fiction games with as much grounding in science fact as possible, but don’t know where to start. Our booth will feature two professional astrobiologists available for questions, resources for those interested in learning about the history and current state of astrobiology, and materials relating astrobiology to well-known games (such as Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering).
