Michael L.
WongHe/His
Michael Wong is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose primary scientific interests are planetary atmospheres, habitability, biosignatures, and the emergence of life. He is co-authoring a revised edition of the textbook Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach. He also hosts a podcast that examines science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek.
He is working with Staff Scientist Bob Hazen to assess the network topologies of exoplanet atmospheres for potential biosignatures.
CV
- PhD, Planetary Science (2018) California Institute of Technology
- MS, Planetary Science (2014) California Institute of Technology
- BA, Planetary Science (2012) University of California, Berkeley
- Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow (2021–present)
Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth & Planets Laboratory
Advisor: Robert M. Hazen
- Research Associate (2018–2021)
The University of Washington, Department of Astronomy & Astrobiology
Program Advisor: Victoria S. Meadows
- Research Assistant (2012–2018)
California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences
Advisors: Yuk L. Yung, Michael J. Russell, Andrew P. Ingersoll
- Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship (2011)
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Advisors: Burkhard Militzer, Hugh F. Wilson
- Carnegie Summer Scholar (2010)
Carnegie Institution for Science, Geophysical Laboratory
Advisors: Alexander F. Goncharov, Viktor Struzhkin
- Searching for Life, Mindful of Lyfe’s Possibilities
ML Wong, S Bartlett, S Chen, L Tierney
2022 Life 12 (6), 783
- Asymptotic burnout and homeostatic awakening: a possible solution to the Fermi paradox?
ML Wong, S Bartlett
2022 Journal of the Royal Society Interface 19 (190), 20220029
- Modeling Virus and Bacteria Populations in Europa’s Subsurface Ocean
AC Gomez-Buckley, GM Showalter, ML Wong
2022 Life 12 (5), 620
- Nitrogen Fixation at Early Mars
D Adams, Y Luo, ML Wong, P Dunn, M Christensen, C Dong, R Hu, ...
2021 Astrobiology 21 (8), 968-980
- Claimed detection of PH3 in the clouds of Venus is consistent with mesospheric SO2
AP Lincowski, VS Meadows, D Crisp, AB Akins, EW Schwieterman, ...
2021 The Astrophysical Journal Letters 908 (2), L44
- Defining lyfe in the universe: From three privileged functions to four pillars
S Bartlett, ML Wong
2020 Life 10 (4), 42
- Living at the extremes: extremophiles and the limits of life in a planetary context
N Merino, HS Aronson, DP Bojanova, J Feyhl-Buska, ML Wong, S Zhang, ...
2019 Frontiers in microbiology 10, 780
- Methane on Mars and habitability: challenges and responses
YL Yung, P Chen, K Nealson, S Atreya, P Beckett, JG Blank, B Ehlmann, ...
2018 Astrobiology 18 (10), 1221-1242
- Nitrogen oxides in early Earth's atmosphere as electron acceptors for life's emergence
ML Wong, BD Charnay, P Gao, YL Yung, MJ Russell
2017 Astrobiology 17 (10), 975-983
- The photochemistry of Pluto's atmosphere as illuminated by New Horizons
ML Wong, S Fan, P Gao, MC Liang, RL Shia, YL Yung, JA Kammer, ...
2017 Icarus 287, 110-115
- Pluto’s implications for a Snowball Titan
ML Wong, YL Yung, GR Gladstone
Icarus 246, 192-196
- UW Physics Slam—Slammer Supreme/1st place (2019)
- Awarded by audience vote at the inaugural University of Washington Physics Slam
- Leadership Award (2018)
- Awarded by the Graduate Dean of the California Institute of Technology
- KISS Affiliate (2018–present)
- Nominated by the Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences for the Keck Institute for Space Studies
- 3-Minute Thesis Competition—1st Place (2018)
- Awarded by the Caltech Library after a live competition at Caltech on March 13, 2018
- GSC Teaching Award—Best Teaching Assistant (2017)
- Awarded by the Caltech Graduate Student Council
- Richard H. Jahns Teaching Award (2017)
- Awarded by the faculty of Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant (2017)
- Awarded by the Caltech Dean of Graduate Studies and Registrar based on Teacher Quality Feedback Reports
- Graduate Research Spotlight Speaker (2017)
- Awarded by the Caltech Graduate Student Council
- NAI Scholarship (2015)
- to participate in the Josep Comas i Solà International Summer School in Astrobiology
- Department Citation (2012)
- Awarded to the top undergraduate upon graduation by the UC Berkeley Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
- Outstanding Accomplishment of a Graduating Senior (2012)
- Awarded by the Associated Students of the University of California Publications Center
- Host of Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk and Panel) / June 16, 2022 / Carnegie Institution for Science, Neighborhood Lecture
- Billions & Billions: The Search for Life on Exoplanets (Talk) / Oct. 7, 2021 / Tudor Vianu National High School
- How Will We Find & Recognize Life Out There? / July 28, 2021 / UWAB Public Science Panel
- Diversity in STEM and Diversity in Star Trek / July 18, 2021 / Women at Warp’s IDIC Podcast Festival
- Skype-A-Scientist (Talk) / July 14, 2021 / US Earth Science Organization, Junior Girl’s Camp
- Skype-A-Scientist (Talk) / June 30, 2021 / US Earth Science Organization, Senior Girl’s Camp
- What Is Life and How Did It Begin? / June 14, 2021 / UWAB Public Science Panel
- Where Is The Best Place to Search for Life in the Universe? / May 26, 2021 / UWAB Public Science Panel
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / May 8, 2021 / Centre for Inquiry Canada
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / March 15, 2021 / Nerd Nite Victoria
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / March 1, 2021 / Valley Park Middle School
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / January 15, 2021 / Westgate School, 6th Grade Science
- Skype-A-Scientist (Talk) / January 8, 2021 / STEMasational Friday: Life in Weird Places with Michael Wong
- Is Anybody Out There? (Podcast) / December 8, 2020 / Flash Forward Podcast
- The Science of Star Trek (Virtual Talk) / December 2, 2019 / King County Library System
- Skype-A-Scientist (Talk) / October 12, 2020 / Lafayette Upper Elementary School, Fredericksburg, VA
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / July 26, 2020 / US Earth Science Organization, Junior Girl’s Camp
- Skype-A-Scientist (Talk) / July 24, 2020 / STEMasational Friday: Planetary Habitability with Michael Wong
- Star Trek Science (Panel) / July 15, 2019 / Virtual Trek Con
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / May 29, 2020 / Westgate School, 6th Grade Science
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / April 19, 2020 / School-from-Home, 6th Grade
- Skype-A-Scientist (Q&A) / April 6, 2020 / School-from-Home, 1st Grade
- Andorians on Enceladus (Podcast) / March 17, 2020 / Trek FM’s Earl Grey, Ep. 316
- UW Physics Slam (Talk) / October 19, 2019 / University of Washington
- Our Sci-Fi Future (Panel) / October 12, 2019 / Los Angeles Comic Con
- Origins of Life with Michael Wong (Podcast) / December 16, 2019 / Spellbound, Ep. 94
- A Planetary Perspective of Life (Talk) / September 16, 2019 / Rose City Astronomers General Meeting
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / July 28, 2019 / Kent Library
- AGU Narratives Interview / July 26, 2019 / Recorded by StoryCorps at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / July 24, 2019 / Woodmont Library
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / May 18, 2019 / Mensa Western Washington
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / April 1, 2019 / North City Tech Meetup
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk) / February 20, 2019 / Astronomy On Tap, Seattle
- Where Do We Come From? The Origin of Life (Podcast) / January 30, 2019 / Planetary Radio
- Exotic Solar Systems (Podcast) / July 24, 2018 / Trek FM’s Earl Grey, Ep. 237
- 50% Banana (Podcast) / March 2, 2018 / Trek FM’s Warp Five, Ep. 136
- It’s All Shady in the Mirror Universe (Podcast) / January 19, 2018 / Trek FM’s The Edge, Ep. 28
- Don’t Tap the Glass (Podcast) / January 5, 2018 / Trek FM’s Warp Five, Ep. 128
- Deep Cuts (Podcast) / December 8, 2017 / Trek FM’s The Edge, Ep. 23
- The Science of Star Trek (Talk & Panel) / February 3, 2017 / Caltech Astro Outreach Lecture & Stargazing
Recent Talks
The Science of Star Trek
Astrobiology, Exobiology, and Planetary Atmospheres
Star Trek Science! | Live Q&A Panel With Trek Scientists | Virtual Trek Con 1
The Science of Star Trek – Dr. Michael Wong
Michael L Wong and Stuart Bartlett - Alife 2020 Contributed Talk
Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast: Diversity in STEM and Star Trek
The Science of Star Trek
Astrobiology, Exobiology, and Planetary Atmospheres
Star Trek Science! | Live Q&A Panel With Trek Scientists | Virtual Trek Con 1
The Science of Star Trek – Dr. Michael Wong
Michael L Wong and Stuart Bartlett - Alife 2020 Contributed Talk
Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast: Diversity in STEM and Star Trek
Postdoc Spotlight
Mike Wong—planetary scientist, and astrobiologist—looks for answers to some of humanity’s biggest mysteries.
Read the interview