Nobel laureate, researcher of life’s origins to give lecture Nov. 13 at Morehead Center

CHAPEL HILL -- Dr. Christian de Duve, a Nobel laureate and one of the minds behind the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s "Life in the Universe" show, will give a lecture in the Morehead Center’s Star Theater on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The lecture is free, but reservations are required. To reserve seats, e-mail mhplanet@unc.edu or call (919) 962-1236.

De Duve is interviewed extensively in the planetarium show as a leading international authority on the possibility of life beyond Earth. The show is based in part on his 2002 book, "Life Evolving: Molecules, Mind, and Meaning."

The processes necessary for life are not unique to Earth, de Duve has said. "The lesson of all this is that the cosmos is a huge laboratory of organic chemistry," he said in "Life in the Universe." "The building blocks of life are being manufactured everywhere in the whole universe."

De Duve received the 1974 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work in subcellular biology. He also founded the International Institute of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, where he continues investigating the origins of life.

In addition to his numerous awards, de Duve is a member of several of the world’s most prestigious academic societies. In 1989, the King of Belgium conferred the rank of viscount on him. He has also written many widely praised works, including "A Guided Tour of the Living Cell" (1984), "The Blueprint of a Cell" (1991) and "Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative" (1995). Chemist and fellow Nobel laureate Dr. John Polanyi described "Vital Dust" as "obligatory reading for the living."

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student group SpaceTalk is co-sponsoring the event as part of a yearlong public lecture series produced in collaboration with the Morehead Center.

"Life in the Universe" shows in the Morehead Center’s Star Theater through Nov. 16.

The Morehead Center is located on the UNC campus at 250 E. Franklin St. For more information on "Life in the Universe" or parking at the Morehead Center, click on http://moreheadplanetarium.org.

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Morehead Center contact: Carrie Anne Spinelli, (919) 843-7952 or spinelli@email.unc.edu