From Earth to Mars: Geology as the Key to the Origin of Life

The Royal Academy of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences of Spain (RAC) invites all “curious citizens” to immerse themselves in knowledge through its XXI Lecture Series “Science for All.” This initiative, running until 11 June, renews the civic commitment to bringing the greatest advances in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and the natural sciences closer to the non-specialist public, offering an unbeatable space for encounter and dialogue in the centre of Madrid.

Within this extraordinary programme, we particularly highlight the event on Thursday, 5 March at 6:00 pm. The lecture entitled “Geology, key to the origin of life and its extraterrestrial search” will be delivered.

The talk will be given by Don Jesús Martínez Frías, Doctor of Geological Sciences, researcher at the Institute of Geosciences (CSIC-UCM), and founder of the Spanish Network of Planetology and Astrobiology (REDESPA). Dr Martínez Frías is a figure deeply linked to our values; in January 2026 he received the well-deserved recognition of “Distinguished Cajalian.” In the same way that Santiago Ramón y Cajal zealously explored the infinite universe of neural networks, Dr Martínez Frías applies the same insatiable curiosity to the physical exploration of the cosmos, having played a prominent role in NASA space missions, such as the Curiosity rover, and those of ESA.

During his address, the academic will reveal how the study of terrestrial analogues, meteorites, and mineral chemistry offers us the fundamental clues to understand Earth’s biological dawn and guides the current search for life on Mars. It will be a fascinating demonstration of the scientific interdisciplinarity that Cajal always championed, uniting geology, biology, and the profound responsibility of geoethics.

The event, sponsored by the Fundación Ramón Areces, RTVE, and the Ministry of Science and Innovation, maintains its policy of free admission.

Venue: Historic headquarters of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain (Calle Valverde, 22, Madrid). Date and time: Thursday, 5 March 2026, at 6:00 pm.

We encourage you not to miss this journey from the rock to the spark of life.