Dr. Bruce Damer is a researcher and interdisciplinary thinker whose work explores two fundamental questions: the origins of life on Earth and the future of life beyond it. He is the founder of BIOTA, an initiative he launched in 1996 to investigate the simulation of evolutionary and natural systems through digital environments, which has included conferences and a long-running podcast.

In collaboration with Professor David Deamer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Dr. Damer co-developed the Hot Spring Hypothesis for the origin of life, published in Astrobiology in 2019. This work has since grown into an international research effort, with BIOTA now focused on supporting emerging scientists to experimentally test and expand this model and its broader implications.

Dr. Damer has also worked extensively with NASA on mission simulation and design, and has contributed to the development of spacecraft concepts aimed at utilizing resources from asteroids. Alongside his scientific work, he is the founder of the DigiBarn Computer Museum, reflecting a long-standing interest in the history of computing.