Star factory and the Zlerin

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars – Using NASA's orbiting Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere has taken an unprecedented peek at a star factory and come away with observations that may lead to enhanced knowledge of how interstellar dust absorbs and scatters ultraviolet starlight. Understanding interstellar dust is important — after all, it is the stuff out of which planets, stars and even people are made. See article.
g Abodes – For scientists tempted to imagine a sensory experience on Titan shaped by carbon instead of terrestrial oxygen, the sights, sounds and smells on such an alien world appear to resemble just enough of Earth's geology and weather. Methane rain and ice-spewing volcanoes are just two of the surprises that await the Titan tourist. See article.
g Intelligence – Men and women do think differently, at least where the anatomy of the brain is concerned, according to a new study. The brain is made primarily of two different types of tissue, called gray matter and white matter. New research reveals that men think more with their gray matter while women think more with white. Researchers stressed that just because the two sexes think differently, this does not affect intellectual performance. See article.
g Message – Veteran "Wow!" signal hunter Robert Gray's turned south this time in his efforts to track down the elusive signal. In collaboration with the University of Tasmania, Gray used the 26-meter dish in Hobart, Tasmania, to record radio signals from the "Wow!" location for long hours at a time. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Learning – Evolution is fact, not “religion” or “theory” as understood in the vernacular sense of the word. Unfortunately, when obstructing science education in our schools, “intelligent” designers and creationists like to falsely claim that no evidence exists to show evolution is fact. For a variety of excellent papers outlining the case for evolution, see list.
g Imagining – A couple of days ago, I noted a neat science fiction alien reading list from Prof. Joan Slonczewski, who taught “Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction” at Kenyon College in 2003. Her students, using astrobiological principles, attempted to create a number of plausible alien civilizations and worlds as a class project. Here’s one of them, on the Zlerin.
g Aftermath – According to astronomer Allen Tough, even before a signal is detected, six positive consequences will result from the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence, usually called SETI. (1) Humanity's self-image. SETI has enlarged our view of ourselves and enhanced our sense of meaning. Increasingly, we feel a kinship with the civilizations whose signals we are trying to detect. (2) A fresh perspective. SETI forces us to think about how extraterrestrials might perceive us. This gives us a fresh perspective on our society's values, priorities, laws, and foibles. (3) Questions. SETI is stimulating thought and discussion about several fundamental questions. (4) Education. Some broad-gauge educational programs have already been centered around SETI. (5) Tangible spin-offs. In addition to providing jobs for some people, SETI provides various spin-offs, such as search methods, computer software, data, and international scientific cooperation. (6) Future scenarios. SETI will increasingly stimulate us to think carefully about possible detection scenarios and their consequences, about our reply, and generally about the role of extraterrestrial communication in our long-term future. Such thinking leads, in turn, to fresh perspectives on the SETI enterprise itself. For the full paper, see article.


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