Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A new picture from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer completes a multi-wavelength, neon-colored portrait of the enormous Cartwheel Galaxy after a smaller galaxy plunged through it, triggering ripples of sudden, brief star formation. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Stardust spacecraft was placed into hibernation mode Sunday. Stardust successfully returned to Earth samples of a comet via its sample return capsule on January 15. The spacecraft has logged almost seven years of flight. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0601/30stardust/.
g Life - Somewhere between 3 million to 5 million years ago, a massive swarm of locusts took off from the west coast of Africa and made an unlikely voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to colonize the New World, says an international team of researchers. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051226101953.htm.
g Intelligence - A South African anthropologist said his research into the death nearly 2 million years ago of an ape-man shows human ancestors were hunted by birds. See http://www.livescience.com/history/060112_ap_bird_hunt.html.
g Message - Perhaps nothing says SETI Today more than the Allen Telescope Array, which is being built in collaboration with the Radio Astronomy Lab of the University of California, Berkeley. While the array is often described as a "dual use instrument," it would be more correct to say that it is a multi-tasking instrument. The simple implication that the array will conduct "SETI" and "other astronomy" is misleading. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_astrobiology_030619.html. Note: this article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - More than 9,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting the Earth, a hazard that can only be expected to get worse in the next few years. And currently there's no workable and economic way to clean up the mess. See http://space.com/news/ap_060120_space_junk.html.
g Learning -
The president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute wants U.S. President George Bush to urge a renewed national focus on science and technology. She calls it the “quiet crisis.” See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20060130-20212400-bc-us-bush-science.xml.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Fredric Brown’s short story "The Waveries." It first appeared in the January 1945 issue of Astounding magazine.
g Aftermath - The discovery that alien life exists would mean that we are not the center of the universe. While most religions now recognize that the Earth is just a lump of rock, they still believe that we human beings are the most important thing in creation, that we occupy a special place in God's plan. The existence of aliens would seem to make this implausible especially if they are more advanced than we are (on all levels, intellectually, spiritually) This would mean that God has acted in the development of the aliens in a way he did not act in ours, which in turn would mean that we do not occupy the paramount role in God's creation, which as I said is a fundamental idea in religions. See http://www.philosophos.com/knowledge_base/
archives_10/philosophy_questions_1041.html.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Coiled magnetic field, Project Constellation and ‘Virtual Skies’
eWelcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a giant magnetic field that is coiled like a snake around a rod-shaped gas cloud in the constellation Orion. See article.
g Abodes - Tantalizing signs of water have been found in the atmospheres of planets orbiting distant stars. If confirmed, the "astonishing" discovery will fuel speculation that the galaxy is teeming with life. http://www.newscientist.com/article.nsid=dn
2810&feedId=astrobiology_rss20. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - A research team led by David Reznick, a professor of biology at UC Riverside, has found that as some populations of an organism evolve a longer lifespan, they do so by increasing only that segment of the lifespan that contributes to "fitness" - the relative ability of an individual to contribute offspring to the next generation. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051227110640.htm. For related story, see “Fish Mating Preferences Change with Age” at http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051228_fish_mate.html.
g Intelligence - By borrowing mathematical tools from theoretical physics, scientists have recently developed a theory that explains why the brain tissue of humans and other vertebrates is segregated into the familiar "gray matter" and "white matter." See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060112040012.htm.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_tarter_transmit_050421.html.
g Cosmicus - NASA’s Project Constellation program has been overhauled to include a slightly smaller Crew Exploration Vehicle and a new human-rated booster with an Apollo-era upper stage engine. See http://space.com/news/060120_cev_overhaul.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: “Virtual Skies.” For grades 9-12, in these activities students solve real-life air traffic management problems. See http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Brin’s short story "Fortitude." It appeared in the January 1996 issue of Science Fiction Age magazine.
g Aftermath - Reactions to the announcement that scientists had found evidence for primitive life in a meteorite from Mars have been intense. Some concerned the scientific evidence, some the implications of extraterrestrial life, especially if intelligent. Underlying these reactions are assumptions, or beliefs, which often have a religious grounding. The two divergent beliefs, for and against the plurality of life in the universe, are examined historically and through religious traditions, particularly the Judeo-Christian. This examination guides the formulation of the right relation between science and religion as one that respects the autonomy of each discipline, yet allows for each to be open to the discoveries of the other. Based on this relationship, perspectives from scientific exploration are developed that can help individuals to respect and cope with the new phenomena that science brings, whether these imply that we might be alone in the universe or co-creatures of God with the ancient Martians. See http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/cosmos/perspectives/corbally.shtml.
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a giant magnetic field that is coiled like a snake around a rod-shaped gas cloud in the constellation Orion. See article.
g Abodes - Tantalizing signs of water have been found in the atmospheres of planets orbiting distant stars. If confirmed, the "astonishing" discovery will fuel speculation that the galaxy is teeming with life. http://www.newscientist.com/article.nsid=dn
2810&feedId=astrobiology_rss20. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - A research team led by David Reznick, a professor of biology at UC Riverside, has found that as some populations of an organism evolve a longer lifespan, they do so by increasing only that segment of the lifespan that contributes to "fitness" - the relative ability of an individual to contribute offspring to the next generation. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051227110640.htm. For related story, see “Fish Mating Preferences Change with Age” at http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051228_fish_mate.html.
g Intelligence - By borrowing mathematical tools from theoretical physics, scientists have recently developed a theory that explains why the brain tissue of humans and other vertebrates is segregated into the familiar "gray matter" and "white matter." See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060112040012.htm.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_tarter_transmit_050421.html.
g Cosmicus - NASA’s Project Constellation program has been overhauled to include a slightly smaller Crew Exploration Vehicle and a new human-rated booster with an Apollo-era upper stage engine. See http://space.com/news/060120_cev_overhaul.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: “Virtual Skies.” For grades 9-12, in these activities students solve real-life air traffic management problems. See http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Brin’s short story "Fortitude." It appeared in the January 1996 issue of Science Fiction Age magazine.
g Aftermath - Reactions to the announcement that scientists had found evidence for primitive life in a meteorite from Mars have been intense. Some concerned the scientific evidence, some the implications of extraterrestrial life, especially if intelligent. Underlying these reactions are assumptions, or beliefs, which often have a religious grounding. The two divergent beliefs, for and against the plurality of life in the universe, are examined historically and through religious traditions, particularly the Judeo-Christian. This examination guides the formulation of the right relation between science and religion as one that respects the autonomy of each discipline, yet allows for each to be open to the discoveries of the other. Based on this relationship, perspectives from scientific exploration are developed that can help individuals to respect and cope with the new phenomena that science brings, whether these imply that we might be alone in the universe or co-creatures of God with the ancient Martians. See http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/cosmos/perspectives/corbally.shtml.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Space-time indentation, asteroid belt breakup and National Space Lottery
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 - MIT scientists and colleagues have found a black hole that has chiseled a remarkably stable indentation in the fabric of space and time, like a dimple in one's favorite spot on the sofa. The finding may help scientists measure a black hole's mass and how it spins, two long-sought measurements, by virtue of the extent of this indentation. Using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the team saw identical patterns in the X-ray light emitted near the black hole nine years apart, as captured in archived data from 1996 and in a new, unprecedented 550-hour observation from 2005. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Southwest Research Institute, and Charles University in the Czech Republic have made the first positive link between a breakup event in the main asteroid belt and a large quantity of interplanetary dust particles deposited on Earth. See article.
g Life - Conifers suffer a severe plumbing problem. The "pipes" that carry water through firs, pines and other conifers are 10 times shorter than those in flowering trees. But a University of Utah study suggests why conifers not only survive but thrive: efficient microscopic valves let water flow through conifers about as easily as it flows through other trees. See article.
g Intelligence - Do you have second thoughts when ordering a strange-sounding dish at an exotic restaurant? Afraid you'll get fricasseed eye of newt, or something even worse? If you do, it's because certain neurons in the brain are saying that the potential reward for the risk is unknown. These regions of the brain have now been pinpointed by experimental economists at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Iowa College of Medicine. See article.
g Message - No single topic gets SETI folks more excited than their new pet project, the Allen Telescope Array. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - Many have spoken of our goals in space, but few offer ways to pay for them. A National Space Lottery could be a new way of funding space flight systems, promoting space tourism and paying for the tickets of those who would fly. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for kids, courtesy of the Canadian Space Agency — Kidspace.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gary A. Braunbeck’s short story "Kite People," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - MIT scientists and colleagues have found a black hole that has chiseled a remarkably stable indentation in the fabric of space and time, like a dimple in one's favorite spot on the sofa. The finding may help scientists measure a black hole's mass and how it spins, two long-sought measurements, by virtue of the extent of this indentation. Using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the team saw identical patterns in the X-ray light emitted near the black hole nine years apart, as captured in archived data from 1996 and in a new, unprecedented 550-hour observation from 2005. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Southwest Research Institute, and Charles University in the Czech Republic have made the first positive link between a breakup event in the main asteroid belt and a large quantity of interplanetary dust particles deposited on Earth. See article.
g Life - Conifers suffer a severe plumbing problem. The "pipes" that carry water through firs, pines and other conifers are 10 times shorter than those in flowering trees. But a University of Utah study suggests why conifers not only survive but thrive: efficient microscopic valves let water flow through conifers about as easily as it flows through other trees. See article.
g Intelligence - Do you have second thoughts when ordering a strange-sounding dish at an exotic restaurant? Afraid you'll get fricasseed eye of newt, or something even worse? If you do, it's because certain neurons in the brain are saying that the potential reward for the risk is unknown. These regions of the brain have now been pinpointed by experimental economists at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Iowa College of Medicine. See article.
g Message - No single topic gets SETI folks more excited than their new pet project, the Allen Telescope Array. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - Many have spoken of our goals in space, but few offer ways to pay for them. A National Space Lottery could be a new way of funding space flight systems, promoting space tourism and paying for the tickets of those who would fly. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for kids, courtesy of the Canadian Space Agency — Kidspace.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gary A. Braunbeck’s short story "Kite People," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Space tornado, extrasolar transit and Rocket Racing League relocates
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 - High-energy particles spewing out of a young star in a nearby stellar nursery are plowing through interstellar clouds and creating a giant spiral structure in space that looks like a glowing, rainbow-colored tornado, scientists say. See article.
g Abodes - The next transit of an Earth-sized planet likely will be observed in 2008 by the NASA Discovery Program’s Kepler Mission. This planet won’t be a member of our solar system – it will be an extrasolar planet. See article.
g Life - Our bodies contain proteins that are made of smaller molecules that can be either left- or right-handed, depending upon their structure. Regardless of which hand we use to write, however, all human beings are 'left-handed' at the molecular level. Life on Earth uses the left-handed variety and no one knows how this preference crept into living systems. In 2012, ESA's Rosetta lander will land on a comet to investigate, among other things, if the origin of this preference lies in the stars. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - Nursing home residents felt much less lonely after spending time alone with a dog than they did when they visited with a dog and other people, according to new research. See article.
g Message - Because of the ability to study many areas on the sky at once, with more channels and for 24 hours a day, the Allen Telescope Array will permit an expansion from SETI’s last stellar reconnaissance of 1,000 stars to 100 thousand or even 1 million nearby stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Rocket Racing League will establish a world headquarters in Las Cruces, N.M. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ray Bradbury’s "Here There Be Tygers,” which appeared in the April-May 1953 issue of Amazing magazine.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - High-energy particles spewing out of a young star in a nearby stellar nursery are plowing through interstellar clouds and creating a giant spiral structure in space that looks like a glowing, rainbow-colored tornado, scientists say. See article.
g Abodes - The next transit of an Earth-sized planet likely will be observed in 2008 by the NASA Discovery Program’s Kepler Mission. This planet won’t be a member of our solar system – it will be an extrasolar planet. See article.
g Life - Our bodies contain proteins that are made of smaller molecules that can be either left- or right-handed, depending upon their structure. Regardless of which hand we use to write, however, all human beings are 'left-handed' at the molecular level. Life on Earth uses the left-handed variety and no one knows how this preference crept into living systems. In 2012, ESA's Rosetta lander will land on a comet to investigate, among other things, if the origin of this preference lies in the stars. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - Nursing home residents felt much less lonely after spending time alone with a dog than they did when they visited with a dog and other people, according to new research. See article.
g Message - Because of the ability to study many areas on the sky at once, with more channels and for 24 hours a day, the Allen Telescope Array will permit an expansion from SETI’s last stellar reconnaissance of 1,000 stars to 100 thousand or even 1 million nearby stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Rocket Racing League will establish a world headquarters in Las Cruces, N.M. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ray Bradbury’s "Here There Be Tygers,” which appeared in the April-May 1953 issue of Amazing magazine.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, January 27, 2006
Stellar jet, life’s traces upon the land and insights on chimp evolution
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 highly resolved images from the Hubble Space Telescope, a international team of astronomers at Rice University and four other institutions has created the first moving pictures of a stellar jet. These massive streams of plasma spew from the poles of newborn stars, playing a critical yet poorly understood role in star formation. The research appears in the Astronomical Journal. See article.
g Abodes - Two new studies by a University of Rochester researcher show that mountain ranges rise to their height in as little as 2 million years - several times faster than geologists have always thought. See article.
g Life - If life were suddenly eliminated from the Earth, would a visitor from another planet be able to tell what once was here? Can the landforms of Mars tell us whether it once had a biota? Two UC Berkeley scientists conclude that life leaves a detectable but very subtle signature, including more rounded than angular hills. This was a surprise, since life has a big impact on erosion, both directly and through its effects on climate. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found genetic evidence that seems to support a controversial hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees may be more closely related to each other than chimps are to the other two species of great apes gorillas and orangutans. They also found that humans evolved at a slower rate than apes. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. See program.
g Cosmicus - The success of NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity has scored high points for the wheeled automatons, but another plan may one day have their robotic successors hopping. That plan, according to its research team, calls for a swarm of small, spherical robots the size of tennis balls to hop across another world exploring caves, nooks and other crannies that past mobile robots have been too large to study. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat primer (for kids) to understanding extremophiles and how an understanding of them affects astrobiology: “Brave New Biosphere”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Cycle Of Fire,” published by Ballantine in 1957.
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Using highly resolved images from the Hubble Space Telescope, a international team of astronomers at Rice University and four other institutions has created the first moving pictures of a stellar jet. These massive streams of plasma spew from the poles of newborn stars, playing a critical yet poorly understood role in star formation. The research appears in the Astronomical Journal. See article.
g Abodes - Two new studies by a University of Rochester researcher show that mountain ranges rise to their height in as little as 2 million years - several times faster than geologists have always thought. See article.
g Life - If life were suddenly eliminated from the Earth, would a visitor from another planet be able to tell what once was here? Can the landforms of Mars tell us whether it once had a biota? Two UC Berkeley scientists conclude that life leaves a detectable but very subtle signature, including more rounded than angular hills. This was a surprise, since life has a big impact on erosion, both directly and through its effects on climate. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found genetic evidence that seems to support a controversial hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees may be more closely related to each other than chimps are to the other two species of great apes gorillas and orangutans. They also found that humans evolved at a slower rate than apes. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. See program.
g Cosmicus - The success of NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity has scored high points for the wheeled automatons, but another plan may one day have their robotic successors hopping. That plan, according to its research team, calls for a swarm of small, spherical robots the size of tennis balls to hop across another world exploring caves, nooks and other crannies that past mobile robots have been too large to study. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat primer (for kids) to understanding extremophiles and how an understanding of them affects astrobiology: “Brave New Biosphere”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Cycle Of Fire,” published by Ballantine in 1957.
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Embryonic planets, Russian moon base and ‘Voyagers’
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 - Two new studies suggest that planet formation around multiple star systems may be more common than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - Hit-and-run collisions between embryonic planets during a critical period in the early history of the Solar System may account for some previously unexplained properties of planets, asteroids, and meteorites, according to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. See article. For related story, see “Mercury a Possible Hit-and-Run Planet”.
g Life - Learning as much as possible about the earliest life on Earth is probably the best starting point for trying to find life somewhere else, said Roger Buick, a paleontologist who became the first faculty member hired specifically for the University of Washington’s pioneering graduate program in astrobiology, the search for life away from Earth. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Intelligence - Many computers are already able to see and hear. However, they have no way of telling whether their users are happy or angry. At CeBIT 2006, researchers will be presenting techniques that could one day enable the digital servant to respond to the mood of its human master. See article.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array, currently under construction about 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, is the first professional radio telescope designed from the get-go to speedily search for extraterrestrial signals. When completed, it will comprise 350 antennas, spread over roughly 150 acres of lava-riven real estate. See article.
g Cosmicus - The head of a leading Russian space company said it was considering plans to set up a permanent moon base by 2015, a statement that appeared to be an effort to win government funds rather than a specific action plan, news reports said Thursday. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a cool introduction to astrobiology: A concept map of the field’s fundamental questions with links to each one.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ben Bova’s novel “Voyagers,” published by Tor in 1981.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Two new studies suggest that planet formation around multiple star systems may be more common than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - Hit-and-run collisions between embryonic planets during a critical period in the early history of the Solar System may account for some previously unexplained properties of planets, asteroids, and meteorites, according to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. See article. For related story, see “Mercury a Possible Hit-and-Run Planet”.
g Life - Learning as much as possible about the earliest life on Earth is probably the best starting point for trying to find life somewhere else, said Roger Buick, a paleontologist who became the first faculty member hired specifically for the University of Washington’s pioneering graduate program in astrobiology, the search for life away from Earth. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Intelligence - Many computers are already able to see and hear. However, they have no way of telling whether their users are happy or angry. At CeBIT 2006, researchers will be presenting techniques that could one day enable the digital servant to respond to the mood of its human master. See article.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array, currently under construction about 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, is the first professional radio telescope designed from the get-go to speedily search for extraterrestrial signals. When completed, it will comprise 350 antennas, spread over roughly 150 acres of lava-riven real estate. See article.
g Cosmicus - The head of a leading Russian space company said it was considering plans to set up a permanent moon base by 2015, a statement that appeared to be an effort to win government funds rather than a specific action plan, news reports said Thursday. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a cool introduction to astrobiology: A concept map of the field’s fundamental questions with links to each one.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ben Bova’s novel “Voyagers,” published by Tor in 1981.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Orion Nebula, Ice Age clues and designing New Mexico’s spaceport
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 - In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is offering an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star-formation region is one of astronomy's most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. See article.
g Abodes - Long before the finishing touches are made to UW-Madison's Microbial Sciences Building, a small but significant bit of science has emerged from the hole where the $120 million, 330,000 square-foot structure is emerging. See article. For related story, see “Rewriting Glacial History In Pacific North America”.
g Life - Imagine going back 250 years. The United States has not been born, and no one travels faster than 30 miles an hour. Now jump 10 times further back, to 2,500 years ago. Greece is entering its golden age, and Rome is a cantankerous village. Multiply by 10 again, 25,000 years back, and our caveman ancestors are battling the Ice Age while Neanderthals are dying out. Ten again, and ape-related hominids have not yet evolved into our own species, homo sapiens. Another 10, and the saber-tooth tiger first appears on Earth. Ten again, to 25 million years ago, and India is still an island while South America has only recently split from Africa. Ten times again and we leapfrog the entire history of dinosaurs and find ourselves an almost incomprehensible 250 million years back, in a world of giant ferns and primitive conifers. We're at the dawn of both mammals and dinosaurs, and many creatures look like a weird cross between the two. Welcome to Peter Ward country. See article.
g Intelligence - A protein that seems to be pivotal in lifting depression has been discovered by a Nobel Laureate researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health. See article.
g Message - Does ET use snail mail? See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - With a projected $225 million being spent to create a "purpose-built" spaceport near Upham, N.M. — expected to be completed by 2009-2010—for many of the principals involved there remains but one question: what is a 21st century spaceport supposed to look like? See article.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Bischoff’s "The Xaxrling of J. Arnold Boysenberry," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW, 1997).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See article.
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g Stars - In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is offering an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star-formation region is one of astronomy's most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. See article.
g Abodes - Long before the finishing touches are made to UW-Madison's Microbial Sciences Building, a small but significant bit of science has emerged from the hole where the $120 million, 330,000 square-foot structure is emerging. See article. For related story, see “Rewriting Glacial History In Pacific North America”.
g Life - Imagine going back 250 years. The United States has not been born, and no one travels faster than 30 miles an hour. Now jump 10 times further back, to 2,500 years ago. Greece is entering its golden age, and Rome is a cantankerous village. Multiply by 10 again, 25,000 years back, and our caveman ancestors are battling the Ice Age while Neanderthals are dying out. Ten again, and ape-related hominids have not yet evolved into our own species, homo sapiens. Another 10, and the saber-tooth tiger first appears on Earth. Ten again, to 25 million years ago, and India is still an island while South America has only recently split from Africa. Ten times again and we leapfrog the entire history of dinosaurs and find ourselves an almost incomprehensible 250 million years back, in a world of giant ferns and primitive conifers. We're at the dawn of both mammals and dinosaurs, and many creatures look like a weird cross between the two. Welcome to Peter Ward country. See article.
g Intelligence - A protein that seems to be pivotal in lifting depression has been discovered by a Nobel Laureate researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health. See article.
g Message - Does ET use snail mail? See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - With a projected $225 million being spent to create a "purpose-built" spaceport near Upham, N.M. — expected to be completed by 2009-2010—for many of the principals involved there remains but one question: what is a 21st century spaceport supposed to look like? See article.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Bischoff’s "The Xaxrling of J. Arnold Boysenberry," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW, 1997).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See article.
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Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Galactic Bermuda Triangle, life in a barren desert and spacecraft propulsion breakthrough
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 - Call it the Bermuda Triangle of our Milky Way Galaxy: a tiny patch of sky that has been known for years to be the source of the mysterious blasts of X-rays and gamma rays. Now, a team of astronomers, led by Don Figer of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., has solved the mystery by identifying one of the most massive star clusters in the galaxy. See article. For related story, see “Source of Space Fireworks Discovered”.
g Abodes - Its barren topography is often described as a moonscape. But kick the dirt and the stark, rocky terrain at Joshua Tree National Park is among the liveliest places on the planet. That's according to new research that says soil there teems with bacteria - even more than in dirt in the Amazon rain forest. See article.
g Life - When Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, he gave a convincing account of how life has evolved over billions of years from simple microbes to the complexity of the Earth's biosphere today. But he pointedly left out how life got started. One might as well speculate about the origin of matter, he quipped. Today scientists have a good idea of how matter originated in the Big Bang, but the origin of life remains shrouded in mystery. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study finds that a cell once believed to serve neurons instead may perform the crucial function of regulating blood flow in the brain. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not: article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency and the Australian National University have successfully tested a new design of spacecraft ion engine that dramatically improves performance over present thrusters and marks a major step forward in space propulsion capability. See article.
g Learning - Every new stargazer thinks the first thing they need to get started in astronomy is a telescope, only to discover that they don't know how to find anything with it in the sky. The problem, of course, is that they don't know the bright stars and major constellations. Unfortunately, many never find the help they need and give up astronomy and stick their telescope in the closet. With proper advice and guidance, anyone can turn into a star-hopping skymaster. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Marc Bilgrey’s "Random Acts," in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Call it the Bermuda Triangle of our Milky Way Galaxy: a tiny patch of sky that has been known for years to be the source of the mysterious blasts of X-rays and gamma rays. Now, a team of astronomers, led by Don Figer of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., has solved the mystery by identifying one of the most massive star clusters in the galaxy. See article. For related story, see “Source of Space Fireworks Discovered”.
g Abodes - Its barren topography is often described as a moonscape. But kick the dirt and the stark, rocky terrain at Joshua Tree National Park is among the liveliest places on the planet. That's according to new research that says soil there teems with bacteria - even more than in dirt in the Amazon rain forest. See article.
g Life - When Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, he gave a convincing account of how life has evolved over billions of years from simple microbes to the complexity of the Earth's biosphere today. But he pointedly left out how life got started. One might as well speculate about the origin of matter, he quipped. Today scientists have a good idea of how matter originated in the Big Bang, but the origin of life remains shrouded in mystery. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study finds that a cell once believed to serve neurons instead may perform the crucial function of regulating blood flow in the brain. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not: article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency and the Australian National University have successfully tested a new design of spacecraft ion engine that dramatically improves performance over present thrusters and marks a major step forward in space propulsion capability. See article.
g Learning - Every new stargazer thinks the first thing they need to get started in astronomy is a telescope, only to discover that they don't know how to find anything with it in the sky. The problem, of course, is that they don't know the bright stars and major constellations. Unfortunately, many never find the help they need and give up astronomy and stick their telescope in the closet. With proper advice and guidance, anyone can turn into a star-hopping skymaster. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Marc Bilgrey’s "Random Acts," in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, January 23, 2006
Mysterious super star clusters, sequencing wooly mammoth genome and ET detection protocols
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 - An international team of astronomers reported evidence for the formation of mysterious "super star clusters" in a dozen nearby galaxies. These star clusters are the likely precursors to the familiar globular clusters of the Milky Way; however in our galaxy, globular clusters are believed to all be older than 10 billion years - close to the age of the universe itself, and none are forming. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting a very young star nearly 100 light years away using a relatively small, publicly accessible telescope turbocharged with a new planet-finding instrument. See article.
g Life - A team of experts in ancient DNA from McMaster University (Canada) and genome researchers from Penn State University have obtained the first genomic sequences from a woolly mammoth, a mammal that roamed grassy plains of the Northern Hemisphere until it became extinct about 10,000 years ago. The project also involved paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History and researchers from Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. See article.
g Intelligence - Two Neanderthal fossils excavated from Vindija Cave in Croatia in 1998, believed to be the last surviving Neanderthals, may be 3,000-4,000 years older than originally thought. See article.
g Message - A new study suggests it is more energy efficient to communicate across interstellar space by sending physical material — a sort of message in a bottle — than beams of electromagnetic radiation. Solid matter can hold more information and journey farther than radio waves, which disperse as they travel. See http://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/~crose/press/natgeog_lovgren.html.
g Cosmicus - There is a new breed of weaponry fast approaching—and at the speed of light no less. They are labeled "directed-energy weapons" and may well signal a revolution in military hardware—perhaps more so than the atomic bomb. See article.
g Learning - Want to see what things look like under the microscope? Then log onto the Internet and go to article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jeff Berkwits’ story "First Contact," which appeared in the August 1996 issue of “Keen!”
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
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g Stars - An international team of astronomers reported evidence for the formation of mysterious "super star clusters" in a dozen nearby galaxies. These star clusters are the likely precursors to the familiar globular clusters of the Milky Way; however in our galaxy, globular clusters are believed to all be older than 10 billion years - close to the age of the universe itself, and none are forming. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting a very young star nearly 100 light years away using a relatively small, publicly accessible telescope turbocharged with a new planet-finding instrument. See article.
g Life - A team of experts in ancient DNA from McMaster University (Canada) and genome researchers from Penn State University have obtained the first genomic sequences from a woolly mammoth, a mammal that roamed grassy plains of the Northern Hemisphere until it became extinct about 10,000 years ago. The project also involved paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History and researchers from Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. See article.
g Intelligence - Two Neanderthal fossils excavated from Vindija Cave in Croatia in 1998, believed to be the last surviving Neanderthals, may be 3,000-4,000 years older than originally thought. See article.
g Message - A new study suggests it is more energy efficient to communicate across interstellar space by sending physical material — a sort of message in a bottle — than beams of electromagnetic radiation. Solid matter can hold more information and journey farther than radio waves, which disperse as they travel. See http://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/~crose/press/natgeog_lovgren.html.
g Cosmicus - There is a new breed of weaponry fast approaching—and at the speed of light no less. They are labeled "directed-energy weapons" and may well signal a revolution in military hardware—perhaps more so than the atomic bomb. See article.
g Learning - Want to see what things look like under the microscope? Then log onto the Internet and go to article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jeff Berkwits’ story "First Contact," which appeared in the August 1996 issue of “Keen!”
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Galaxy’s center, warming Mars and ‘Anvil of Stars’
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 - A new infrared mosaic from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope offers a stunning view of the stellar hustle and bustle that takes place at our Milky Way galaxy's center. The picture shows throngs of mostly old stars, on the order of hundreds of thousands, amid fantastically detailed clouds of glowing dust lit up by younger, massive stars. See article.
g Abodes - Injecting synthetic "super" greenhouse gases into the Martian atmosphere could raise the planet's temperature enough to melt its polar ice caps and create conditions suitable for sustaining biological life. In fact, a team of researchers suggests that introducing global warming on the Red Planet may be the best approach for warming the planet's frozen landscape and turning it into a habitable world in the future. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - Paleontologists from the University of Bonn report on an intriguing diagnosis in the Dec. 16 issue of the journal Science. A dinosaur that they have examined was apparently able to vary the speed of its growth according the conditions obtaining in its environment. Although tortoises and crocodiles also do this, plateosaurus engelhardti seems to be unique among dinosaurs, leading experts to puzzle over whether the family history of the dinosaurs will need to be rewritten. See article.
g Intelligence - Newly discovered hieroglyphs show that the Maya were writing at a complex level 150 years earlier than previously thought. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - The U.S. Air Force has just put out a request for proposal for a "Gaming and Training Environment for Counter Space Operations." In other words, they're ready for “Ender's Game.” Or maybe Space Wars. See article. For related story, see “America’s new ray guns”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lesson plans for seventh and eighth graders: “Science Fiction and the Future.” See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Greg Bear’s “Anvil of Stars,” published by Tor in 1992.
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - A new infrared mosaic from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope offers a stunning view of the stellar hustle and bustle that takes place at our Milky Way galaxy's center. The picture shows throngs of mostly old stars, on the order of hundreds of thousands, amid fantastically detailed clouds of glowing dust lit up by younger, massive stars. See article.
g Abodes - Injecting synthetic "super" greenhouse gases into the Martian atmosphere could raise the planet's temperature enough to melt its polar ice caps and create conditions suitable for sustaining biological life. In fact, a team of researchers suggests that introducing global warming on the Red Planet may be the best approach for warming the planet's frozen landscape and turning it into a habitable world in the future. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - Paleontologists from the University of Bonn report on an intriguing diagnosis in the Dec. 16 issue of the journal Science. A dinosaur that they have examined was apparently able to vary the speed of its growth according the conditions obtaining in its environment. Although tortoises and crocodiles also do this, plateosaurus engelhardti seems to be unique among dinosaurs, leading experts to puzzle over whether the family history of the dinosaurs will need to be rewritten. See article.
g Intelligence - Newly discovered hieroglyphs show that the Maya were writing at a complex level 150 years earlier than previously thought. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - The U.S. Air Force has just put out a request for proposal for a "Gaming and Training Environment for Counter Space Operations." In other words, they're ready for “Ender's Game.” Or maybe Space Wars. See article. For related story, see “America’s new ray guns”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lesson plans for seventh and eighth graders: “Science Fiction and the Future.” See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Greg Bear’s “Anvil of Stars,” published by Tor in 1992.
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Getting to know Pluto, ‘Flies in Space’ and ‘The Allure of Bone and Ice’
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 - Black holes are creating havoc in unsuspected places, according to a new study of images of elliptical galaxies made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The discovery of far-reaching explosive activity, due to giant central black holes in these old galaxies, was a surprise to astronomers. See article.
g Abodes - In the not-too-distant past, the planet Pluto was thought to be an odd bird in the outer reaches of the solar system because it has a moon, Charon, that was formed much like Earth's own moon was formed. But Pluto is getting a lot of company these days. Of the four largest objects in the Kuiper belt, three have one or more moons. See article. For related stories, see “Probe sets sail on voyage to the outer solar system” and “More pictures, video from New Horizons launch”.
g Life - Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? Here’s how scientists are looking for it. See article.
g Intelligence - A new retinal photoreceptor adjusts its sensitivity in different lighting conditions, according to scientists at Brown University, where the rare eye cells were discovered. The findings provide further evidence that the eye has complementary brain-signaling systems at work. See article.
g Message - The question of whether we are alone in the universe is one of the biggest of the Big Questions of Existence. One way to settle the matter is to find some cosmic company. A direct approach to this problem is to scan the skies with radio telescopes in the hope of stumbling across a message from an alien civilization. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - NASA will pay the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) $21.8 million per passenger for Soyuz rides to and from the International Space Station starting this spring. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: “Flies in Space”. For grades 5-8, the activity has students step into a space biologist's shoes and predict experiment results.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Linda P. Baker’s short story "The Allure of Bone and Ice." It’s in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s “Are We Alone?” Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Black holes are creating havoc in unsuspected places, according to a new study of images of elliptical galaxies made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The discovery of far-reaching explosive activity, due to giant central black holes in these old galaxies, was a surprise to astronomers. See article.
g Abodes - In the not-too-distant past, the planet Pluto was thought to be an odd bird in the outer reaches of the solar system because it has a moon, Charon, that was formed much like Earth's own moon was formed. But Pluto is getting a lot of company these days. Of the four largest objects in the Kuiper belt, three have one or more moons. See article. For related stories, see “Probe sets sail on voyage to the outer solar system” and “More pictures, video from New Horizons launch”.
g Life - Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? Here’s how scientists are looking for it. See article.
g Intelligence - A new retinal photoreceptor adjusts its sensitivity in different lighting conditions, according to scientists at Brown University, where the rare eye cells were discovered. The findings provide further evidence that the eye has complementary brain-signaling systems at work. See article.
g Message - The question of whether we are alone in the universe is one of the biggest of the Big Questions of Existence. One way to settle the matter is to find some cosmic company. A direct approach to this problem is to scan the skies with radio telescopes in the hope of stumbling across a message from an alien civilization. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - NASA will pay the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) $21.8 million per passenger for Soyuz rides to and from the International Space Station starting this spring. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: “Flies in Space”. For grades 5-8, the activity has students step into a space biologist's shoes and predict experiment results.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Linda P. Baker’s short story "The Allure of Bone and Ice." It’s in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s “Are We Alone?” Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, January 20, 2006
Monster black holes, Stardust’s return and Bracewell probes
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 - An analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope's deepest view of the universe offers compelling evidence that monster black holes in the centers of galaxies were not born big but grew over time through repeated galactic mergers. See article.
g Abodes - When the Stardust sample return capsule returned safely home, mission scientists breathed a sigh of relief. When they opened the capsule, they gasped in delight. Now, they are whistling a happy tune as they examine the many microscopic bits of comet dust. See article.
g Life - Since we haven't found life elsewhere yet, we don't know if life can exist on other planetary bodies. So to understand how life begins we can only look at our own home. Unfortunately because the Earth is a dynamic planet, with plate tectonics and erosional processes continually distorting the rocks, the rock record of the early Earth is limited. Yet scientists have ingenious ways of understanding the early solar system, including our planet and its early life. See article.
g Intelligence - The scenario is familiar from Hollywood blockbusters like “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact.” A massive asteroid — perhaps 10 miles in diameter — is headed straight for Earth. An all-out effort to deflect it is mounted. If the mission succeeds, civilization as we know it will continue. But if natural human reactions to threats interfere, the ending could be far from uplifting. If fear and denial postpone an adequate response, dust and debris could make the daytime sky look like night, the Earth’s surface could be razed by a global firestorm, and tsunamis could obliterate coastal cities. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new feat sets a new record for laser transmission in space, a process which may one day be used to communicate across interplanetary distances and provide scientists with a powerful tool to measure the movement of planets and test fundamental principles in physics. See article.
g Learning - The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2006 will be held March 26-30 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s “The Gods Themselves” (published by Ballentine in 1972).
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing essay that discusses what might happen if we do too little to contact extraterrestrials; as the authors argue, “…skepticism regarding SETI is at best unfounded and at worst can seriously damage the long-term prospects of humanity. If ETIs exist, no matter whether friendly or adversarial (or even beyond such simple distinctions), they are relevant for our future. To neglect this is contraryy to the basic tenets of transhumanism. To appreciate this, it is only sufficient to imagine the consequences of SETI success for any aspect of transhumanist interests, and then to affirm that such a success can only be achieved without trying if they come to us, which would obviously mean that we are hopelessly lagging in the race for galactic colonization.” See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - An analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope's deepest view of the universe offers compelling evidence that monster black holes in the centers of galaxies were not born big but grew over time through repeated galactic mergers. See article.
g Abodes - When the Stardust sample return capsule returned safely home, mission scientists breathed a sigh of relief. When they opened the capsule, they gasped in delight. Now, they are whistling a happy tune as they examine the many microscopic bits of comet dust. See article.
g Life - Since we haven't found life elsewhere yet, we don't know if life can exist on other planetary bodies. So to understand how life begins we can only look at our own home. Unfortunately because the Earth is a dynamic planet, with plate tectonics and erosional processes continually distorting the rocks, the rock record of the early Earth is limited. Yet scientists have ingenious ways of understanding the early solar system, including our planet and its early life. See article.
g Intelligence - The scenario is familiar from Hollywood blockbusters like “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact.” A massive asteroid — perhaps 10 miles in diameter — is headed straight for Earth. An all-out effort to deflect it is mounted. If the mission succeeds, civilization as we know it will continue. But if natural human reactions to threats interfere, the ending could be far from uplifting. If fear and denial postpone an adequate response, dust and debris could make the daytime sky look like night, the Earth’s surface could be razed by a global firestorm, and tsunamis could obliterate coastal cities. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new feat sets a new record for laser transmission in space, a process which may one day be used to communicate across interplanetary distances and provide scientists with a powerful tool to measure the movement of planets and test fundamental principles in physics. See article.
g Learning - The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2006 will be held March 26-30 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s “The Gods Themselves” (published by Ballentine in 1972).
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing essay that discusses what might happen if we do too little to contact extraterrestrials; as the authors argue, “…skepticism regarding SETI is at best unfounded and at worst can seriously damage the long-term prospects of humanity. If ETIs exist, no matter whether friendly or adversarial (or even beyond such simple distinctions), they are relevant for our future. To neglect this is contraryy to the basic tenets of transhumanism. To appreciate this, it is only sufficient to imagine the consequences of SETI success for any aspect of transhumanist interests, and then to affirm that such a success can only be achieved without trying if they come to us, which would obviously mean that we are hopelessly lagging in the race for galactic colonization.” See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Search for star dust, world’s first baby boom and big wheels on Mars
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 - Astronomy buffs who jumped at the chance to use their home computers in the SETI@home search for intelligent life in the universe will soon be able to join an Internet-based search for dust grains originating from stars millions of light years away. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston were excited and awed by what they saw when the sample-return canister from the Stardust spacecraft was opened. Stardust returned to Earth in a spectacular re-entry early Sunday after a 7-year mission to collect particles from comet Wild 2. The comet dates from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. See article.
g Life - Richard Lenski turns up the temperature to lethal degrees. Michael Travisano pits ferocious creatures against more peace loving ones. Andrew Ellington feeds his charges poison and hits them with chemical mutagens. These men aren't sadists or arbitrary executioners - they're just curious. In order to understand where life began, how today's creatures developed and perhaps influence where we may be heading, scientists are recreating evolution. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Intelligence - In an important new study assessing the demographic impact of the shift from foraging to farming, anthropologists use evidence from 60 prehistoric American cemeteries to prove that the invention of agriculture led to a significant worldwide increase in birth rate. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - The next wheels on the red planet will belong to the Mars Science Laboratory — a huge step in how that planet is further poked, probed, and more fully plumbed for new information. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a great Web site for kids: “Dive and Discover.” The site is designed to immerse you in the excitement of exploring the oceans. Dive and Discover brings you on board research expeditions that use deep-sea tools and vehicles, allowing you to become part of teams of scientists and engineers making new discoveries. See site.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Poul Anderson’s novel “The Enemy Stars” (published by Lippincott in 1959).
g Aftermath - For centuries scientists, novelists and ordinary people have imagined what would happen if the human race had contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization. Professor Paul Davies, from the Australian Center for Astrobiology, Sydney, offers his thoughts in this interview. See interview.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomy buffs who jumped at the chance to use their home computers in the SETI@home search for intelligent life in the universe will soon be able to join an Internet-based search for dust grains originating from stars millions of light years away. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston were excited and awed by what they saw when the sample-return canister from the Stardust spacecraft was opened. Stardust returned to Earth in a spectacular re-entry early Sunday after a 7-year mission to collect particles from comet Wild 2. The comet dates from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. See article.
g Life - Richard Lenski turns up the temperature to lethal degrees. Michael Travisano pits ferocious creatures against more peace loving ones. Andrew Ellington feeds his charges poison and hits them with chemical mutagens. These men aren't sadists or arbitrary executioners - they're just curious. In order to understand where life began, how today's creatures developed and perhaps influence where we may be heading, scientists are recreating evolution. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Intelligence - In an important new study assessing the demographic impact of the shift from foraging to farming, anthropologists use evidence from 60 prehistoric American cemeteries to prove that the invention of agriculture led to a significant worldwide increase in birth rate. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - The next wheels on the red planet will belong to the Mars Science Laboratory — a huge step in how that planet is further poked, probed, and more fully plumbed for new information. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a great Web site for kids: “Dive and Discover.” The site is designed to immerse you in the excitement of exploring the oceans. Dive and Discover brings you on board research expeditions that use deep-sea tools and vehicles, allowing you to become part of teams of scientists and engineers making new discoveries. See site.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Poul Anderson’s novel “The Enemy Stars” (published by Lippincott in 1959).
g Aftermath - For centuries scientists, novelists and ordinary people have imagined what would happen if the human race had contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization. Professor Paul Davies, from the Australian Center for Astrobiology, Sydney, offers his thoughts in this interview. See interview.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Whirling Vega, evo devo and a first contact story
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 - The bright star Vega is whirling so fast that it's equator is several thousand degrees cooler than its poles, scientists say. See article.
g Abodes - How much water does life need to survive? See article.
g Life - Biologists at Georgia Tech have provided scientific support for a controversial hypothesis that has divided the fields of evolutionary genomics and evolutionary developmental biology, popularly known as evo devo, for two years. Appearing in the December 2005 issue of Trends in Genetics, researchers find that the size and complexity of a species’ genome is not an evolutionary adaptation per se, but can result as simply a consequence of a reduction in a species’ effective population size. See article.
g Intelligence - Some whale species sing in different dialects depending on where they're from, a new study shows. See article.
g Message - The Search for Extraterrestrial Artifacts, or SETA, is about delineating between the artificial and the real. In the case of radio detection from other stellar systems, the artificial is what is labeled the real signal that intelligent communications are on-air. See article. Note: This article is a couple of years old.
g Cosmicus - A group of telescopes using the world’s biggest digital cameras will soon start scanning the sky from the Hawaiian Islands, tracking down thousands of the smaller, dimmer and overlooked objects in the Sun’s neighborhood. The reason? Hunting for those dangerous space rocks that still elude detection. See article.
g Learning - Justice in California: A rural school district agreed to stop teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution as part of a court settlement filed Tuesday. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read “Encounter with Tiber,” by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes (published by Warner in 1996).
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - The bright star Vega is whirling so fast that it's equator is several thousand degrees cooler than its poles, scientists say. See article.
g Abodes - How much water does life need to survive? See article.
g Life - Biologists at Georgia Tech have provided scientific support for a controversial hypothesis that has divided the fields of evolutionary genomics and evolutionary developmental biology, popularly known as evo devo, for two years. Appearing in the December 2005 issue of Trends in Genetics, researchers find that the size and complexity of a species’ genome is not an evolutionary adaptation per se, but can result as simply a consequence of a reduction in a species’ effective population size. See article.
g Intelligence - Some whale species sing in different dialects depending on where they're from, a new study shows. See article.
g Message - The Search for Extraterrestrial Artifacts, or SETA, is about delineating between the artificial and the real. In the case of radio detection from other stellar systems, the artificial is what is labeled the real signal that intelligent communications are on-air. See article. Note: This article is a couple of years old.
g Cosmicus - A group of telescopes using the world’s biggest digital cameras will soon start scanning the sky from the Hawaiian Islands, tracking down thousands of the smaller, dimmer and overlooked objects in the Sun’s neighborhood. The reason? Hunting for those dangerous space rocks that still elude detection. See article.
g Learning - Justice in California: A rural school district agreed to stop teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution as part of a court settlement filed Tuesday. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read “Encounter with Tiber,” by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes (published by Warner in 1996).
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Warped Milky Way, journey to an impact crater and looking for ET at Pi GHz
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 - The most prominent of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies - a pair of galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds - appears to be interacting with the Milky Way's ghostly dark matter to create a mysterious warp in the galactic disk that has puzzled astronomers for half a century. See article. For related story, see “Milky Way Galaxy Is Warped And Vibrating Like A Drum”.
g Abodes - Travel with Aaron Gronstal on a drilling expedition in Chesapeake Bay, the site of a 35 million-year-old impact crater. This portion of his journal is part 1 of a 4-part series. See article.
g Life - Scientific insights come at the darnedest times. Animal behaviorist Sean O'Donnell was having an afternoon cup of coffee when a giant earthworm exploded out of the leaf litter covering the jungle floor in an Ecuadorean nature preserve. A column of hundreds of raiding army ants that quickly paralyzed or killed it pursued the worm, later measured at nearly 16 inches long. See article.
g Intelligence - Placing your foot down when walking was thought to be a predetermined process: lift foot, decide where to put it based on what’s on the ground, and if nothing moves, land it down on the original target. Scientists thought this procedure requires no immediate visual information once the foot was lifted off the ground. But a new study has found that continuous visual guidance mechanisms may be needed for accurate foot placement. See article.
g Message - Is there any good reason to look for intelligently generated extraterrestrial emissions in the spectrum at Pi GHz or 3.141...GHz. See article.
g Cosmicus - In an exclusive SPACE.com interview with NASA’s Michael Coats, the newly appointed Johnson Space Center director detailed the challenges he faces in the new post. See article.
g Learning - A federal judge in Fresno is scheduled to hold a hearing today on whether to halt a Frazier Mountain High School science class midway through the month-long winter term because the teacher introduced intelligent design. See article.
g Imagining - A complaint lodged again and again against science fiction aliens is that they look too much like us. Is that complaint valid? Is it so unlikely that extraterrestrials would look at least similar (though not identical) to humans? If so, then what would beings, intelligent or not so intelligent, who evolved on another world look like? That's what Cliff Pickover explores in The Science of Aliens.Though the book is a few years old, it’s still worth reading. Here’s a review of it and an interview with the author.
g Aftermath - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Terry A. Adams’ “Sentience: A Novel of First Contact.” It was published by DAW in 1986.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - The most prominent of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies - a pair of galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds - appears to be interacting with the Milky Way's ghostly dark matter to create a mysterious warp in the galactic disk that has puzzled astronomers for half a century. See article. For related story, see “Milky Way Galaxy Is Warped And Vibrating Like A Drum”.
g Abodes - Travel with Aaron Gronstal on a drilling expedition in Chesapeake Bay, the site of a 35 million-year-old impact crater. This portion of his journal is part 1 of a 4-part series. See article.
g Life - Scientific insights come at the darnedest times. Animal behaviorist Sean O'Donnell was having an afternoon cup of coffee when a giant earthworm exploded out of the leaf litter covering the jungle floor in an Ecuadorean nature preserve. A column of hundreds of raiding army ants that quickly paralyzed or killed it pursued the worm, later measured at nearly 16 inches long. See article.
g Intelligence - Placing your foot down when walking was thought to be a predetermined process: lift foot, decide where to put it based on what’s on the ground, and if nothing moves, land it down on the original target. Scientists thought this procedure requires no immediate visual information once the foot was lifted off the ground. But a new study has found that continuous visual guidance mechanisms may be needed for accurate foot placement. See article.
g Message - Is there any good reason to look for intelligently generated extraterrestrial emissions in the spectrum at Pi GHz or 3.141...GHz. See article.
g Cosmicus - In an exclusive SPACE.com interview with NASA’s Michael Coats, the newly appointed Johnson Space Center director detailed the challenges he faces in the new post. See article.
g Learning - A federal judge in Fresno is scheduled to hold a hearing today on whether to halt a Frazier Mountain High School science class midway through the month-long winter term because the teacher introduced intelligent design. See article.
g Imagining - A complaint lodged again and again against science fiction aliens is that they look too much like us. Is that complaint valid? Is it so unlikely that extraterrestrials would look at least similar (though not identical) to humans? If so, then what would beings, intelligent or not so intelligent, who evolved on another world look like? That's what Cliff Pickover explores in The Science of Aliens.Though the book is a few years old, it’s still worth reading. Here’s a review of it and an interview with the author.
g Aftermath - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Terry A. Adams’ “Sentience: A Novel of First Contact.” It was published by DAW in 1986.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, January 16, 2006
Methane’s rise, feel for flying and killer electrons
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Bats have an "ear" for flying in the dark because of a remarkable auditory talent that allows them to determine their physical environment by listening to echoes. But an Ohio University neurobiology professor says bats have a "feel" for it, too. John Zook's studies of bat flight suggest that touch-sensitive receptors on bats' wings help them maintain altitude and catch insects in midair. His preliminary findings revive part of a long-forgotten theory that bats use their sense of touch for nighttime navigation and hunting. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of British researchers announced that many young girls mutilate and torture their Barbie dolls. According to University of Bath researcher Agnes Nairn, “the girls we spoke to see Barbie torture as a legitimate play activity….The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking, and even microwaving.” The reason, Nairn said, was that girls saw Barbie as childish, an inanimate object instead of a treasured toy. See article.
g Message - Book alert: As many earthlings already know - including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience - our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and - once some ET picks up on the other end--what we might say and how we might say it. See article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency's Cluster mission has revealed a new creation mechanism of 'killer electrons' - highly energetic electrons that are responsible for damaging satellites and posing a serious hazard to astronauts. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0601/01cluster/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities: “Switch on the Microscope.” The study of microbial communities is essential if we are to understand and manage the world around us, and such studies prepare us for the exploration for life on other planets. This site has images of microbes, classification schemes, descriptions of organisms, talks and other educational resources to improve awareness of the biodiversity of our microbial partners. See article.
g Imagining - Hollywood loves movies about extraterrestrials, but most silver screen aliens - from E.T. to Star Wars - are remarkably anthropomorphic. Scientists say the real aliens may be far stranger than we think. Find out why intelligent life elsewhere in the universe won't resemble Tinseltown's take. See podcast for this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - Like “first contact” stories? Then be sure to read Lynn Abbey’s short story "The Toshita Project." It appears in “Alien Encounters,” edited by Jan Finder.
g Stars - Scientists have found new evidence that black holes are performing the disappearing acts for which they are known. A team from MIT and Harvard has found that a certain type of X-ray explosion common on neutron stars is never seen around their black hole cousins, as if the gas that fuels these explosions has vanished into a void. See article.
g Abodes - The first survey in 1971 on the possibility of inadvertent human modification of climate stated that "Methane has no direct effects on the climate or the biosphere [and] it is considered to be of no importance." The gas did not even appear in the index of the major climatology book of the time. Yet in the 2001 IPCC report, large parts of multiple chapters are dedicated to examining the sources, sinks, chemistry, history and potential future of this humble molecule. New papers are published every month relating paleo-climate changes to methane variability and discussing the possibility of significantly reducing future anthropogenic climate change by aggressively managing methane emissions. New hypotheses such as the "clathrate gun hypothesis" place methane variability at the center of the debate on rapid climate change. What has fueled the rapid rise of methane from an obscure trace gas to a major factor in past, present and future climate change? As is usual in science, it is the conflation of multiple lines of evidence, that only when taken together do the connections and possible feedbacks seem obvious. See article.g Life - Bats have an "ear" for flying in the dark because of a remarkable auditory talent that allows them to determine their physical environment by listening to echoes. But an Ohio University neurobiology professor says bats have a "feel" for it, too. John Zook's studies of bat flight suggest that touch-sensitive receptors on bats' wings help them maintain altitude and catch insects in midair. His preliminary findings revive part of a long-forgotten theory that bats use their sense of touch for nighttime navigation and hunting. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of British researchers announced that many young girls mutilate and torture their Barbie dolls. According to University of Bath researcher Agnes Nairn, “the girls we spoke to see Barbie torture as a legitimate play activity….The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking, and even microwaving.” The reason, Nairn said, was that girls saw Barbie as childish, an inanimate object instead of a treasured toy. See article.
g Message - Book alert: As many earthlings already know - including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience - our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and - once some ET picks up on the other end--what we might say and how we might say it. See article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency's Cluster mission has revealed a new creation mechanism of 'killer electrons' - highly energetic electrons that are responsible for damaging satellites and posing a serious hazard to astronauts. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0601/01cluster/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities: “Switch on the Microscope.” The study of microbial communities is essential if we are to understand and manage the world around us, and such studies prepare us for the exploration for life on other planets. This site has images of microbes, classification schemes, descriptions of organisms, talks and other educational resources to improve awareness of the biodiversity of our microbial partners. See article.
g Imagining - Hollywood loves movies about extraterrestrials, but most silver screen aliens - from E.T. to Star Wars - are remarkably anthropomorphic. Scientists say the real aliens may be far stranger than we think. Find out why intelligent life elsewhere in the universe won't resemble Tinseltown's take. See podcast for this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - Like “first contact” stories? Then be sure to read Lynn Abbey’s short story "The Toshita Project." It appears in “Alien Encounters,” edited by Jan Finder.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Death spiral into a black hole, Earth-like worlds common and the bigger the brain the better
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 - How does matter spiral its way to the center of a galaxy and into the mouth of a supermassive black hole? A new study provides the best glimpse yet at the death spiral of material as it descends into the core of a galaxy hosting a large black hole. The study predicts that, barring obstructions, the galactic debris will take about 200,000 years to make a one-way trip through the inner regions of the galaxy and into oblivion. See article.
g Abodes - New theoretical work shows that gas-giant planet formation can occur around binary stars in much the same way that it occurs around single stars like the Sun. The work was presented by Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington, DC. The results suggest that gas-giant planets, like Jupiter, and habitable Earth-like planets could be more prevalent than previously thought. See article.
g Life - The stem cells that produce bird feathers have been visualized and analyzed for the first time, signifying the initial step in a scientific journey that may ultimately shed light on human organ regeneration. The research, published in the December 15 issue of the journal Nature, was performed by a group of prominent stem-cell researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. See article. For related story, see “OHSU Discovery Sheds Light Into How Stem Cells Become Brain Cells”.
g Intelligence - Brain size matters for intellectual ability and bigger is better, McMaster University researchers have found. See article.
g Message - When it comes to signaling across space, power is paramount. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The first robotic explorer to visit Pluto and probe the Kuiper Belt in our solar system's outer frontier awaits launch from Cape Canaveral at 1:24 p.m. EST on Tuesday. Check out this highly detailed five-part preview story examining NASA's New Horizons mission. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom resource courtesy of NASA: “Life on Earth … and Elsewhere?” This booklet contains 5 classroom activities for grades 5-10 spanning topics from "Defining Life," to "Determining the Chances of Extraterrestrial Life."
g Imagining - The answers showed that science fiction not only reflects science but is also an inspiration for it. See article.
g Aftermath - How's your math? Well, you may want to brush up on it - that is, if you hope to be conversant with ET. Scientists say that any signal we receive from intelligent life is rather unlikely to be in English, but in the language of math. Find out why algebra truly may be an alien concept - just as you suspected in high school - and what a message from another planet might be. See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - How does matter spiral its way to the center of a galaxy and into the mouth of a supermassive black hole? A new study provides the best glimpse yet at the death spiral of material as it descends into the core of a galaxy hosting a large black hole. The study predicts that, barring obstructions, the galactic debris will take about 200,000 years to make a one-way trip through the inner regions of the galaxy and into oblivion. See article.
g Abodes - New theoretical work shows that gas-giant planet formation can occur around binary stars in much the same way that it occurs around single stars like the Sun. The work was presented by Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington, DC. The results suggest that gas-giant planets, like Jupiter, and habitable Earth-like planets could be more prevalent than previously thought. See article.
g Life - The stem cells that produce bird feathers have been visualized and analyzed for the first time, signifying the initial step in a scientific journey that may ultimately shed light on human organ regeneration. The research, published in the December 15 issue of the journal Nature, was performed by a group of prominent stem-cell researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. See article. For related story, see “OHSU Discovery Sheds Light Into How Stem Cells Become Brain Cells”.
g Intelligence - Brain size matters for intellectual ability and bigger is better, McMaster University researchers have found. See article.
g Message - When it comes to signaling across space, power is paramount. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The first robotic explorer to visit Pluto and probe the Kuiper Belt in our solar system's outer frontier awaits launch from Cape Canaveral at 1:24 p.m. EST on Tuesday. Check out this highly detailed five-part preview story examining NASA's New Horizons mission. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom resource courtesy of NASA: “Life on Earth … and Elsewhere?” This booklet contains 5 classroom activities for grades 5-10 spanning topics from "Defining Life," to "Determining the Chances of Extraterrestrial Life."
g Imagining - The answers showed that science fiction not only reflects science but is also an inspiration for it. See article.
g Aftermath - How's your math? Well, you may want to brush up on it - that is, if you hope to be conversant with ET. Scientists say that any signal we receive from intelligent life is rather unlikely to be in English, but in the language of math. Find out why algebra truly may be an alien concept - just as you suspected in high school - and what a message from another planet might be. See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, January 14, 2006
North Star, preparing for Mars and religion surviving first contact
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 - We tend to think of the North Star, Polaris, as a steady, solitary point of light that guided sailors in ages past. But there is more to the North Star than meets the eye. The North Star is actually a triple star system. And while one companion can be seen easily through small telescopes, the other hugs Polaris so tightly that it has never been seen - until now. See article.
g Abodes - There’s a new mission to Mars. But we’re not talking about cute little robot rovers anymore. CBS News Correspondent Jerry Bowen reports on a plan to turn the Red Planet into a green one – one that could support life. "What we propose is to use greenhouse gases – the same ones that are currently on the earth causing climate change," said Margarita Marinova, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology. See article. Note: this article is from 2005.
g Life - Astrobiologists often have compelling adventures in far-flung locations. Charles Cockell, professor and chair of microbiology at the Open University in the UK, recounts an unusual expedition collecting moths in Indonesia. See article.
g Intelligence - In experiments with mice, scientists from Johns Hopkins' Institute for Cell Engineering have discovered the steps required to integrate new neurons into the brain's existing operations. See article.
g Message - Estimating the frequency for communicating with an extrasolar civilization is a multi-dimensional challenge. The answer, according to two scientists at the Hungarian Astronomical Association, is less like an equation and more like a matrix. See article. Note: This article is from September 2003.
g Cosmicus - A few weeks before leaving for the Antarctic Concordia Station, the Italian-French crew that will spend over one year in one of the harshest, isolated environments on Earth, attended two days of preparatory training at ESA's Headquarters in Paris, France. During their stay at the research station the crew will participate in a number of ESA experiments - the outcome of which will help prepare for long-term missions to Mars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a great classroom resource guide, courtesy of NASA: NAI's team at NASA Ames Research Center has created Chapter 4 of the Yellowstone Resources and Issues Guide which tells all about thermophiles, their habitats in the park, and their relationship to both the history of life on Earth, and the search for life elsewhere. The guide is used to train park naturalists and rangers, and it can also serve as a valuable resource when teaching about extremophiles and astrobiology in the classroom. Download your copy.
g Imagining - Will robots one day rule the world? For decades this notion has both fascinated and terrified humans, our hungry imagination fed by Hollywood blockbusters and sci-fi novels. Now a new generation of robots promises a breakthrough in the world of Artificial Intelligence as they become capable of cognitive thought processes. See article.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as this would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life - even intelligent life - among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - We tend to think of the North Star, Polaris, as a steady, solitary point of light that guided sailors in ages past. But there is more to the North Star than meets the eye. The North Star is actually a triple star system. And while one companion can be seen easily through small telescopes, the other hugs Polaris so tightly that it has never been seen - until now. See article.
g Abodes - There’s a new mission to Mars. But we’re not talking about cute little robot rovers anymore. CBS News Correspondent Jerry Bowen reports on a plan to turn the Red Planet into a green one – one that could support life. "What we propose is to use greenhouse gases – the same ones that are currently on the earth causing climate change," said Margarita Marinova, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology. See article. Note: this article is from 2005.
g Life - Astrobiologists often have compelling adventures in far-flung locations. Charles Cockell, professor and chair of microbiology at the Open University in the UK, recounts an unusual expedition collecting moths in Indonesia. See article.
g Intelligence - In experiments with mice, scientists from Johns Hopkins' Institute for Cell Engineering have discovered the steps required to integrate new neurons into the brain's existing operations. See article.
g Message - Estimating the frequency for communicating with an extrasolar civilization is a multi-dimensional challenge. The answer, according to two scientists at the Hungarian Astronomical Association, is less like an equation and more like a matrix. See article. Note: This article is from September 2003.
g Cosmicus - A few weeks before leaving for the Antarctic Concordia Station, the Italian-French crew that will spend over one year in one of the harshest, isolated environments on Earth, attended two days of preparatory training at ESA's Headquarters in Paris, France. During their stay at the research station the crew will participate in a number of ESA experiments - the outcome of which will help prepare for long-term missions to Mars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a great classroom resource guide, courtesy of NASA: NAI's team at NASA Ames Research Center has created Chapter 4 of the Yellowstone Resources and Issues Guide which tells all about thermophiles, their habitats in the park, and their relationship to both the history of life on Earth, and the search for life elsewhere. The guide is used to train park naturalists and rangers, and it can also serve as a valuable resource when teaching about extremophiles and astrobiology in the classroom. Download your copy.
g Imagining - Will robots one day rule the world? For decades this notion has both fascinated and terrified humans, our hungry imagination fed by Hollywood blockbusters and sci-fi novels. Now a new generation of robots promises a breakthrough in the world of Artificial Intelligence as they become capable of cognitive thought processes. See article.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as this would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life - even intelligent life - among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, January 13, 2006
Half a dozen new stars every year, Stardust’s return and how mirrors work
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 - Astronomers have the best evidence yet pinning down how just many stars form in our galaxy every year: about half a dozen. See article.
g Abodes - With its precious cargo of comet bits nestled inside, NASA's Stardust spacecraft is soaring inbound for Sunday's fiery descent and landing in Utah that will cap a 2.88-billion mile voyage spanning 7 years of looping around the solar system. See article.
g Life - Are we alone in the universe? Philosophers and astronomers have looked to the stars to answer this question for hundreds of years. But now, some scientists are hoping to learn more about alien life forms by looking not into outer space, but at some of the most extreme environments here on Earth. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - Psychologists at the University of Liverpool have found that people still find it difficult to understand how mirrors work. See article.
g Message - Chances are, there is life beyond Earth. But if anyone makes contact, the messages may be thousands of years old and indecipherable. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - Book alert: We have been very lucky of late to have a great many books being written about the early days of the space program, often with direct input from those who took part. One of the latest offerings is "The Real Space Cowboys" (Apogee, $29.95), by Ed Buckbee and astronaut Wally Schirra. See reviews.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of classroom activities, courtesy of NASA: “Microbial Life.” It’s a new, freely accessible digital library dedicated to the diversity, ecology, and evolution of the microbial world. Engage students with hands-on activities and other curriculum-based resources that cover topics such as astrobiology, bioinformatics, extremophiles, and the microbes of marine environments. See article.
g Imagining - Long before modern SETI experiments - and even before the invention of the telescope - people looked into the sky and reasoned that there must be life on planetary bodies beyond Earth. In fact, ideas about extraterrestrial life go back at least as far as the ancient Greeks - more than 2000 years ago. Hear how our thinking about ET has evolved since antiquity, from the ideas about life on the moon, Mars and worlds beyond - to one theory about life on the Sun! See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - In its simplest and shortest definition, astrobiology may be summed up as, “The study of life in the universe.” There's just one problem when it comes to studying life in the universe. So far, we're it. See article.
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g Stars - Astronomers have the best evidence yet pinning down how just many stars form in our galaxy every year: about half a dozen. See article.
g Abodes - With its precious cargo of comet bits nestled inside, NASA's Stardust spacecraft is soaring inbound for Sunday's fiery descent and landing in Utah that will cap a 2.88-billion mile voyage spanning 7 years of looping around the solar system. See article.
g Life - Are we alone in the universe? Philosophers and astronomers have looked to the stars to answer this question for hundreds of years. But now, some scientists are hoping to learn more about alien life forms by looking not into outer space, but at some of the most extreme environments here on Earth. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - Psychologists at the University of Liverpool have found that people still find it difficult to understand how mirrors work. See article.
g Message - Chances are, there is life beyond Earth. But if anyone makes contact, the messages may be thousands of years old and indecipherable. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Cosmicus - Book alert: We have been very lucky of late to have a great many books being written about the early days of the space program, often with direct input from those who took part. One of the latest offerings is "The Real Space Cowboys" (Apogee, $29.95), by Ed Buckbee and astronaut Wally Schirra. See reviews.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of classroom activities, courtesy of NASA: “Microbial Life.” It’s a new, freely accessible digital library dedicated to the diversity, ecology, and evolution of the microbial world. Engage students with hands-on activities and other curriculum-based resources that cover topics such as astrobiology, bioinformatics, extremophiles, and the microbes of marine environments. See article.
g Imagining - Long before modern SETI experiments - and even before the invention of the telescope - people looked into the sky and reasoned that there must be life on planetary bodies beyond Earth. In fact, ideas about extraterrestrial life go back at least as far as the ancient Greeks - more than 2000 years ago. Hear how our thinking about ET has evolved since antiquity, from the ideas about life on the moon, Mars and worlds beyond - to one theory about life on the Sun! See podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - In its simplest and shortest definition, astrobiology may be summed up as, “The study of life in the universe.” There's just one problem when it comes to studying life in the universe. So far, we're it. See article.
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Thursday, January 12, 2006
Deep drilling on Mars, mental time travel and killer electrons
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 - A storm of billowing clouds blown by the winds from massive stars, and set aglow by their light, is the focus of a striking image released by Gemini Observatory. See article.
g Abodes - The more scientists have learned about Mars in recent years, the more some believe that finding life might involve a deep drilling project. See article.
g Life - Trees in the Amazon tropical forests are old. Really old, in fact, which comes as a surprise to a team of American and Brazilian researchers studying tree growth in the world’s largest tropical region. See article.
g Intelligence - Neuroscientists at Princeton University have developed a new way of tracking people's mental state as they think back to previous events -- a process that has been described as "mental time travel." See article.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency's Cluster mission has revealed a new creation mechanism of 'killer electrons' - highly energetic electrons that are responsible for damaging satellites and posing a serious hazard to astronauts. Over the past five years, a series of discoveries by the multi-spacecraft Cluster mission have significantly enhanced our knowledge of how, where and under which conditions these killer electrons are created in Earth's magnetosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of afterschool activities for elementary school students: “Astrobiology.” This new resource guide from the American Museum of Natural History brings astrobiology activities to the afterschool arena. As part of an 18-month project, AMNH collected NASA materials originally developed for the formal education setting, and adapted them for use in afterschool programs for participants aged 5-12. Members of NAI's NASA Ames Research Center Lead Team served as science advisors to the guide. See guide.
g Imagining - You've seen them on the screen - now see them up-close, behind plexiglass. They're all your favorite aliens – including the Alien Queen - stacked up and labeled for your viewing pleasure. See this podcast of the SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - As we look toward exploring other worlds, and perhaps even bringing samples back to Earth for testing, astrobiologists have to wonder: could there be alien pathogens in those samples that will wreak havoc on our world? See article.
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g Stars - A storm of billowing clouds blown by the winds from massive stars, and set aglow by their light, is the focus of a striking image released by Gemini Observatory. See article.
g Abodes - The more scientists have learned about Mars in recent years, the more some believe that finding life might involve a deep drilling project. See article.
g Life - Trees in the Amazon tropical forests are old. Really old, in fact, which comes as a surprise to a team of American and Brazilian researchers studying tree growth in the world’s largest tropical region. See article.
g Intelligence - Neuroscientists at Princeton University have developed a new way of tracking people's mental state as they think back to previous events -- a process that has been described as "mental time travel." See article.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See article.
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency's Cluster mission has revealed a new creation mechanism of 'killer electrons' - highly energetic electrons that are responsible for damaging satellites and posing a serious hazard to astronauts. Over the past five years, a series of discoveries by the multi-spacecraft Cluster mission have significantly enhanced our knowledge of how, where and under which conditions these killer electrons are created in Earth's magnetosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of afterschool activities for elementary school students: “Astrobiology.” This new resource guide from the American Museum of Natural History brings astrobiology activities to the afterschool arena. As part of an 18-month project, AMNH collected NASA materials originally developed for the formal education setting, and adapted them for use in afterschool programs for participants aged 5-12. Members of NAI's NASA Ames Research Center Lead Team served as science advisors to the guide. See guide.
g Imagining - You've seen them on the screen - now see them up-close, behind plexiglass. They're all your favorite aliens – including the Alien Queen - stacked up and labeled for your viewing pleasure. See this podcast of the SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - As we look toward exploring other worlds, and perhaps even bringing samples back to Earth for testing, astrobiologists have to wonder: could there be alien pathogens in those samples that will wreak havoc on our world? See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Doomed star orbits black hole, life’s most basic ingredients found amid stardust and standing up to ‘intelligent design’
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 - Scientists using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have found a doomed star orbiting what appears to be a medium-sized black hole - a theorized "in-between" category of black hole that has eluded confirmation and frustrated scientists for more than a decade. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered some of life's most basic ingredients in the dust swirling around a young star. The ingredients - gaseous precursors to DNA and protein - were detected in the star's terrestrial planet zone, a region where rocky planets such as Earth are thought to be born. See article.
g Life - Safeguarding 595 sites around the world would help stave off an imminent global extinction crisis, according to new research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Conducted by scientists working with the 52 member organizations of the Alliance for Zero Extinction, the study identifies 794 species threatened with imminent extinction, each of which is in need of urgent conservation action at a single remaining site on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - A research team proposes that the time when the most recent common ancestor of humans and their closest ape relatives - the chimpanzees - lived was between 5 and 7 million years ago - a sharper focus than previous estimates of anywhere from 3 to 13 million years ago. Gene studies are needed because the interpretations of the earliest fossils of humans at the ape/human boundary are controversial and almost no fossils of chimpanzees have been discovered. See article.
g Message - Stelio Montebugnoli, the director of the radiotelescope installations at Medicina (close to Bologna, Italy), predicts we probably won’t make contact with an extraterrestrial civilization for at least 15 more years. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronomers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center have recorded a small but powerful meteoroid strike in the night on the moon's surface. As astronauts prepare for future missions to the moon, the space agency has a need to understand what happens after lunar impacts in order to protect explorers. See article.
g Learning - A rural high school teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution was sued Tuesday by a group of parents who said the class should be stopped because it violates the U.S. Constitution. See article.
g Imagining - While science fiction has come a long way from the days of bug-eyed monsters, the genre still hasn't gone far enough in presenting well-conceived alien beings. As a derivative genre, role-playing games have an even poorer record. See article.
g Aftermath - Alien encounters and science fiction permeate pop culture, but what would it really mean if scientists found life beyond Earth? If even a single-celled organism on another planet was discovered, for many, this would be the last thread of evidence proving that life is simply chemistry. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
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g Stars - Scientists using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have found a doomed star orbiting what appears to be a medium-sized black hole - a theorized "in-between" category of black hole that has eluded confirmation and frustrated scientists for more than a decade. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered some of life's most basic ingredients in the dust swirling around a young star. The ingredients - gaseous precursors to DNA and protein - were detected in the star's terrestrial planet zone, a region where rocky planets such as Earth are thought to be born. See article.
g Life - Safeguarding 595 sites around the world would help stave off an imminent global extinction crisis, according to new research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Conducted by scientists working with the 52 member organizations of the Alliance for Zero Extinction, the study identifies 794 species threatened with imminent extinction, each of which is in need of urgent conservation action at a single remaining site on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - A research team proposes that the time when the most recent common ancestor of humans and their closest ape relatives - the chimpanzees - lived was between 5 and 7 million years ago - a sharper focus than previous estimates of anywhere from 3 to 13 million years ago. Gene studies are needed because the interpretations of the earliest fossils of humans at the ape/human boundary are controversial and almost no fossils of chimpanzees have been discovered. See article.
g Message - Stelio Montebugnoli, the director of the radiotelescope installations at Medicina (close to Bologna, Italy), predicts we probably won’t make contact with an extraterrestrial civilization for at least 15 more years. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronomers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center have recorded a small but powerful meteoroid strike in the night on the moon's surface. As astronauts prepare for future missions to the moon, the space agency has a need to understand what happens after lunar impacts in order to protect explorers. See article.
g Learning - A rural high school teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution was sued Tuesday by a group of parents who said the class should be stopped because it violates the U.S. Constitution. See article.
g Imagining - While science fiction has come a long way from the days of bug-eyed monsters, the genre still hasn't gone far enough in presenting well-conceived alien beings. As a derivative genre, role-playing games have an even poorer record. See article.
g Aftermath - Alien encounters and science fiction permeate pop culture, but what would it really mean if scientists found life beyond Earth? If even a single-celled organism on another planet was discovered, for many, this would be the last thread of evidence proving that life is simply chemistry. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
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