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 infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a burning hot galaxy whose fiery stars appear to be blowing out giant billows of smoky dust. See article.
g Abodes - Rocky planets such as Earth and Mars are born when small particles smash together to form larger, planet-sized clusters in a planet-forming disk, but researchers are less sure about how gas-giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn form. See article.
g Life - New research reveals that songbirds add style to their songs using the same mechanism as humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Too old to learn new skills? By golly, think again. New research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsetting some age-related declines and boosting performance. See article.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's investment in enabling technologies for space exploration has been scaled back dramatically in the past year and focused on areas deemed critical to fielding the Crew Exploration Vehicle and conducting the first human lunar sorties since the Apollo program. See article.
g Learning - What are university students learning about astrobiology? Check out "An Introduction to Astrobiology." Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for elementary university courses in astrobiology. It begins with an examination of how life may have arisen on Earth and then reviews the evidence for possible life on Mars, Europa and Titan. The potential for life in exoplanetary systems and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are also discussed. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a Web site hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a Website hosting further teaching materials. See reviews.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Kristine Katherine Rusch’s "Fit to Print," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
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.
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Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Giant protoplanets, hunt for life in our solar system and weightlessness’ effect
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - In an article to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, two British astronomers present new numerical simulations of how planetary systems form. They find that, in the early stages of planetary formation, giant protoplanets migrate inward in lockstep into the central star. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1903mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - Today, many of our efforts to find DNA’s alien equivalents focus on distant locales; for example, the use of space-borne telescopes to sort through the spectra of extrasolar worlds, looking for atmospheric gases that would be evidence of biology. But there’s also a backyard effort: the hunt for life nearby, in the solar system. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060323_seti_bi
omes.html.
g Life - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2006/03/060327083737.htm.
g Intelligence - Memory enhancement, IQ boosters and drugs designed to attack genetic weaknesses may increase competition in the future and create a playing field that is far from equal, scientists at the World Economic Forum said. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/ap_060125_super_humans.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
179534.
g Cosmicus - With President Bush talking up trips to the moon and Mars, and a new satellite circling the red planet, ever wonder what it feels like in space? The expensive way to find out is to hitch a ride on a parabolic aircraft trip, where you may get up to 90 "weightless" sessions of about 20 seconds each. But if you want to find out how space flight actually affects the body, just lie down and recline your head at a 6-degree angle below your feet for a few days. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060327150844.htm.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan for middle school astronomy: “The Life Cycle of Stars.” See http://www.ioncmaste.ca/homepage/
resources/web_resources/CSA_Astro9/files/html/module2/
lessons/lesson2/starLifecycle.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nigel Robinson’s novel “First Contact,” published by Scholastic UK in 1994.
g Aftermath - What if, one day, Earth was contacted by an extraterrestrial civilization? How, as a planet, would we respond to their offer to interact? What if they asked, “Do you have a method in place, or even a policy that outlines how Earth will proceed now that contact has happened?” Here’s an organization that we believes we need in place legal protocol and has proposed the “Extraterrestrial Contact Act.” See http://www.contactact.org/index.htm.
g Stars - In an article to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, two British astronomers present new numerical simulations of how planetary systems form. They find that, in the early stages of planetary formation, giant protoplanets migrate inward in lockstep into the central star. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1903mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - Today, many of our efforts to find DNA’s alien equivalents focus on distant locales; for example, the use of space-borne telescopes to sort through the spectra of extrasolar worlds, looking for atmospheric gases that would be evidence of biology. But there’s also a backyard effort: the hunt for life nearby, in the solar system. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060323_seti_bi
omes.html.
g Life - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2006/03/060327083737.htm.
g Intelligence - Memory enhancement, IQ boosters and drugs designed to attack genetic weaknesses may increase competition in the future and create a playing field that is far from equal, scientists at the World Economic Forum said. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/ap_060125_super_humans.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
179534.
g Cosmicus - With President Bush talking up trips to the moon and Mars, and a new satellite circling the red planet, ever wonder what it feels like in space? The expensive way to find out is to hitch a ride on a parabolic aircraft trip, where you may get up to 90 "weightless" sessions of about 20 seconds each. But if you want to find out how space flight actually affects the body, just lie down and recline your head at a 6-degree angle below your feet for a few days. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060327150844.htm.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan for middle school astronomy: “The Life Cycle of Stars.” See http://www.ioncmaste.ca/homepage/
resources/web_resources/CSA_Astro9/files/html/module2/
lessons/lesson2/starLifecycle.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nigel Robinson’s novel “First Contact,” published by Scholastic UK in 1994.
g Aftermath - What if, one day, Earth was contacted by an extraterrestrial civilization? How, as a planet, would we respond to their offer to interact? What if they asked, “Do you have a method in place, or even a policy that outlines how Earth will proceed now that contact has happened?” Here’s an organization that we believes we need in place legal protocol and has proposed the “Extraterrestrial Contact Act.” See http://www.contactact.org/index.htm.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Helix-shaped nebula, ultraviolet vision and hunting old spacecraft on the Moon
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Magnetic forces at the center of the galaxy have twisted a nebula into the shape of DNA, a new study reveals. See article.
g Abodes - A study of a meteorite that fell in Egypt nearly 95 years ago may offer clues as to the search for possible life on Mars. Researchers studying the meteorite that originated from Mars found a series of microscopic tunnels within the object that mimic the size, shape and distribution to tracks left on Earth rocks by the feeding frenzy of bacteria. See article. For related stories, see “Mars meteorite similar to bacteria-etched Earth rocks”; and “MRO Test Snaps”.
g Life - Work reported this week provides new evidence that marsupials, like primates, have functional color vision based on three different types of color photoreceptor cones - but unlike primates, a component of marsupial color vision includes sensitivity to ultraviolet wavelengths. See article.
g Intelligence - The human brain to mitigate foul taste through a ruse of anticipation. Work conducted at the UW-Madison Waisman Center using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques and distasteful concoctions of quinine on a cohort of college students reveals in detail how the brain responds to a manipulation intended to mitigate an unpleasant experience. 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 - Pinpointing old spacecraft and artificial impact craters on the Moon is not only a curatorial courtesy, but also can generate important science. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for budding astronomers: StarChild.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hayford Pierce’s short story "Mail Supremacy", anthologized in March 1975’s Analog.
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
g Stars - Magnetic forces at the center of the galaxy have twisted a nebula into the shape of DNA, a new study reveals. See article.
g Abodes - A study of a meteorite that fell in Egypt nearly 95 years ago may offer clues as to the search for possible life on Mars. Researchers studying the meteorite that originated from Mars found a series of microscopic tunnels within the object that mimic the size, shape and distribution to tracks left on Earth rocks by the feeding frenzy of bacteria. See article. For related stories, see “Mars meteorite similar to bacteria-etched Earth rocks”; and “MRO Test Snaps”.
g Life - Work reported this week provides new evidence that marsupials, like primates, have functional color vision based on three different types of color photoreceptor cones - but unlike primates, a component of marsupial color vision includes sensitivity to ultraviolet wavelengths. See article.
g Intelligence - The human brain to mitigate foul taste through a ruse of anticipation. Work conducted at the UW-Madison Waisman Center using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques and distasteful concoctions of quinine on a cohort of college students reveals in detail how the brain responds to a manipulation intended to mitigate an unpleasant experience. 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 - Pinpointing old spacecraft and artificial impact craters on the Moon is not only a curatorial courtesy, but also can generate important science. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for budding astronomers: StarChild.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hayford Pierce’s short story "Mail Supremacy", anthologized in March 1975’s Analog.
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
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Star cocoons, ocean-creating comets and outcompeted Neanderthals
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists looking at three rare and radiant pulsating stars have found they each are surrounded by a fairly bright layer of matter, a “cocoon,” that has never before been detected around stars of this kind. See article.
g Abodes - Three icy comets orbiting among the rocky asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may hold clues to the origin of Earth's oceans. See article.
g Life - Choosing a mate is a big decision. And, at least for mice, it's one that is best made with input from one's peers. See article.
g Intelligence - Neanderthals in Europe were killed off by the advance of modern humans thousands of years earlier than previously believed, losing a competition for food and shelter, according to a new study. See article. For related story, see “Ice Age star map discovered” (Note: This article is from 2000).
g Message - In August 1977, a sky survey conducted with Ohio State University's "Big Ear" radio telescope found what has become known as the “Wow” signal. Registering enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72-second lifetime. But a hitch remains: The signal has not been retrieved from other sky surveys, making it more anomaly than confirmable cosmic source. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - Scientists funded by the European Space Agency have measured the gravitational equivalent of a magnetic field for the first time in a laboratory. Under certain special conditions the effect is much larger than expected from general relativity and could help physicists to make a significant step towards the long-sought-after quantum theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new podcast program, “Radio Astrobiology.” In the first show, host Simon Mitton unveils the science behind astrobiology in Part I of an in-depth interview with David Southwood, Director of Science for the European Space Agency. In this segment of the interview, Southwood reveals Europe's plans for exploring the universe and expanding our knowledge of astrobiology. (Clicking on this link will launch you directly into the podcast program [9 MB, mp3]). See article for more.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio’s novel “Illegal Alien,” published by TSR in 1988.
g Aftermath - While no one can guarantee SETI’s success (the discovery of an alien civilization), that may not matter. At its deeper levels, SETI stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society. See article.
g Stars - Scientists looking at three rare and radiant pulsating stars have found they each are surrounded by a fairly bright layer of matter, a “cocoon,” that has never before been detected around stars of this kind. See article.
g Abodes - Three icy comets orbiting among the rocky asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may hold clues to the origin of Earth's oceans. See article.
g Life - Choosing a mate is a big decision. And, at least for mice, it's one that is best made with input from one's peers. See article.
g Intelligence - Neanderthals in Europe were killed off by the advance of modern humans thousands of years earlier than previously believed, losing a competition for food and shelter, according to a new study. See article. For related story, see “Ice Age star map discovered” (Note: This article is from 2000).
g Message - In August 1977, a sky survey conducted with Ohio State University's "Big Ear" radio telescope found what has become known as the “Wow” signal. Registering enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72-second lifetime. But a hitch remains: The signal has not been retrieved from other sky surveys, making it more anomaly than confirmable cosmic source. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - Scientists funded by the European Space Agency have measured the gravitational equivalent of a magnetic field for the first time in a laboratory. Under certain special conditions the effect is much larger than expected from general relativity and could help physicists to make a significant step towards the long-sought-after quantum theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new podcast program, “Radio Astrobiology.” In the first show, host Simon Mitton unveils the science behind astrobiology in Part I of an in-depth interview with David Southwood, Director of Science for the European Space Agency. In this segment of the interview, Southwood reveals Europe's plans for exploring the universe and expanding our knowledge of astrobiology. (Clicking on this link will launch you directly into the podcast program [9 MB, mp3]). See article for more.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio’s novel “Illegal Alien,” published by TSR in 1988.
g Aftermath - While no one can guarantee SETI’s success (the discovery of an alien civilization), that may not matter. At its deeper levels, SETI stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society. See article.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Star stream, blame frogs for human language and space tourism
Welcome! “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 narrow stream of stars extending at least 45 degrees across the northern sky. The stream is about 76,000 light-years distant from Earth and forms a giant arc over the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Evidence never dies in the popular TV show “Cold Case.” Nor do some traces of life disappear on Earth, Mars, or elsewhere. An international team of scientists, including researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, has developed techniques to detect miniscule amounts of biological remains, dubbed biosignatures, in the frozen Mars-like terrain of Svalbard, a island north of Norway. This technology will be used on future life-search missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Changes to Earth's biodiversity have occurred more rapidly in the past 50 years than at any time in human history, creating a species loss greater than anything since a major asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget the textbook story about tool use and language sparking the dramatic evolutionary growth of the human brain. Instead, imagine ancient hominid children chasing frogs. Not for fun, but for food. See article.
g Message - Where would you look for extraterrestrial life? Here’s a paper that helps guide SETI’s efforts. Note: This piece is a decade old.
g Cosmicus - Two years after the first privately financed space flight jump-started a sleepy industry, more than a dozen companies are developing rocket planes to ferry ordinary rich people out of the atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lessons, designed for at-risk students: “The Plausibility of Interstellar Communication and Related Phenomena Depicted in Science Fiction Literature and the Movies.” The curriculum has four major objectives: first, to educate students to develop concepts about the proximity of our solar system in relation to other probable solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy; second, to give students the opportunity to use these concepts to evaluate the plausibility of interstellar communication depicted in science fiction literature and movies; third, to create an opportunity for students not only to look out on the universe but to turn it inward to look at the world, their own society, and themselves as individuals; and fourth, an objective that will be integrated with all of the others is to give students to opportunity to learn and/or sharpen skills in: using the scientific method, research, reading, writing, collaboration, discussion and in critical thinking. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Derryl Murphy’s short story "Lost Jenny" published in Fall 1999’s “On Spec.”
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 - Astronomers have discovered a narrow stream of stars extending at least 45 degrees across the northern sky. The stream is about 76,000 light-years distant from Earth and forms a giant arc over the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Evidence never dies in the popular TV show “Cold Case.” Nor do some traces of life disappear on Earth, Mars, or elsewhere. An international team of scientists, including researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, has developed techniques to detect miniscule amounts of biological remains, dubbed biosignatures, in the frozen Mars-like terrain of Svalbard, a island north of Norway. This technology will be used on future life-search missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Changes to Earth's biodiversity have occurred more rapidly in the past 50 years than at any time in human history, creating a species loss greater than anything since a major asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget the textbook story about tool use and language sparking the dramatic evolutionary growth of the human brain. Instead, imagine ancient hominid children chasing frogs. Not for fun, but for food. See article.
g Message - Where would you look for extraterrestrial life? Here’s a paper that helps guide SETI’s efforts. Note: This piece is a decade old.
g Cosmicus - Two years after the first privately financed space flight jump-started a sleepy industry, more than a dozen companies are developing rocket planes to ferry ordinary rich people out of the atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lessons, designed for at-risk students: “The Plausibility of Interstellar Communication and Related Phenomena Depicted in Science Fiction Literature and the Movies.” The curriculum has four major objectives: first, to educate students to develop concepts about the proximity of our solar system in relation to other probable solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy; second, to give students the opportunity to use these concepts to evaluate the plausibility of interstellar communication depicted in science fiction literature and movies; third, to create an opportunity for students not only to look out on the universe but to turn it inward to look at the world, their own society, and themselves as individuals; and fourth, an objective that will be integrated with all of the others is to give students to opportunity to learn and/or sharpen skills in: using the scientific method, research, reading, writing, collaboration, discussion and in critical thinking. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Derryl Murphy’s short story "Lost Jenny" published in Fall 1999’s “On Spec.”
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
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Extreme helium stars, targeting Titan for exploration and thank fish for our brains
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 group of astronomers has used Hubble Space Telescope to determine the origin of a very unusual and rare type of star. The group's studies indicate that the so-called "extreme helium stars" are formed by the merger of two white dwarf stars. See article.
g Abodes - A leading planetary scientist said that Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, should be targeted for a new round of outer planet exploration. See article.
g Life - Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species that had one of the longest necks relative to body length ever measured. See article.
g Intelligence - Human brains are bigger and better than any of our closest living or dead non-human relatives in relation to body weight. Scientists say we have fish and frogs to thank for this. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? See paper. Note: This paper was written in 1992.
g Cosmicus - Work is underway in preparing for the inaugural rocket blastoff from the New Mexico spaceport grounds. See article.
g Learning - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ron Montana’s "Loosely Translated", anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - An international group of astronomers has used Hubble Space Telescope to determine the origin of a very unusual and rare type of star. The group's studies indicate that the so-called "extreme helium stars" are formed by the merger of two white dwarf stars. See article.
g Abodes - A leading planetary scientist said that Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, should be targeted for a new round of outer planet exploration. See article.
g Life - Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species that had one of the longest necks relative to body length ever measured. See article.
g Intelligence - Human brains are bigger and better than any of our closest living or dead non-human relatives in relation to body weight. Scientists say we have fish and frogs to thank for this. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? See paper. Note: This paper was written in 1992.
g Cosmicus - Work is underway in preparing for the inaugural rocket blastoff from the New Mexico spaceport grounds. See article.
g Learning - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ron Montana’s "Loosely Translated", anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Universe’s first trillionth of a second, Yellowstone caldera and rocket disaster
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence for what happened within its first trillionth of a second, when the universe suddenly grew from submicroscopic to astronomical size in far less than a wink of the eye. See article.
g Abodes - Satellite images acquired by ESA’s ERS-2 revealed the recently discovered changes in Yellowstone’s caldera are the result of molten rock movement 15 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, according to a recent study published in Nature. See article.
gLife - Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs. Their studies may lead to a new understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another — information that could be helpful in assessing how much of a threat avian influenza is to humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Most surveys about sex find impossibly that men have had far more partners than women, typically two to four times as many. Either there are a bunch of phantom females out there, or somebody is lying. See article. For related story, see “Men In Their 50s Have More Satisfying Sex Lives Than Men In Their 30s”.
g Message - Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can join a worldwide search for intelligent life in space. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/345465.stm.
g Cosmicus - The maiden flight for a new breed of low-cost rockets designed to revolutionize the space launch industry met a disastrous fate Friday, tumbling out of control and slamming into the Pacific Ocean moments after liftoff. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of National Geographic, that offers detailed sky charts for all sections of the sky. It’s a great way for kids to learn about the night sky. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Elizabeth Moon’s novel “Remnant Population,” published by Baen in 1996.
g Aftermath - Director, writer, and one of the most memorable fictional explorers of space - William Shatner's Captain Kirk - explains how to go where few have gone before: how extreme explorers might confront the limits of life both terrestrial or beyond. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence for what happened within its first trillionth of a second, when the universe suddenly grew from submicroscopic to astronomical size in far less than a wink of the eye. See article.
g Abodes - Satellite images acquired by ESA’s ERS-2 revealed the recently discovered changes in Yellowstone’s caldera are the result of molten rock movement 15 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, according to a recent study published in Nature. See article.
gLife - Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs. Their studies may lead to a new understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another — information that could be helpful in assessing how much of a threat avian influenza is to humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Most surveys about sex find impossibly that men have had far more partners than women, typically two to four times as many. Either there are a bunch of phantom females out there, or somebody is lying. See article. For related story, see “Men In Their 50s Have More Satisfying Sex Lives Than Men In Their 30s”.
g Message - Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can join a worldwide search for intelligent life in space. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/345465.stm.
g Cosmicus - The maiden flight for a new breed of low-cost rockets designed to revolutionize the space launch industry met a disastrous fate Friday, tumbling out of control and slamming into the Pacific Ocean moments after liftoff. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of National Geographic, that offers detailed sky charts for all sections of the sky. It’s a great way for kids to learn about the night sky. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Elizabeth Moon’s novel “Remnant Population,” published by Baen in 1996.
g Aftermath - Director, writer, and one of the most memorable fictional explorers of space - William Shatner's Captain Kirk - explains how to go where few have gone before: how extreme explorers might confront the limits of life both terrestrial or beyond. See article.
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Friday, March 24, 2006
Most distant explosion ever, computer simulation of a life form and quake-proof moon base
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The most distant explosion ever recorded, signaling the birth of a black hole near the beginning of time, was more chaotic and lasted longer than astronomers would have expected. See article.
g Abodes - When Boeing and Airbus developed their latest aircraft, the companies' engineers designed and tested them on a computer long before the planes were built. Biologists are catching on. They've just completed the first computer simulation of an entire life form - a virus. See article.
g Life - A rare frog that lives in rushing streams and waterfalls of east-central China is able to make itself heard above the roar of flowing water by communicating ultrasonically, says new research funded in part by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. According to the study, attributes that enable the frog to hear ultrasounds are made possible by the presence of an ear canal, which most other frogs don't have. The research may provide a clue into why humans and other animals also have ear canals: to hear high-frequency sounds.
g Intelligence - Ancient humans from Asia may have entered the Americas following an ocean highway made of dense kelp. See article. For related stories, see “First Americans May Have Been European” and “Early Americans Faced Rapid Late Pleistocene Climate Change And Chaotic Environments”.
g Message - Forget waiting for ET to call — the most likely place to find an alien message is in our DNA, according to an expert in Australia. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Moonquake-proof Moon bases? Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, believes that special construction might be necessary if we persist in our goal to return to the Moon. See article.
g Learning - The constellations we’re generally familiar with generally comes from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Here’s a neat Web site that teaches kids about alternate constellations – those in the Lakota Sioux tradition.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard F. Monteleone and David F. Bischoff’s novel, “Day of the Dragonstar,” published in 1983.
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 - The most distant explosion ever recorded, signaling the birth of a black hole near the beginning of time, was more chaotic and lasted longer than astronomers would have expected. See article.
g Abodes - When Boeing and Airbus developed their latest aircraft, the companies' engineers designed and tested them on a computer long before the planes were built. Biologists are catching on. They've just completed the first computer simulation of an entire life form - a virus. See article.
g Life - A rare frog that lives in rushing streams and waterfalls of east-central China is able to make itself heard above the roar of flowing water by communicating ultrasonically, says new research funded in part by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. According to the study, attributes that enable the frog to hear ultrasounds are made possible by the presence of an ear canal, which most other frogs don't have. The research may provide a clue into why humans and other animals also have ear canals: to hear high-frequency sounds.
g Intelligence - Ancient humans from Asia may have entered the Americas following an ocean highway made of dense kelp. See article. For related stories, see “First Americans May Have Been European” and “Early Americans Faced Rapid Late Pleistocene Climate Change And Chaotic Environments”.
g Message - Forget waiting for ET to call — the most likely place to find an alien message is in our DNA, according to an expert in Australia. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Moonquake-proof Moon bases? Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, believes that special construction might be necessary if we persist in our goal to return to the Moon. See article.
g Learning - The constellations we’re generally familiar with generally comes from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Here’s a neat Web site that teaches kids about alternate constellations – those in the Lakota Sioux tradition.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard F. Monteleone and David F. Bischoff’s novel, “Day of the Dragonstar,” published in 1983.
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, March 23, 2006
Optical vortex mask, fossilized spiders and language processing
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences is developing devices that block out starlight, allowing astronomers to study planets in nearby solar systems. The core of this technology is an "optical vortex mask" that spins light like wind in a hurricane. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1889.html.
g Abodes - The retreat of a massive ice sheet that once covered much of northern Europe has been described for the first time, and researchers believe it may provide a sneak preview of how present-day ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will act in the face of global warming. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060314232724.htm.
g Life - The study of fossilized spiders from the Baltic (Poland) and the Dominican (Caribbean) regions has revealed new insights into the ecologies of spiders dating back to the Cenozoic period. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
03/060301085815.htm.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that two areas in the human brain are responsible for different types of language processing requirements. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060216233042.htm.
g Message - Here’s an article in which Dave DeBoer, project engineer for the Allen Telescope Array, discusses what the unique telescope will offer. The development of the Allen Telescope Array is marked by many innovations crafted with the express purpose of building a world-class state-of-the-art astronomical facility at a fraction of the price of existing radio telescopes. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article623.html. Note: This article is from October 2003.
g Cosmicus - To travel among the stars, we must figure out how to survive the harsh radiation of outer space. Studies of radiation-resistant microbes on Earth provide some illuminating insights. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1901mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - How are key concepts of astrobiology treated in science fiction? See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.phppage=lesson05. Note: This article is from 2001 and intended to be used as part of a classroom lesson.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Donald Moffitt’s novel “The Jupiter Theft,” published by Del Rey in 1977.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
g Stars - The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences is developing devices that block out starlight, allowing astronomers to study planets in nearby solar systems. The core of this technology is an "optical vortex mask" that spins light like wind in a hurricane. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1889.html.
g Abodes - The retreat of a massive ice sheet that once covered much of northern Europe has been described for the first time, and researchers believe it may provide a sneak preview of how present-day ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will act in the face of global warming. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060314232724.htm.
g Life - The study of fossilized spiders from the Baltic (Poland) and the Dominican (Caribbean) regions has revealed new insights into the ecologies of spiders dating back to the Cenozoic period. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
03/060301085815.htm.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that two areas in the human brain are responsible for different types of language processing requirements. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060216233042.htm.
g Message - Here’s an article in which Dave DeBoer, project engineer for the Allen Telescope Array, discusses what the unique telescope will offer. The development of the Allen Telescope Array is marked by many innovations crafted with the express purpose of building a world-class state-of-the-art astronomical facility at a fraction of the price of existing radio telescopes. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article623.html. Note: This article is from October 2003.
g Cosmicus - To travel among the stars, we must figure out how to survive the harsh radiation of outer space. Studies of radiation-resistant microbes on Earth provide some illuminating insights. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1901mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - How are key concepts of astrobiology treated in science fiction? See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.phppage=lesson05. Note: This article is from 2001 and intended to be used as part of a classroom lesson.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Donald Moffitt’s novel “The Jupiter Theft,” published by Del Rey in 1977.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Stellar corpses, how dinosaurs walked and power of a rhesus monkey call
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Tiny stellar 'corpses' have been caught blasting surprisingly powerful X-rays and gamma rays across our galaxy by the European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory Integral. This discovery links these objects to the most magnetically active bodies in the universe and forces scientists to reconsider just how dead such stellar corpses really are. See article.
g Abodes - It'll be a snap to identify gemstones once Robert Downs finishes his library of spectral fingerprints for all the Earth's minerals. See article.
g Life - When the American Museum of Natural History wanted to create a digital walking Tyrannosaurus rex for a new dinosaur exhibit, it turned to dinosaur locomotion experts John Hutchinson and Stephen Gatesy for guidance. See article.
g Intelligence - Straight out of the womb, infants may be just as aroused by a rhesus monkey call as by human speech. See article.
g Message - The tent looked so big when it was first installed. The vaulted top stands 35 feet above the ground. It is 40 feet wide. The door is almost 30 feet high. It’s gleaming white. In short, it’s a perfect place within which to build the antennas for the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - MIT researchers have developed a tiny light detector that may allow for super-fast broadband communications over interplanetary distances. Currently, even still images from other planets are difficult to retrieve. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that allows you to make a custom map of your favorite patch of sky; it’s a great teaching tool for kids.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard McKenna’s short story, "Mine Own Ways”, anthologized in “Casey Agonistes” (edited by Richard McKenna and published in 1960).
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 - Tiny stellar 'corpses' have been caught blasting surprisingly powerful X-rays and gamma rays across our galaxy by the European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory Integral. This discovery links these objects to the most magnetically active bodies in the universe and forces scientists to reconsider just how dead such stellar corpses really are. See article.
g Abodes - It'll be a snap to identify gemstones once Robert Downs finishes his library of spectral fingerprints for all the Earth's minerals. See article.
g Life - When the American Museum of Natural History wanted to create a digital walking Tyrannosaurus rex for a new dinosaur exhibit, it turned to dinosaur locomotion experts John Hutchinson and Stephen Gatesy for guidance. See article.
g Intelligence - Straight out of the womb, infants may be just as aroused by a rhesus monkey call as by human speech. See article.
g Message - The tent looked so big when it was first installed. The vaulted top stands 35 feet above the ground. It is 40 feet wide. The door is almost 30 feet high. It’s gleaming white. In short, it’s a perfect place within which to build the antennas for the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - MIT researchers have developed a tiny light detector that may allow for super-fast broadband communications over interplanetary distances. Currently, even still images from other planets are difficult to retrieve. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that allows you to make a custom map of your favorite patch of sky; it’s a great teaching tool for kids.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard McKenna’s short story, "Mine Own Ways”, anthologized in “Casey Agonistes” (edited by Richard McKenna and published in 1960).
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
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Cosmic clocks, super-Earth and knock-kneed early humans
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 using the 76-m Lovell radio telescope at the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a very strange pulsar that helps explain how pulsars act as 'cosmic clocks' and confirms theories put forward 37 years ago to explain the way in which pulsars emit their regular beams of radio waves - considered to be one of the hardest problems in astrophysics. Their research, now published in Science Express, reveals a pulsar that is only “on” for part of the time. The strange pulsar is spinning about its own axis and slows down 50% faster when it is “on” compared to when it is “off.” See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers has discovered a "super-Earth" orbiting in the outer region of a solar system 9,000 light-years away. Weighing 13 times as much as Earth, with a temperature of minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the planet is one of the coldest ever discovered outside our solar system. See article.
g Life - Hunger for protein and salt, and a fear of cannibalism, drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America. See article.
g Intelligence - A re-examination of anklebones from ancient human ancestors indicates their gait was not as stable as previous research indicated. They were knock-kneed. See article.
g Message - "If you're sending a message to extraterrestrials, what you want to send is what's special about us and our planet — what is unusual," according to SETI astronomer Frank Drake. Read his latest essay.
g Cosmicus - After a grueling day climbing the mountains of the moon, astronauts will need a place to kick back and relax. Larry Toups of the Johnson Space Center talks with Astrobiology Magazine about the challenges of designing a dwelling for the future moonwalkers. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a wonderful Web site for kids: “Mysteries of Space and Time.” By the time a student finishes navigating this site, space should no longer be a mystery. Using clever graphics and offering games and other interactive features, this resource thoroughly covers black holes, the planets, and many anomalies of space. The lab section will be particularly helpful to astronomy students. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mark J. McGarry’s "Harmony," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - What would an intelligent signal from another planet change about human destiny? This large question is the topic of the book "The SETI Factor," by Frank White, who also analyzes how to announce such an historic finding and whether it would unite or divide nations. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Stars - Astronomers using the 76-m Lovell radio telescope at the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a very strange pulsar that helps explain how pulsars act as 'cosmic clocks' and confirms theories put forward 37 years ago to explain the way in which pulsars emit their regular beams of radio waves - considered to be one of the hardest problems in astrophysics. Their research, now published in Science Express, reveals a pulsar that is only “on” for part of the time. The strange pulsar is spinning about its own axis and slows down 50% faster when it is “on” compared to when it is “off.” See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers has discovered a "super-Earth" orbiting in the outer region of a solar system 9,000 light-years away. Weighing 13 times as much as Earth, with a temperature of minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the planet is one of the coldest ever discovered outside our solar system. See article.
g Life - Hunger for protein and salt, and a fear of cannibalism, drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America. See article.
g Intelligence - A re-examination of anklebones from ancient human ancestors indicates their gait was not as stable as previous research indicated. They were knock-kneed. See article.
g Message - "If you're sending a message to extraterrestrials, what you want to send is what's special about us and our planet — what is unusual," according to SETI astronomer Frank Drake. Read his latest essay.
g Cosmicus - After a grueling day climbing the mountains of the moon, astronauts will need a place to kick back and relax. Larry Toups of the Johnson Space Center talks with Astrobiology Magazine about the challenges of designing a dwelling for the future moonwalkers. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a wonderful Web site for kids: “Mysteries of Space and Time.” By the time a student finishes navigating this site, space should no longer be a mystery. Using clever graphics and offering games and other interactive features, this resource thoroughly covers black holes, the planets, and many anomalies of space. The lab section will be particularly helpful to astronomy students. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mark J. McGarry’s "Harmony," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - What would an intelligent signal from another planet change about human destiny? This large question is the topic of the book "The SETI Factor," by Frank White, who also analyzes how to announce such an historic finding and whether it would unite or divide nations. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Cepheid envelopes, Stardust findings and music therapy
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Cerro Paranal, Chile, and the CHARA Interferometer at Mount Wilson, Calif., a team of French and North American astronomers has discovered envelopes around three Cepheids, including the Pole Star. This is the first time that matter is found surrounding members of this important class of rare and very luminous stars whose luminosity varies in a very regular way. Cepheids play a crucial role in cosmology, being one of the first "steps" on the cosmic distance ladder. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have analyzed some of the particles captured by NASA's Stardust mission and returned to Earth earlier this year. And they've found a big surprise. Although the particles come from a comet that formed in the deep-frozen outer reaches of the solar system, they contain minerals that could only have been created near the sun. See article. For related story, see “Broken Comet On Its Way”.
g Life - In the first study to link social evolution to climate change, Cornell's Bryan Danforth and colleagues show that the social behavior of many sweat bees evolved simultaneously during a period of recent global warming, only 20 million to 22 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - A project led by a researcher from the University of Western Sydney has found that music therapy can help sick babies in intensive care maintain normal behavioral development, making them less irritable, upset and less likely to cry. See article.
g Message - What would be a sign of alien intelligence? Forget mathematics — try a simple, pure-tone radio signal. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humanity has the power to fill outer space with life. Today our solar system is filled with plasma, gas, dust, rock, and radiation - but very little life; just a thin film around the third rock from the Sun. It's time to change that. In the 1970's Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill with the help of NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University showed that we can build giant orbiting spaceships and live in them. These orbital space colonies can be wonderful places to live; about the size of a California beach town and endowed with weightless recreation, fantastic views, freedom, elbow-room in spades, great wealth and true independence. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation”. Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian McDonald’s “Chaga” (a.k.a. “Evolution's Shore”), published by Gollancz, 1995.
g Aftermath - If we do make contact with extraterrestrials, they’ll probably be a Type II or III Kardashev civilization. What’s a Kardashev civilization? See article. For related story on the Kardashev scale, see this article.
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g Stars - Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Cerro Paranal, Chile, and the CHARA Interferometer at Mount Wilson, Calif., a team of French and North American astronomers has discovered envelopes around three Cepheids, including the Pole Star. This is the first time that matter is found surrounding members of this important class of rare and very luminous stars whose luminosity varies in a very regular way. Cepheids play a crucial role in cosmology, being one of the first "steps" on the cosmic distance ladder. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have analyzed some of the particles captured by NASA's Stardust mission and returned to Earth earlier this year. And they've found a big surprise. Although the particles come from a comet that formed in the deep-frozen outer reaches of the solar system, they contain minerals that could only have been created near the sun. See article. For related story, see “Broken Comet On Its Way”.
g Life - In the first study to link social evolution to climate change, Cornell's Bryan Danforth and colleagues show that the social behavior of many sweat bees evolved simultaneously during a period of recent global warming, only 20 million to 22 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - A project led by a researcher from the University of Western Sydney has found that music therapy can help sick babies in intensive care maintain normal behavioral development, making them less irritable, upset and less likely to cry. See article.
g Message - What would be a sign of alien intelligence? Forget mathematics — try a simple, pure-tone radio signal. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humanity has the power to fill outer space with life. Today our solar system is filled with plasma, gas, dust, rock, and radiation - but very little life; just a thin film around the third rock from the Sun. It's time to change that. In the 1970's Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill with the help of NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University showed that we can build giant orbiting spaceships and live in them. These orbital space colonies can be wonderful places to live; about the size of a California beach town and endowed with weightless recreation, fantastic views, freedom, elbow-room in spades, great wealth and true independence. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation”. Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian McDonald’s “Chaga” (a.k.a. “Evolution's Shore”), published by Gollancz, 1995.
g Aftermath - If we do make contact with extraterrestrials, they’ll probably be a Type II or III Kardashev civilization. What’s a Kardashev civilization? See article. For related story on the Kardashev scale, see this article.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Pulsar collision, color of Pluto’s moons and how chemistry becomes biology
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have witnessed a never-seen-before event in observations by ESA’s XMM-Newton spacecraft - a collision between a pulsar and a ring of gas around a neighboring star. See article.
g Abodes - The color of Pluto’s two recently discovered satellites are essentially the same neutral color as Pluto’s large moon, Charon, scientists say. See article.
g Life - How does chemistry become biology? Solving this question is important for research into life’s origins, and also for the search for life elsewhere in the universe. In this interview, Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University, describes a new comprehensive study that will try to figure out how chemical systems cross over into the world of the living. See article.
g Intelligence - A new, more robust analysis of recently derived human gene trees shows three distinct major waves of human migration out of Africa instead of just two, and statistically refutes — strongly — the 'Out of Africa' replacement theory. See article.
g Message - Most people see SETI as a project for merely listening for signals from other stars, but Yvan Dutil and Stephane Dumas from the Defence Research Establishment Valcartier in Canada had other ideas in mind when they composed a message sent to the stars in 1999. See article. Note: This article is from 2000.
g Cosmicus - See NASA's Space Shuttle Program successfully fired a full-scale, full-duration reusable solid rocket technical evaluation motor earlier this month at a Utah test facility. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for getting kids interested in astronomy: “Your Sky,” the interactive planetarium of the Web. You can produce maps in the forms described below for any time and date, viewpoint, and observing location. If you enter the orbital elements of an asteroid or comet, “Your Sky” will compute its current position and plot it on the map. Each map is accompanied by an ephemeris for the Sun, Moon, planets, and any tracked asteroid or comet. A control panel permits customisation of which objects are plotted, limiting magnitudes, colour scheme, image size, and other parameters. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jack McDevitt’s novel The Hercules Text, published by Ace in 1986.
g Aftermath - The next social science to be created might be "exopsychology" — the study of behavior, attitudes, personalities and thoughts of alien beings. Although necessarily speculative, exopsychology might eventually be a critical link between humans and aliens. In the meantime, such a study could also provide the additional benefit of informing us about earthbound prejudices. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers have witnessed a never-seen-before event in observations by ESA’s XMM-Newton spacecraft - a collision between a pulsar and a ring of gas around a neighboring star. See article.
g Abodes - The color of Pluto’s two recently discovered satellites are essentially the same neutral color as Pluto’s large moon, Charon, scientists say. See article.
g Life - How does chemistry become biology? Solving this question is important for research into life’s origins, and also for the search for life elsewhere in the universe. In this interview, Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University, describes a new comprehensive study that will try to figure out how chemical systems cross over into the world of the living. See article.
g Intelligence - A new, more robust analysis of recently derived human gene trees shows three distinct major waves of human migration out of Africa instead of just two, and statistically refutes — strongly — the 'Out of Africa' replacement theory. See article.
g Message - Most people see SETI as a project for merely listening for signals from other stars, but Yvan Dutil and Stephane Dumas from the Defence Research Establishment Valcartier in Canada had other ideas in mind when they composed a message sent to the stars in 1999. See article. Note: This article is from 2000.
g Cosmicus - See NASA's Space Shuttle Program successfully fired a full-scale, full-duration reusable solid rocket technical evaluation motor earlier this month at a Utah test facility. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for getting kids interested in astronomy: “Your Sky,” the interactive planetarium of the Web. You can produce maps in the forms described below for any time and date, viewpoint, and observing location. If you enter the orbital elements of an asteroid or comet, “Your Sky” will compute its current position and plot it on the map. Each map is accompanied by an ephemeris for the Sun, Moon, planets, and any tracked asteroid or comet. A control panel permits customisation of which objects are plotted, limiting magnitudes, colour scheme, image size, and other parameters. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jack McDevitt’s novel The Hercules Text, published by Ace in 1986.
g Aftermath - The next social science to be created might be "exopsychology" — the study of behavior, attitudes, personalities and thoughts of alien beings. Although necessarily speculative, exopsychology might eventually be a critical link between humans and aliens. In the meantime, such a study could also provide the additional benefit of informing us about earthbound prejudices. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Assembling giant galaxies, water on Enceladus and meet the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Giant galaxies weren't assembled in a day. Neither was this Hubble Space Telescope image of the face-on Pinwheel Galaxy. The image is the largest and most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy ever released from Hubble. See article.
g Abodes - Could Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus have liquid water right below the icy surface? A new paper in the journal Science argues for the presence of such a reservoir, saying it is the most likely source for the plumes of particles ejected from the moon’s south pole. See article. For related story, see “Enceladus the storyteller”.
g Life - A few months after researchers on one team thought they had discovered a new family of rodent, another group snatched their glory by identifying the critter as a member of a family thought long extinct. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget about opposites attracting. We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own. And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more those similarities grow. See article. For related story, see “Facial Characteristics Indicative Of Personality Traits, Say Experts”.
g Cosmicus - Get to know MRO — Top 10 facts about NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. For related story, see “New manager for Mars rovers in challenging time”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey’s novel “Decision at Doona,” published by Del Rey in 1969.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
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g Stars - Giant galaxies weren't assembled in a day. Neither was this Hubble Space Telescope image of the face-on Pinwheel Galaxy. The image is the largest and most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy ever released from Hubble. See article.
g Abodes - Could Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus have liquid water right below the icy surface? A new paper in the journal Science argues for the presence of such a reservoir, saying it is the most likely source for the plumes of particles ejected from the moon’s south pole. See article. For related story, see “Enceladus the storyteller”.
g Life - A few months after researchers on one team thought they had discovered a new family of rodent, another group snatched their glory by identifying the critter as a member of a family thought long extinct. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget about opposites attracting. We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own. And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more those similarities grow. See article. For related story, see “Facial Characteristics Indicative Of Personality Traits, Say Experts”.
g Cosmicus - Get to know MRO — Top 10 facts about NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. For related story, see “New manager for Mars rovers in challenging time”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey’s novel “Decision at Doona,” published by Del Rey in 1969.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, March 17, 2006
Titan’s atmosphere, life’s traits across many worlds and funding astrobiology
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Possibly similar to what our own Milky Way looks like, Messier 100 is a grand design spiral galaxy that presents an intricate structure, with a bright core and two prominent arms, showing numerous young and hot massive stars as well as extremely hot knots. The galaxy was the target of the European Southern Observatory to perform detailed observations of the newly found supernova SN 2006X. See article.
g Abodes - A new composite view reveals a tremendous amount of structure in the northern polar atmosphere of Titan. The hazes in Titan's atmosphere are known to extend hundreds of kilometers above the surface. See article. For related stories, see “Titan shines through” and “To the relief of Iapetus”.
g Life - Life on Earth has been shaped by random events unique to the history of our planet, so it may be unlikely we’ll ever find similar life forms elsewhere. But paleontologist Geerat Vermeij says that many traits are so advantageous that they will appear again and again. See article.
g Intelligence - After long suspecting we’re born with some math sense, researchers have shown infants indeed have some ability to count long before they can demonstrate it to mom and dad. See article.
g Message - Should we be looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, rather than just listening for them, as we do in the SETI project? That is the suggestion of a French astronomer, Luc Arnold, in his paper “Transit Lightcurve Signatures of Artificial Objects.” He believes that the transit of large artificial objects in front of a sun could be a used for the emission of attention-getting signals. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. As part of that, it seeks to understand the origin of the building blocks of life, how these building blocks combine to create life, how life affects and is affected by the environment from which it arose, and finally, whether and how life expands beyond its planet of origin. It requires studying fundamental concepts of life and habitable environments that will help us to recognize biospheres that might be quite different from our own. This includes studying the limits of life, life's phylogeny and effects of the space environment on living systems. Such fundamental questions require long term stable funding for the science community. This means keeping the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the grants programs funded at healthy levels. See article.
g Learning - Discover the universe, its components and origins — play “Spaceball”. Here’s a Web site structured as if a championship baseball game is being played between a celestial object and a spacecraft. Besides being fun, it helps children explore our solar system and the people and spacecraft that made our adventures in and knowledge of space possible.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Barry B. Longyear’s short story "Misencounter," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (which is edited by Jan Finder).
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. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Possibly similar to what our own Milky Way looks like, Messier 100 is a grand design spiral galaxy that presents an intricate structure, with a bright core and two prominent arms, showing numerous young and hot massive stars as well as extremely hot knots. The galaxy was the target of the European Southern Observatory to perform detailed observations of the newly found supernova SN 2006X. See article.
g Abodes - A new composite view reveals a tremendous amount of structure in the northern polar atmosphere of Titan. The hazes in Titan's atmosphere are known to extend hundreds of kilometers above the surface. See article. For related stories, see “Titan shines through” and “To the relief of Iapetus”.
g Life - Life on Earth has been shaped by random events unique to the history of our planet, so it may be unlikely we’ll ever find similar life forms elsewhere. But paleontologist Geerat Vermeij says that many traits are so advantageous that they will appear again and again. See article.
g Intelligence - After long suspecting we’re born with some math sense, researchers have shown infants indeed have some ability to count long before they can demonstrate it to mom and dad. See article.
g Message - Should we be looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, rather than just listening for them, as we do in the SETI project? That is the suggestion of a French astronomer, Luc Arnold, in his paper “Transit Lightcurve Signatures of Artificial Objects.” He believes that the transit of large artificial objects in front of a sun could be a used for the emission of attention-getting signals. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. As part of that, it seeks to understand the origin of the building blocks of life, how these building blocks combine to create life, how life affects and is affected by the environment from which it arose, and finally, whether and how life expands beyond its planet of origin. It requires studying fundamental concepts of life and habitable environments that will help us to recognize biospheres that might be quite different from our own. This includes studying the limits of life, life's phylogeny and effects of the space environment on living systems. Such fundamental questions require long term stable funding for the science community. This means keeping the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the grants programs funded at healthy levels. See article.
g Learning - Discover the universe, its components and origins — play “Spaceball”. Here’s a Web site structured as if a championship baseball game is being played between a celestial object and a spacecraft. Besides being fun, it helps children explore our solar system and the people and spacecraft that made our adventures in and knowledge of space possible.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Barry B. Longyear’s short story "Misencounter," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (which is edited by Jan Finder).
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. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Unexplainable cosmic outburst, Earth’s evil twin and Baboon bereavement
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have detected a new type of cosmic outburst that they can't yet explain. The event was very close to our galaxy, they said. See article. For related story, see “Spacecraft detects new kind of cosmic explosion”.
g Abodes - David Grinspoon, astrobiology curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and author of the book, "Venus Revealed," recently attended the 2006 Chapman conference, "Exploring Venus as a Terrestrial Planet." In this essay, he provides an overview of the conference, examines Venus controversies, and explains how we could learn about the possibility of life elsewhere by studying "Earth’s Evil Twin." See article.
g Life - A team of American-led divers has discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blond fur, French researchers said. See article.
g Intelligence - According to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, baboons physiologically respond to bereavement in ways similar to humans, with an increase in stress hormones called glucocorticoids. Baboons can lower their glucocorticoid levels through friendly social contact, expanding their social network after the loss of specific close companions. See article. For related story, see “Queen of Mean' Turns Nice When Daughter Dies”.
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 - Take one part high-frequency gravitational wave generation, then add in a quantum vacuum field. Now whip wildly via a gravitomagnetic force in a rotating superconductor while standing by for Alcubierre warp drive in higher dimensional space-time. See article.
g Learning - Here’s an interesting classroom activity: “Who Can Live Here?” Students explore the limits of life on Earth to extend their beliefs about life to include its possibility on other worlds.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s "Heavenly Host," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff and 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 - Astronomers have detected a new type of cosmic outburst that they can't yet explain. The event was very close to our galaxy, they said. See article. For related story, see “Spacecraft detects new kind of cosmic explosion”.
g Abodes - David Grinspoon, astrobiology curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and author of the book, "Venus Revealed," recently attended the 2006 Chapman conference, "Exploring Venus as a Terrestrial Planet." In this essay, he provides an overview of the conference, examines Venus controversies, and explains how we could learn about the possibility of life elsewhere by studying "Earth’s Evil Twin." See article.
g Life - A team of American-led divers has discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blond fur, French researchers said. See article.
g Intelligence - According to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, baboons physiologically respond to bereavement in ways similar to humans, with an increase in stress hormones called glucocorticoids. Baboons can lower their glucocorticoid levels through friendly social contact, expanding their social network after the loss of specific close companions. See article. For related story, see “Queen of Mean' Turns Nice When Daughter Dies”.
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 - Take one part high-frequency gravitational wave generation, then add in a quantum vacuum field. Now whip wildly via a gravitomagnetic force in a rotating superconductor while standing by for Alcubierre warp drive in higher dimensional space-time. See article.
g Learning - Here’s an interesting classroom activity: “Who Can Live Here?” Students explore the limits of life on Earth to extend their beliefs about life to include its possibility on other worlds.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s "Heavenly Host," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff and 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
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Black hole bonanza, extinction hotspots and reusable space capsule
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Data from X-ray observatory surveys show that black holes are much more numerous and evolved differently than researchers would have expected, according to a Penn State astronomer. See article.
g Abodes - If our solar system has a Hell, it's Venus. The air is choked with foul and corrosive sulfur, literally brimstone, heaved from ancient volcanoes and feeding battery-acid clouds above. Although the second planet is a step farther from the sun than Mercury, a runaway greenhouse effect makes it hotter—indeed, it's the hottest of the nine planets, a toasty 900°F of baking basalt flats from equator to poles. All this under a crushing atmospheric pressure 90 times that of where you're sitting now. From the earthly perspective, a dead end. It must be lifeless. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - Using the newest geographic, biological, and phylogenetic databases for nearly 4,000 mammal species, researchers have identified 20 regions around the globe as potential extinction hotspots. See article.
g Intelligence - When faced with a new learning task, our brains replay events in reverse, much like a video on rewind, a new study suggests. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is asking NASA to help fund the demonstration of a reusable space capsule the El Segundo, Calif.-based company has been developing in secret with its own funding for the past 18 months. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site: Sci-fi Magazine, a WebQuest for high school students (science or literature)designed to ask students to critically analyze the use of science in a science fiction novel.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jane Lindskold’s "Small Heroes," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - If we establish communication with a civilization even as close as 100 light years from Earth, the round-trip time for a message and its reply is 200 years. What will be the psychology of a civilization that can engage in a meaningful conversation with this sort of delay? How is such a conversation to be established? What should the content of such a conversation be? See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Data from X-ray observatory surveys show that black holes are much more numerous and evolved differently than researchers would have expected, according to a Penn State astronomer. See article.
g Abodes - If our solar system has a Hell, it's Venus. The air is choked with foul and corrosive sulfur, literally brimstone, heaved from ancient volcanoes and feeding battery-acid clouds above. Although the second planet is a step farther from the sun than Mercury, a runaway greenhouse effect makes it hotter—indeed, it's the hottest of the nine planets, a toasty 900°F of baking basalt flats from equator to poles. All this under a crushing atmospheric pressure 90 times that of where you're sitting now. From the earthly perspective, a dead end. It must be lifeless. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - Using the newest geographic, biological, and phylogenetic databases for nearly 4,000 mammal species, researchers have identified 20 regions around the globe as potential extinction hotspots. See article.
g Intelligence - When faced with a new learning task, our brains replay events in reverse, much like a video on rewind, a new study suggests. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is asking NASA to help fund the demonstration of a reusable space capsule the El Segundo, Calif.-based company has been developing in secret with its own funding for the past 18 months. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site: Sci-fi Magazine, a WebQuest for high school students (science or literature)designed to ask students to critically analyze the use of science in a science fiction novel.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Jane Lindskold’s "Small Heroes," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - If we establish communication with a civilization even as close as 100 light years from Earth, the round-trip time for a message and its reply is 200 years. What will be the psychology of a civilization that can engage in a meaningful conversation with this sort of delay? How is such a conversation to be established? What should the content of such a conversation be? See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Sibling galaxies, why Venus went wrong and the moon as a lifeboat
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The Milky Way and its nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda, don’t resemble each other much now, but a new study suggests the two shared similar beginnings and evolved in similar ways, at least over their first several billion years. See article.
g Abodes - Venus is our nearest planetary neighbor. Compared to the Earth, it's nearly identical in size and distance from the Sun. But that's where the similarities end. While we enjoy our comfortable temperature, pressure and atmosphere, Venus' environment is downright hostile to life. The European Space Agency's Venus Express blasted off for our "evil twin" planet today, and will hope to help answer the question: What went wrong? Larry Esposito, a member of the Venus Express science team, explains. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - A baby Triceratops skull suggests the impressive horns of the beast were for more than just attracting a mate. See articles.
g Intelligence - A new study reveals that we make our music purchases based partly on our perceived preferences of others. See articles.
g Message - The next generation of big radio telescopes won't look anything like today's massive dishes. Instead of giant steel constructions towering into the sky, the future will belong to more economical arrays of many small antennas hugging the ground. And, in a historic role reversal, searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence are blazing a trail for conventional radio astronomy to follow. See articles.
g Cosmicus - In the second of a series of 'Gedanken,' or thought experiments, Bernard Foing suggests that the moon could act as a lifeboat in case Earth is ever struck down by a major catastrophe. See article.
g Learning - The National Space Society wants kids to design your best space settlement - a place in space for kids, their friends, and family to live, play and work. If design isn’t your thing, then write a story, draw a picture, invent a weightless sport, or come up with something entirely new about life in space. Then send the creation to NASA Ames Research Center by March 31st. Make it good though, you’ll be competing with hundreds of like-minded space enthusiasts in the 13th annual NASA Ames Space Settlement design contest for 6-12th grade students. See rules.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read C.S. Lewis’ novel “Out of The Silent Planet,” published by Lane in 1938.
g Aftermath - Astronomers are searching hard for that first interstellar phone-call from ET. But when it happens, how will we react? Will it be a major trauma for humankind, or a new beginning? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
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g Stars - The Milky Way and its nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda, don’t resemble each other much now, but a new study suggests the two shared similar beginnings and evolved in similar ways, at least over their first several billion years. See article.
g Abodes - Venus is our nearest planetary neighbor. Compared to the Earth, it's nearly identical in size and distance from the Sun. But that's where the similarities end. While we enjoy our comfortable temperature, pressure and atmosphere, Venus' environment is downright hostile to life. The European Space Agency's Venus Express blasted off for our "evil twin" planet today, and will hope to help answer the question: What went wrong? Larry Esposito, a member of the Venus Express science team, explains. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Life - A baby Triceratops skull suggests the impressive horns of the beast were for more than just attracting a mate. See articles.
g Intelligence - A new study reveals that we make our music purchases based partly on our perceived preferences of others. See articles.
g Message - The next generation of big radio telescopes won't look anything like today's massive dishes. Instead of giant steel constructions towering into the sky, the future will belong to more economical arrays of many small antennas hugging the ground. And, in a historic role reversal, searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence are blazing a trail for conventional radio astronomy to follow. See articles.
g Cosmicus - In the second of a series of 'Gedanken,' or thought experiments, Bernard Foing suggests that the moon could act as a lifeboat in case Earth is ever struck down by a major catastrophe. See article.
g Learning - The National Space Society wants kids to design your best space settlement - a place in space for kids, their friends, and family to live, play and work. If design isn’t your thing, then write a story, draw a picture, invent a weightless sport, or come up with something entirely new about life in space. Then send the creation to NASA Ames Research Center by March 31st. Make it good though, you’ll be competing with hundreds of like-minded space enthusiasts in the 13th annual NASA Ames Space Settlement design contest for 6-12th grade students. See rules.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read C.S. Lewis’ novel “Out of The Silent Planet,” published by Lane in 1938.
g Aftermath - Astronomers are searching hard for that first interstellar phone-call from ET. But when it happens, how will we react? Will it be a major trauma for humankind, or a new beginning? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, March 13, 2006
Dark matter density, biology experiments on Mars and brain networks
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have determined the density and speed of dark matter in our corner of the universe. The finding helps bring dark matter out of the realm of the hypothetical and places scientists a few steps to closer figuring out what this invisible stuff that pervades the universe and holds galaxies together is made of. It also settles once and for all the question of which galaxy — our Milky Way or Andromeda — is more massive. And the winner is ...
g Abodes - Everyday ice used to chill that glass of lemonade has helped researchers better understand the internal structure of icy moons in the far reaches of the solar system. See article.
g Life - It's been nearly 25 years since NASA sent biological experiments to Mars. Chris McKay, a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, thinks it's time to try again. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Intelligence - In the first study of native African honeybees and honey-making stingless bees in the same habitat, humans and chimpanzees are the primary bee nest predators. See article.
g Message - When looking for ET, we may have to consider other strategies beyond radio waves. See article. As a side note, one of those strategies might by looking for optical signals; see article for more.
g Cosmicus - Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center have discovered a new way to assess how brain networks act together. See article.
g Learning - Here are some great teacher resources on space biology. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "De Profundis," which originally appeared in “Thrilling Wonder Stories” (Winter 1945 issue).
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 - Astronomers have determined the density and speed of dark matter in our corner of the universe. The finding helps bring dark matter out of the realm of the hypothetical and places scientists a few steps to closer figuring out what this invisible stuff that pervades the universe and holds galaxies together is made of. It also settles once and for all the question of which galaxy — our Milky Way or Andromeda — is more massive. And the winner is ...
g Abodes - Everyday ice used to chill that glass of lemonade has helped researchers better understand the internal structure of icy moons in the far reaches of the solar system. See article.
g Life - It's been nearly 25 years since NASA sent biological experiments to Mars. Chris McKay, a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, thinks it's time to try again. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Intelligence - In the first study of native African honeybees and honey-making stingless bees in the same habitat, humans and chimpanzees are the primary bee nest predators. See article.
g Message - When looking for ET, we may have to consider other strategies beyond radio waves. See article. As a side note, one of those strategies might by looking for optical signals; see article for more.
g Cosmicus - Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center have discovered a new way to assess how brain networks act together. See article.
g Learning - Here are some great teacher resources on space biology. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "De Profundis," which originally appeared in “Thrilling Wonder Stories” (Winter 1945 issue).
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
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Three Out of Africa migrations, new tree of life and mission to Pluto
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers studying a disk of material circling a still-forming star inside our galaxy have found a tantalizing result - the inner part of the disk is orbiting the protostar in the opposite direction from the outer part of the disk. See article.
g Abodes - An international team of scientists, supported by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, reunited at the University of Bremen to analyze a trove of coral fossil samples retrieved from Tahitian waters during October and November. A few weeks ago, led by chief scientists from France and Japan, the science party started their yearlong analysis of 632 meters of fossil material retrieved from 37 boreholes drilled beneath the seafloor. The initial conclusion is that the IODP Tahiti Sea Level Expedition has assembled the most accurate physical evidence available today of changes in sea level during the last deglaciation, including a full record of temperature and salinity changes in the southern Pacific. See article.
g Life - In 1870 the German scientist Ernst Haeckel mapped the evolutionary relationships of plants and animals in the first “tree of life.” Since then scientists have continuously redrawn and expanded the tree-adding microorganisms and using modern molecular data, yet, many parts of the tree have remained unclear. Now a group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg has developed a computational method that resolves many of the open questions and produced what is likely the most accurate tree ever. The study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Science, gives some intriguing insights into the origins of bacteria and the last common universal ancestor of all life on earth today. See article.
g Intelligence - A short list of scientific rules for the game of love is emerging. Some are as clearly defined as the prominent, feminine eyes of a supermodel or the desirable hips of a well-built man. Other rules work at the subconscious level, motivating us to action for evolutionary reasons that are tucked inside clouds of infatuation. See article.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within twenty years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Alan Stern waited more than 17 years to see NASA launch a science mission to Pluto, and now that a spacecraft is safely on its way he knows much more time will pass before the data starts flowing back to Earth from that distant region of the solar system. See article.
g Learning - Do you have a children with a question about a topic in astronomy or about an object in space? You may find the answer under one of the categories at “Ask an Astronomer for Kids”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Stephen Leigh’s novel “Alien Tongue,” published by Bantam Spectra in 1991.
g Aftermath - The U.S. and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers studying a disk of material circling a still-forming star inside our galaxy have found a tantalizing result - the inner part of the disk is orbiting the protostar in the opposite direction from the outer part of the disk. See article.
g Abodes - An international team of scientists, supported by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, reunited at the University of Bremen to analyze a trove of coral fossil samples retrieved from Tahitian waters during October and November. A few weeks ago, led by chief scientists from France and Japan, the science party started their yearlong analysis of 632 meters of fossil material retrieved from 37 boreholes drilled beneath the seafloor. The initial conclusion is that the IODP Tahiti Sea Level Expedition has assembled the most accurate physical evidence available today of changes in sea level during the last deglaciation, including a full record of temperature and salinity changes in the southern Pacific. See article.
g Life - In 1870 the German scientist Ernst Haeckel mapped the evolutionary relationships of plants and animals in the first “tree of life.” Since then scientists have continuously redrawn and expanded the tree-adding microorganisms and using modern molecular data, yet, many parts of the tree have remained unclear. Now a group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg has developed a computational method that resolves many of the open questions and produced what is likely the most accurate tree ever. The study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Science, gives some intriguing insights into the origins of bacteria and the last common universal ancestor of all life on earth today. See article.
g Intelligence - A short list of scientific rules for the game of love is emerging. Some are as clearly defined as the prominent, feminine eyes of a supermodel or the desirable hips of a well-built man. Other rules work at the subconscious level, motivating us to action for evolutionary reasons that are tucked inside clouds of infatuation. See article.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within twenty years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Alan Stern waited more than 17 years to see NASA launch a science mission to Pluto, and now that a spacecraft is safely on its way he knows much more time will pass before the data starts flowing back to Earth from that distant region of the solar system. See article.
g Learning - Do you have a children with a question about a topic in astronomy or about an object in space? You may find the answer under one of the categories at “Ask an Astronomer for Kids”.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Stephen Leigh’s novel “Alien Tongue,” published by Bantam Spectra in 1991.
g Aftermath - The U.S. and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
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Saturday, March 11, 2006
Anomalous cosmic rays, Saharan impact crater and toxoplasma infection
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - When Voyager 1 finally crossed the "termination shock" at the edge of interstellar space in December 2004, space physicists anticipated the long-sought discovery of the source of anomalous cosmic rays. These cosmic rays, among the most energetic particle radiation in the solar system, are thought to be produced at the termination shock - the boundary at the edge of the solar system where the million-mile-per-hour solar wind abruptly slows. A mystery unfolded instead when Voyager data showed 20 years of predictions to be wrong. See article.
g Abodes - Researchers from Boston University have discovered the remnants of the largest crater of the Great Sahara of North Africa, which may have been formed by a meteorite impact tens of millions of years ago. See article.
g Life - New research into a missing link in climatology shows that the Earth was not overcome by a greenhouse period when dinosaurs dominated, but experienced rapid fluctuations in temperature and sea level change that resulted in a balance of the global carbon cycle. See article.
g Intelligence - Half of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma, parasites in the body—and the brain. See article.
g Message - Put yourself in the situation of the aliens, out there somewhere in the galaxy. They surmise that Earth looks promising for the emergence of intelligent life one day, but they have no idea when. There would be little point in beaming radio messages in this direction for eons in the vague hope that one day radio technology would be developed here and someone would decide to tune in, says one astrobiologist. See article. Note: this article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A robotic mission to study two of the solar system's largest asteroids has been killed by NASA after months of uncertainty while extensive reviews probed the mission's funding and technical credentials. 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 - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Fritz Leiber’s “The Wanderer,” published by Ballantine in 1964.
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.
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g Stars - When Voyager 1 finally crossed the "termination shock" at the edge of interstellar space in December 2004, space physicists anticipated the long-sought discovery of the source of anomalous cosmic rays. These cosmic rays, among the most energetic particle radiation in the solar system, are thought to be produced at the termination shock - the boundary at the edge of the solar system where the million-mile-per-hour solar wind abruptly slows. A mystery unfolded instead when Voyager data showed 20 years of predictions to be wrong. See article.
g Abodes - Researchers from Boston University have discovered the remnants of the largest crater of the Great Sahara of North Africa, which may have been formed by a meteorite impact tens of millions of years ago. See article.
g Life - New research into a missing link in climatology shows that the Earth was not overcome by a greenhouse period when dinosaurs dominated, but experienced rapid fluctuations in temperature and sea level change that resulted in a balance of the global carbon cycle. See article.
g Intelligence - Half of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma, parasites in the body—and the brain. See article.
g Message - Put yourself in the situation of the aliens, out there somewhere in the galaxy. They surmise that Earth looks promising for the emergence of intelligent life one day, but they have no idea when. There would be little point in beaming radio messages in this direction for eons in the vague hope that one day radio technology would be developed here and someone would decide to tune in, says one astrobiologist. See article. Note: this article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A robotic mission to study two of the solar system's largest asteroids has been killed by NASA after months of uncertainty while extensive reviews probed the mission's funding and technical credentials. 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 - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Fritz Leiber’s “The Wanderer,” published by Ballantine in 1964.
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
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