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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