Earths near hot Jupiters, why humans differ from chimps and return to Venus

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 - Rings of debris formed in the aftermath of stellar explosions could fuel the birth of new, rocky planets around dead stars. They could also provide an alternative way to make black holes. See article.
g Abodes - Habitable, Earth-like planets can form even after giant planets have barrelled through their birthplace on epic migrations towards their host stars, new computer simulations suggest. The finding contradicts early ideas of how planets behave and suggests future space missions should search for terrestrial planets near known "hot Jupiters". See article.
g Life - Fossils found in southern Utah five years ago are a new dinosaur that resembled a brightly colored, 7-foot tall turkey which could run at speeds up to 25 mph when it roamed the Earth about 75 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - The vast differences between humans and chimpanzees are due more to changes in gene regulation than differences in individual genes themselves. See article.
g Message - Here’s an interesting interview of Jill Tarter, the director of the SETI Institute, by The Montreal Mirror from 2002. See article.
g Cosmicus - It was on Nov. 9 that ESA's Venus Express spacecraft lifted off from the desert of Kazakhstan onboard a Soyuz-Fregat rocket. Now, after having traveled 400 million kilometers in only about five months, the spacecraft is about to reach its final destination. The rendezvous is due to take place today. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site about extinction, “Put Extinction on Paws”, created by elementary school students for fellow students.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hugh Walters’ short story, “First Contact?” published by Nelson in 1971.
g Aftermath - How to predict reactions to receipt of evidence for an otherworldly intelligence? Some scientists argue that any unpredictable outcomes can only be judged against our own history. See article.

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