Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The University of Arizona-based team that operates the high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, in conjunction with NASA, is releasing the first of what will be a non-stop flood of incredibly detailed Mars images taken during the spacecraft's two-year primary science mission. See article.
g Life - Two and a half billion years ago, photosynthetic organisms started releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, changing the balance of gases on Earth. But researchers have long been puzzled as to how the organisms could make that oxygen without poisoning themselves. Now, two groups of researchers offer an explanation for this contradiction. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2160mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A startling discovery of 70,000-year-old artifacts and a python's head carved of stone appears to represent the first known human rituals. Scientists had thought human intelligence had not evolved the capacity to perform group rituals until perhaps 40,000 years ago. See http://www.livescience.com/history/061130_oldest_ritual.html.
g Cosmicus - NASA managers Wednesday wrapped up a two-day flight readiness review and officially set Dec. 7 as the target launch date for the shuttle Discovery on an unprecedented mission to rewire the international space station. But station engineers are working two issues that must be resolved for Discovery to get off the ground next week. See http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061129frr/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Linda P. Baker’s short story "The Allure of Bone and Ice." It’s in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Pinpointing black holes, New Horizons continues journey and a Bracewell probe
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - The European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory, Integral, has spotted a rare kind of gamma-ray outburst. The vast explosion of energy allowed astronomers to pinpoint a possible black hole in our galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - The New Horzons spacecraft is continuing to speed through the solar system, and now it has spotted its main target: Pluto. New Horizons plans to study Pluto and its neighbors in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy bodies located on the outer edge of our solar system. Because these objects helped form the planets and may have delivered much of the Earth's water, they have a great deal to teach us about planetary formation and the solar system's potential for life. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracewell_probe.
g Cosmicus - The moon has very little atmosphere, and lots of dust. Those are some of the things being considered this week at the home of the Hubble Space Telescope, where astronomers are discussing the opportunities offered by NASA's plan to return to the moon, including the possibility of a telescope on the lunar surface. See http://news.
yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_on_sc/moon_return_astronomy.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Alien Safari.” New from NASA PlanetQuest, Alien Safari can be used in your classrooms or informal education settings to help kids discover some of the most extreme organisms on our planet, and find out what they are telling astrobiologists about the search for life beyond Earth. See http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/AlienSafari_launch_page.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Julie E. Czerneda’s short story "First Contact, Inc.," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues: Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/lecture.html.
g Stars - The European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory, Integral, has spotted a rare kind of gamma-ray outburst. The vast explosion of energy allowed astronomers to pinpoint a possible black hole in our galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - The New Horzons spacecraft is continuing to speed through the solar system, and now it has spotted its main target: Pluto. New Horizons plans to study Pluto and its neighbors in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy bodies located on the outer edge of our solar system. Because these objects helped form the planets and may have delivered much of the Earth's water, they have a great deal to teach us about planetary formation and the solar system's potential for life. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracewell_probe.
g Cosmicus - The moon has very little atmosphere, and lots of dust. Those are some of the things being considered this week at the home of the Hubble Space Telescope, where astronomers are discussing the opportunities offered by NASA's plan to return to the moon, including the possibility of a telescope on the lunar surface. See http://news.
yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_on_sc/moon_return_astronomy.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Alien Safari.” New from NASA PlanetQuest, Alien Safari can be used in your classrooms or informal education settings to help kids discover some of the most extreme organisms on our planet, and find out what they are telling astrobiologists about the search for life beyond Earth. See http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/AlienSafari_launch_page.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Julie E. Czerneda’s short story "First Contact, Inc.," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues: Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/lecture.html.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Magnetic field in planet-hosting star, first king of the beasts and helping SETI succeed
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - This first measurement of a magnetic field in a planet-hosting star has been obtained by an international team of astronomers. They measured the magnetosphere of tau Bootis, a star orbited by a giant planet on a close-in orbit. This result opens new prospects for studying planet-star interactions. See article.
g Life - It was big. It was mean. And it could bite a shark in two. Scientists say Dunkleosteus terrelli [image] might have been "the first king of the beasts." The prehistoric fish was 33 feet long and weighed up to four tons. It had bladed jaws, a flesh-tearing feature that the sharks it preyed upon had not yet developed. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. See http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ for the program.
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 http://www.sciencedaily./com/cgibin/apf4/amazon_
products_feed.cgiOperation=ItemLookup&ItemId=0521546214.
g Imagining - England's Astronomer Royal says he believes aliens could exist, possibly as balloon-like creatures floating in dense atmospheres. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2016535.stm2016535.stm.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, says Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465004199/104-0950202-4931164?v=glance.
g Stars - This first measurement of a magnetic field in a planet-hosting star has been obtained by an international team of astronomers. They measured the magnetosphere of tau Bootis, a star orbited by a giant planet on a close-in orbit. This result opens new prospects for studying planet-star interactions. See article.
g Life - It was big. It was mean. And it could bite a shark in two. Scientists say Dunkleosteus terrelli [image] might have been "the first king of the beasts." The prehistoric fish was 33 feet long and weighed up to four tons. It had bladed jaws, a flesh-tearing feature that the sharks it preyed upon had not yet developed. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. See http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ for the program.
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 http://www.sciencedaily./com/cgibin/apf4/amazon_
products_feed.cgiOperation=ItemLookup&ItemId=0521546214.
g Imagining - England's Astronomer Royal says he believes aliens could exist, possibly as balloon-like creatures floating in dense atmospheres. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2016535.stm2016535.stm.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, says Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465004199/104-0950202-4931164?v=glance.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Inside gas giants, SETI’s history and linguistic issues of communicating with aliens
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - What is inside the gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn? While one might expect that astronomers would know the answer to this question, the field remains an active area for speculation. A new theory claims the core of Jupiter may be made of carbon-rich tar. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI’s history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
g Learning - There may be numerous intelligent civilizations on planets throughout our galaxy. That's the hypothesis driving SETI research. We seek evidence of extraterrestrial technology using optical and radio telescopes to search for signals that emanate from other civilized worlds. These places are far, far away. But, when discussing the search with school children, they often simply ask, "Why don't we just go there?" This can be a teachable moment. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_devore_distance_031204.
html. Note: This article is from Dec. 2003.
g Imagining - Science fiction authors produce a lot of very strange critters. In the desperate dash to be different, many go way overboard to invent fantastic, outlandish species unlike anything anyone has ever seen. It’s an admirable expression of their artistic abilities, but there’s an inherent problem: they almost always lose the reader along the way. Sure, it sounds ultra-cool to have a whole herd of 80-foot quasi-limbed orb-stasis beings, but unless you draw me a picture of these things, the reader often has no idea what you’re talking about. However, if you write that your alien has four wings, 10 eyes and looks a little like a kangaroo, the reader is right there with you. Most readers need at least something familiar to draw on for their imagination, or they get lost. See http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue10/themealiens.htm.
g Aftermath - Epicurus, in the fourth century BC, believed that the universe contained other worlds like our own, and since his time there has been considerable debate whether extraterrestrial life exists and might communicate with us. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, an international social movement — Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence — has emerged which advocates an attempt to achieve communication with extraterrestrial intelligence, and many of its most active members have been leading scientists. Modest efforts to detect radio signals from intelligent extraterrestrials already have been made, both under government aegis and privately funded, and the technical means for a more vigorous search have been developed. If a CETI project were successful, linguists would suddenly have one or more utterly alien languages to study, and some consideration of linguistic issues is a necessary preparation for it. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/ceti.htm.
g Abodes - What is inside the gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn? While one might expect that astronomers would know the answer to this question, the field remains an active area for speculation. A new theory claims the core of Jupiter may be made of carbon-rich tar. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI’s history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
g Learning - There may be numerous intelligent civilizations on planets throughout our galaxy. That's the hypothesis driving SETI research. We seek evidence of extraterrestrial technology using optical and radio telescopes to search for signals that emanate from other civilized worlds. These places are far, far away. But, when discussing the search with school children, they often simply ask, "Why don't we just go there?" This can be a teachable moment. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_devore_distance_031204.
html. Note: This article is from Dec. 2003.
g Imagining - Science fiction authors produce a lot of very strange critters. In the desperate dash to be different, many go way overboard to invent fantastic, outlandish species unlike anything anyone has ever seen. It’s an admirable expression of their artistic abilities, but there’s an inherent problem: they almost always lose the reader along the way. Sure, it sounds ultra-cool to have a whole herd of 80-foot quasi-limbed orb-stasis beings, but unless you draw me a picture of these things, the reader often has no idea what you’re talking about. However, if you write that your alien has four wings, 10 eyes and looks a little like a kangaroo, the reader is right there with you. Most readers need at least something familiar to draw on for their imagination, or they get lost. See http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue10/themealiens.htm.
g Aftermath - Epicurus, in the fourth century BC, believed that the universe contained other worlds like our own, and since his time there has been considerable debate whether extraterrestrial life exists and might communicate with us. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, an international social movement — Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence — has emerged which advocates an attempt to achieve communication with extraterrestrial intelligence, and many of its most active members have been leading scientists. Modest efforts to detect radio signals from intelligent extraterrestrials already have been made, both under government aegis and privately funded, and the technical means for a more vigorous search have been developed. If a CETI project were successful, linguists would suddenly have one or more utterly alien languages to study, and some consideration of linguistic issues is a necessary preparation for it. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/ceti.htm.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Saturn's polar vortex, Earth’s biggest mass extinction and inhabiting bodies of distant robots
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Cassini's spectacular image of Saturn's polar vortex, published this month by NASA, may provide astronomers with a missing piece in the puzzle of how that planet's atmosphere works. For planetary scientists studying Venus, the image was strangely familiar. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/25vortex/.
g Life - The Earth experienced its biggest mass extinction about 250 million years ago, an event that wiped out an estimated 95% of marine species and 70% of land species. New research shows that this mass extinction did more than eliminate species: it fundamentally changed the basic ecology of the world's oceans. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2156mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A pair of new, immersive technologies allows a person to "inhabit" the body of a distant robot in an experiment conducted in Germany. See http://www.livescience.com
/scienceoffiction/061124_soul_machine.html.
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 http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=641mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
mode=thread&order=0&thold=0%0A. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan, “E.T. Can’t Phone Home,” that teaches some basic principles of astronomy: http://www.scpub.org/filelibrary/pdf/etact.pdf.
g Imagining - Can life ever be noncorporeal, as are Star Trek’s Organians? See http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/P/plasma-based_life.html
g Aftermath - Here’s something I dug up from the Toronto Star: A 2002 article, headlined “Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life Could Have Profound Impact On Religion,” by reporter on the religion beat. See http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2002/aug/m17-009.shtml (Sorry that it comes from one of those dreadful UFO Web sites, but this was the only spot I could find it archived for free and in its entirety.).
g Abodes - Cassini's spectacular image of Saturn's polar vortex, published this month by NASA, may provide astronomers with a missing piece in the puzzle of how that planet's atmosphere works. For planetary scientists studying Venus, the image was strangely familiar. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/25vortex/.
g Life - The Earth experienced its biggest mass extinction about 250 million years ago, an event that wiped out an estimated 95% of marine species and 70% of land species. New research shows that this mass extinction did more than eliminate species: it fundamentally changed the basic ecology of the world's oceans. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2156mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A pair of new, immersive technologies allows a person to "inhabit" the body of a distant robot in an experiment conducted in Germany. See http://www.livescience.com
/scienceoffiction/061124_soul_machine.html.
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 http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=641mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
mode=thread&order=0&thold=0%0A. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan, “E.T. Can’t Phone Home,” that teaches some basic principles of astronomy: http://www.scpub.org/filelibrary/pdf/etact.pdf.
g Imagining - Can life ever be noncorporeal, as are Star Trek’s Organians? See http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/P/plasma-based_life.html
g Aftermath - Here’s something I dug up from the Toronto Star: A 2002 article, headlined “Discovery Of Extraterrestrial Life Could Have Profound Impact On Religion,” by reporter on the religion beat. See http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2002/aug/m17-009.shtml (Sorry that it comes from one of those dreadful UFO Web sites, but this was the only spot I could find it archived for free and in its entirety.).
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Undersea volcanic eruption, individual human differences and messages composed for ET
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Being in the right place at the right time allowed scientists to capture and record an undersea volcanic eruption. This provided a view of the death and birth of a mid-ocean ridge from various perspectives – geological, biological, and geophysical - providing new insight into the inner workings of our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2155mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - New research shows that at least 10 percent of genes in the human population can vary in the number of copies of DNA sequences they contain — a finding that alters current thinking that the DNA of any two humans is 99.9 percent similar in content and identity. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061123115741.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s (as Anson MacDonald) short story "Goldfish Bowl," originally published in the March 1942 Astounding magazine.
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.
g Abodes - Being in the right place at the right time allowed scientists to capture and record an undersea volcanic eruption. This provided a view of the death and birth of a mid-ocean ridge from various perspectives – geological, biological, and geophysical - providing new insight into the inner workings of our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2155mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - New research shows that at least 10 percent of genes in the human population can vary in the number of copies of DNA sequences they contain — a finding that alters current thinking that the DNA of any two humans is 99.9 percent similar in content and identity. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061123115741.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s (as Anson MacDonald) short story "Goldfish Bowl," originally published in the March 1942 Astounding magazine.
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.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Conditions in solar system’s earliest years, ‘tasting’ words and ‘The Starfarers Series’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Ever since astronauts returned from the moon, scientists have been mystified by some of the rocks they brought back. Now one of the mysteries has been solved, and the findings provide us with a better understanding of what conditions were like in the earliest years of our solar system. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=2154mode=thread&order=0&thold=0. For related story, see “Genesis findings solve Apollo lunar soil mystery” at http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/23genesis/.
g Intelligence - A very small number of synesthetes can "taste" words. A new study finds that individuals with this last form of synesthesia — called "lexical-gustatory" synesthesia — can taste a word before they ever speak it, and that the word's meaning, not its sound or spelling, is what triggers this taste sensation. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061122_word_tastes.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Vonda N. McIntyre’s “The Starfarers Series”: “Starfarers” (1989), “Transition” (1990), “Metaphase” (1992) and “Nautilus” (1994). In the series, a ship staffed by an international crew goes out to contact alien life. It eventually discovers dying squidmoth, which leads them into further contacts.
g Stars - Ever since astronauts returned from the moon, scientists have been mystified by some of the rocks they brought back. Now one of the mysteries has been solved, and the findings provide us with a better understanding of what conditions were like in the earliest years of our solar system. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=2154mode=thread&order=0&thold=0. For related story, see “Genesis findings solve Apollo lunar soil mystery” at http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/23genesis/.
g Intelligence - A very small number of synesthetes can "taste" words. A new study finds that individuals with this last form of synesthesia — called "lexical-gustatory" synesthesia — can taste a word before they ever speak it, and that the word's meaning, not its sound or spelling, is what triggers this taste sensation. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061122_word_tastes.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Vonda N. McIntyre’s “The Starfarers Series”: “Starfarers” (1989), “Transition” (1990), “Metaphase” (1992) and “Nautilus” (1994). In the series, a ship staffed by an international crew goes out to contact alien life. It eventually discovers dying squidmoth, which leads them into further contacts.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
What made Venus go bad, message to the stars and microgravity-friendly food solutions
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The planet Venus is almost the same size as Earth, but it has an atmospheric pressure almost 100 times greater than Earth's, its clouds contain sulfuric acid, and its surface temperature hovers around 800 degrees Fahrenheit. All known forms of life would be broiled alive. Vesper, a proposed NASA Discovery mission, would increase our understanding of what made Venus go bad. See article.
g Intelligence - An environmental drama played out on the world stage in the late 18th century when a volcano killed 9,000 Icelanders and brought a famine to Egypt that reduced the population of the Nile valley by a sixth. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061121232204.htm.
g Message - Most people see the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 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 recently sent to the stars. See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/print.php?page=interview01.
g Cosmicus - On the earliest of American space flights, food wasn't an issue. The sub-orbital hops made by Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom were each less than a half hour long; if the pilots were hungry, they could wait until they returned to the ground. As space flights became longer though, the need for food sent NASA looking for microgravity-friendly solutions. See http://space.com/missionlaunches/061123_space_food.html.
g Imagining - In nearly all popular science fiction dramatizations on television, most of the alien protagonists look remarkably like humans. In "Star Trek," if you forgave the Vulcan's their ears (and their hair-styles), the Klingons their foreheads and the Bajorans their ridged noses you'd think that they were all human. After all, they have two legs, two arms, 10 fingers and toes, two ears, two eyes and a nose. And while arms and eyes are universals, two arms and two legs are parochial. See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.php?page=exobio09.
g Aftermath - A 1998 report by the National Research Council Space Studies Board Task Group on Sample Return from Small Solar System Bodies assesses the potential for a living entity to be present in or on samples returned from small solar system bodies such as planetary satellites, asteroids and comets. See http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/.
g Abodes - The planet Venus is almost the same size as Earth, but it has an atmospheric pressure almost 100 times greater than Earth's, its clouds contain sulfuric acid, and its surface temperature hovers around 800 degrees Fahrenheit. All known forms of life would be broiled alive. Vesper, a proposed NASA Discovery mission, would increase our understanding of what made Venus go bad. See article.
g Intelligence - An environmental drama played out on the world stage in the late 18th century when a volcano killed 9,000 Icelanders and brought a famine to Egypt that reduced the population of the Nile valley by a sixth. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061121232204.htm.
g Message - Most people see the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 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 recently sent to the stars. See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/print.php?page=interview01.
g Cosmicus - On the earliest of American space flights, food wasn't an issue. The sub-orbital hops made by Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom were each less than a half hour long; if the pilots were hungry, they could wait until they returned to the ground. As space flights became longer though, the need for food sent NASA looking for microgravity-friendly solutions. See http://space.com/missionlaunches/061123_space_food.html.
g Imagining - In nearly all popular science fiction dramatizations on television, most of the alien protagonists look remarkably like humans. In "Star Trek," if you forgave the Vulcan's their ears (and their hair-styles), the Klingons their foreheads and the Bajorans their ridged noses you'd think that they were all human. After all, they have two legs, two arms, 10 fingers and toes, two ears, two eyes and a nose. And while arms and eyes are universals, two arms and two legs are parochial. See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.php?page=exobio09.
g Aftermath - A 1998 report by the National Research Council Space Studies Board Task Group on Sample Return from Small Solar System Bodies assesses the potential for a living entity to be present in or on samples returned from small solar system bodies such as planetary satellites, asteroids and comets. See http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Chimp date preference, determining whether life exists elsewhere and Genesis 1 module
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Intelligence - Males prefer older females, at least in the chimp world, scientists now report. These findings, reported in the Nov. 21 issue of the journal “Current Biology,” could shed light on how the more chimp-like ancestors of humans might have behaved, said researcher Martin Muller, a biological anthropologist at Boston University. See article.
g Message - Scientists find it hard enough to pin down evidence of early life on our own planet. How on Earth do we plan to determine whether life exists elsewhere? See http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taffile=/nature/journal/v430/n6997/full/430288a_fs.
html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The success of Bigelow Aerospace’s Genesis 1 module, which has been operating in orbit since July 12, has put the company well ahead in its plans for bigger and more capable modules that eventually will host visitors in orbit. See http://space.com/business
technology/061122_bigelow_sundancer.html.
g Learning - What are SETI scientists doing to foment the study and understanding of astrobiology in our schools? See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_phspace_051117.html.
g Imagining - Book alert: Get thee to a used bookstore if you haven’t read “Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek,” by Susan and Robert Jenkins. The Jenkinses focus on the biological logic (or illogic) behind the alien ecologies in Star Trek — the original TV series and all of its sequels and movie spinoffs. The best parts are the biological bloopers, even though only a fan will truly appreciate them. For instance, how did the Klingons evolve forehead ridges between the original and the new series ... and why do all the planets look like California? The science in the book helps the authors hypothesize about how humanoid life might have evolved throughout the universe (panspermia revisited). They offer simple evolutionary theories to explain the various head shapes and behaviors of fictional alien species. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060
929243/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/10411521148738327.
g Aftermath - Comparing the task presented to a stellar communicator to the reasoning why past civilizations have prepared for posterity, one considers whether SETI lays the groundwork for future archaeology. Why did our terrestrial ancestors prepare relics like the Rosetta Stone? See http://seti.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Males prefer older females, at least in the chimp world, scientists now report. These findings, reported in the Nov. 21 issue of the journal “Current Biology,” could shed light on how the more chimp-like ancestors of humans might have behaved, said researcher Martin Muller, a biological anthropologist at Boston University. See article.
g Message - Scientists find it hard enough to pin down evidence of early life on our own planet. How on Earth do we plan to determine whether life exists elsewhere? See http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taffile=/nature/journal/v430/n6997/full/430288a_fs.
html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The success of Bigelow Aerospace’s Genesis 1 module, which has been operating in orbit since July 12, has put the company well ahead in its plans for bigger and more capable modules that eventually will host visitors in orbit. See http://space.com/business
technology/061122_bigelow_sundancer.html.
g Learning - What are SETI scientists doing to foment the study and understanding of astrobiology in our schools? See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_phspace_051117.html.
g Imagining - Book alert: Get thee to a used bookstore if you haven’t read “Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek,” by Susan and Robert Jenkins. The Jenkinses focus on the biological logic (or illogic) behind the alien ecologies in Star Trek — the original TV series and all of its sequels and movie spinoffs. The best parts are the biological bloopers, even though only a fan will truly appreciate them. For instance, how did the Klingons evolve forehead ridges between the original and the new series ... and why do all the planets look like California? The science in the book helps the authors hypothesize about how humanoid life might have evolved throughout the universe (panspermia revisited). They offer simple evolutionary theories to explain the various head shapes and behaviors of fictional alien species. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060
929243/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/10411521148738327.
g Aftermath - Comparing the task presented to a stellar communicator to the reasoning why past civilizations have prepared for posterity, one considers whether SETI lays the groundwork for future archaeology. Why did our terrestrial ancestors prepare relics like the Rosetta Stone? See http://seti.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Mean of ‘planet,’ ocean reefs’ role in life’s origin, Earth's radio emissions
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - The existence of black holes is perhaps the most fascinating prediction of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. And now, a team has measured a black hole spinning so rapidly - turning more than 950 times per second - that it pushes the predicted speed limit for rotation. See article.
g Abodes - Before the dust even settled after the Great Pluto War at the International Astronomical Union's General Assembly in Prague, one thing became clear: There will never be an accepted scientific definition for the term "planet." See http://space.com/science
astronomy/061121_exoplanet_definition.html.
g Life - The origin of life may have happened in ocean reefs, and Miriam Andres from the University of Miami has developed an approach to better investigate them. Modern marine stromatolites are living examples of one of the Earth's oldest ecosystems. By fingerprinting ancient microbial pathways, we may increase our understanding of the origins of stromatolites. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file
=article&sid=2151mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - For people unable to simultaneously rub their stomach while patting their head, a new twist may be at hand. Touch, rather than concentration, could let people multi-task with their hands, and this may also potentially help improve the performance of people with coordination problems, according to psychologists. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061120110611.htm.
g Message - The Earth's radio emission is now comparable to or stronger than the Sun's. So for aliens looking in the radio frequency, we should be the brightest spot in the solar system. See http://
www.redorbit.com/news/space/124218/limitations_of_radio_
searches_for_extraterrestrials/. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Alien Safari.” New from NASA PlanetQuest, Alien Safari can be used in your classrooms or informal education settings to help kids discover some of the most extreme organisms on our planet, and find out what they are telling astrobiologists about the search for life beyond Earth. See http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/AlienSafari_launch_page.html.
g Imagining - Here’s a neat Web page that asks “What are our chances of actually recognizing an alien intelligence for what it is?” What if ET does not say "Take me to your leader" from an obviously technologically superior spaceship? Will we know if it’s intelligent? It draws in part upon Stanley Weinbaum's famous short story, "A Martian Odyssey.” See http://www.sff.net/people/mmolvray/exobio/recog.htm.
g Aftermath - Will ET be altruistic or hostile? An Internet poll found a strong connection between people’s beliefs about extraterrestrials and their feelings about how meaningful life is. What makes the results even more compelling is that they match the findings of an earlier study conducted under more stringent testing conditions. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_hostiles_020221.html. Note: This article is from February 2002.
g Stars - The existence of black holes is perhaps the most fascinating prediction of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. And now, a team has measured a black hole spinning so rapidly - turning more than 950 times per second - that it pushes the predicted speed limit for rotation. See article.
g Abodes - Before the dust even settled after the Great Pluto War at the International Astronomical Union's General Assembly in Prague, one thing became clear: There will never be an accepted scientific definition for the term "planet." See http://space.com/science
astronomy/061121_exoplanet_definition.html.
g Life - The origin of life may have happened in ocean reefs, and Miriam Andres from the University of Miami has developed an approach to better investigate them. Modern marine stromatolites are living examples of one of the Earth's oldest ecosystems. By fingerprinting ancient microbial pathways, we may increase our understanding of the origins of stromatolites. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file
=article&sid=2151mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - For people unable to simultaneously rub their stomach while patting their head, a new twist may be at hand. Touch, rather than concentration, could let people multi-task with their hands, and this may also potentially help improve the performance of people with coordination problems, according to psychologists. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061120110611.htm.
g Message - The Earth's radio emission is now comparable to or stronger than the Sun's. So for aliens looking in the radio frequency, we should be the brightest spot in the solar system. See http://
www.redorbit.com/news/space/124218/limitations_of_radio_
searches_for_extraterrestrials/. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Alien Safari.” New from NASA PlanetQuest, Alien Safari can be used in your classrooms or informal education settings to help kids discover some of the most extreme organisms on our planet, and find out what they are telling astrobiologists about the search for life beyond Earth. See http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/AlienSafari_launch_page.html.
g Imagining - Here’s a neat Web page that asks “What are our chances of actually recognizing an alien intelligence for what it is?” What if ET does not say "Take me to your leader" from an obviously technologically superior spaceship? Will we know if it’s intelligent? It draws in part upon Stanley Weinbaum's famous short story, "A Martian Odyssey.” See http://www.sff.net/people/mmolvray/exobio/recog.htm.
g Aftermath - Will ET be altruistic or hostile? An Internet poll found a strong connection between people’s beliefs about extraterrestrials and their feelings about how meaningful life is. What makes the results even more compelling is that they match the findings of an earlier study conducted under more stringent testing conditions. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_hostiles_020221.html. Note: This article is from February 2002.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Interstellar chemistry, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and ‘Songs of a Distant Earth’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life - In October, the sixth workshop of the European Astrobiology Network Association was held in Lyon, France. Scientists from around the world gathered to discuss topics such as interstellar chemistry, the origin of life and the search for life in the solar system. See article.
g Message - The SETI League, Inc. launched its Project Argus all-sky survey in April 1996, with the ambitious goal of real-time all-sky coverage. This SETI experiment is unique in that it employs the talents and energies of thousands of dedicated amateur radio astronomers worldwide. In its first four years, Project Argus has grown from five small prototype radio telescopes to one hundred operational stations, with hundreds more under construction. We are still decades away from our projected 5,000 stations able to see in all directions at once. Nevertheless, much has been learned about how to build radio telescopes on the cheap, operate them with the utmost of professionalism, and interpret received data with scientific rigor. See http://www.setileague.org/articles/iaa2000.htm.
g Cosmicus - The Air Force is working on a space vehicle that will allow government scientists to transport advanced technology into orbit, test its capability there, then bring it home to see how it fared in the harsh environment of space. The first X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will launch from Cape Canaveral in 2008 atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket and land in California at either Vandenberg or Edwards. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/19x37b/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of NASA: “Planets in a Bottle.” The lesson plan involves yeast experiments intended for 2nd through 4th grade students. See http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad16mar99_1a.htm.
g Imagining - An early “Star Trek” alien is the Thasians (http://
www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70733.html), who serve a deux ex machina role in one episode. The Thasians apparently are a noncorporeal life form that gave a human child incredible powers of telekinesis. Such capabilities, as exhibited by the child (now a 17-year-old teenager) appear to stem from within his own physical being, however. The Thasians themselves also are dependent on the physical reality of a spacecraft for traveling beyond their planet. Of course, how a noncorporeal life form might exist is beyond our physical science, though one might suspect it is an organized pattern of electrical impulses, somehow held together and organized without use of a physical platform (such as our brain cells) — though their powers can be transferred to such a platform, as occurs with the boy. Most likely the Thasians did not evolve as noncorporeal life forms but instead, being eons ahead of us in technology, rely on machines (using teleportation-like technology) to do their work; their own beings might be interfaced with such machines so a mere concentrated thought can command it. The Thasians, thus feeling encumbered by physical form, shifted to another dimension — again, more fiction than reality — where the very nature of that space allows the beings (electrical patterns) to remain organized, and perhaps better able to communicate with their machines. Of course, too little was said about the Thasians in the episode, though the boy did note that the Thasians do not “feel” or “touch” in the same way that humans do.
g Aftermath - Some of the best discussion of the consequences of alien contact occurs in science fiction. Here’s a novel that ranks among the most important in that dialogue: Arthur C. Clark’s “Songs of a Distant Earth.” Look for it at your library or local used book store.
g Life - In October, the sixth workshop of the European Astrobiology Network Association was held in Lyon, France. Scientists from around the world gathered to discuss topics such as interstellar chemistry, the origin of life and the search for life in the solar system. See article.
g Message - The SETI League, Inc. launched its Project Argus all-sky survey in April 1996, with the ambitious goal of real-time all-sky coverage. This SETI experiment is unique in that it employs the talents and energies of thousands of dedicated amateur radio astronomers worldwide. In its first four years, Project Argus has grown from five small prototype radio telescopes to one hundred operational stations, with hundreds more under construction. We are still decades away from our projected 5,000 stations able to see in all directions at once. Nevertheless, much has been learned about how to build radio telescopes on the cheap, operate them with the utmost of professionalism, and interpret received data with scientific rigor. See http://www.setileague.org/articles/iaa2000.htm.
g Cosmicus - The Air Force is working on a space vehicle that will allow government scientists to transport advanced technology into orbit, test its capability there, then bring it home to see how it fared in the harsh environment of space. The first X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will launch from Cape Canaveral in 2008 atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket and land in California at either Vandenberg or Edwards. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/19x37b/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of NASA: “Planets in a Bottle.” The lesson plan involves yeast experiments intended for 2nd through 4th grade students. See http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad16mar99_1a.htm.
g Imagining - An early “Star Trek” alien is the Thasians (http://
www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70733.html), who serve a deux ex machina role in one episode. The Thasians apparently are a noncorporeal life form that gave a human child incredible powers of telekinesis. Such capabilities, as exhibited by the child (now a 17-year-old teenager) appear to stem from within his own physical being, however. The Thasians themselves also are dependent on the physical reality of a spacecraft for traveling beyond their planet. Of course, how a noncorporeal life form might exist is beyond our physical science, though one might suspect it is an organized pattern of electrical impulses, somehow held together and organized without use of a physical platform (such as our brain cells) — though their powers can be transferred to such a platform, as occurs with the boy. Most likely the Thasians did not evolve as noncorporeal life forms but instead, being eons ahead of us in technology, rely on machines (using teleportation-like technology) to do their work; their own beings might be interfaced with such machines so a mere concentrated thought can command it. The Thasians, thus feeling encumbered by physical form, shifted to another dimension — again, more fiction than reality — where the very nature of that space allows the beings (electrical patterns) to remain organized, and perhaps better able to communicate with their machines. Of course, too little was said about the Thasians in the episode, though the boy did note that the Thasians do not “feel” or “touch” in the same way that humans do.
g Aftermath - Some of the best discussion of the consequences of alien contact occurs in science fiction. Here’s a novel that ranks among the most important in that dialogue: Arthur C. Clark’s “Songs of a Distant Earth.” Look for it at your library or local used book store.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Ulysses solar mission milestone, the Great Silence and how we can become a spacefaring civilization
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - On Friday, the Ulysses solar mission reached another important milestone on its journey: the start of the third passage over the Sun's south pole. Launched in 1990, the spacecraft is engaged in the exploration of the heliosphere, the bubble in space blown out by the solar wind. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/18ulysses/.
g Message - Will universal fear doom SETI to a continuation of the Great Silence? In a response to David Brin’s Zoo Hypothesis argument (see http://brinl.stockconsulting.com/downloads/silence.pdf), here’s a SETI League editorial: http://www.setileague.org/editor/wimps.htm.
g Learning - Have you ever wanted to build your own world? Now you can! Go to http://web.calstatela.edu/academic/builders/index.html. The Web site offers step-by-step information and hundreds of links to help you design your world while providing rubrics to guide projects in PowerPoint and Web page authoring programs.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? There’s a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each, at http://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms2.html. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture. In fact, here’s an essay that examines a specific detail of that notion: “An Exploration of the Relationship Between Science Fiction Film and the UFO Mythology,” at http://www.hedweb.com/markp/ufofilm.htm.
g Aftermath - Look for an intriguing book to read: “Space, the Final Frontier?” by G. Genta e M. Rycroft. Published in 2003. The book primarily examines how we can become a spacefaring civilization, but it does include an interesting chapter about life in the universe, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, the Drake Equation, intelligent lifeforms, whether other lifeforms will be more like ET or Alien, and the possible humanoid characteristics of extraterrestrials. For commentary and a table of contents, see http://www.giancarlogenta.it/frontier.htm.
g Stars - On Friday, the Ulysses solar mission reached another important milestone on its journey: the start of the third passage over the Sun's south pole. Launched in 1990, the spacecraft is engaged in the exploration of the heliosphere, the bubble in space blown out by the solar wind. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/18ulysses/.
g Message - Will universal fear doom SETI to a continuation of the Great Silence? In a response to David Brin’s Zoo Hypothesis argument (see http://brinl.stockconsulting.com/downloads/silence.pdf), here’s a SETI League editorial: http://www.setileague.org/editor/wimps.htm.
g Learning - Have you ever wanted to build your own world? Now you can! Go to http://web.calstatela.edu/academic/builders/index.html. The Web site offers step-by-step information and hundreds of links to help you design your world while providing rubrics to guide projects in PowerPoint and Web page authoring programs.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? There’s a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each, at http://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms2.html. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture. In fact, here’s an essay that examines a specific detail of that notion: “An Exploration of the Relationship Between Science Fiction Film and the UFO Mythology,” at http://www.hedweb.com/markp/ufofilm.htm.
g Aftermath - Look for an intriguing book to read: “Space, the Final Frontier?” by G. Genta e M. Rycroft. Published in 2003. The book primarily examines how we can become a spacefaring civilization, but it does include an interesting chapter about life in the universe, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, the Drake Equation, intelligent lifeforms, whether other lifeforms will be more like ET or Alien, and the possible humanoid characteristics of extraterrestrials. For commentary and a table of contents, see http://www.giancarlogenta.it/frontier.htm.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Dark energy’s history, extraterrestrial messenger probe and creating believable aliens via scientific laws
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists now have evidence that dark energy has been around for most of the universe's history. Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers measured the expansion of the universe 9 billion years ago based on 23 of the most distant supernovae ever detected. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/
061116_darkenergy_infantuniverse.html.
g Life - Countering the widespread view of evolution as a process played out over the course of eons, evolutionary biologists have shown that natural selection can turn on a dime - within months - as a population's needs change. In a study of island lizards exposed to a new predator, the scientists found that natural selection dramatically changed direction over a very short time, within a single generation, favoring first longer and then shorter hind legs. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061117124514.htm.
g Message - How might we detect an extraterrestrial messenger probe already in the solar system? See http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/WhereAreThey1983.htm. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting tip sheet from the Science Fiction Writers of America about how to create believable aliens via scientific laws: http://www.sff.net/people/mmolvray/aliens.htm.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: “"The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios," by astronomer Ivan Almar, at http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/ASPC./0074//0000499.000.
html. Note: This article dates from 1995.
g Stars - Scientists now have evidence that dark energy has been around for most of the universe's history. Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers measured the expansion of the universe 9 billion years ago based on 23 of the most distant supernovae ever detected. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/
061116_darkenergy_infantuniverse.html.
g Life - Countering the widespread view of evolution as a process played out over the course of eons, evolutionary biologists have shown that natural selection can turn on a dime - within months - as a population's needs change. In a study of island lizards exposed to a new predator, the scientists found that natural selection dramatically changed direction over a very short time, within a single generation, favoring first longer and then shorter hind legs. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061117124514.htm.
g Message - How might we detect an extraterrestrial messenger probe already in the solar system? See http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/WhereAreThey1983.htm. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting tip sheet from the Science Fiction Writers of America about how to create believable aliens via scientific laws: http://www.sff.net/people/mmolvray/aliens.htm.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: “"The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios," by astronomer Ivan Almar, at http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/ASPC./0074//0000499.000.
html. Note: This article dates from 1995.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Generation of cosmic rays, human-chimp differences and will it be safe to answer ET?
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - New clues about the origins of cosmic rays, mysterious high-energy particles that bombard the Earth, have been revealed using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. An extraordinarily detailed image of the remains of an exploded star provides crucial insight into the generation of cosmic rays. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/15pinball/.
g Abodes - A section of the Appalachian Mountains discovered in Mexico is forcing scientists to redraw their maps of ancient Earth. See http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/061117_app_mount.html.
g Intelligence - Six million years ago, chimpanzees and humans diverged from a common ancestor and evolved into unique species. Now UCLA scientists have identified a new way to pinpoint the genes that separate us from our closest living relative and make us uniquely human. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2147mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Aftermath - It’s a quite old news story (8 years!), but the issues raised remain relevant and greatly underexamined: If E.T. phones our home, will it be safe to answer? See http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9608/09/greeting.et/.
g Stars - New clues about the origins of cosmic rays, mysterious high-energy particles that bombard the Earth, have been revealed using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. An extraordinarily detailed image of the remains of an exploded star provides crucial insight into the generation of cosmic rays. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/15pinball/.
g Abodes - A section of the Appalachian Mountains discovered in Mexico is forcing scientists to redraw their maps of ancient Earth. See http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/061117_app_mount.html.
g Intelligence - Six million years ago, chimpanzees and humans diverged from a common ancestor and evolved into unique species. Now UCLA scientists have identified a new way to pinpoint the genes that separate us from our closest living relative and make us uniquely human. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2147mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Aftermath - It’s a quite old news story (8 years!), but the issues raised remain relevant and greatly underexamined: If E.T. phones our home, will it be safe to answer? See http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9608/09/greeting.et/.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Frenzied star-making, mud volcanoes and ‘After Contact, Then What?’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Frenzied star-making in the Milky Way Galaxy starting about 2400 million years ago had extraordinary effects on life on Earth. Harvests of bacteria in the sea soared and crashed in a succession of booms and busts, with an instability not seen before or since. According to new results published by Henrik Svensmark of the Danish National Space Center in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten, the variability in the productivity of life is closely linked to the cosmic rays, the atomic bullets that rain down on the Earth from exploded stars. They were most intense during a baby boom of stars, many of which blew up. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061115092911.htm.
g Abodes - Cold seeps are deep-sea environments, usually a few square meters in size, where fluid is released through slow diffusion from the sea floor. Mud volcanoes, which are active areas of fluid seepage, are other extreme environments discovered in the 1990s. These harsh conditions give rise to some of the most extreme and scientifically challenging environments for life to exist on the planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2146mode=thread&order=0&thold
=0.
g Life - When it comes to mating, wild animals make their own rules. From lionesses of East Africa that mate with many males before ovulating and committing their eggs, to male walruses that joust for several female partners, the animal kingdom is full of swingers. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061
114_mating_game.html.
g Intelligence - Students, don't cringe, but new research suggests that the very act of taking a test is enough to enhance long-term memory. Furthermore, testing helps students remember not only what they studied for the test, but also related, non-tested concepts. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/tbd_testing_memory.
html.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's Ringworld universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See http://www1.tip.nl/~t619162/pak.htm.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” (http://www.setileague.org/askdr/whatnext.htm) shows how little we’ve thought about this
g Stars - Frenzied star-making in the Milky Way Galaxy starting about 2400 million years ago had extraordinary effects on life on Earth. Harvests of bacteria in the sea soared and crashed in a succession of booms and busts, with an instability not seen before or since. According to new results published by Henrik Svensmark of the Danish National Space Center in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten, the variability in the productivity of life is closely linked to the cosmic rays, the atomic bullets that rain down on the Earth from exploded stars. They were most intense during a baby boom of stars, many of which blew up. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061115092911.htm.
g Abodes - Cold seeps are deep-sea environments, usually a few square meters in size, where fluid is released through slow diffusion from the sea floor. Mud volcanoes, which are active areas of fluid seepage, are other extreme environments discovered in the 1990s. These harsh conditions give rise to some of the most extreme and scientifically challenging environments for life to exist on the planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2146mode=thread&order=0&thold
=0.
g Life - When it comes to mating, wild animals make their own rules. From lionesses of East Africa that mate with many males before ovulating and committing their eggs, to male walruses that joust for several female partners, the animal kingdom is full of swingers. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061
114_mating_game.html.
g Intelligence - Students, don't cringe, but new research suggests that the very act of taking a test is enough to enhance long-term memory. Furthermore, testing helps students remember not only what they studied for the test, but also related, non-tested concepts. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/tbd_testing_memory.
html.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's Ringworld universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See http://www1.tip.nl/~t619162/pak.htm.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” (http://www.setileague.org/askdr/whatnext.htm) shows how little we’ve thought about this
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Twenty new stellar systems in our local solar neighborhood and national strategy for lunar exploration
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have identified 20 new stellar systems in our local solar neighborhood, including the twenty-third and twenty-fourth closest stars to the Sun. When added to eight other systems announced by this team and six by other groups since 2000, the known population of the Milky Way galaxy within 33 light-years of Earth has grown by 16 percent in just the past six years. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/14newstars/.
g Abodes - Thanks to a flotilla of Mars orbiters, there’s been a steady flow of information streaming in from that puzzling world. Scientists are piecing together a far more coherent view of “real time” versus “geological time” in dealing with the whole of Mars today. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/06
1113_mars_gullies.html. For related story, see http://www.
astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file
=article&sid=2145mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Over the last half century, researchers have found that mineral surfaces may have played critical roles organizing, or activating, molecules that would become essential ingredients to all life, such as amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and nucleic acids (the essence of DNA). But which of the countless possible combinations of biomolecules and mineral surfaces were key to this evolution? See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2144mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Researchers at the University of Rochester may have answered one of neuroscience's most vexing questions—how can it be that our neurons, which are responsible for our crystal-clear thoughts, seem to fire in utterly random ways? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061112094812.htm.
g Message - Since there is a general agreement that the laws of nature are the same everywhere in our universe, it follows that mathematics must be universal and therefore it must be the same for every intelligent being in the universe. So, a language for SETI communication based on mathematics can be constructed. But the fact that mathematics has turned out to be so strictly entangled with material reality also establishes very sharp limitations to its efficacy for our purposes and the need of an integration with (at least) a pictorial language. See http://www.seti-italia.cnr.it/Page%20Articles/Page03_SETIandPhilosophy.htm.
g Cosmicus - NASA is set to roll out a U.S. national strategy for lunar exploration, one that outlines both robotic exploration needs and the rationale for sending humans back to the Moon. See http://www.
space.com/businesstechnology/061115_techwed_moonplans.html.
g Learning - Here’s something fun for the kids: An “Alien Life” word find (http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040922/wordfind.Asp). It’s based on the Science for Kids article at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040922/Feature1.asp.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "Proxima Centauri," published in the March 1935 issue of Astounding Stories.
g Stars - Astronomers have identified 20 new stellar systems in our local solar neighborhood, including the twenty-third and twenty-fourth closest stars to the Sun. When added to eight other systems announced by this team and six by other groups since 2000, the known population of the Milky Way galaxy within 33 light-years of Earth has grown by 16 percent in just the past six years. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/14newstars/.
g Abodes - Thanks to a flotilla of Mars orbiters, there’s been a steady flow of information streaming in from that puzzling world. Scientists are piecing together a far more coherent view of “real time” versus “geological time” in dealing with the whole of Mars today. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/06
1113_mars_gullies.html. For related story, see http://www.
astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file
=article&sid=2145mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Over the last half century, researchers have found that mineral surfaces may have played critical roles organizing, or activating, molecules that would become essential ingredients to all life, such as amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and nucleic acids (the essence of DNA). But which of the countless possible combinations of biomolecules and mineral surfaces were key to this evolution? See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2144mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Researchers at the University of Rochester may have answered one of neuroscience's most vexing questions—how can it be that our neurons, which are responsible for our crystal-clear thoughts, seem to fire in utterly random ways? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061112094812.htm.
g Message - Since there is a general agreement that the laws of nature are the same everywhere in our universe, it follows that mathematics must be universal and therefore it must be the same for every intelligent being in the universe. So, a language for SETI communication based on mathematics can be constructed. But the fact that mathematics has turned out to be so strictly entangled with material reality also establishes very sharp limitations to its efficacy for our purposes and the need of an integration with (at least) a pictorial language. See http://www.seti-italia.cnr.it/Page%20Articles/Page03_SETIandPhilosophy.htm.
g Cosmicus - NASA is set to roll out a U.S. national strategy for lunar exploration, one that outlines both robotic exploration needs and the rationale for sending humans back to the Moon. See http://www.
space.com/businesstechnology/061115_techwed_moonplans.html.
g Learning - Here’s something fun for the kids: An “Alien Life” word find (http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040922/wordfind.Asp). It’s based on the Science for Kids article at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040922/Feature1.asp.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "Proxima Centauri," published in the March 1935 issue of Astounding Stories.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Hazy skies on early Earth, ‘Are Humans All Alone in the Universe?’ and ‘Beyond Contact’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Hazy skies on early Earth could have provided a substantial source of organic material useful for emerging life on the planet, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. See article. For related stories, see “Cassini stares into the eye of monster storm on Saturn”, “Golden night on Saturn” and “Resplendent Rhea”.
g Life - How do birds released in one country find their way home in another, thousands of miles away? In part, they depend on a clock and a compass and they follow their nose. But the whole story is a lot more complicated. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061113_pigeon_homing.html.
g Intelligence - In new research, reported in the current online issue of the journal Social Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Georgia and San Diego State University report for the first time that social exclusion actually causes changes in a person's brain function and can lead to poor decision-making and a diminished learning ability. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061108154256.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat radio interview on the program “Earth and Sky,” about scientists looking for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. See http://www.earthsky.com/shows/edgeofdiscovery.php?date=20030513. Note: The interview is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - While analysts do not foresee the new Congress dismantling the agency’s plan to field new manned spacecraft systems and return to the Moon, they do expect Democrats to submit the U.S. space agency’s space exploration plans to more scrutiny and use their greater say over federal spending to bolster NASA science and aeronautics programs hard hit in recent budgets. See http://www.space.com/includes/iab.htmlurl=/spacenews/business
monday_061113.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat interactive Web site for kids: “Are Humans All Alone in the Universe?” In the program, kids get to search for ET — and learn some principles of science along the way. See http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Scientifically speaking, are UFOs worth keeping an eye on? Not exactly. See http://www.space.com/news/060622_alien_encounters.html.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Pick up “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations,” by inventor and software developer Brian McConnell. The book examines whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking. See http://ibs.howstuffworks.com/ibs/orl/framed.htm?parent=http://ibs.howstuffworks.com/ibs/orl/alien-physiology5.htm&url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/%0BASIN/0965377431/howstuffworks for reviews.
g Abodes - Hazy skies on early Earth could have provided a substantial source of organic material useful for emerging life on the planet, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. See article. For related stories, see “Cassini stares into the eye of monster storm on Saturn”, “Golden night on Saturn” and “Resplendent Rhea”.
g Life - How do birds released in one country find their way home in another, thousands of miles away? In part, they depend on a clock and a compass and they follow their nose. But the whole story is a lot more complicated. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061113_pigeon_homing.html.
g Intelligence - In new research, reported in the current online issue of the journal Social Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Georgia and San Diego State University report for the first time that social exclusion actually causes changes in a person's brain function and can lead to poor decision-making and a diminished learning ability. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061108154256.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat radio interview on the program “Earth and Sky,” about scientists looking for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. See http://www.earthsky.com/shows/edgeofdiscovery.php?date=20030513. Note: The interview is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - While analysts do not foresee the new Congress dismantling the agency’s plan to field new manned spacecraft systems and return to the Moon, they do expect Democrats to submit the U.S. space agency’s space exploration plans to more scrutiny and use their greater say over federal spending to bolster NASA science and aeronautics programs hard hit in recent budgets. See http://www.space.com/includes/iab.htmlurl=/spacenews/business
monday_061113.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat interactive Web site for kids: “Are Humans All Alone in the Universe?” In the program, kids get to search for ET — and learn some principles of science along the way. See http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Scientifically speaking, are UFOs worth keeping an eye on? Not exactly. See http://www.space.com/news/060622_alien_encounters.html.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Pick up “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations,” by inventor and software developer Brian McConnell. The book examines whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking. See http://ibs.howstuffworks.com/ibs/orl/framed.htm?parent=http://ibs.howstuffworks.com/ibs/orl/alien-physiology5.htm&url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/%0BASIN/0965377431/howstuffworks for reviews.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Release of lunar gases, communicating with eyes and protocols guiding the activities of SETI scientists
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - The infrared surveyor AKARI, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission with ESA participation, is nearing the completion of its first scan of the entire sky. During this phase of the mission, it has supplied the largest wavelength coverage of the Large Magellanic Cloud to date, and provided fascinating new images of this galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Conventional wisdom suggests that the Earth's moon has seen no widespread volcanic activity for at least the last 3 billion years. Now, a fresh look at existing data points to much more recent release of lunar gasses. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/10moon/.
g Intelligence - Of all primates, human eyes are the most conspicuous; our eyes see, but they are also meant to be seen. Our colored irises float against backdrops of white and encircle black pupils. This color contrast is not found in the eyes of most apes. According to one idea, called the cooperative eye hypothesis, the distinctive features that help highlight our eyes evolved partly to help us follow each others' gazes when communicating or when cooperating with one another on tasks requiring close contact. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061107_human_eyes.html.
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 http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breakwww.ing_news/breaking_news__international_news&
articleid=134442. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The Indian Space Research Agency has proposed starting a human spaceflight program, with the first manned flight taking place by 2014 leading up to landing an Indian national on the Moon by 2020, ahead of China. See http://www.space.com/includes
/iab.htmlurl=/news/061110_india_mannedspace.html.
g Learning - In a lifetime devoted to instrumentation and rocket science, James Van Allen made immense contributions to the exploration of the space environment and its astrobiological potential. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2143mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - Could the legendary dragons of Pern from Anne McCaffrey’s famous science fiction novels actually exist? Welcome to the theoretical science of dracogenetics. See http://www.geocities.com/jenaith/DNA1.html.
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 http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_protocols_010228.html. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
g Stars - The infrared surveyor AKARI, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission with ESA participation, is nearing the completion of its first scan of the entire sky. During this phase of the mission, it has supplied the largest wavelength coverage of the Large Magellanic Cloud to date, and provided fascinating new images of this galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Conventional wisdom suggests that the Earth's moon has seen no widespread volcanic activity for at least the last 3 billion years. Now, a fresh look at existing data points to much more recent release of lunar gasses. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/10moon/.
g Intelligence - Of all primates, human eyes are the most conspicuous; our eyes see, but they are also meant to be seen. Our colored irises float against backdrops of white and encircle black pupils. This color contrast is not found in the eyes of most apes. According to one idea, called the cooperative eye hypothesis, the distinctive features that help highlight our eyes evolved partly to help us follow each others' gazes when communicating or when cooperating with one another on tasks requiring close contact. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061107_human_eyes.html.
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 http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breakwww.ing_news/breaking_news__international_news&
articleid=134442. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The Indian Space Research Agency has proposed starting a human spaceflight program, with the first manned flight taking place by 2014 leading up to landing an Indian national on the Moon by 2020, ahead of China. See http://www.space.com/includes
/iab.htmlurl=/news/061110_india_mannedspace.html.
g Learning - In a lifetime devoted to instrumentation and rocket science, James Van Allen made immense contributions to the exploration of the space environment and its astrobiological potential. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2143mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - Could the legendary dragons of Pern from Anne McCaffrey’s famous science fiction novels actually exist? Welcome to the theoretical science of dracogenetics. See http://www.geocities.com/jenaith/DNA1.html.
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 http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_protocols_010228.html. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Hidden biospheres, space architect and lessons from Hollywood aliens
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Atmospheric scientists have reported a new and potentially important mechanism by which ocean phytoplankton may influence the formation of clouds that reflect sunlight away from our planet. "Studies like this one may help reshape the way we think about how the biosphere interacts with clouds and climate," said Athanasios Nenes of Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. See article.
g Life - Two recent discoveries in astrobiology challenge many of our assumptions about an integrated biological community on Earth. At the microbial level, it seems that there may be previously hidden biospheres that exist on Earth alongside our more familiar neighbors. One such community has been found deeply buried underground, while the other lives in the sea alongside more familiar life forms. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2142mode=thread&order=0&
thold=0.
g Intelligence - Intelligence could help shield children from traumatic events, U.S. researchers report. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/535914.html.
g Message - Astronomer Michael M. Davis checked his computer. One of the antennas on the state-of-the-art radio telescope being built in the valley outside his office was picking up an unusual pulse from beyond the Earth. A signal from another intelligent civilization? Not today. It was the Rosetta Satellite, en route to study a comet. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/29/AR2005052900966.html.
g Cosmicus - "Every single aspect of space is conspiring at every moment to pretty much kill humans." And this is part of what motivates Madhu Thangavelu to be a space architect. See http://www.space.com/peopleinterviews/space_architects
_001117.html. Note: This article is from 2000.
g Learning - The challenge to communicate both the breadth and depth of astrobiology is discussed by Carol Oliver, of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology. As a researcher in communicating science, she considers how best to tell a busy public what it means to explore other worlds for signs of life elsewhere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article678.html.
g Imagining - Speculation about aliens has typically been left to science fiction authors, science fiction readers and Hollywood writers and directors. But what if we apply what we have learned about life on Earth to speculate about what alien life forms might be like? Here’s a primer: http://science.howstuffworks.com/alien-physiology.htm.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s “Are We Alone?” at http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
289154. Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
g Abodes - Atmospheric scientists have reported a new and potentially important mechanism by which ocean phytoplankton may influence the formation of clouds that reflect sunlight away from our planet. "Studies like this one may help reshape the way we think about how the biosphere interacts with clouds and climate," said Athanasios Nenes of Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. See article.
g Life - Two recent discoveries in astrobiology challenge many of our assumptions about an integrated biological community on Earth. At the microbial level, it seems that there may be previously hidden biospheres that exist on Earth alongside our more familiar neighbors. One such community has been found deeply buried underground, while the other lives in the sea alongside more familiar life forms. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2142mode=thread&order=0&
thold=0.
g Intelligence - Intelligence could help shield children from traumatic events, U.S. researchers report. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/535914.html.
g Message - Astronomer Michael M. Davis checked his computer. One of the antennas on the state-of-the-art radio telescope being built in the valley outside his office was picking up an unusual pulse from beyond the Earth. A signal from another intelligent civilization? Not today. It was the Rosetta Satellite, en route to study a comet. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/29/AR2005052900966.html.
g Cosmicus - "Every single aspect of space is conspiring at every moment to pretty much kill humans." And this is part of what motivates Madhu Thangavelu to be a space architect. See http://www.space.com/peopleinterviews/space_architects
_001117.html. Note: This article is from 2000.
g Learning - The challenge to communicate both the breadth and depth of astrobiology is discussed by Carol Oliver, of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology. As a researcher in communicating science, she considers how best to tell a busy public what it means to explore other worlds for signs of life elsewhere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article678.html.
g Imagining - Speculation about aliens has typically been left to science fiction authors, science fiction readers and Hollywood writers and directors. But what if we apply what we have learned about life on Earth to speculate about what alien life forms might be like? Here’s a primer: http://science.howstuffworks.com/alien-physiology.htm.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s “Are We Alone?” at http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
289154. Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Super-Earth composition, extraterrestrials hooked on 1950s television and global shade
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The 200 known planets that orbit other stars exhibit incredible variety. Among them are a handful of worlds that weigh between 5 and 15 times Earth. Astronomers believe these "super-Earths" are rocky iceballs rather than gas giants like Jupiter. While theorists can explain how such worlds form around Sun-like stars, the discovery of super-Earths around tiny red dwarf stars was surprising. New research suggests that some super-Earths build up rapidly when local temperatures drop and ices condense out of the surrounding gas. See article.
g Life - Microbes may compete with large animal scavengers by producing repugnant chemicals that deter higher species from consuming valuable food resources - such as decaying meat, seeds and fruit, a new study suggests. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061101150731.htm.
g Intelligence - Sensory experiments along with other recent studies are revealing that sea cows aren't so stupid after all. See http://www
.livescience.com/animalworld/061110_ap_manatee_smart.html.
g Message - The first episode of “I Love Lucy” was broadcast sometime on Oct. 15, 1951. About 0.0002 seconds later, the signal glided over the rooftops of the farthest city suburbs, and headed into space. It’s still going. Every day, that first installment passes through an additional 4 thousand trillion trillion trillion cubic kilometers of the cosmos. Given that stars in our galactic neighborhood are separated by about 4 light-years, it’s easy to figure that roughly 10 thousand star systems have been exposed to “I Love Lucy” in the past five decades. That may suggest a high Nielson rating, but the chance that extraterrestrials are now hooked on 1950s television is low. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_tv_061109.html.
g Cosmicus - Space technology could be used to create some sort of "shade" for the entire planet that would save us from global warming. See http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technovel_sunshade
_061111.html.
g Abodes - The 200 known planets that orbit other stars exhibit incredible variety. Among them are a handful of worlds that weigh between 5 and 15 times Earth. Astronomers believe these "super-Earths" are rocky iceballs rather than gas giants like Jupiter. While theorists can explain how such worlds form around Sun-like stars, the discovery of super-Earths around tiny red dwarf stars was surprising. New research suggests that some super-Earths build up rapidly when local temperatures drop and ices condense out of the surrounding gas. See article.
g Life - Microbes may compete with large animal scavengers by producing repugnant chemicals that deter higher species from consuming valuable food resources - such as decaying meat, seeds and fruit, a new study suggests. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061101150731.htm.
g Intelligence - Sensory experiments along with other recent studies are revealing that sea cows aren't so stupid after all. See http://www
.livescience.com/animalworld/061110_ap_manatee_smart.html.
g Message - The first episode of “I Love Lucy” was broadcast sometime on Oct. 15, 1951. About 0.0002 seconds later, the signal glided over the rooftops of the farthest city suburbs, and headed into space. It’s still going. Every day, that first installment passes through an additional 4 thousand trillion trillion trillion cubic kilometers of the cosmos. Given that stars in our galactic neighborhood are separated by about 4 light-years, it’s easy to figure that roughly 10 thousand star systems have been exposed to “I Love Lucy” in the past five decades. That may suggest a high Nielson rating, but the chance that extraterrestrials are now hooked on 1950s television is low. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_tv_061109.html.
g Cosmicus - Space technology could be used to create some sort of "shade" for the entire planet that would save us from global warming. See http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technovel_sunshade
_061111.html.
Friday, November 10, 2006
What spacedust tells us about early solar system, development of photosynthesis and passenger-carrying spaceliner company
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - In this interview, Monica Grady discusses the varieties of dust and meteorites that have fallen to Earth, and explains what they tell us about the history of the solar system and its potential for life. See article.
g Life - The use of trace metals by modern organisms probably derives from changes in ancient ocean chemistry. The availability of trace metals is believed to have been brought about by the biologically caused rise in atmospheric oxygen some 2.3 billion years ago. The development of photosynthesis affected the availability of trace metals, and therefore changed the course of evolution for life on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - Happy people are healthier people, research suggests. See http://www.livescience.com/includes/iab.
htmlurl=/humanbiology/061110_happy_healthy.html.
g Cosmicus - For Virgin Galactic — the passenger-carrying spaceliner company — plans are rapidly taking shape to offer suborbital space flights in the near-term but also to eventually offer point-to-point rocket travel around the globe, as well as to space hotels, and trips to the Moon. See http://www.space.com/news/061110_tai_galactic.html.
g Abodes - In this interview, Monica Grady discusses the varieties of dust and meteorites that have fallen to Earth, and explains what they tell us about the history of the solar system and its potential for life. See article.
g Life - The use of trace metals by modern organisms probably derives from changes in ancient ocean chemistry. The availability of trace metals is believed to have been brought about by the biologically caused rise in atmospheric oxygen some 2.3 billion years ago. The development of photosynthesis affected the availability of trace metals, and therefore changed the course of evolution for life on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - Happy people are healthier people, research suggests. See http://www.livescience.com/includes/iab.
htmlurl=/humanbiology/061110_happy_healthy.html.
g Cosmicus - For Virgin Galactic — the passenger-carrying spaceliner company — plans are rapidly taking shape to offer suborbital space flights in the near-term but also to eventually offer point-to-point rocket travel around the globe, as well as to space hotels, and trips to the Moon. See http://www.space.com/news/061110_tai_galactic.html.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Brightest known image of a galaxy from the early universe, Venus Express sending back data and shuttle launch
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - A team from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has announced discovery of the brightest known image of a galaxy from the early universe. While furious star formation makes the galaxy luminous, it enters the record books because the gravity of a foreground galaxy acts as a natural telescope, focusing its light on the earth. See article.
g Abodes - One year after its launch on Nov. 9, 2005, and a few months into its science phase, ESA's Venus Express keeps working well and continues to gather lots of data about the hot and noxious atmosphere of the planet. Newly released images show additional details of the thick cloud deck that surrounds Venus. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061109130702.htm.
g Life - If the loss of marine species from over fishing and climate change continues at the current rate, all commercial fish and seafood species could collapse by 2048, scientists report. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/061102_marine_loss.html.
g Intelligence - Early human ancestors chowed down on more than fruits and leaves, a new study finds. They also fed on grasses, roots, and grazing animals as early as a million years ago. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061109_teeth_diet.html.
g Cosmicus - Shuttle Discovery journeyed to launch pad 39B Thursday to begin final preparations for its nighttime blastoff Dec. 7 on a delicate space station re-wiring mission. NASA managers considered moving launch up an additional day, to Dec. 6, but ruled that out based on time needed to complete crew training and to develop software intended to prevent damage to the station's new solar arrays. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061109status/.
g Stars - A team from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has announced discovery of the brightest known image of a galaxy from the early universe. While furious star formation makes the galaxy luminous, it enters the record books because the gravity of a foreground galaxy acts as a natural telescope, focusing its light on the earth. See article.
g Abodes - One year after its launch on Nov. 9, 2005, and a few months into its science phase, ESA's Venus Express keeps working well and continues to gather lots of data about the hot and noxious atmosphere of the planet. Newly released images show additional details of the thick cloud deck that surrounds Venus. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061109130702.htm.
g Life - If the loss of marine species from over fishing and climate change continues at the current rate, all commercial fish and seafood species could collapse by 2048, scientists report. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/061102_marine_loss.html.
g Intelligence - Early human ancestors chowed down on more than fruits and leaves, a new study finds. They also fed on grasses, roots, and grazing animals as early as a million years ago. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061109_teeth_diet.html.
g Cosmicus - Shuttle Discovery journeyed to launch pad 39B Thursday to begin final preparations for its nighttime blastoff Dec. 7 on a delicate space station re-wiring mission. NASA managers considered moving launch up an additional day, to Dec. 6, but ruled that out based on time needed to complete crew training and to develop software intended to prevent damage to the station's new solar arrays. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061109status/.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Baby stars’ chaos, hazy skies on early Earth and “The Case for Space”
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes have teamed up to expose the chaos that baby stars are creating 1,500 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called the Orion nebula. See article.
g Abodes - Hazy skies on early Earth could have provided a substantial source of organic material useful for emerging life on the planet, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2138mode=thread&order=
0&thold=0.
g Life - Mice genetically altered to literally live a cooler life also lived longer, scientists now report. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061102_cool_mice.html.
g Intelligence - Young children like lucky kids more than the unlucky, according to a new study that hints at one possible reason why social inequality persists. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061107_lucky_people.html.
g Cosmicus - Book alert: Paul Hardersen has written a rare and important book about the exploration of space in “The Case for Space: Who Benefits from Explorations of the Last Frontier (Frontiers in Astronomy and Earth Science, Vol. 3)”. While there is plenty of grand vision and high technology here, his book also shows how space technology makes very personal contributions to the quality of life of people around the world. This book shows how individuals can be a part of advancing the space frontier no matter where they are, as Paul invites you to join the great adventure. See http://www.amazon.com/Case-Space-Explorations-Frontiers-Astronomy/dp/1882360486.
g Imagining - Our eyes constantly flit around, but rather than producing a shaky image like that in a jostled video camera, we perceive a coherent scene. The mechanism behind our steady view has mystified scientists for decades. Now researchers have identified what could be the brain circuit responsible. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
061108_shifty_eyes.html.
g Stars - NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes have teamed up to expose the chaos that baby stars are creating 1,500 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called the Orion nebula. See article.
g Abodes - Hazy skies on early Earth could have provided a substantial source of organic material useful for emerging life on the planet, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2138mode=thread&order=
0&thold=0.
g Life - Mice genetically altered to literally live a cooler life also lived longer, scientists now report. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061102_cool_mice.html.
g Intelligence - Young children like lucky kids more than the unlucky, according to a new study that hints at one possible reason why social inequality persists. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/061107_lucky_people.html.
g Cosmicus - Book alert: Paul Hardersen has written a rare and important book about the exploration of space in “The Case for Space: Who Benefits from Explorations of the Last Frontier (Frontiers in Astronomy and Earth Science, Vol. 3)”. While there is plenty of grand vision and high technology here, his book also shows how space technology makes very personal contributions to the quality of life of people around the world. This book shows how individuals can be a part of advancing the space frontier no matter where they are, as Paul invites you to join the great adventure. See http://www.amazon.com/Case-Space-Explorations-Frontiers-Astronomy/dp/1882360486.
g Imagining - Our eyes constantly flit around, but rather than producing a shaky image like that in a jostled video camera, we perceive a coherent scene. The mechanism behind our steady view has mystified scientists for decades. Now researchers have identified what could be the brain circuit responsible. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
061108_shifty_eyes.html.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Near-Earth asteroid KW4, pigeons’ long-term memory and DVD to Mars
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The Arecibo Observatory has made new observations of a binary near-Earth asteroid named KW4. Studying the formation and evolution of such near-Earth asteroids helps researchers learn how to mitigate the potential threat they pose to Earth. KW4 is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, but data show that its path will not intersect Earth's for at least 1,000 years. See article.
g Life - Just as the guy with the flashy sports car doesn’t always attract the ladies, female animals may not judge the male with the most elaborate ornamental display to be the best mate. See http://
www.livescience.
com/animalworld/061103_mate_selection.html.
g Intelligence - In two recent studies, scientists discovered the common pigeon is astonishingly sophisticated, having an amazing long-term memory and the ability to make group decisions based on different sets of conditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - See In 2007, The Planetary Society will send a DVD to Mars. The disk, which will be attached to the deck of the Phoenix lander, will include stories, essays, and art inspired by the Red Planet. People around the world can add their names (or those of family and friends) to the disk, which should last for many hundreds of years and might someday be read by future Martian explorers. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=2137mode=thread&order=0&thold
Get your SF book manuscript edited
=0.
g Abodes - The Arecibo Observatory has made new observations of a binary near-Earth asteroid named KW4. Studying the formation and evolution of such near-Earth asteroids helps researchers learn how to mitigate the potential threat they pose to Earth. KW4 is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, but data show that its path will not intersect Earth's for at least 1,000 years. See article.
g Life - Just as the guy with the flashy sports car doesn’t always attract the ladies, female animals may not judge the male with the most elaborate ornamental display to be the best mate. See http://
www.livescience.
com/animalworld/061103_mate_selection.html.
g Intelligence - In two recent studies, scientists discovered the common pigeon is astonishingly sophisticated, having an amazing long-term memory and the ability to make group decisions based on different sets of conditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - See In 2007, The Planetary Society will send a DVD to Mars. The disk, which will be attached to the deck of the Phoenix lander, will include stories, essays, and art inspired by the Red Planet. People around the world can add their names (or those of family and friends) to the disk, which should last for many hundreds of years and might someday be read by future Martian explorers. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=2137mode=thread&order=0&thold
Get your SF book manuscript edited
=0.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Most energetic magnetic stellar explosion ever detected, hunting for meteorites on Moon and spacecraft caution and warning system in our homes
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists using NASA's Swift satellite have spotted a stellar flare on a nearby star so powerful that, had it been from our sun, it would have triggered a mass extinction on Earth. The flare was perhaps the most energetic magnetic stellar explosion ever detected. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/06monster/.
g Abodes - In this interview, Monica Grady talks about hunting for meteorites on the Moon in order to learn more about the ancient Earth. She also explains why it took so long for us to find a meteorite originating from Mars. See article.
g Life - A rise in the Earth’s temperature could lead to an increase in the number of insects worldwide, with potentially dire consequences for humans, a new study suggests. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061104_gb_insects.html.
g Cosmicus - Do you feel like an astronaut when you go to the grocery store? How about when you set your watch? The next time you reset the smoke detector in your home, take a minute to imagine it as part of your own spacecraft's caution and warning system. Because before they saved lives on Earth, that's where smoke detectors were found on spacecraft designed and built by NASA. See http://www.stars4space.org/Benefits.html.
g Stars - Scientists using NASA's Swift satellite have spotted a stellar flare on a nearby star so powerful that, had it been from our sun, it would have triggered a mass extinction on Earth. The flare was perhaps the most energetic magnetic stellar explosion ever detected. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/06monster/.
g Abodes - In this interview, Monica Grady talks about hunting for meteorites on the Moon in order to learn more about the ancient Earth. She also explains why it took so long for us to find a meteorite originating from Mars. See article.
g Life - A rise in the Earth’s temperature could lead to an increase in the number of insects worldwide, with potentially dire consequences for humans, a new study suggests. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061104_gb_insects.html.
g Cosmicus - Do you feel like an astronaut when you go to the grocery store? How about when you set your watch? The next time you reset the smoke detector in your home, take a minute to imagine it as part of your own spacecraft's caution and warning system. Because before they saved lives on Earth, that's where smoke detectors were found on spacecraft designed and built by NASA. See http://www.stars4space.org/Benefits.html.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Extrasolar pale blue dot, dolphin hind legs and increasing public understanding of science
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - A recent photo from the Cassini spacecraft shows the mighty planet Saturn, but if you look very closely between its rings, you'll see a faint pinprick of light. That tiny dot is Earth, bustling with life as we know it. One of the fundamental goals of astrobiology is to find another "pale blue dot" like Earth in a planetary system beyond our own. But if scientists ever do acquire such a photo, how will they know if anybody is home? See article.
g Life - Japanese researchers said a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of hind legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land. See http://www.livescience.com/
animalworld/061105_ap_dolphin_legs.html.
g Cosmicus - We are entering a new century, one in which our competitiveness as a nation and improvements in quality of life both depend to an increasing extent on public understanding of science, health, and technology. Yet the communication skills we bring to bear on increasing public understanding were developed half-a-century ago, in a world of Cold-War intrigue and telegraphs, radio transmitters and hot-press printing machines. Its as though we were watching "The Flintstones" to learn how to build the future of "The Jetsons." See http://www.space.com/news/horack_visions_991119.html. Note: Though this opinion piece is from 1999, it’s still very relevant.
g Abodes - A recent photo from the Cassini spacecraft shows the mighty planet Saturn, but if you look very closely between its rings, you'll see a faint pinprick of light. That tiny dot is Earth, bustling with life as we know it. One of the fundamental goals of astrobiology is to find another "pale blue dot" like Earth in a planetary system beyond our own. But if scientists ever do acquire such a photo, how will they know if anybody is home? See article.
g Life - Japanese researchers said a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of hind legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land. See http://www.livescience.com/
animalworld/061105_ap_dolphin_legs.html.
g Cosmicus - We are entering a new century, one in which our competitiveness as a nation and improvements in quality of life both depend to an increasing extent on public understanding of science, health, and technology. Yet the communication skills we bring to bear on increasing public understanding were developed half-a-century ago, in a world of Cold-War intrigue and telegraphs, radio transmitters and hot-press printing machines. Its as though we were watching "The Flintstones" to learn how to build the future of "The Jetsons." See http://www.space.com/news/horack_visions_991119.html. Note: Though this opinion piece is from 1999, it’s still very relevant.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
History of Martian water, ancestor of chordates and what blast-off does to your blood pressure
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - A conference on Mars Polar Science recently met in Davos, Switzerland. By studying the poles, scientists are learning about the history of water on the planet, and how that has affected Mars' potential for life. See article.
g Life - Genetic analysis of a worm-like creature retrieved from the depths of the North Atlantic sheds light on the ancestor of chordates, backboned animals that include human beings. This study confirms that the common ancestor of chordates didn't have a brain, but rather a diffuse neural system in the animals surface. This finding, which implies that the brain might have evolved independently more than twice in different animal lineages, has implications for our understanding of how intelligence evolves. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=2134mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Cosmicus - What do you think blast-off does to your blood pressure? When Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space 37 years ago, Project Mercury scientists had to invent an automatic measuring device to find out. Today, you can find the device in just about any drugstore for an instant check-up. It is just one of an ever-growing number of medical spin-offs from space. See http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9811/02/space.medical/index.html. Note: This article is from 1998.
g Abodes - A conference on Mars Polar Science recently met in Davos, Switzerland. By studying the poles, scientists are learning about the history of water on the planet, and how that has affected Mars' potential for life. See article.
g Life - Genetic analysis of a worm-like creature retrieved from the depths of the North Atlantic sheds light on the ancestor of chordates, backboned animals that include human beings. This study confirms that the common ancestor of chordates didn't have a brain, but rather a diffuse neural system in the animals surface. This finding, which implies that the brain might have evolved independently more than twice in different animal lineages, has implications for our understanding of how intelligence evolves. See http://www.astro
bio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=2134mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Cosmicus - What do you think blast-off does to your blood pressure? When Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space 37 years ago, Project Mercury scientists had to invent an automatic measuring device to find out. Today, you can find the device in just about any drugstore for an instant check-up. It is just one of an ever-growing number of medical spin-offs from space. See http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9811/02/space.medical/index.html. Note: This article is from 1998.
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