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 recorded heavenly music bellowed out by the Sun’s atmosphere. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070418_solar_music.html.
g Abodes - Ahead of the Phoenix spacecraft's launch in August, scientists are analyzing images of the Martian surface in order to select a safe and rock-free landing site for the craft on the northern plains of Mars. Once on the ground, Phoenix will dig into the Martian subsurface and help determine if the planet was ever hospitable for life. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2305mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Scientists exploring a mine have uncovered a natural Sistine chapel showing not religious paintings, but incredibly well preserved images of sprawling tree trunks and fallen leaves that once breathed life into an ancient rainforest. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070423_fossil_forest.html.
g Intelligence - Since the human-chimp split about 6 million years ago, chimpanzee genes can be said to have evolved more than human genes, a new study suggests. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070417_chimps_evolve.html.
g Message - A technique used to discover the small rocky world that was announced last year also could be used to detect a transmitter with the power of your local TV station at a distance of a hundred light-years, even if the alien broadcasters weren’t beaming our way. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_grail_060202.html.
g Cosmicus - A small Japanese asteroid probe riddled by a streak of bad luck began its slow limp home Wednesday, but officials still face a myriad of challenges to bring the craft back in 2010. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/25hayabusa/.
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 - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Paul Dellinger’s short story "Absolution," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff and published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See http://www.astrobio.net/ news/article163.html.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
‘Scientists Debate Gaia,’ human brain’s origin and the unlikeliness of anthropomorphic 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 Stars - A giant cloud of superheated gas 6 million light years wide might be formed by the collective sigh of several supermassive black holes, scientists say. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070420_plasma_cloud.html.
g Abodes - In this book review of "Scientists Debate Gaia," Charley Lineweaver discusses what astrobiology and the Gaia hypothesis have in common. Both are trying to recognize new forms of life by seeking universal connections between different kinds of systems. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2302mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Parasites are by definition bad for you. Some, such as malaria, can kill. Others, like microbes known as Wolbachia that are found in more than one-fifth of all insects, often make female hosts less fertile. Now scientists discover parasites can evolve surprisingly rapidly to become helpful instead of harmful. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070426_good_parasite.html.
g Intelligence - The origin of the human brain has been traced back to primitive central nervous systems in worms and bugs, researchers now say. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070421
_worm_brain.html.
g Message - Swiss scientist Michel Mayor, who heads the European team that announced the discovery of a new potentially habitable planet, has his sights set on an even bigger target, detecting signs of extraterrestrial life. Mayor predicts that top researchers are less than two decades away from being able to detect real signs of such life - if it exists. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070425_ap_life_search.html.
g Cosmicus - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has been granted a five-year license to launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Station, the U.S. Air Force Space Command announced April 26. http://www.space.com/news/070426_spacex_capecanaveral.html.
g Learning - Along with personality and peer relationships, a school’s culture also influences whether a child resolves an issue peacefully or goes off the deep end and resorts to violence, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070427_school_culture.html.
g Imagining - Hollywood loves movies about extraterrestrials, but most silver screen aliens - from E.T. to Star Wars - are remarkably anthropomorphic. Scientists say the real aliens may be far stranger than we think. Find out why intelligent life elsewhere in the universe won't resemble Tinseltown's take. See http://www.podcasting
news.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - How's your math? Well, you may want to brush up on it - that is, if you hope to be conversant with ET. Scientists say that any signal we receive from intelligent life is rather unlikely to be in English, but in the language of math. Find out why algebra truly may be an alien concept - just as you suspected in high school - and what a message from another planet might be. See http://www.podcasting
news.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Stars - A giant cloud of superheated gas 6 million light years wide might be formed by the collective sigh of several supermassive black holes, scientists say. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070420_plasma_cloud.html.
g Abodes - In this book review of "Scientists Debate Gaia," Charley Lineweaver discusses what astrobiology and the Gaia hypothesis have in common. Both are trying to recognize new forms of life by seeking universal connections between different kinds of systems. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2302mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Parasites are by definition bad for you. Some, such as malaria, can kill. Others, like microbes known as Wolbachia that are found in more than one-fifth of all insects, often make female hosts less fertile. Now scientists discover parasites can evolve surprisingly rapidly to become helpful instead of harmful. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070426_good_parasite.html.
g Intelligence - The origin of the human brain has been traced back to primitive central nervous systems in worms and bugs, researchers now say. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070421
_worm_brain.html.
g Message - Swiss scientist Michel Mayor, who heads the European team that announced the discovery of a new potentially habitable planet, has his sights set on an even bigger target, detecting signs of extraterrestrial life. Mayor predicts that top researchers are less than two decades away from being able to detect real signs of such life - if it exists. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070425_ap_life_search.html.
g Cosmicus - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has been granted a five-year license to launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Station, the U.S. Air Force Space Command announced April 26. http://www.space.com/news/070426_spacex_capecanaveral.html.
g Learning - Along with personality and peer relationships, a school’s culture also influences whether a child resolves an issue peacefully or goes off the deep end and resorts to violence, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070427_school_culture.html.
g Imagining - Hollywood loves movies about extraterrestrials, but most silver screen aliens - from E.T. to Star Wars - are remarkably anthropomorphic. Scientists say the real aliens may be far stranger than we think. Find out why intelligent life elsewhere in the universe won't resemble Tinseltown's take. See http://www.podcasting
news.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Aftermath - How's your math? Well, you may want to brush up on it - that is, if you hope to be conversant with ET. Scientists say that any signal we receive from intelligent life is rather unlikely to be in English, but in the language of math. Find out why algebra truly may be an alien concept - just as you suspected in high school - and what a message from another planet might be. See http://www.podcasting
news.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Observing atmospheres of alien worlds, meta-cognitive monkeys and how aliens might search for us
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 race for the first direct detection of dark matter will move into a new phase in the coming months as the ZEPLIN-II instrument is joined by ZEPLIN-III, the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419110643.htm.
g Abodes - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1, spilling its elements into space so scientists could discover its composition. The assault was justified because comets are thought to be leftovers from the formation of our solar system, so learning more about them helps to understand how our solar system came to be. Now, a proposed extended mission for the spacecraft would observe the atmospheres of alien worlds, and to visit another comet. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12deepimpact/.
g Life - The bones of a camel between eight and 10,000-years-old have been unearthed near Phoenix by a construction crew building a new Wal-Mart store. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070428-09550400-bc-us-camelbones.xml.
g Intelligence - New research from Columbia's Primate Cognition Laboratory has demonstrated for the first time that monkeys could acquire meta-cognitive skills: the ability to reflect about their thoughts and to assess their performance. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070420133813.htm.
g Message - Can aliens find us? With a really nice pair of binoculars, the Great Wall of China (not to mention less romantic constructions, such as interstate highways) does become visible from orbit. Any curious aliens that made it to within a few hundred miles of Earth would have no trouble seeing the artifacts of our civilization. They would know, without doubt, that technologically competent beings roamed our world. But how visible are we to aliens that are farther away? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_aliens_031023. html. Here’s the follow-up to the article from 2003: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_seeing_031120. html.
g Cosmicus - The private rocket company, UP Aerospace, launched their suborbital booster April 28 from New Mexico’s Spaceport America. All indications suggest a highly successful flight and payload recovery - although severe bad weather in the area delayed retrieval operations until Monday. See http://www.livescience.com/blogs/author/leonarddavid.
g Learning - Kurt Fischer and his colleagues looked at the revolution in brain scanning, genetics, and other biological technologies and decided that most teachers and students weren’t getting much benefit from them. Brain scans are now available to watch what’s going on when someone is learning — or not learning. Finding genes that are involved in leaning disabilities is a hot area. Why, they asked, aren’t the powers of such technologies helping teachers in classrooms? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070426125321.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s “The Gods Themselves” (published by Ballentine in 1972).
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as this would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life - even intelligent life - among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? See http://www.podcastingnews.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.
html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
g Stars - The race for the first direct detection of dark matter will move into a new phase in the coming months as the ZEPLIN-II instrument is joined by ZEPLIN-III, the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419110643.htm.
g Abodes - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1, spilling its elements into space so scientists could discover its composition. The assault was justified because comets are thought to be leftovers from the formation of our solar system, so learning more about them helps to understand how our solar system came to be. Now, a proposed extended mission for the spacecraft would observe the atmospheres of alien worlds, and to visit another comet. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12deepimpact/.
g Life - The bones of a camel between eight and 10,000-years-old have been unearthed near Phoenix by a construction crew building a new Wal-Mart store. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070428-09550400-bc-us-camelbones.xml.
g Intelligence - New research from Columbia's Primate Cognition Laboratory has demonstrated for the first time that monkeys could acquire meta-cognitive skills: the ability to reflect about their thoughts and to assess their performance. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070420133813.htm.
g Message - Can aliens find us? With a really nice pair of binoculars, the Great Wall of China (not to mention less romantic constructions, such as interstate highways) does become visible from orbit. Any curious aliens that made it to within a few hundred miles of Earth would have no trouble seeing the artifacts of our civilization. They would know, without doubt, that technologically competent beings roamed our world. But how visible are we to aliens that are farther away? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_aliens_031023. html. Here’s the follow-up to the article from 2003: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_shostak_seeing_031120. html.
g Cosmicus - The private rocket company, UP Aerospace, launched their suborbital booster April 28 from New Mexico’s Spaceport America. All indications suggest a highly successful flight and payload recovery - although severe bad weather in the area delayed retrieval operations until Monday. See http://www.livescience.com/blogs/author/leonarddavid.
g Learning - Kurt Fischer and his colleagues looked at the revolution in brain scanning, genetics, and other biological technologies and decided that most teachers and students weren’t getting much benefit from them. Brain scans are now available to watch what’s going on when someone is learning — or not learning. Finding genes that are involved in leaning disabilities is a hot area. Why, they asked, aren’t the powers of such technologies helping teachers in classrooms? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070426125321.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s “The Gods Themselves” (published by Ballentine in 1972).
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as this would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life - even intelligent life - among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? See http://www.podcastingnews.com/details/podcast.seti.org/index.
html/view.htm for a podcast of this SETI Institute “Are We Alone?” program.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Photographing exoearths, chimp vs. human evolution and first contact stories
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 - An Anglo-American team of astronomers have used the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain the first direct optical images of the aftermath of a recent titanic explosion that took place in a star system 5,000 light years from Earth. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419122852.htm.
g Abodes - NASA researchers have demonstrated that a space telescope rigged with the right equipment could actually photograph an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. The accomplishment is a major step forward in the search for habitable environments beyond the Solar System. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2301mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Put a human and a chimpanzee side by side, and it seems obvious which lineage has changed the most since the two diverged from a common ancestor millions of years ago. Such apparent physical differences, along with human speech, language and brainpower, have led many people to believe that natural selection has acted in a positive manner on more genes in humans than in chimps. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070420153635.htm.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See http://www.coseti.org/tps_01.htm.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Desert Research Station is a simulated Mars habitat in the Utah desert established to prepare humans for exploring the red planet. This Web site documents the experience of Kate Harris, who as a university sophomore spent two weeks on Mars in Utah during 2003. See http://genmars.com/desert/.
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 Linda P. Baker’s short story "The Allure of Bone and Ice." It’s in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - In its simplest and shortest definition, astrobiology may be summed up as, “The study of life in the universe.” There's just one problem when it comes to studying life in the universe. So far, we're it. See http://bennun.biz/features/astro.html.
g Stars - An Anglo-American team of astronomers have used the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain the first direct optical images of the aftermath of a recent titanic explosion that took place in a star system 5,000 light years from Earth. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419122852.htm.
g Abodes - NASA researchers have demonstrated that a space telescope rigged with the right equipment could actually photograph an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. The accomplishment is a major step forward in the search for habitable environments beyond the Solar System. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2301mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Put a human and a chimpanzee side by side, and it seems obvious which lineage has changed the most since the two diverged from a common ancestor millions of years ago. Such apparent physical differences, along with human speech, language and brainpower, have led many people to believe that natural selection has acted in a positive manner on more genes in humans than in chimps. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070420153635.htm.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See http://www.coseti.org/tps_01.htm.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Desert Research Station is a simulated Mars habitat in the Utah desert established to prepare humans for exploring the red planet. This Web site documents the experience of Kate Harris, who as a university sophomore spent two weeks on Mars in Utah during 2003. See http://genmars.com/desert/.
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 Linda P. Baker’s short story "The Allure of Bone and Ice." It’s in the anthology “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - In its simplest and shortest definition, astrobiology may be summed up as, “The study of life in the universe.” There's just one problem when it comes to studying life in the universe. So far, we're it. See http://bennun.biz/features/astro.html.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Determining chances of extraterrestrial life, humongous fungus and ‘Anvil of Stars’
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 - Stunning simulations that give a multi-dimensional glimpse into the interior of stars show that material bubbling around the convection zone induces a rich spectrum of internal gravity waves in the stable layers above and below. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419121540.htm.
g Abodes - When exposed to intense XUV fluxes, atmospheres with CO2/N2 mixing ratios lower than 96 percent will show an increase in exospheric temperatures and expanded thermosphere–exosphere environments. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0128.
g Life - Scientists have solved a mystery surrounding one of the most unique organisms that ever lived on Earth. For more than a century scientists have been debating about whether the ancient organism is a plant or a fungus. Now researchers have used chemical evidence from fossils to solve the question once and for all. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2312mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Childhood memories might best be kept in a photo album, not in your mind. Turns out, storing old memories can make you forget an important appointment or what you needed to buy at the store today. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology
/070409_memory_overload.html.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array, formerly known as the One Hectare Telescope, is a joint effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley to construct a radio interferometer that will be dedicated to astronomical and simultaneous search for extra-terrestrial intelligence observations. It is being constructed at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California and will be composed of 350 antennas at completion. See http://www.answers.com/topic/allen-telescope-array.
g Cosmicus - Could we make a "solar still" on Mars? See http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=36629.
g Learning - Science, even by reputable practitioners, proceeds in fits, starts, and frequent excursions down blind alleys. See http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=194993&ct=3816161.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Greg Bear’s “Anvil of Stars,” published by Tor in 1992.
g Aftermath - As we look toward exploring other worlds, and perhaps even bringing samples back to Earth for testing, astrobiologists have to wonder: could there be alien pathogens in those samples that will wreak havoc on our world? See http://euro.astrobio.net/news/article570.html.
g Stars - Stunning simulations that give a multi-dimensional glimpse into the interior of stars show that material bubbling around the convection zone induces a rich spectrum of internal gravity waves in the stable layers above and below. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419121540.htm.
g Abodes - When exposed to intense XUV fluxes, atmospheres with CO2/N2 mixing ratios lower than 96 percent will show an increase in exospheric temperatures and expanded thermosphere–exosphere environments. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0128.
g Life - Scientists have solved a mystery surrounding one of the most unique organisms that ever lived on Earth. For more than a century scientists have been debating about whether the ancient organism is a plant or a fungus. Now researchers have used chemical evidence from fossils to solve the question once and for all. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2312mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Childhood memories might best be kept in a photo album, not in your mind. Turns out, storing old memories can make you forget an important appointment or what you needed to buy at the store today. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology
/070409_memory_overload.html.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array, formerly known as the One Hectare Telescope, is a joint effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley to construct a radio interferometer that will be dedicated to astronomical and simultaneous search for extra-terrestrial intelligence observations. It is being constructed at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California and will be composed of 350 antennas at completion. See http://www.answers.com/topic/allen-telescope-array.
g Cosmicus - Could we make a "solar still" on Mars? See http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=36629.
g Learning - Science, even by reputable practitioners, proceeds in fits, starts, and frequent excursions down blind alleys. See http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=194993&ct=3816161.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Greg Bear’s “Anvil of Stars,” published by Tor in 1992.
g Aftermath - As we look toward exploring other worlds, and perhaps even bringing samples back to Earth for testing, astrobiologists have to wonder: could there be alien pathogens in those samples that will wreak havoc on our world? See http://euro.astrobio.net/news/article570.html.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Atmospheres of M-dwarf planets, friendly soil bacteria and spectrum environment of the Allen Telescope Array
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 - An international team of astronomers have collaborated to create the most detailed image ever produced of the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), a giant stellar nursery. The new image was assembled using data from INT Photometric H-Alpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane and covers four square degrees of sky, equivalent in size to about twenty times the size of the full moon. See article.
g Abodes - Planets orbiting in the habitable zone of M dwarf stars are subject to high levels of galactic cosmic rays, which produce nitrogen oxides (NOx) in Earth-like atmospheres. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0129.
g Intelligence - Exposure to friendly soil bacteria could improve mood by boosting the immune system just as effectively as antidepressant drugs, a new study suggests. See http://www.
livescience.com/humanbiology/070411_happy_bacteria.html.
g Message - Here’s something neat albeit technical: A slide show presentation of "Spectrum Environment of the Allen Telescope Array": http://astro.uchicago.edu/ursi-comm-J/ursi2005/spectrum-management/davis/.
g Learning - Here’s a great educational tool for teaching astrobiology and various principles of science: COTI. COTI is an educational experiment in creation — students design an integrated world, alien life form and culture, and simulate contact with a future human society. One team constructs a solar system, a world and its ecology, an alien life form and its culture, basing each step on the previous one and utilizing the principles of science as a guide to imagination. The other team designs a future human colony, planetary or spacefaring, "creating and evolving" its culture as an exercise in cultural structure, dynamics and adaptation. Through a structured system of progressive revelation, the teams then simulate — and experience — contact between the two cultures in real time, exploring the problems and possibilities involved in inter-cultural encounters. See http://www.contact-conference.com/archive/educoti.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Bischoff’s "The Xaxrling of J. Arnold Boysenberry," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW, 1997).
g Aftermath - Alien encounters and science fiction permeate pop culture, but what would it really mean if scientists found life beyond Earth? If even a single-celled organism on another planet was discovered, for many, this would be the last thread of evidence proving that life is simply chemistry. See http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2003/0402doser.shtml. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Stars - An international team of astronomers have collaborated to create the most detailed image ever produced of the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), a giant stellar nursery. The new image was assembled using data from INT Photometric H-Alpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane and covers four square degrees of sky, equivalent in size to about twenty times the size of the full moon. See article.
g Abodes - Planets orbiting in the habitable zone of M dwarf stars are subject to high levels of galactic cosmic rays, which produce nitrogen oxides (NOx) in Earth-like atmospheres. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0129.
g Intelligence - Exposure to friendly soil bacteria could improve mood by boosting the immune system just as effectively as antidepressant drugs, a new study suggests. See http://www.
livescience.com/humanbiology/070411_happy_bacteria.html.
g Message - Here’s something neat albeit technical: A slide show presentation of "Spectrum Environment of the Allen Telescope Array": http://astro.uchicago.edu/ursi-comm-J/ursi2005/spectrum-management/davis/.
g Learning - Here’s a great educational tool for teaching astrobiology and various principles of science: COTI. COTI is an educational experiment in creation — students design an integrated world, alien life form and culture, and simulate contact with a future human society. One team constructs a solar system, a world and its ecology, an alien life form and its culture, basing each step on the previous one and utilizing the principles of science as a guide to imagination. The other team designs a future human colony, planetary or spacefaring, "creating and evolving" its culture as an exercise in cultural structure, dynamics and adaptation. Through a structured system of progressive revelation, the teams then simulate — and experience — contact between the two cultures in real time, exploring the problems and possibilities involved in inter-cultural encounters. See http://www.contact-conference.com/archive/educoti.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read David Bischoff’s "The Xaxrling of J. Arnold Boysenberry," anthologized in “First Contact,” edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff (published by DAW, 1997).
g Aftermath - Alien encounters and science fiction permeate pop culture, but what would it really mean if scientists found life beyond Earth? If even a single-celled organism on another planet was discovered, for many, this would be the last thread of evidence proving that life is simply chemistry. See http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2003/0402doser.shtml. Note: This article is from 2003.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
M dwarf biosignatures, evolution of the bite and orangutan video game whiz
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 - For the past three years a satellite has circled the Earth, collecting data to determine whether two predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity are correct. Over the weekend, at the American Physical Society meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., Professor Francis Everitt, a Stanford University physicist and principal investigator of the Gravity Probe B Relativity Mission, a collaboration of Stanford, NASA and Lockheed Martin, provided the first public peek at data that will reveal whether Einstein's theory has been confirmed by the most sophisticated orbiting laboratory ever created. See article.
g Abodes - The changing view of planets orbiting low mass stars, M stars, as potentially hospitable worlds for life and its remote detection was motivated by several factors, including the demonstration of viable atmospheres and oceans on tidally locked planets, normal incidence of dust disks, including debris disks, detection of planets with masses in the 5–20 M_ range, and predictions of unusually strong spectral biosignatures. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0125.
g Life - The ability of ferocious land animals to bite prey evolved in ancient fish, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070416_fish_bite.html.
g Intelligence - Four-year-old Bernas isn't the computer wizard his mom is, but he's learning. Just the other day he used his lips and feet to play a game on the touch-screen monitor as his mom, Madu, swung from vines and climbed trees. The two Sumatran orangutans at Zoo Atlanta are playing computer games while researchers study the cognitive skills of the orange and brown primates. See http://
www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_ap_orangutan_games.
html.
g Message - Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See http://lnfm1.sai.msu.ru/SETI/koi/articles/DrakeEquation.htm.
g Learning - Americans love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1032.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Cycle Of Fire,” published by Ballantine in 1957.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the United States and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound; see http://www.rense.com/general48/aliens.htm. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Stars - For the past three years a satellite has circled the Earth, collecting data to determine whether two predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity are correct. Over the weekend, at the American Physical Society meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., Professor Francis Everitt, a Stanford University physicist and principal investigator of the Gravity Probe B Relativity Mission, a collaboration of Stanford, NASA and Lockheed Martin, provided the first public peek at data that will reveal whether Einstein's theory has been confirmed by the most sophisticated orbiting laboratory ever created. See article.
g Abodes - The changing view of planets orbiting low mass stars, M stars, as potentially hospitable worlds for life and its remote detection was motivated by several factors, including the demonstration of viable atmospheres and oceans on tidally locked planets, normal incidence of dust disks, including debris disks, detection of planets with masses in the 5–20 M_ range, and predictions of unusually strong spectral biosignatures. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0125.
g Life - The ability of ferocious land animals to bite prey evolved in ancient fish, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070416_fish_bite.html.
g Intelligence - Four-year-old Bernas isn't the computer wizard his mom is, but he's learning. Just the other day he used his lips and feet to play a game on the touch-screen monitor as his mom, Madu, swung from vines and climbed trees. The two Sumatran orangutans at Zoo Atlanta are playing computer games while researchers study the cognitive skills of the orange and brown primates. See http://
www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_ap_orangutan_games.
html.
g Message - Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See http://lnfm1.sai.msu.ru/SETI/koi/articles/DrakeEquation.htm.
g Learning - Americans love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1032.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Cycle Of Fire,” published by Ballantine in 1957.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the United States and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound; see http://www.rense.com/general48/aliens.htm. Note: This article is from 2004.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Brown dwarf pulsars, planetary embryos and savannah chimps
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 - Brown dwarfs, thought just a few years ago to be incapable of emitting any significant amounts of radio waves, have been discovered putting out extremely bright "lighthouse beams" of radio waves, much like pulsars. A team of astronomers made the discovery using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/17browndwarf/.
g Abodes - The water content and habitability of terrestrial planets are determined during their final assembly, from perhaps 100 1,000-km “planetary embryos” and a swarm of billions of 1–10-km “planetesimals.” During this process, we assume that water-rich material is accreted by terrestrial planets via impacts of water-rich bodies that originate in the outer asteroid region. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.06-0126.
g Life - High temperatures can reverse the sex of dragon lizards before they hatch, turning males into females. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070419_lizard_sex.html.
g Intelligence - Savannah chimpanzees, which can make weapons to hunt other primates for meat, can also seek refuge in caves, much like our earliest human ancestors. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070411_chimps_cave.html.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University. See http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/beta.html.
g Cosmicus - UCLA scientists are now reporting a promising new approach to designing super-hard materials, which are very difficult to scratch or crack. Their findings appear in the April 20 issue of the journal Science. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419181733.htm.
g Learning - How are key concepts of astrobiology treated in science fiction? See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.php?page=lesson05. Note: This article is from 2001 and intended to be used as part of a classroom lesson.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ray Bradbury’s "Here There Be Tygers,” which appeared in the April-May 1953 issue of Amazing magazine.
g Aftermath - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence cannot guarantee success in a trivial, superficial sense (that is in the form of the discovery of an alien civilization). But at its deeper levels SETI certainly stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society in profound ways. See http://astro.elte.hu/~bab/seti/ias1.htm.
g Stars - Brown dwarfs, thought just a few years ago to be incapable of emitting any significant amounts of radio waves, have been discovered putting out extremely bright "lighthouse beams" of radio waves, much like pulsars. A team of astronomers made the discovery using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/17browndwarf/.
g Abodes - The water content and habitability of terrestrial planets are determined during their final assembly, from perhaps 100 1,000-km “planetary embryos” and a swarm of billions of 1–10-km “planetesimals.” During this process, we assume that water-rich material is accreted by terrestrial planets via impacts of water-rich bodies that originate in the outer asteroid region. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.06-0126.
g Life - High temperatures can reverse the sex of dragon lizards before they hatch, turning males into females. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070419_lizard_sex.html.
g Intelligence - Savannah chimpanzees, which can make weapons to hunt other primates for meat, can also seek refuge in caves, much like our earliest human ancestors. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070411_chimps_cave.html.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University. See http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/beta.html.
g Cosmicus - UCLA scientists are now reporting a promising new approach to designing super-hard materials, which are very difficult to scratch or crack. Their findings appear in the April 20 issue of the journal Science. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419181733.htm.
g Learning - How are key concepts of astrobiology treated in science fiction? See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.php?page=lesson05. Note: This article is from 2001 and intended to be used as part of a classroom lesson.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ray Bradbury’s "Here There Be Tygers,” which appeared in the April-May 1953 issue of Amazing magazine.
g Aftermath - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence cannot guarantee success in a trivial, superficial sense (that is in the form of the discovery of an alien civilization). But at its deeper levels SETI certainly stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society in profound ways. See http://astro.elte.hu/~bab/seti/ias1.htm.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Happy Earth Day, purple life forms and SETI Declaration protocols
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 found the lowest mass white dwarf known in our galaxy: a Saturn-sized ball of helium containing only about one-fifth the mass of the Sun. In addition, they have spotted the source of the white dwarf's radical weight-loss plan. An unseen companion, likely another white dwarf, has sucked away much of the tiny white dwarf's material, leaving it a shadow of its former self. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/17whitedwarf/.
g Abodes - Our planet's prospects for environmental stability are bleaker than ever with this year’s Earth Day. Global warming is widely accepted as a reality by scientists and even by previously doubtful government and industrial leaders. And according to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is a 90 percent likelihood that humans are contributing to the change. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/070419_earth_timeline.html.
g Life - The earliest life on Earth might have been just as purple as it is green today, a scientist claims. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/070410_purple_earth.html.
g Intelligence - Auditory and visual information in the brain can conspire to trick us into seeing things that are not there, according to new research that suggests our senses are more intimately linked than previously suspected. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070411_visual_illusion.html.
g Message - The spectral approach is a universal tool of both astronomical observations and SETI. Furthermore, it has a clear physical meaning – a spectrometer finds the energy distribution of photons, in human sensing it is color and pitch. Under the hypothesis on identity of physical laws in our part of universe, it may be proposed that spectrometry also are using by those aliens, who know radio and lead theirs own SETI, too. See http://www.cplire.ru/html/ra&sr/irm/radio-signals.html.
g Learning - In field of exobiology entails many different disciplines. Physicists, biologists, and chemists are just a few of the types of occupations that have a place in exobiology. Indeed, exobiology is one of the most inter-disciplinary fields in the realm of science. With so many different types of jobs, exobiology is a fascinating field to work in, and because it is relatively new, it will be thriving for a long time to come. See http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/Exobiology/careers.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Octavia Butler’s novel “Dawn,” published by Warner in 1987.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. In “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” Jean Heidmann, chief astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation - all of it grounded in real science - is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? Heidmann reviews the protocols established in the SETI Declaration and then offers his own suggestion: send them the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521585635/002-7400457-0983229?v=glance&n=283155.
g Stars - Astronomers have found the lowest mass white dwarf known in our galaxy: a Saturn-sized ball of helium containing only about one-fifth the mass of the Sun. In addition, they have spotted the source of the white dwarf's radical weight-loss plan. An unseen companion, likely another white dwarf, has sucked away much of the tiny white dwarf's material, leaving it a shadow of its former self. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/17whitedwarf/.
g Abodes - Our planet's prospects for environmental stability are bleaker than ever with this year’s Earth Day. Global warming is widely accepted as a reality by scientists and even by previously doubtful government and industrial leaders. And according to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is a 90 percent likelihood that humans are contributing to the change. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/070419_earth_timeline.html.
g Life - The earliest life on Earth might have been just as purple as it is green today, a scientist claims. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/070410_purple_earth.html.
g Intelligence - Auditory and visual information in the brain can conspire to trick us into seeing things that are not there, according to new research that suggests our senses are more intimately linked than previously suspected. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070411_visual_illusion.html.
g Message - The spectral approach is a universal tool of both astronomical observations and SETI. Furthermore, it has a clear physical meaning – a spectrometer finds the energy distribution of photons, in human sensing it is color and pitch. Under the hypothesis on identity of physical laws in our part of universe, it may be proposed that spectrometry also are using by those aliens, who know radio and lead theirs own SETI, too. See http://www.cplire.ru/html/ra&sr/irm/radio-signals.html.
g Learning - In field of exobiology entails many different disciplines. Physicists, biologists, and chemists are just a few of the types of occupations that have a place in exobiology. Indeed, exobiology is one of the most inter-disciplinary fields in the realm of science. With so many different types of jobs, exobiology is a fascinating field to work in, and because it is relatively new, it will be thriving for a long time to come. See http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/Exobiology/careers.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Octavia Butler’s novel “Dawn,” published by Warner in 1987.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. In “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” Jean Heidmann, chief astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation - all of it grounded in real science - is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? Heidmann reviews the protocols established in the SETI Declaration and then offers his own suggestion: send them the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521585635/002-7400457-0983229?v=glance&n=283155.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Yellow caution tape for stars, shortlist of stars where extraterrestrial life might be found and experimental magnetic shield
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 laid down the cosmic equivalent of yellow "caution" tape around super hot stars, marking the zones where cooler stars are in danger of having their developing planets blasted away. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/18dangerzone/.
g Abodes - Coral reefs, like tree rings, are natural archives of climate change. But oceanic corals also provide a faithful account of how people make use of land through history. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410182848.htm.
g Life - The varying shapes of flowers found in tropical forests, from broadly blooming to delicately narrow, may have to do with what has stuck its nose in there to pollinate in past evolutionary eras. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070420_flower_shapes.html.
g Intelligence - Just why the outermost surface of our brains is covered in folds and wrinkles is a mystery to scientists, but a new tool is helping researchers see how these folds develop. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_brain_folds.html.
g Message - A U.S. astronomer has announced her shortlist of stars where extraterrestrial life might be found. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.phpfeed=Science&article=
UPI12006021909215000bcusstars.xml. For related story, see “Shortlist of stellar candidates for habitable worlds” at http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0602/18habitable/.
g Cosmicus - A team of scientists are preparing to construct an experimental magnetic shield that could be used to protect astronauts from radiation during long-duration space missions and possibly while on the surface of the Moon and Mars. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2307mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - We learn better when the material meshes with what we already know, according to a new study of rats that researchers say could help explain human learning. See http://www.livescience.
com/humanbiology/070416_memory_consolidation.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read John W. Campbell’s (writing as Don A. Stuart) short story, "Who Goes There?" it first appeared in August 1938’s Astounding magazine.
g Aftermath - In the last quarter of the 20th 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 Stars - Astronomers have laid down the cosmic equivalent of yellow "caution" tape around super hot stars, marking the zones where cooler stars are in danger of having their developing planets blasted away. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/18dangerzone/.
g Abodes - Coral reefs, like tree rings, are natural archives of climate change. But oceanic corals also provide a faithful account of how people make use of land through history. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410182848.htm.
g Life - The varying shapes of flowers found in tropical forests, from broadly blooming to delicately narrow, may have to do with what has stuck its nose in there to pollinate in past evolutionary eras. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070420_flower_shapes.html.
g Intelligence - Just why the outermost surface of our brains is covered in folds and wrinkles is a mystery to scientists, but a new tool is helping researchers see how these folds develop. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_brain_folds.html.
g Message - A U.S. astronomer has announced her shortlist of stars where extraterrestrial life might be found. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.phpfeed=Science&article=
UPI12006021909215000bcusstars.xml. For related story, see “Shortlist of stellar candidates for habitable worlds” at http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0602/18habitable/.
g Cosmicus - A team of scientists are preparing to construct an experimental magnetic shield that could be used to protect astronauts from radiation during long-duration space missions and possibly while on the surface of the Moon and Mars. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2307mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - We learn better when the material meshes with what we already know, according to a new study of rats that researchers say could help explain human learning. See http://www.livescience.
com/humanbiology/070416_memory_consolidation.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read John W. Campbell’s (writing as Don A. Stuart) short story, "Who Goes There?" it first appeared in August 1938’s Astounding magazine.
g Aftermath - In the last quarter of the 20th 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.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Searching atmospheres for signs of life, extrasolar photosynthesis and forward contamination
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 - ESA's Darwin mission aims to discover extrasolar planets and examine their atmospheres for signs of life, particularly for the presence of certain life-related chemicals such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. The major technical challenge lies in distinguishing, or resolving, the light from an extrasolar planet from the hugely overwhelming radiation emitted by the planet's nearby star. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412100834.htm.
g Life - Why do plants reflect in the green and have a “red edge” in the red, and should extrasolar photosynthesis be the same? See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0105.
g Intelligence - Like an invisible brass ring or dangling piece of bacon, subliminal rewards can drive people to work harder without them even knowing it. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
070412_hidden_incentive.html.
g Message - In late 1997, after almost 40 years of operation, the Ohio State University Radio Observatory and its "Big Ear" radio telescope — which picked up the famous “Wow!” signal — ceased operation. The land on which the observatory was sitting (owned by the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio) was sold in 1983 to land developers who later claimed their rights to develop the property. The telescope was destroyed in early 1998. For a Web page memorial to Big Ear, see http://www.bigear.org/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site with excellent graphics: “The Origin of Life and Evolution of the Cosmos.” It explores events that led to the origin of life on Earth. See http://www.originoflife.org.uk/.
g Imagining - Quantum physics and biochemistry is real, hard as nails science, say many physicists and also, it appears, those who write SF books and screenplays. But, reproductive biologist Jack Cohen asks, “Is biology a science?” And what affect does the answer have on our ability to imagine and recognize extraterrestrial life? See http://www.concatenation.org/articles/cohen~isbiologya.html.
g Aftermath - There is a good deal of apprehension among the general public that samples returned from other worlds such as Mars - just might - contain alien germs capable of turning into a worldwide plague, or at least wreaking havoc with the Earth's natural environment. Beside this fear of "back contamination," there is also a fear of "forward contamination" - the possibility that spacecraft might contaminate the worlds they land on with Earth microbes, destroying scientifically priceless alien lifeforms before we even have a chance to study them. See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-99e.html. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Abodes - ESA's Darwin mission aims to discover extrasolar planets and examine their atmospheres for signs of life, particularly for the presence of certain life-related chemicals such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. The major technical challenge lies in distinguishing, or resolving, the light from an extrasolar planet from the hugely overwhelming radiation emitted by the planet's nearby star. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412100834.htm.
g Life - Why do plants reflect in the green and have a “red edge” in the red, and should extrasolar photosynthesis be the same? See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0105.
g Intelligence - Like an invisible brass ring or dangling piece of bacon, subliminal rewards can drive people to work harder without them even knowing it. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
070412_hidden_incentive.html.
g Message - In late 1997, after almost 40 years of operation, the Ohio State University Radio Observatory and its "Big Ear" radio telescope — which picked up the famous “Wow!” signal — ceased operation. The land on which the observatory was sitting (owned by the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio) was sold in 1983 to land developers who later claimed their rights to develop the property. The telescope was destroyed in early 1998. For a Web page memorial to Big Ear, see http://www.bigear.org/.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site with excellent graphics: “The Origin of Life and Evolution of the Cosmos.” It explores events that led to the origin of life on Earth. See http://www.originoflife.org.uk/.
g Imagining - Quantum physics and biochemistry is real, hard as nails science, say many physicists and also, it appears, those who write SF books and screenplays. But, reproductive biologist Jack Cohen asks, “Is biology a science?” And what affect does the answer have on our ability to imagine and recognize extraterrestrial life? See http://www.concatenation.org/articles/cohen~isbiologya.html.
g Aftermath - There is a good deal of apprehension among the general public that samples returned from other worlds such as Mars - just might - contain alien germs capable of turning into a worldwide plague, or at least wreaking havoc with the Earth's natural environment. Beside this fear of "back contamination," there is also a fear of "forward contamination" - the possibility that spacecraft might contaminate the worlds they land on with Earth microbes, destroying scientifically priceless alien lifeforms before we even have a chance to study them. See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-99e.html. Note: This article is from 1999.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Habitable zones around M- and K-type stars, nanonauts and ‘The Embedding’
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 - Low mass M- and K-type stars are much more numerous in the solar neighborhood than solar-like G-type stars. Therefore, some of them may appear as interesting candidates for the target star lists of terrestrial exoplanet (i.e., planets with mass, radius, and internal parameters identical to Earth) search programs like Darwin (ESA) or the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph/Inferometer (NASA). The higher level of stellar activity of low mass M stars, as compared to solar-like G stars, as well as the closer orbital distances of their habitable zones, means that terrestrial-type exoplanets within HZs of these stars are more influenced by stellar activity than one would expect for a planet in an HZ of a solar-like star. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0127.
g Abodes - Scientists have found one of the largest fields of seafloor vents gushing super-hot, mineral-rich fluids on a mid-ocean ridge that, until now, remained elusive to the ten-year hunt to find them. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413151129.htm.
g Life - The biologically destructive effects of atmospheric transit can generate entirely novel and improved endolithic habitats for organisms on the destination planetary body that survive the dispersal filter. The experiment advances our understanding of how island biogeography works on the interplanetary scale. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0038.
g Intelligence - The first primate to get rocketed into space and to be cloned, the rhesus monkey, has now had its genome sequenced, promising to improve research into health and yield insights into human evolution. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
070412_rhesus_monkeys.html.
g Message - When the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977, they each included a gold-plated phonograph record (a "golden record") of natural sounds, greetings in human voices, and a variety of music. The record cover has symbolic instructions that show how to use and understand the record, though scientists still debate whether other civilizations will be able to decipher them. For info on Voyager’s golden record, see http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html. For an explanation of the record cover diagram, see http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec1.html. For an interactive module that contains greetings, sounds, and pictures included on the record (requires Flash plug-in), see http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/flash/voyager_record/index_voyager.html.
g Cosmicus - Engineers are designing a new breed of planetary explorers: tiny, shape-shifting devices that can be carried on the wind like dust but can also communicate, fly in formation and take scientific measurements. 'Smart dust' may one day provide a unique method of studying locations interesting to astrobiology, such as Mars and Venus. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2304mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - With creationism and intelligent design continuing to battle evolution for supremacy in our schools, here’s a quality site that considers the science that supports the theory of evolution — from the National Academy of Sciences. See http://bob.nap.edu/readingroom/books/creationism/.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Scour your used bookstore for Ian Watson’s “The Embedding” (1973).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0E-D59B-4CD0-9E79-113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.
g Stars - Low mass M- and K-type stars are much more numerous in the solar neighborhood than solar-like G-type stars. Therefore, some of them may appear as interesting candidates for the target star lists of terrestrial exoplanet (i.e., planets with mass, radius, and internal parameters identical to Earth) search programs like Darwin (ESA) or the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph/Inferometer (NASA). The higher level of stellar activity of low mass M stars, as compared to solar-like G stars, as well as the closer orbital distances of their habitable zones, means that terrestrial-type exoplanets within HZs of these stars are more influenced by stellar activity than one would expect for a planet in an HZ of a solar-like star. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0127.
g Abodes - Scientists have found one of the largest fields of seafloor vents gushing super-hot, mineral-rich fluids on a mid-ocean ridge that, until now, remained elusive to the ten-year hunt to find them. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413151129.htm.
g Life - The biologically destructive effects of atmospheric transit can generate entirely novel and improved endolithic habitats for organisms on the destination planetary body that survive the dispersal filter. The experiment advances our understanding of how island biogeography works on the interplanetary scale. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0038.
g Intelligence - The first primate to get rocketed into space and to be cloned, the rhesus monkey, has now had its genome sequenced, promising to improve research into health and yield insights into human evolution. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
070412_rhesus_monkeys.html.
g Message - When the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977, they each included a gold-plated phonograph record (a "golden record") of natural sounds, greetings in human voices, and a variety of music. The record cover has symbolic instructions that show how to use and understand the record, though scientists still debate whether other civilizations will be able to decipher them. For info on Voyager’s golden record, see http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html. For an explanation of the record cover diagram, see http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec1.html. For an interactive module that contains greetings, sounds, and pictures included on the record (requires Flash plug-in), see http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/flash/voyager_record/index_voyager.html.
g Cosmicus - Engineers are designing a new breed of planetary explorers: tiny, shape-shifting devices that can be carried on the wind like dust but can also communicate, fly in formation and take scientific measurements. 'Smart dust' may one day provide a unique method of studying locations interesting to astrobiology, such as Mars and Venus. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2304mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - With creationism and intelligent design continuing to battle evolution for supremacy in our schools, here’s a quality site that considers the science that supports the theory of evolution — from the National Academy of Sciences. See http://bob.nap.edu/readingroom/books/creationism/.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Scour your used bookstore for Ian Watson’s “The Embedding” (1973).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0E-D59B-4CD0-9E79-113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Life around M dwarf stars, Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay and microorganisms in Venus’ battery-acid clouds
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 group of scientists believe M dwarf stars shouldn’t be so easily dismissed as havens for extraterrestrial life. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/
ast.2006.0124.
g Abodes - For the first time ever, NASA researchers have successfully demonstrated in the laboratory that a space telescope rigged with special masks and mirrors could snap a photo of an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. This accomplishment marks a dramatic step forward for missions like the proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder, designed to hunt for an Earth twin that might harbor life. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/11planetfinder/.
g Life - Spiders love to fly. Hundreds can touch down in an acre of land on a day when conditions are right. And before casting out a silk thread and swooping miles through the air, a spider checks the weather just as a human pilot might do during a pre-flight routine, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_spider_weather.html.
g Intelligence - A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_fertile_women.html.
g Message - SETI research isn’t limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s. To learn more about it, see http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/seti/META2/META-story.html.
g Cosmicus - Every month the Moon passes through the magnetic field of the Earth and becomes charged with static electricity. A new model suggests that this charging may increase after the year 2012, which could have implications for human lunar missions that are currently being planned for around 2020. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2303mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - If science communications in astrobiology is about researchers sharing their results, the audience for new findings may well turn out to be a surprising finding in itself. John Horack, one of the principal Internet architects for how a Webby-award winning NASA site found its audience, explains new ways to view the problem of sharing science. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Imagining - Venus's battery-acid clouds might very well support microbial life - like the "extremophile" microorganisms that Earth scientists have found thriving near volcano outflows. See http://www.missouri.edu/~chemrg/current_news/Article_Hell.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/searching_for_ascent.html.
g Stars - A group of scientists believe M dwarf stars shouldn’t be so easily dismissed as havens for extraterrestrial life. See http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/
ast.2006.0124.
g Abodes - For the first time ever, NASA researchers have successfully demonstrated in the laboratory that a space telescope rigged with special masks and mirrors could snap a photo of an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. This accomplishment marks a dramatic step forward for missions like the proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder, designed to hunt for an Earth twin that might harbor life. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/11planetfinder/.
g Life - Spiders love to fly. Hundreds can touch down in an acre of land on a day when conditions are right. And before casting out a silk thread and swooping miles through the air, a spider checks the weather just as a human pilot might do during a pre-flight routine, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_spider_weather.html.
g Intelligence - A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_fertile_women.html.
g Message - SETI research isn’t limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s. To learn more about it, see http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/seti/META2/META-story.html.
g Cosmicus - Every month the Moon passes through the magnetic field of the Earth and becomes charged with static electricity. A new model suggests that this charging may increase after the year 2012, which could have implications for human lunar missions that are currently being planned for around 2020. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2303mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - If science communications in astrobiology is about researchers sharing their results, the audience for new findings may well turn out to be a surprising finding in itself. John Horack, one of the principal Internet architects for how a Webby-award winning NASA site found its audience, explains new ways to view the problem of sharing science. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Imagining - Venus's battery-acid clouds might very well support microbial life - like the "extremophile" microorganisms that Earth scientists have found thriving near volcano outflows. See http://www.missouri.edu/~chemrg/current_news/Article_Hell.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/searching_for_ascent.html.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Space tsunamis, tools for detecting extraterrestrial life and space shuttle flight schedule
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 satellite data are providing insights into space "tsunamis" that disrupt the northern lights and result in auroral dances in the sky. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070412_space_tsunami.html.
g Abodes - A team of NASA scientists led by a member of the Spitzer Science Center believe they have found a way to predict the color of plants on planets in other solar systems. Green, yellow or even red-dominant plants may live on extra-solar planets. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/11planetcolors/.
g Life - An adolescent female Tyrannosaurus rex died 68 million years ago, but its bones still contain intact soft tissue, including the oldest preserved proteins ever found, scientists say. And a comparison of the protein’s chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens, bolstering the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_dino_tissues.html.
g Intelligence - You might expect men and women to look at sexual photographs differently. But a new study unexpectedly found that men are more likely than women to first look at faces rather than other parts of a nude body. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_sex_pics.html.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/lifesigns_spots_020103.html.
g Cosmicus - Space shuttle program officials have affirmed a new launch schedule to accomplish six flights over the next 12 months that will expand the space station to include the international science laboratory modules. See http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts117/070416shuttlesked/.
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 - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: George E. Slusser’s "Metamorphoses of the Dragon," in “Aliens: The Anthropology of Science Fiction," (Slusser and Eric S. Rabkin, eds., 1987). It critiques LeGuin's ideas about dragons as fantasy creatures, then goes on to discuss dragon-like aliens in SF in Clarke's “Childhood's End” and Herbert's “Dune” and “Dragon in the Sea” series, bringing in contexts as wide-ranging as Beowulf, the work of Escher, subatomic physics and Sagan's “Dragons of Eden.”
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 Stars - New satellite data are providing insights into space "tsunamis" that disrupt the northern lights and result in auroral dances in the sky. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070412_space_tsunami.html.
g Abodes - A team of NASA scientists led by a member of the Spitzer Science Center believe they have found a way to predict the color of plants on planets in other solar systems. Green, yellow or even red-dominant plants may live on extra-solar planets. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/11planetcolors/.
g Life - An adolescent female Tyrannosaurus rex died 68 million years ago, but its bones still contain intact soft tissue, including the oldest preserved proteins ever found, scientists say. And a comparison of the protein’s chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens, bolstering the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_dino_tissues.html.
g Intelligence - You might expect men and women to look at sexual photographs differently. But a new study unexpectedly found that men are more likely than women to first look at faces rather than other parts of a nude body. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_sex_pics.html.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/lifesigns_spots_020103.html.
g Cosmicus - Space shuttle program officials have affirmed a new launch schedule to accomplish six flights over the next 12 months that will expand the space station to include the international science laboratory modules. See http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts117/070416shuttlesked/.
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 - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: George E. Slusser’s "Metamorphoses of the Dragon," in “Aliens: The Anthropology of Science Fiction," (Slusser and Eric S. Rabkin, eds., 1987). It critiques LeGuin's ideas about dragons as fantasy creatures, then goes on to discuss dragon-like aliens in SF in Clarke's “Childhood's End” and Herbert's “Dune” and “Dragon in the Sea” series, bringing in contexts as wide-ranging as Beowulf, the work of Escher, subatomic physics and Sagan's “Dragons of Eden.”
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.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Habitable planets around M dwarf stars, one year at Venus and evidence of intelligent life beyond 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 Stars - There’s considerable interest in the question of whether M-Stars could host habitable planets. Would the planets be tidally locked with one face always directed toward the M-Star? Would flares wipe out life on the local planet? If M-Stars could host habitable planets, life may be much more widespread that we’ve previously thought. Thus, M-Stars are of interest to astrobiologists including SETI scientists who are searching for life beyond Earth. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070412_seti_thursday.html.
g Abodes - Venus Express has now spent one year collecting planetary data on Venus, one of the most mysterious planets in the Solar System. The spacecraft is studying aspects of Venus' complex atmosphere as well as searching for active volcanism on the planet's surface. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2300mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412102430.htm.
g Intelligence - While the government spends billions of dollars on educational and prevention programs to persuade teens not to do things like smoke, drink or do drugs, a Temple University psychologist suggests that competing systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and that educational interventions alone are unlikely to be effective. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412115231.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 - The U.S. civil space exploration program is a matter of national strategy. But the country’s space policy - of returning to the Moon, trekking onward to Mars and beyond - needs to fly high above partisan bickering. See http://www.space.com/news/0701412_nss_griffin.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See http://www.resa.net/nasa/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: “Hospital Station” (1962), “Star Surgeon” (1963), “Ambulance Ship” (1979), “Sector General” (1983) and “Code Blue–Emergency” (1987).
g Stars - There’s considerable interest in the question of whether M-Stars could host habitable planets. Would the planets be tidally locked with one face always directed toward the M-Star? Would flares wipe out life on the local planet? If M-Stars could host habitable planets, life may be much more widespread that we’ve previously thought. Thus, M-Stars are of interest to astrobiologists including SETI scientists who are searching for life beyond Earth. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070412_seti_thursday.html.
g Abodes - Venus Express has now spent one year collecting planetary data on Venus, one of the most mysterious planets in the Solar System. The spacecraft is studying aspects of Venus' complex atmosphere as well as searching for active volcanism on the planet's surface. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2300mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412102430.htm.
g Intelligence - While the government spends billions of dollars on educational and prevention programs to persuade teens not to do things like smoke, drink or do drugs, a Temple University psychologist suggests that competing systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and that educational interventions alone are unlikely to be effective. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412115231.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 - The U.S. civil space exploration program is a matter of national strategy. But the country’s space policy - of returning to the Moon, trekking onward to Mars and beyond - needs to fly high above partisan bickering. See http://www.space.com/news/0701412_nss_griffin.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See http://www.resa.net/nasa/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: “Hospital Station” (1962), “Star Surgeon” (1963), “Ambulance Ship” (1979), “Sector General” (1983) and “Code Blue–Emergency” (1987).
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Fall colors on alien planets, spotting signals from extraterrestrials and photosynthesis revealed
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 - Chandra observations of the galaxy NGC 1365 have captured a remarkable eclipse of the supermassive black hole at its center. A dense cloud of gas passed in front of the black hole, which blocked high-energy X-rays from material close to the black hole. This serendipitous alignment allowed astronomers to measure the size of the disk of material around the black hole, a relatively tiny structure on galactic scales. See article.
g Abodes - If plant life exists on other planets, they may not be predominantly green. Scientists have found that the predominant color of foliage on Earth-like worlds could be a range of other colors depending on the star that the planet orbits and the composition of its atmosphere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2299mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100-percent efficiency. Speed is the key – the transfer of the solar energy takes place almost instantaneously so little energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing mystery that may have finally been solved. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412131257.htm.
g Intelligence - An international consortium of researchers has published the genome sequence of the rhesus macaque monkey and aligned it with the chimpanzee and human genomes. Published April 13 in a special section of the journal Science, the analysis reveals that the three primate species share about 93 percent of their DNA, yet have some significant differences among their genes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412141025.htm.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Cosmicus - The most heated space race since the Cold War is under way in Asia, where countries are concluding that a space program is no longer just an expensive status symbol but a matter of national security. And they are scrambling to keep abreast. See http://www.space.com/news/ap_070414_ap_space_race.html.
g Learning - Calling attention to itself as soon as the Sun goes down, Venus shines brilliantly in the west-northwest sky about one-third of the way up from the horizon. Pointing out Venus is a great way to get kids interested in astronomy. See http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070413_ns_venus_update.html.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: Gregory Benford’s "Aliens and Knowability: A Scientist's Perspective," in “Bridges to Science Fiction” (George E. Slusser, George R. Guffet and Mark Rose, eds., 1980).
g Aftermath - Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence depends as much upon social support for the project as upon appropriate engineering design and upon the actual existence of a nearby extrasolar civilization. The results of a sociological survey of 1,465 American college students provide the first detailed analysis of the social and ideological factors that influence support for CETI, thereby suggesting ways that support might be increased. Linked to the most idealistic goals of the space program, notably interplanetary colonization, enthusiasm for CETI is little affected by attitudes toward technology or militarism. Few sciences or scholarly fields encourage CETI, with the exceptions of anthropology and astronomy. Support is somewhat greater among men than among women, but the sex difference is far less than in attitudes toward space flight in general. Evangelical Protestantism, represented by the "Born Again" movement, strongly discourages support for CETI. Just as exobiology begins with an understanding of terrestrial biology, exosociology on the question of how interstellar contact can be achieved should begin with serious sociological study of factors operating on our own world. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/cetijbis.htm.
g Stars - Chandra observations of the galaxy NGC 1365 have captured a remarkable eclipse of the supermassive black hole at its center. A dense cloud of gas passed in front of the black hole, which blocked high-energy X-rays from material close to the black hole. This serendipitous alignment allowed astronomers to measure the size of the disk of material around the black hole, a relatively tiny structure on galactic scales. See article.
g Abodes - If plant life exists on other planets, they may not be predominantly green. Scientists have found that the predominant color of foliage on Earth-like worlds could be a range of other colors depending on the star that the planet orbits and the composition of its atmosphere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2299mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100-percent efficiency. Speed is the key – the transfer of the solar energy takes place almost instantaneously so little energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing mystery that may have finally been solved. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412131257.htm.
g Intelligence - An international consortium of researchers has published the genome sequence of the rhesus macaque monkey and aligned it with the chimpanzee and human genomes. Published April 13 in a special section of the journal Science, the analysis reveals that the three primate species share about 93 percent of their DNA, yet have some significant differences among their genes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412141025.htm.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Cosmicus - The most heated space race since the Cold War is under way in Asia, where countries are concluding that a space program is no longer just an expensive status symbol but a matter of national security. And they are scrambling to keep abreast. See http://www.space.com/news/ap_070414_ap_space_race.html.
g Learning - Calling attention to itself as soon as the Sun goes down, Venus shines brilliantly in the west-northwest sky about one-third of the way up from the horizon. Pointing out Venus is a great way to get kids interested in astronomy. See http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070413_ns_venus_update.html.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: Gregory Benford’s "Aliens and Knowability: A Scientist's Perspective," in “Bridges to Science Fiction” (George E. Slusser, George R. Guffet and Mark Rose, eds., 1980).
g Aftermath - Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence depends as much upon social support for the project as upon appropriate engineering design and upon the actual existence of a nearby extrasolar civilization. The results of a sociological survey of 1,465 American college students provide the first detailed analysis of the social and ideological factors that influence support for CETI, thereby suggesting ways that support might be increased. Linked to the most idealistic goals of the space program, notably interplanetary colonization, enthusiasm for CETI is little affected by attitudes toward technology or militarism. Few sciences or scholarly fields encourage CETI, with the exceptions of anthropology and astronomy. Support is somewhat greater among men than among women, but the sex difference is far less than in attitudes toward space flight in general. Evangelical Protestantism, represented by the "Born Again" movement, strongly discourages support for CETI. Just as exobiology begins with an understanding of terrestrial biology, exosociology on the question of how interstellar contact can be achieved should begin with serious sociological study of factors operating on our own world. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/cetijbis.htm.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Mystery of the spiral arm, water found on extrasolar planet and compartmentalized science instruction
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 - Using a quartet of space observatories, University of Maryland astronomers may have cracked a 45-year mystery surrounding two ghostly spiral arms in the galaxy M106. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12spiralarms/.
g Abodes - For the first time, strong evidence for water has been identified in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. The planet, HD209458b, is located 150 light years from Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2298mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Far-flung regions with similar climates that are suddenly linked by a busy flight route are at an increased risk of an invasion of foreign species, according to scientists at Oxford University. The new research also identified an ‘invasion window’ across the global air network from June to August when climatic conditions at regions linked by long haul routes are most similar to one another and the higher number of flights increases the chances of exotic species hitching a ride to somewhere new. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413214637.htm.
g Intelligence - Something old is now something new, thanks to Lamar University researcher Jim Westgate and colleagues. The scientists' research has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of primate, one long vanished from the earth but preserved in the fossil record. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409161526.htm.
g Message - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/9902/vakoch.html.
g Cosmicus - Asteroids are Earth's closest celestial neighbors, sometimes passing closer to Earth than even the Moon. And yet, to date, only two spacecraft have ever remained in proximity to one of these bodies. Last month, orbit mechanics experts from around the world met to discuss methods for finding the best possible spacecraft trajectory, or flight path, for visiting a sequence of asteroids. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/07asteroids/.
g Learning - High school courses have traditionally been compartmentalized into biology, chemistry, physical or earth science, and perhaps physics or an elective such as astronomy or oceanography. This may, in the best of cases, prepare students for the "almighty test," but does it really prepare students for scientific literacy and logical decision-making? See http://www.astrosociety.
org/education/publications/tnl/51/astrobiology2.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Clifford Simak’s ”Way Station” (1963), which examines many different kinds of potential aliens.
g Aftermath - An Outside Context Problem or an OCP is any problem outside given organization or society experience, with an immediate, ubiquitous and lasting impact upon an entire culture or civilization — such as first contact with extraterrestrials. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Context_Problem.
g Stars - Using a quartet of space observatories, University of Maryland astronomers may have cracked a 45-year mystery surrounding two ghostly spiral arms in the galaxy M106. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12spiralarms/.
g Abodes - For the first time, strong evidence for water has been identified in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. The planet, HD209458b, is located 150 light years from Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2298mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Far-flung regions with similar climates that are suddenly linked by a busy flight route are at an increased risk of an invasion of foreign species, according to scientists at Oxford University. The new research also identified an ‘invasion window’ across the global air network from June to August when climatic conditions at regions linked by long haul routes are most similar to one another and the higher number of flights increases the chances of exotic species hitching a ride to somewhere new. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413214637.htm.
g Intelligence - Something old is now something new, thanks to Lamar University researcher Jim Westgate and colleagues. The scientists' research has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of primate, one long vanished from the earth but preserved in the fossil record. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409161526.htm.
g Message - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/9902/vakoch.html.
g Cosmicus - Asteroids are Earth's closest celestial neighbors, sometimes passing closer to Earth than even the Moon. And yet, to date, only two spacecraft have ever remained in proximity to one of these bodies. Last month, orbit mechanics experts from around the world met to discuss methods for finding the best possible spacecraft trajectory, or flight path, for visiting a sequence of asteroids. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/07asteroids/.
g Learning - High school courses have traditionally been compartmentalized into biology, chemistry, physical or earth science, and perhaps physics or an elective such as astronomy or oceanography. This may, in the best of cases, prepare students for the "almighty test," but does it really prepare students for scientific literacy and logical decision-making? See http://www.astrosociety.
org/education/publications/tnl/51/astrobiology2.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Clifford Simak’s ”Way Station” (1963), which examines many different kinds of potential aliens.
g Aftermath - An Outside Context Problem or an OCP is any problem outside given organization or society experience, with an immediate, ubiquitous and lasting impact upon an entire culture or civilization — such as first contact with extraterrestrials. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Context_Problem.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Atmospheres of alien worlds, jellyfish’s 24 eyes and early speculations on 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 - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1 and revealed clues about the composition of comets and their potential connections to the origin of life on Earth. Now, the spacecraft may be used to make additional scientific discoveries, including observing the atmospheres of alien worlds and visiting another comet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2296mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Unlike normal jellyfish, which drift in the ocean current, box jellyfish are active swimmers that can rapidly make 180-degree turns and deftly dart between objects. Scientists suspect that box jellyfish are such agile because one set of their 24 eyes detects objects that get in their way. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070330_jellyfish_eyes.html.
g Message - The earliest speculations about communication with extraterrestrial intelligence involved contact with the Moon and with other planets of our own solar system. In the 1800s, many astronomers thought that — at least theoretically — life might well exist throughout the solar system. But when people raised the question of whether we are really alone in the solar system, they began to imagine ways to find a very concrete answer. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179533.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities for high school students: “Voyages Through Time.” It’s an integrated science curriculum for ninth or tenth grade based on the theme of evolution and delivered on CD-ROM. Its six modules span the breadth of astrobiology research, from cosmic evolution through the evolution of life, and beyond. See http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology/cultures? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Mary Gentle’s “Golden Witchbreed” (1983) and “Ancient Light” (1987), which examines a culture of feline aliens.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, writes 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. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465004180/ref=sid_dp_dp/103-7507272-1771804?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155.
g Abodes - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1 and revealed clues about the composition of comets and their potential connections to the origin of life on Earth. Now, the spacecraft may be used to make additional scientific discoveries, including observing the atmospheres of alien worlds and visiting another comet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2296mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Unlike normal jellyfish, which drift in the ocean current, box jellyfish are active swimmers that can rapidly make 180-degree turns and deftly dart between objects. Scientists suspect that box jellyfish are such agile because one set of their 24 eyes detects objects that get in their way. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070330_jellyfish_eyes.html.
g Message - The earliest speculations about communication with extraterrestrial intelligence involved contact with the Moon and with other planets of our own solar system. In the 1800s, many astronomers thought that — at least theoretically — life might well exist throughout the solar system. But when people raised the question of whether we are really alone in the solar system, they began to imagine ways to find a very concrete answer. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179533.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities for high school students: “Voyages Through Time.” It’s an integrated science curriculum for ninth or tenth grade based on the theme of evolution and delivered on CD-ROM. Its six modules span the breadth of astrobiology research, from cosmic evolution through the evolution of life, and beyond. See http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology/cultures? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Mary Gentle’s “Golden Witchbreed” (1983) and “Ancient Light” (1987), which examines a culture of feline aliens.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, writes 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. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465004180/ref=sid_dp_dp/103-7507272-1771804?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Warm snowball Earth, alien encoding schemes and communicating with 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 - New evidence shows that periods of warmth may have occurred during a time in Earth's history when scientists had thought the entire globe was frozen over. The new findings have implications in our understanding of how life interacted with the changing planetary environment of Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2295mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Starting to breed late in life is a bad idea if you want to maximize the number of offspring that you produce - or so the theory goes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405122410.htm.
g Intelligence - Children who have at least one depressed parent are more likely to use costly health-care services, such as visits to the emergency room and to specialists. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603203.html.
g Message - Is it more likely for an advanced civilization to resort to some sophisticated encoding scheme than we would? See http://www.setiuniverse.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.aspa=178&z=10.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters: http://aca.mq.edu.au/Links/AstrobiologyJournalList.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Michael Bishop’s “Transfigurations” (1979), in which ET converses by changing colors.
g Aftermath - The issue of stability of conditions prevailing on (at least potentially) habitable planets throughout the Galaxy is the central question of the nascent science of astrobiology. We are lucky enough to live in an epoch of great astronomical discoveries, the most distinguished probably being the discovery of dozens of planets orbiting nearby stars. This particular discovery brings about a profound change in our thinking about the universe, and prompts further questions on thefrequency of Earth-like habitats elsewhere in the galaxy. In a sense, it answers a question posed since antiquity: are there other, potentially inhabited or inhabitable, worlds in the vastness of space? In asking that question, obviously, we take into account our properties as intelligent observers, as well as physical, chemical, and other pre-conditions necessary for our existence. The latter are the topic of the so-called anthropic principle(s), the subject of much debate and controversy in cosmology, fundamental physics, and philosophy of science. See http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:XmrDGnkdyV0J:www.anthropic-principle.com/preprints/MilanFirst.pdf+astrobiology&hl=en.
g Abodes - New evidence shows that periods of warmth may have occurred during a time in Earth's history when scientists had thought the entire globe was frozen over. The new findings have implications in our understanding of how life interacted with the changing planetary environment of Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2295mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Starting to breed late in life is a bad idea if you want to maximize the number of offspring that you produce - or so the theory goes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405122410.htm.
g Intelligence - Children who have at least one depressed parent are more likely to use costly health-care services, such as visits to the emergency room and to specialists. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603203.html.
g Message - Is it more likely for an advanced civilization to resort to some sophisticated encoding scheme than we would? See http://www.setiuniverse.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.aspa=178&z=10.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters: http://aca.mq.edu.au/Links/AstrobiologyJournalList.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Michael Bishop’s “Transfigurations” (1979), in which ET converses by changing colors.
g Aftermath - The issue of stability of conditions prevailing on (at least potentially) habitable planets throughout the Galaxy is the central question of the nascent science of astrobiology. We are lucky enough to live in an epoch of great astronomical discoveries, the most distinguished probably being the discovery of dozens of planets orbiting nearby stars. This particular discovery brings about a profound change in our thinking about the universe, and prompts further questions on thefrequency of Earth-like habitats elsewhere in the galaxy. In a sense, it answers a question posed since antiquity: are there other, potentially inhabited or inhabitable, worlds in the vastness of space? In asking that question, obviously, we take into account our properties as intelligent observers, as well as physical, chemical, and other pre-conditions necessary for our existence. The latter are the topic of the so-called anthropic principle(s), the subject of much debate and controversy in cosmology, fundamental physics, and philosophy of science. See http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:XmrDGnkdyV0J:www.anthropic-principle.com/preprints/MilanFirst.pdf+astrobiology&hl=en.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Galaxy’s red glow, Earth’s early magnetic field and Dawn arrives in Florida
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 have solved a decades-long mystery of a red glow that permeates our Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070406_red_rectangle.html.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field was at least half as strong 3.2 billion years ago as it is today, researchers report. That means the planet was pretty well protected way back then from solar output that could otherwise have stripped away the atmosphere and doused early living organisms with lethal radiation. See http://www.livescience.com/
forcesofnature/070404_earth_magnetism.html.
g Life - Bacteria can “talk” to each other: by using signal substances they inform their neighbors as to whether or not it is worth switching certain genes on or off. This communication between bacterial cells is essential for the adaptation to changing environments and for the survival. What exactly do bacteria learn from the signal substances? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402103058.htm.
g Intelligence - A discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated in the first place" and how people can potentially better manage phobias, researcher Ajai Vyas, a Stanford University neuroscientist, told LiveScience. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070402_cat_urine.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179534.
g Cosmicus - The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/10dawnarrival/.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_010130.html. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” (1970) and the sequel, “Ringworld Engineers” (1980).
g Aftermath - A wide variety of steps should be taken to help the social sciences increase their visibility, status and contribution within the SETI field. The impact of social scientists will be profound if they contribute fresh ideas about the nature of ETI and how to detect it, bold insights into the variety of human reactions if the search succeeds, and far- sighted scenarios of humanity’s eventual relations with extraterrestrial intelligence. The quality of their thought, the ingenuity of their research designs and the depth of their findings will, in the long run, be particularly significant factors in their contribution to the SETI field. See http://64.233.167.104/searchq=
cache:4wvY91izFFYJ:www.ieti.org/tough/books/succeeds/sectVp01.
pdf+astrobiology+%22after+contact%22&hl=en.
g Stars - Scientists have solved a decades-long mystery of a red glow that permeates our Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070406_red_rectangle.html.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field was at least half as strong 3.2 billion years ago as it is today, researchers report. That means the planet was pretty well protected way back then from solar output that could otherwise have stripped away the atmosphere and doused early living organisms with lethal radiation. See http://www.livescience.com/
forcesofnature/070404_earth_magnetism.html.
g Life - Bacteria can “talk” to each other: by using signal substances they inform their neighbors as to whether or not it is worth switching certain genes on or off. This communication between bacterial cells is essential for the adaptation to changing environments and for the survival. What exactly do bacteria learn from the signal substances? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402103058.htm.
g Intelligence - A discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated in the first place" and how people can potentially better manage phobias, researcher Ajai Vyas, a Stanford University neuroscientist, told LiveScience. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070402_cat_urine.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179534.
g Cosmicus - The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/10dawnarrival/.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_010130.html. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” (1970) and the sequel, “Ringworld Engineers” (1980).
g Aftermath - A wide variety of steps should be taken to help the social sciences increase their visibility, status and contribution within the SETI field. The impact of social scientists will be profound if they contribute fresh ideas about the nature of ETI and how to detect it, bold insights into the variety of human reactions if the search succeeds, and far- sighted scenarios of humanity’s eventual relations with extraterrestrial intelligence. The quality of their thought, the ingenuity of their research designs and the depth of their findings will, in the long run, be particularly significant factors in their contribution to the SETI field. See http://64.233.167.104/searchq=
cache:4wvY91izFFYJ:www.ieti.org/tough/books/succeeds/sectVp01.
pdf+astrobiology+%22after+contact%22&hl=en.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Star snacks, Martian dust storms and message to 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 - For the last two years, astronomers have suspected that a nearby white dwarf star called GD 362 was "snacking" on a shredded asteroid. Now, an analysis of chemical "crumbs" in the star's atmosphere conducted by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has confirmed this suspicion. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/01starsnacks/.
g Abodes - Shifting dust storms on Mars might be contributing to global warming there that is shrinking the planet's southern polar ice caps, scientists say. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070404_gw_mars.html.
g Life - Microbiologists are rethinking the ways in which they define and classify microbial species. Studying microbes and understanding how they are related to one another throughout evolutionary time is important in determining how life originated on our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2291mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - People who believe they have lived past lives as, say, Indian princesses or battlefield commanders are more likely to make certain types of memory errors, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070406_past_lives.html.
g Message - The Harvard SETI Group have conducted several searches for extraterrestrial life since 1978. For a history of those searches, see http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/setihist.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 - 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 - 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 at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
g Stars - For the last two years, astronomers have suspected that a nearby white dwarf star called GD 362 was "snacking" on a shredded asteroid. Now, an analysis of chemical "crumbs" in the star's atmosphere conducted by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has confirmed this suspicion. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/01starsnacks/.
g Abodes - Shifting dust storms on Mars might be contributing to global warming there that is shrinking the planet's southern polar ice caps, scientists say. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070404_gw_mars.html.
g Life - Microbiologists are rethinking the ways in which they define and classify microbial species. Studying microbes and understanding how they are related to one another throughout evolutionary time is important in determining how life originated on our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2291mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - People who believe they have lived past lives as, say, Indian princesses or battlefield commanders are more likely to make certain types of memory errors, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070406_past_lives.html.
g Message - The Harvard SETI Group have conducted several searches for extraterrestrial life since 1978. For a history of those searches, see http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/setihist.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 - 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 - 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 at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
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