Biosphere 2, SETI’s history and recognizing an alien intelligence

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - A new initiative to provide researchers with access to the Biosphere 2 facility is set to help scientists tackle challenges facing science and society, including global climate change, the fate of water and how energy travels through Earth's ecosystems. See article.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI’s history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
g Cosmicus - In the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few evening hours of regular shuteye. It may help them reach other planets, though admittedly they would have to sleep for quite a long time. See article.
g Learning - Quote of the Day: "Things just get curiouser and curiouser.” — Alice (“Alice in Wonderland”)
g Imagining - Here’s a neat Web page that asks “What are our chances of actually recognizing an alien intelligence for what it is?” What if ET does not say "Take me to your leader" from an obviously technologically superior spaceship? Will we know if it’s intelligent? It draws in part upon Stanley Weinbaum's famous short story, "A Martian Odyssey.” See http://www.sff.net/people/mmolvray/exobio/recog.htm.
g Aftermath - Will we ever find a primer for decoding messages from extraterrestrials? Late last year, anthropologists who gathered for a major conference in Atlanta heard some news that will be sobering for SETI enthusiasts: It may be much more difficult to understand extraterrestrials than many scientists have thought before. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_translator_050127.html.

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Role of water in planetary evolution, satellite solar power stations and imagining an alien species

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 - After years of preparation, NASA's Dawn mission to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is ready for launch. Dawn will study two planetary bodies and yield clues about the history of the Solar System and the role of water in planetary evolution. See article.
g Message - It has become somewhat accepted that an extrasolar contact could be interpreted as a good “artificial” signal if it arose from certain branches of mathematics. If another galactic civilization decided to reach us, they would send a beacon of bleeps akin to the digits of “pi” or only prime numbers, because they would realize that no natural process could mimic them. Renowned author and MacArthur “genius” award winner, Stephen Wolfram, argues for a new kind of science, and argues that the line between “artificial” and “natural” signals is not nearly so clear as first supposed. See article. Note: This article is from March 2004.
g Cosmicus - We don't yet know what satellite solar power stations will look like 50 years from now. But we do know how big they'll be: they'll be hundreds of square kilometers in area - otherwise they won't generate enough power to have a significant impact on humans' growing energy needs. See http://www.spacefuture.com/power/largescale.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site in which Monica Grady, head of petrology and meteoritics in the department of mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, presents a comprehensive introduction to astrobiology: http://www.fathom.com/course/10701047/index.html/.
g Imagining - No longer can a science fiction writer create a goo-dripping alien just because a story line requires an adversary from another planet to drop in on our unsuspecting world. The average reader is not going to buy into the B-rated movies of old; it takes more than an actor in a rubber mask for them to suspend their disbelief and enjoy a story or novel. Bringing an alien species into a novel requires a bit of planning and thought on the part of the writer. See http://www.gottawritenetwork.com/SFColumns.htm.
g Aftermath - Quote of the Day: “And ahead...? We cannot tell; we are too far out to see the unknown land. It is enough to ride the wave.” — Arthur C. Clark

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Analog for Europa exploration, DEPTHX and SETI primer

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 - After recent successful tests, robotic vehicles will be sent to explore beneath the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The robots will search for unique forms of life on the seafloor of the world's most isolated ocean. See article.
g Life - DEPTHX, an underwater robot capable of navigating without human control, has recovered microbial biofilm samples from the deepest water-filled sinkhole in the world. Microbiologist John Spear is looking forward to learning what the ‘bot brought home. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2375&mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Message -Here’s a nice primer on the SETI@home project plus some information about how to download the program: http://www.impactsites2000.com/tekreview/SETI2004.htm.
g Cosmicus - In the not-too-distant future, NASA is planning to build lunar research outposts where astronauts will perform important scientific experiments on the Moon. However, such missions may have implications for the mental health of employees working in isolation for extended periods. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2377&mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning -Quote of the Day: ”Since one of the most wondrous and noble questions in Nature is whether there is one World or many, a question that the human mind desires to understand, it seems desirable for us to enquire about it.” — Albert Magnus
g Imagining -Among the earliest Star Trek alien races that were exact duplicates of homo sapiens were the Beta III humanoids (for picture, see http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/media/TOS.html?category=&show=season=1context=5.5.2template=cda.library.media
listcount=282series=TOS&group=10&contextURL=/startrek/page
/mediaListPagination and click on “Spock and Kirk fire”; look for orange robed man). But the chance of extraterrestrials looking exactly like us is nil. Why? See http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=exobio09 for the answer. A note here: The Beta III humanoids show up fairly late in Star Trek’s very first season; until that episode, the series was quite conscious of at least making humanoid aliens different in shape and color — or at least producing an excuse, such as the aliens “assumed” human form for some nefarious purpose. With this race, however, exact duplication of Homo sapiens becomes commonplace in the show.
g Aftermath - If SETI is successful in detecting an extraterrestrial civilization, it will raise the question of whether and how humanity should attempt to communicate with the other civilization. How should that decision be made? What should be the content of such a message? Who should decide? The same questions would apply to proposals that signals be sent in the absence of detection, in the hope that they might be detected by an extraterrestrial civilization. See http://www.iaanet.org/p_papers/seti.html. Note: This paper was presented in October 1995.

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Planetary habitability, zapping Martian rocks and extinct alien races

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 - Planetary habitability is the measure of an astronomical body's (planets and natural satellites of planets) potential to develop and sustain life. The only absolute requirement for life is an energy source, but the notion of planetary habitability implies that many other geophysical, geochemical, and astrophysical criteria must be met before an astronomical body can support life. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: “One piece of evidence that suggests the probability of primitive forms of life appearing may be reasonably high, is that life seems to have appeared on Earth shortly after the Earth cooled sufficiently for life to be possible. If life was very improbable, one might have expected life not to have appeared until late in the 10 billion or so years that the Earth has to live.” — Stephen W. Hawking
g Cosmicus - Mars mission Job One: Get there. Job Two: Find rocks and zap them with your laser tool. Now learn the nature of the debris by spectrographically analyzing the ensuing dust and fragments. It's every kid's dream, vaporizing pebbles on other planets, and thanks to a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory, it's going to happen. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0706/25msl/.
g Learning - Here’s the ultimate Web site for an introduction to astrobiology. “Astrobiology: The Living Universe” is a comprehensive and educational guide to life on Earth and beyond. This site features sections on the chemical origin of life, evolution, planetary biology, the search for extraterrestrial life, supporting humans in space and exobiology. See http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=index.
g Imagining -What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is “The Science of the X-Files,” by Jeanne Cavelos. There’s a review of the book (look near the end for a discussion on the extraterrestrial biology) at http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/reviews/science-of-the-x-files/.
g Aftermath - How might explorers determine what happened to an extinct alien race based on the clues they left behind on their home planet? See http://people.msoe.edu/~tritt/sf/faa.html.

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Most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, liquid telescopes on the Moon and alien languages

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 - Astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date. The planet is only 50% larger than Earth and orbits within the ‘habitable zone’ of the star Gliese 581, meaning that the planet could possibly harbor liquid water. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: “Biologically the species is the accumulation of the experiments of all its successful individuals since the beginning.” — H. G. Wells
g Cosmicus - Someday, astronauts on the moon may pour liquid onto a disc-shaped mesh to make a huge mirror for a powerful telescope, according to a technical article just made public. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0706/25liquidmirror/.
g Learning - This module, from the Japan Science and Technology Corporation, provides excellent background to the search for life in the universe, for kids. There is information about all the planets in the solar system and possibilities for life beyond, as well as descriptions of spacecraft and signals that originate from Earth (requires Flash plug-in). See http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining -Book alert: Here’s an oldie worth finding in a used bookstore: Walter E. Meyers’ “Aliens and Linguists: Language Study and Science Fiction.” It examines how science fiction treats aliens using languages, aptly pointing out fallacies and offering some intriguing speculations. See http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/reviews_pages/r25.htm for a review.
g Aftermath - 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. Note: This article is from 1999.

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Red dwarfs hospitable to life, finding Krypton and NASA’s future lunar science activities

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 - Red dwarfs, the cool, low mass stars that make up more than 75 percent of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy might be more hospitable to life than was previously thought, according to a new study by a Pennsylvania research team. See article.
g Abodes - As every comic-book fan knows, Superman was born on the planet Krypton, which orbited a red star. Scientists are now learning that the Superman legend may contain a kernel of truth: the best places to find life in our galaxy could be on planets that circle the small but common stars known as red dwarfs. See http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000CC344-B043-1353-AF3383414B7FFE9F. Note: This article is from late 2005.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "Innumerable suns exist; innumerable earths revolve around these suns in a manner similar to the way the seven planets revolve around our sun. Living beings inhabit these worlds." — Giordano Bruno, from On the Infinite Universe and Worlds, 1584
g Cosmicus - NASA has selected proposals for future lunar science activities and established two new programs that will enhance research made possible by the Vision for Space Exploration. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0706/25lunarscience/.

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Stars born alone, how planets form around red dwarfs and why spaceplanes are impossible

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 - Most of the stars in the Milky Way are born alone and live out their lives without partners, a new analysis suggests. If true, the work overturns standard theories that stars are born in broods and also suggests planets – and potentially life – may be more common in the galaxy than thought. See article. Note: This article is from early 2006.
g Abodes - A recent study brings new insight into how planets form around red dwarfs, the most populous stars in the Milky Way galaxy. See article. Note: This article is from late 2006.
g Life - Quote of the Day: “It isn’t conceivable, really, that there would not be life.” — George Lucas
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible! (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See article.

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Circumstellar habitable zone, photosynthesis on alien worlds and single stage to orbit rockets

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 - In a galaxy filled with billions of stars, scientists searching for alien life need some way to pick out those which are most likely to harbor habitable planets and moons. For more than 150 years, an important tool in this screening process has been the concept of a "circumstellar habitable zone." See article. Note: This article is from early 2006.
g Abodes - Scientists studying the potential for life on extrasolar planets are looking at the light spectrum to determine what kind of photosynthesis plants might use on other planets. Plants on distant worlds may look very different than our own depending on the light from their planet's parent star. See article.
g Cosmicus - Contrary to what many people who make expendable rockets will tell you, it isn't difficult to design a "single stage to orbit" rocket. In fact it's very easy - it can be done with rocket engines and propellant tanks designed, manufactured and operated 20 years ago! It's important to know this, because a lot of people will try to tell you otherwise. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/building.shtml.
g Learning - Quote of the Day: “The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination, but the combination is locked up in the safe.” — Peter DeVries

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Surviving a supernova, germ-laden samples from Mars and growing rocket industry

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 discover that chemicals important to the origin of life are resilient enough to survive an exploding supernova. The finding is important in understanding the potential for such molecules to be transported through space to locations suitable for life's origin. See article.
g Abodes - Decades after Hollywood first made the leap between alien life and the threat of contamination, a scientist has issued a similar warning. U.S. Geological Survey geologist Jeffrey Kargel says convincing evidence uncovered by NASA's robotic rover Opportunity that water once flowed on Mars means scientists should proceed cautiously in bringing back potentially germ-laden samples of the Red Planet. See article.
g Intelligence - Does anybody really know what time it is? The modern answer is just look at your watch or check the calendar. But such markings can be deceptive. Consider "summer": Most of us would suspect it's about a third over. … Technically, though, summer began just last Monday. For my musings on the summer solstice, published last year, go to http://www.press-citizen.com/opinion/cornfieldsoul/062704cornfieldsoul.htm.
g Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/introduction.shtml.
g Learning - Quote of the Day: “If 1 percent of civilizations can survive technological adolescence, ... the number of extant civilizations in the Galaxy is in the millions.” — Carl Sagan

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Our solar system’s violent origin, 50 billion possible planetary systems and the joy of zero G

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 - We know that our solar system has at least one planet with life – Earth. Perhaps solar systems that formed in ways similar to our own also will have the potential for life. But how normal was the formation of our solar system? In Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition, Thierry Montmerle suggests our solar system had an unusually violent origin. See article.
g Abodes - More than 100 planets have been found outside the solar system. Some astronomers think there may be planets around up to half the stars in our galaxy alone — that's 50 billion possible planetary systems. For a series of BBC reports on planet hunting, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/looking/planethunting.shtml,
g Message -Quote of the Day: “Finding life beyond Earth — it really is just going to be a matter of persistence.” — Jack Horner
g Cosmicus - The joy of zero G? I don't really need to discuss details that people can imagine for themselves, but basically, floating has got to be fun! Anything that makes you giggle in such a situation surely has to be a good thing! Among other effects, being weightless will mean that you and your partner can maneuver round each other without danger of either of you - or any parts of you - getting squashed! No more arms or legs going numb! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/joyofzerog.shtml.

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Red dwarfs’ protoplanetary discs, Mars’ layered terrains and volunteers in simulated journey there

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 - Red dwarfs are smaller and cooler than our own Sun, but they account for 70% of the stars in our galaxy. Astronomers have wondered why there are so many red dwarfs, but they never seem to have protoplanetary discs of dust surrounding them, indicating the formation of new planets. These stars are too small to remove dust the way larger stars do it, but astronomers from UCLA think they could be using a process called "stellar wind drag". Even though they're smaller, red dwarfs can have very intense magnetic fields, producing a powerful solar wind. It's this solar wind that removes the dust, hiding evidence of planet formation. See article. Note: This story is from early 2005.
g Abodes - Layered terrains on Mars discovered by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft bear a striking resemblance to sedimentary deposits here on Earth that form under water. Liquid water is scarce on Mars nowadays, but it might have been common four billion years ago. If these Martian layers turn out to have a watery origin, as some scientists suspect, they could hold the key to the mysterious history of water (and maybe even life) on the Red Planet. See http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23jan_1.htm. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Cosmicus - Space enthusiasts interested in tagging along on a 520-day roundtrip journey to Mars-a simulated one, that is-should apply now. See article.
g Imagining - Quote of the Day: “If you look at the diversity of what species look like on this planet, nature has come up with better things than our best science fiction,” — J. Craig Venter

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Saturn’s geologically active moons, life 420 million years ago and an attractive legal environment for commercial space activities

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The Cassini spacecraft has found that Saturn's icy moons Tethys and Dione are flinging streams of particles into space. The findings suggest that these moons may be geologically active. See article.
g Life - One of the strangest mysteries of the fossil world concerns a tall, cylindrical structure dating to 420 million years ago. Some scientists have called it fungus, others a lichen, still others an alga. A new isotopic analysis has settled the debate, and has helped researchers hone their search for unknown life on other worlds. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=
modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2367mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Message -Quote of the Day: “If we want to find advanced intelligent life, our best bet is to listen to radio signals, like the SETI project. Interstellar distances are too large for us to travel to more than the closest stars. If we want to explore the galaxy, we’d better send robots, but we won’t live long enough to hear back from them.” — Stephen W. Hawking
g Cosmicus - In order for commercial space activities to grow, there must be an attractive legal environment. Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/law.shtml.

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Astrobiological expedition to Mars, why we don’t have to go there to find life and building multiple space stations

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The possibility that life may once have evolved on Mars is strongly linked to the availability of liquid water over long time periods. So what criteria would make a good site for an astrobiological expedition on that world? See http://cmex.arc.nasa.gov/SiteCat/sitecat2/selexo.htm.
g Cosmicus -NASA is spending billions of dollars to search for life on Mars, the most Earth-like of our sister planets. But we may not need to go all the way to Mars to find another sample of life, says one astrobiologist. It could be lurking under our very noses. See http://www.justpacific.com/bits.
g Message -Quote of the Day: “Wow!” — Note scribbled on edge of printout indicating the Big Ear Telescope had picked up an extraterrestrial message
g Cosmicus -From the economic point of view, building orbital accommodation has the great attraction that it will provide a large-scale commercial outlet for the know-how developed with the US space station Skylab that operated from 1973-74, the two Russian stations Salyut and Mir, and the International Space Station being developed in the late 1990s. Many tens of billions have been and are being spent on these - but only one of each is ever built! So none of the manufacturers can make any money, and taxpayers have to pay for it all - but they never get to go! A truly crazy "lose-lose" situation! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/businesscase.shtml.

M dwarfs good targets in search for life, Eris larger than Pluto and hotels in orbit

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 - More than half the stars in our galaxy are small, dim M dwarfs. Until recently, scientists believed these stars put out too little light to support life on any planets that orbited them. But at a recent workshop held at the SETI Institute, a multidisciplinary group of researchers concluded not only that M dwarfs might host habitable planets, but that they might also be good targets in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered that the dwarf planet Eris is more massive than Pluto, and is likely composed of rock and ice. Objects in this little-known region of space, known as the Kuiper Belt, are important relics of the early Solar System and can teach us about a period of time when the Earth was first forming. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=2366mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "Wherever liquid water and chemical energy are found, there is life. There is no exception." — Wesley Huntress, Jr.
g Cosmicus - The design of hotels in orbit is a feast for the imagination of architects and interior designers. The basic ideas have been well understood since people lived safely in the US space station "Skylab" in 1973-74. But the cost of getting to and from orbit has remained so high that tourism hasn't got started yet, and so there's been little incentive for anyone to make the effort required to design true orbital hotels. However, remembering that the hotel industry (or "hospitality industry") is a huge, highly competitive, global industry, we can foresee that once accommodation in orbit gets started as a business, it will grow and grow as companies compete to provide more interesting services for their guests. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/hoteldesign.shtml.

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Arguments for life around M dwarfs, evidence favoring of Martian oceans and first accommodations in space

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - M-dwarf stars, much smaller, dimmer and cooler than stars like our sun, are by far the most common type of star in our galaxy. Yet scientists searching for life on other worlds have not shown much interest in M dwarfs. That's about to change. See article.
g Abodes - New research has now countered one of the key arguments against the past presence of large oceans on Mars. The new findings are another step forward in determining whether or not Mars once supported liquid water, a key component for environments habitable for life. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2364&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Researchers have tested the survival of methanogenic microorganisms in different soil types that resemble those found on Mars in order to test the possibility of these soils harboring life. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=2365mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence -Quote of the Day: "There may be a million worlds in the Milky Way Galaxy alone which are at this moment inhabited by other intelligent beings." — Carl Sagan (Cosmos, episode XI).
g Cosmicus - The first accommodation in orbit available to the public won't be a real "hotel" - it's more likely just to be rooms in pre-fabricated cylindrical modules connected together, because this is the easiest way to start. However, it will gradually grow in quantity and quality to include more elaborate facilities constructed in orbit - eventually including full-scale hotels and even apartment blocks. Starting at thousands of dollars per night, costs will fall continually as the volume grows, and it's likely that guests will choose to stay for longer and longer. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/accommodation.shtml.

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Life-bearing M dwarfs, ‘greenery’ on other planets and surviving the trip to orbit

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 commonest stars in the universe aren't very Sun-like, but they could still have life-bearing planets, say Jill Tarter and Peter Backus (SETI Institute) and 30 other researchers. See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/4944232.html?showAll=y&c=y. Note: This article is from late 2006.
g Abodes -Quote of the Day: To reject the idea of plurality of worlds would be “to narrow our conceptions of God’s character.” —1825 textbook for use in American girls’ schools
g Life - The greenery on other planets may not be green. Astrobiologists say plants on Earth-sized planets orbiting stars somewhat brighter than the Sun may look yellow or orange, while those on planets orbiting stars much fainter than the Sun might look black. See http://space.newscientist.com/channel/astronomy/dn11578-for-plants-on-alien-worlds-it-isnt-easy-being-green.html.
g Cosmicus - A lot of people think you need to be a superman to survive the trip to orbit, or to live there. But it's not true. This is just a myth - largely based on fictional stories and movies from before the first space flight was made. (Remember Tintin and friends blacking out? Or the strained expressions on people's faces in old space movies?) The fact is that acceleration of even several Gs is no problem at all so long as you're lying on your back. It doesn't hurt. It's not even hard to breathe. It's like having a baby lying on your chest. But it's not uncomfortable so long as you're lying on something soft. And there's no need for an individually contoured couch! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/healthfitness.shtml.

20 previously unknown star systems, when gas giants form and COSPAR

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 galactic neighborhood just got more crowded. Astronomers have found 20 previously unknown star systems that lie within 33 light-years of Earth. All the stars are faint, low-mass objects called red dwarfs, which rank among the most prevalent stars in the Milky Way. See article. Note: This article is from late 2006.
g Abodes - New research indicates that gas giants, like Jupiter and Saturn, form quickly after their stars do. In fact, they probably form within the first 10 million years of a star's life, or else they never form at all. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "Is Life a random accident, or is the Universe in some way designed to produce it? In an infinite Universe...everything that can happen will happen, an infinite number of times" — Arthur C. Clarke
g Cosmicus - COSPAR - The Committee on Space Research - might be described as the United Nations of space research and collaboration. From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is an interview with its president, Roger Bonnet, about COSPAR's role in space exploration. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2363&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - Is there life on Mars? Here’s a timeline of the debate: http://www.spacedaily.com/2004/040123173004.po61yma6.html.

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261 red dwarfs within 10 parsecs, NASA’s six canonical questions and ‘Evolving the Alien’

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 -More than 261 "M" main-sequence, red dwarf stars are currently believed to be located within 10 parsecs (pc) - ­ or 32.6 light-years - of Sol. Thus, at least two-thirds (70 percent) of more than 370 stars and white and brown dwarfs found thus far to be located within 10 pc are very dim red dwarfs. At least 40 percent of some 260 red dwarfs have been identified as flare and variable stars, and so are likely to be "young" enough to be rotating rapidly and generating a dynamic magnetic field. However, all are much dimmer, smaller, and less massive than Sol. See article.
g Abodes - Quote of the Day: “The Earth is blue.” – Yuri Gagarin
g Life - The puzzling pose of many fossilized dinosaurs may be due to the agonizing death throes typical of brain damage and asphyxiation. Understanding the causes leading to this posture in fossils could provide information about the Earth's climate when the dinosaurs went extinct. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2362&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Cosmicus - SpaceDev says the results of its lunar exploration study indicate that a more comprehensive series of missions could be completed in a fraction of the time for one-tenth of the cost vs. NASA's recently announced plans. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0511/21spacedev/.
g Learning - Theorizing and model building are one thing; it is another to go out and get data that will support science and the acquisition of new knowledge. For this purpose, NASA has instituted its Astrobiology Program to study the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. Existing programs and new endeavors will be brought together in a multidisciplinary fashion to tackle the questions surrounding life's place in the organization of the universe. In so doing, NASA has adopted six canonical questions to use as guideposts as its programs are developed. See http://www.astrobiology.com/adastra/astrobiology.101.html. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Imagining - Book alert: What would life on other planets look like? Forget the little green men, alien life is likely to be completely unrecognizable - we haven’t even discovered all the life on our own planet. The visionary “Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life,” by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart, offers some of the most radical but scientifically accurate thinking on the possibility of life on other planets ever conceived. Using broad principles of Earthly biology and expanding on them laterally, Cohen and Stewart examine what could be out there. Redefining our whole concept of what ‘life’ is, they ask whether aliens could live on the surface of a star, in the vacuum of space or beneath the ice of a frozen moon. And whether life could exist without carbon or DNA – or even without matter at all. They also look at ‘celebrity aliens’ from books and films – most of which are biologically impossible. Jack Cohen is an ‘alien consultant’ to many writers, advising what an alien could and couldn’t look like. (E.T. go home – you do not pass the test). But this book is as much about the latest discoveries in Earthly biology as well as life on other planets. It’s a serious yet entertaining science book. See article.

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Searching for life on Jovian satellites, emergence of complexity and promise and pitfalls of terraforming Mars

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Mars and the ice-covered satellites of Jupiter are currently the most favorable sites for the search of extraterrestrial life. The motivation for the search for life in the Solar System is the evidence of liquid water in the early history of Mars and, at present, in the interior of at least two of the galilean satellites (Callisto and Europa). Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without direct solar energy. Similar possible geologic activity on Europa, caused by tidal heating and decay of radioactive elements, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the distribution of life in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's likely degree of evolution, and discuss a possible experimental test. The total lack of understanding of the distribution of extraterrestrial life is particularly troublesome. Nevertheless, technical ability to search for extraterrestrial intelligence, by means of radioastronomy, has led to remarkable technological advances. In spite of this success, the theoretical bases for the distribution of life in the universe are still missing. The search for life in the Jovian satellites can provide a first step towards the still missing theoretical insight. See article.
g Life - Scientists have developed a new model explaining how simple processes may have laid the foundation for life. Based on simple chemical and physical laws, the model shows how interactions between just a few chemicals can lead to novel combinations of molecules of greater complexity. This emergence of complexity in natural systems is essential in understanding how life as we know it began. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2361&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Cosmicus - At the Astrobiology Science Conference on March 30, 2004, scientists and science fiction writers faced off in front of a packed audience to debate the promise and pitfalls of terraforming Mars. In part 1 of this 7-part series, Christopher McKay advocates making Mars habitable for Martians. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1017.html. For related stories, see “New site features “live” images from Mars” at http://themis.asu.edu/ and “MIT Researchers Visit Mars On Earth” at http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-base-05n.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web page: “What is an astrobiologist - and how do I become one?” See http://www.astrobiology.com/how.to.html.

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Chemistry of the fossil record, humankind's first deliberate communication to extraterrestrials and a story about alien anthropology

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 - It's been nearly 25 years since NASA sent biological experiments to Mars. Chris McKay, a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, thinks it's time to try again. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - To better understand what caused life to evolve or die out in the past, scientists are studying the chemistry of the fossil record. Jim Elser thinks phosphate may have played a key role in the Cambrian explosion and the mass extinction that preceded it. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2360&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Message - On Nov. 16, 1974, astronomer Frank Drake dedicated a new observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, by sending humankind's first deliberate communication to extraterrestrials. This story appeared Oct. 24 at Forbes.com. See http://www.forbes.com/2005/10/21/space-seti-aliens-comm05-cx_de_1024ewalt.html.
g Cosmicus - Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft appeared to land on an asteroid for a brief shot at gathering samples for return to Earth. The problem-plagued mission had encountered numerous problems, and officials said dwindling fuel reserves meant Friday's sampling attempt would be the last one possible. Mission officials are analyzing data to determine whether the final try has been successful. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0511/24hayabusa/.
g Learning - Book alert: “Alien Life: The Search for Extraterrestrials and Beyond,” by Barry Parker, just enough hard science to stretch the mind of the average well-read "X-Files" or "Star Trek" watcher, delivered in a calm and decidedly unmelodramatic style. Good reading, if you need to catch up to impress your scientifically oriented younger relatives during the holidays. See http://www.barryparkerbooks.com/work8.htm.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology and cultures? Scour your used bookstore or local library for Robert Holdstock’s “Eye Among the Blind” (1976), in which an anthropologist becomes identified with an alien culture.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_vakoch_history_030612.
html. Note: This article is from 2003.

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Possible habitable planet around Gliese 581c, water evaporation rates under Mars-like conditions and space tourism in science fiction 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 - Astronomers studying light from the planetary system Gliese 581 have found that the host star is remarkably stable for billions of years. This means that the environment of its small, Earth-like planet, Gliese 581c, might be hospitable for life as we know it. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2359&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas has measured water evaporation rates under Mars-like conditions, and their findings favor the presence of surface water on the planet. Water on the planet's surface makes the existence of past or present life on Mars a little more likely. See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-water-science-03o.html.
g Life - Quote of the Day: “The Earth swarms with inhabitants. Why then should nature, which is fruitful to an excess here, be so very barren in the rest of the planets?” – Bernard de Fotenelle
g Cosmicus - The idea of tourism in space is the central story line in a number of well-known and not-so-well-known science fiction stories. It also plays a significant part in a number of other stories, and gets some sort of mention in even more. See http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/sciencefiction.shtml.

'Boring’ light may be good news, Mars’ salty sea and microbial communities in sub-ice water

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 - “Boring” light from red dwarf star Gliese 581 means better odds for extraterrestrial life in that planetary system, according to University of British Columbia astronomer Jaymie Matthews. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070608155801.htm.
g Abodes - A salty sea once washed over the plains of Mars at the Opportunity rover's landing site, creating a life-friendly environment more earthlike than any known on another world. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_sea_040323.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Life - The discovery that subglacial lakes in Antarctica are interconnected means that proper procedures may need to be established before scientists can penetrate through the ice to study them. Sub-ice water appears to be important in many different processes fundamental to Antarctica and our planet, and they may also support unique and fragile microbial communities. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2358&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence -Quote of the Day: “There is nothing so big nor so crazy that one out of a million technological societies may not feel itself driven to do, provided it is physically possible.” — Freeman J. Dyson
g Cosmicus - Space settlement is a unique concept for colonization beyond the Earth. While most thinking regarding the expansion of the human race outward into space has focused on the colonization of the surfaces of other planets, the space settlement concept suggests that planetary surfaces may not be the best location for extraterrestrial colonies. Artificial, closed-ecology habitats in free orbit would seem to have many advantages over any planetary home (Earth included). See http://members.aol.com/oscarcombs/settle.htm.

Life around red dwarf stars, explore Mars via the Internet and exploring geology through Jules Vernes

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 - If you want to find extraterrestrial intelligence, you're going to have to look in the right place. In our galaxy alone there are more than 100 billion stars, so you might expect to find a profusion of alien abodes. But which suns do you point your telescope at? Bright, yellow stars like our own Sun have always seemed the obvious place to start. In the past few years, though, researchers have begun to wonder if they've been neglecting a whole class of likely targets: red dwarfs. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Abodes - Anyone connected to the Internet can now see Mars through the eyes of the most powerful camera ever to orbit another planet. The collection includes important scientific images of craters, caverns and sedimentary rocks used by researchers to yield clues about the history of Mars' environment. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "Nothing in Biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution." — T.H. Dobzhansky
g Cosmicus - Until space tourism becomes a substantial business space activities, including particularly all crewed space activities, will remain a burden on taxpayers. But some argue that no activity other than tourism offers similar promise of turning space activities into profitable commercial activities in the foreseeable future. See http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/taxes.shtml.
g Learning - In the 19h century, the new science of geology was greatly affected by technological innovations. From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is an essay about how Jules Verne used his novels, such as “Journey to the Centre of the Earth,” to explore the latest geological findings. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2356&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.

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Moderate climates on red dwarf worlds, what might surprise Venusian explorers and carbon-based life

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 - Recent models indicate that relatively moderate climates could exist on Earth-sized planets in synchronous rotation around red dwarf stars. Investigation of the global water cycle, availability of photosynthetically active radiation in red dwarf sunlight, and the biological implications of stellar flares, which can be frequent for red dwarfs, suggests that higher plant habitability of red dwarf planets may be possible. See http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:JF6hML3tGEEJ:www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/
spring02/scalo/heath.pdf+%22Red+Dwarf%22+habitability&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us. Note: This article is from 1998.
g Abodes - Earth's twin, Venus, offers life as we know it few safe places on its faint red-glowing surface, which is hot enough to melt lead. But higher in the clouds, small amounts of water and strange ultraviolet absorbers make for a balmy 107 F abode. The principal investigator for NASA's Planetary Atmospheres and Venus Data Analysis Program speculates about what might surprise Venusian explorers. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article410.html.
g Life - It’s a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_carbon_040415.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Shortly after the loss of shuttle Columbia, Florida Today dispatched its space reporters on a mission not only to cover the accident, but also to examine the future of human spaceflight. Their research demonstrates that grander space goals are achievable at a price that does not require taking resources from other important national and world concerns. In a bold and forward-thinking move, the newspaper proposed a 50-year plan for the human exploration of the solar system. See http://www.floridatoday.com/
columbia/futurespace/spaceflightindex.htm.
g Learning -Quote of the Day: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” — William Shakespeare (“Hamlet”)

Habitable planets around red dwarfs, data from Titan and space tourism

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 - Only recently has the idea of habitable planets around red dwarf stars taken hold. But it’s a fascinating one, especially if you take a look at the potential window for life to develop on such worlds. M-class red dwarfs live anywhere from 50 billion up to several trillion years, a vast stretch compared with our own Sun’s projected ten billion years. And with 75 percent of main sequence stars thought to be red dwarfs, the hunt for life can be expanded enormously if we add red dwarfs to the mix. See http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=993.
g Abodes - The Huygens probe landed on Titan two and a half years ago, but the data it collected is still yielding new scientific insights about Saturn's largest moon. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2355&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." - Charles Darwin
g Cosmicus -Until space tourism becomes a substantial business space activities, including particularly all crewed space activities, will remain a burden on taxpayers. But some argue that no activity other than tourism offers similar promise of turning space activities into profitable commercial activities in the foreseeable future. See http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/taxes.shtml.

Planetary habitable zones, surface conditions of extrasolar planets and lunar record of Earth’s climate

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 determined how far away from its hot stellar neighbors a star must be if a swirling disk of dust around it is to stand a chance of forming planets. See http://www.livescience.
com/space/scienceastronomy/070418_star_dangerzone.html.
g Abodes - The weather and surface conditions of planets outside our Solar System could be detected by constellations of telescopes sent to space, and then used to predict which are most Earthly and likely to harbor life, according to new research. See http://www.space.
com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/extrasolar_weather_010829.
html. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Cosmicus - Research has shown that surface temperatures on the near side of the Moon may provide an accurate record of information concerning the Earth's climate. Consequently, monitoring stations on the Moon could one day help us study our own planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2354&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Learning -Quote of the Day: “Who could have imagined that our quest to decode the mysteries of the universe, armed with a myriad of artificial senses, would grant us insight into ourselves?” — Neil De Grasse Tyson

Exploring Europa for life, planetary protection for Mars and X-Files’ invading aliens

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Europa, the ice-covered satellite of Jupiter, is currently the most favorable site for the search of extraterrestrial life. Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without solar energy. Similar possible volcanic activity on Europa, caused by its interaction with Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the quest for discrete, or 'parallel' evolutionary lines in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's possible biological activity, particularly its likely degree of evolution. We have conjectured that evolution may have occurred in Europa and that the experimental test of such a conjecture is feasible 1-3: A lander spacecraft capable of penetrating the European surface ice-layer does not seem beyond present technological capabilities. Although difficult instrumentation issues are involved, we have initiated the discussion of what would seem to be a reasonable biological experiment. The possibility of detecting biomolecules on the ice surface of Europa has recently been made. See article.
g Life - Can life travel from planet to planet? A theory called Panspermia says that meteorites could potentially act as miniature spaceships, carrying microorganism passengers. But a new study has found that photosynthetic life probably wouldn’t survive the journey. See http://www.astrobio.net/amee/spring_2007/features.htm.
g Cosmicus - International regulations say it’s okay for astronauts to make a mess on the moon. But the rules for sending humans to Mars, according to Dr. Cassie Conley, NASA’s acting planetary protection officer, are far more restrictive. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2353&mode=thread&
order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - Quote of the Day: "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." — Eden Philpotts
g Imagining - What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is “The Science of the X-Files,” by Jeanne Cavelos. There’s a review of the book (look near the end for a discussion on the extraterrestrial biology) at http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/reviews/science-of-the-x-files/.

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Where we’ll discover alien life, robotic explorer for Europa and astrobiology glossary

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The chance of detecting life outside our own solar system probably is greater than discovering it on neighboring planets and moons like Mars or Europa, a moon of Jupiter, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. See article.
g Cosmicus - A NASA-funded robotic vehicle has plunged into the mysterious depths of Mexico's El Zacatón sinkhole and returned information about the unique forms of life that inhabit its waters. The robot may one day help in the search for life beyond our planet by taking the plunge into the oceans of Europa. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2352&mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - Don’t quite know what a word you’ve come across in an astrobiology article means? Here’s a handy glossary: http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/jab/astrobiology/glossary.html.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Prolific author Peter Ward offers a series of speculations in "Life As We Do Not Know It..." The book contains a wealth of information and dazzling speculation drawn from the ranks of Ward's colleagues in the 16 research institutions that operate worldwide as NASA's Astrobiology Institute. See http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?
/base/entertainment/11317915804040.xml&coll=2.

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50 billion possible planetary systems, evolution of humans into Martians and ‘The New Science of Astrobiology’

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - The discovery of 28 new planets and 7 brown dwarfs outside the Solar System was recently announced by the world's largest planet-hunting team. New and refined techniques are responsible for the large number of planets detected, and may soon help the team discover smaller, Earth-like planets around distant stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - At a recent Astrobiology Science Conference, scientists and science fiction writers faced off in front of a packed audience to debate the promise and pitfalls of terraforming Mars. In part 4 of this 7-part series, Greg Bear ponders the evolution of humans into Martians. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1021.html. For related story, see “Birthplace of famous Mars meteorite pinpointed” at http://www.newscientistspace.com/channel/space-tech/astrobiology/dn8004.
g Learning - Book alert: Astrobiology is a very broad interdisciplinary field covering the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe, as well as the design and implementation of missions for solar system exploration. The last section of the “The New Science of Astrobiology,” by J. Chela-Flores, consists of a supplement, including a glossary, notes and tables, which represent highly condensed `windows' into research ranging from basic sciences to earth and life sciences, as well as the humanities. These additions should make this book accessible to a wide readership: scientists, humanists, and the general reader will have an opportunity to participate in one of the most rewarding activities of contemporary culture. See http://www.amazon.com/New-Science-Astrobiology-Evolution-Intelligent/dp/1402022298.

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Earth through ET’s eyes, radiation for food and first mission to Pluto

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 - Astronomers on alien planets almost certainly have the Earth listed as a world teeming with life, a leading scientist says. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
gLife - Researchers have found that fungi may be able to use radioactivity as an energy source for making food and spurring growth. The findings may have profound implications for how we understand the cycles of biologically available energy for life, and could also have important applications for space exploration. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2349&mode=
thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Quote of the Day: "One of the distinctions and triumphs of the advance of science has been the deprovincialization of our world view." — Carl Sagan
g Cosmicus - NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has lifted off into the unknown. This first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt — a distant district of ancient, icy, rocky objects on the solar system’s outer banks — is assured to transmit back to Earth numbers of revelations. See http://space.com/businesstechnology/051123_pluto_horizons.html.
g Learning - Need a map of a planet in our solar system? Try this database of JPL/Caltech-generated planetary maps: http://maps.jpl.nasa.gov/.

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