Frozen microbes, filling an important gap in human evolution and how SETI transforms our society

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life -Microbes frozen in the oldest ice on Earth have been thawed out and brought back to life in the laboratory, providing new insights into how long living creatures can be frozen. See article.
g Intelligence -Two small fossils unearthed in Kenya - the top of a skull and half of a jawbone - fill an important gap in the evolutionary story of how humans came to be, yet may have created as many questions as they answer. See article.
g Message -Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - Before the first Sacagawea dollar coin's 2000 debut, 12 made their own launch.
g Learning - Are you a future SETI scientist? See article. Note: This article is from Feb. 2001.
g Imagining -Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Josepha Sherman’s "A Game of Mehen," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath -While no one can guarantee SETI’s success (the discovery of an alien civilization), that may not matter. At its deeper levels, SETI stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society. See article.