Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Teenage galaxies, detecting earth-like planets and the inner workings of early life on our world

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 discovery of "teenage" galaxies is giving scientists a better handle on how galaxies transform from sexy, spiral star factories to shapeless retirement homes for old stars. See article.
g Abodes - Smaller Earth-like planets, some perhaps even having conditions for life, might be detected by astronomers with improved techniques, University of Hawaii-Manoa researchers say. See article.
g Life - For the first time, scientists have observed the role that water lubricants play in the functioning of proteins. The research sheds light on how proteins perform functions to support life, and may yield clues about the inner workings of early life on our planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - South Korea will launch its first lunar probe in 2020, joining an intensifying Asian space race after recent missions to the moon by China and Japan, the government said Tuesday. See article.

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