Partnerless stars, prehistoric monster reptile found in Arctic 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 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 Life - Remains of a bus-sized prehistoric "monster" reptile found on a remote Arctic island may be a new species never before recorded by science, researchers said Tuesday. See article.
g Cosmicus - 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. Note: This article is from 2001. See article.
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 article.