Looking for aliens on Earth and science fiction worthy of 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 Life - Behind the wire fence of a heavily guarded research laboratory in Alabama, Richard Hoover is searching for alien organisms. Hoover, an astrobiologist, works at the Marshall Space Flight Centre, where NASA's first rocket launchers were built. Unlike most scientists, however, his eyes are not fixed on Mars or beyond, but on a dish on his lab bench. Hoover is looking for aliens right here on Earth. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Learning - Here’s a selective list of some short stories and novels that use more or less accurate science and can be used for teaching or reinforcing astronomy or physics concepts. Both traditional "science-fiction" and (occasionally) more serious fiction that derive meaning or plot from astronomy or physics ideas are listed. See article.
g Imagining - The question of what aliens look like is most baffling. Many ideas have been raised, most absurdly earthly in origin. See article.