Martian paradox and The Earth and Space Foundation

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 scientists have puzzled for years over an apparent contradiction on Mars. Abundant evidence points to an early warm, wet climate on the red planet, but there's no sign of the widespread carbonate rocks, such as limestone, that should have formed in such a climate. See article.
g Life - In this interview, Nigel Mason explains how molecules formed in space might eventually lead to life, and describes what scientists are doing to better understand this process. See article.
g Intelligence - Lack of sleep is associated with poorer physical function in older women during daytime hours, a University of Pittsburgh study found. See article.
g Message - Quote of the Day: "I would like to notice the importance of designing and, especially, accomplishing practical projects directed to sending signals. This is the only way to understand subtle problems of contacts. Here, as it always happens, egoists end up with failure." - Andrey Sakharov, Nobel laureate
g Cosmicus - The Earth and Space Foundation is an international charity that funds scientific exploration that helps us both understand the Earth's environment and explore the frontier of space, bringing the environmental and space exploration communities together to address the challenges facing society. See article.