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 - The European Space Agency's Mars Express has snapped an image of a modest ice lake on the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Scientists have reconstructed changes in the Earth's ancient ocean chemistry in order to learn more about the connections between the environment of Earth and the evolution of life. See article.
g Message - A technique used to discover the small rocky world that was announced last week also could be used to detect a transmitter with the power of your local TV station at a distance of a hundred light-years, even if the alien broadcasters weren't beaming our way. See article.
g Cosmicus - Europe's ATV freighter is about to start practice docking maneuvers at the space station. See article.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Flight through the icy water jets of Enceladus and molecule closely related to amino acid found at center of galaxy
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 - Earlier this month, NASA's Cassini spacecraft made a daring flight through the icy water jets of Enceladus. The data gathered might tell us if the moon harbors a water ocean or organics beneath its surface. See article.
g Life - Researchers have detected a molecule closely related to an amino acid at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The finding provides more evidence that precursor molecules important for the origin of life can be found in interstellar space. See article.
g Intelligence - A small piece of jawbone unearthed in a cave in Spain is the oldest known fossil of a human ancestor in Europe and suggests that people lived on the continent much earlier than previously believed, scientists say. See article.
g Cosmicus - An animal common to marine environments on Earth has shown extreme resistance to radiation. Radiation is one of the greatest dangers for life traveling in space, and the finding could yield clues about how life might survive beyond Earth. See article.
g Abodes - Earlier this month, NASA's Cassini spacecraft made a daring flight through the icy water jets of Enceladus. The data gathered might tell us if the moon harbors a water ocean or organics beneath its surface. See article.
g Life - Researchers have detected a molecule closely related to an amino acid at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The finding provides more evidence that precursor molecules important for the origin of life can be found in interstellar space. See article.
g Intelligence - A small piece of jawbone unearthed in a cave in Spain is the oldest known fossil of a human ancestor in Europe and suggests that people lived on the continent much earlier than previously believed, scientists say. See article.
g Cosmicus - An animal common to marine environments on Earth has shown extreme resistance to radiation. Radiation is one of the greatest dangers for life traveling in space, and the finding could yield clues about how life might survive beyond Earth. See article.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Sandy particles orbiting a newborn solar system and aliens in science fiction films
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 - An international team of astronomers has uncovered the faintest stars ever seen in any globular star cluster, bringing scientists closer to revealing the formation time of one of the earliest generations of stars in the Universe. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have found small, sandy particles orbiting a newborn solar system at about the same distance as the Earth orbits the Sun. Their report could shed new light on how distant, Earth-like planets might form. See article.
g Message - SETI research isn't limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s.
g Imagining - Here's a neat site that examines aliens in science fiction films. While short on studying the evolution of those aliens, it does discuss how these villainous creatures are a manifestation of our own fears, a nice take on the anthropomorphic bias most people possess regarding alien life. See article.
g Stars - An international team of astronomers has uncovered the faintest stars ever seen in any globular star cluster, bringing scientists closer to revealing the formation time of one of the earliest generations of stars in the Universe. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have found small, sandy particles orbiting a newborn solar system at about the same distance as the Earth orbits the Sun. Their report could shed new light on how distant, Earth-like planets might form. See article.
g Message - SETI research isn't limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s.
g Imagining - Here's a neat site that examines aliens in science fiction films. While short on studying the evolution of those aliens, it does discuss how these villainous creatures are a manifestation of our own fears, a nice take on the anthropomorphic bias most people possess regarding alien life. See article.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Hypergiants surrounding by planet-forming dust and what's living beneath Lake Vostok
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 - NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has identified two huge "hypergiant" stars circled by monstrous disks of what might be planet-forming dust. The findings surprised astronomers because stars as big as these were thought to be inhospitable to planets. See article.
g Abodes - What’s living in Antarctica’s ice-covered Lake Vostok? Scientists hope to find out by studying an ice core recovered from some two miles below the surface, just above the lake itself. But first they have to make sure they don’t contaminate their sample. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Here's an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: "After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life" by Albert A. Harrison. See article.
g Stars - NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has identified two huge "hypergiant" stars circled by monstrous disks of what might be planet-forming dust. The findings surprised astronomers because stars as big as these were thought to be inhospitable to planets. See article.
g Abodes - What’s living in Antarctica’s ice-covered Lake Vostok? Scientists hope to find out by studying an ice core recovered from some two miles below the surface, just above the lake itself. But first they have to make sure they don’t contaminate their sample. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Here's an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: "After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life" by Albert A. Harrison. See article.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Organic gases and water vapor in a possible planet-forming region around star and How SETI uses social sciences to decipher our thoughts on alien life
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 - Astronomers have discovered large amounts of organic gases and water vapor in a possible planet-forming region around a distant star. The findings provide a better view of early planet formation and could aid in the search for habitable extrasolar planets. See article.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within 20 years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Learning - Evolution is fact, not "religion" or "theory" as understood in the vernacular sense of the word. Unfortunately, when obstructing science education in our schools, "intelligent" designers and creationists like to falsely claim that no evidence exists to show evolution is fact. For a variety of excellent papers outlining the case for evolution, click here.
g Aftermath - Here's an intriguing article: How SETI is using the social sciences to decipher our thoughts on alien life. Note: This article is from January 2002. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered large amounts of organic gases and water vapor in a possible planet-forming region around a distant star. The findings provide a better view of early planet formation and could aid in the search for habitable extrasolar planets. See article.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within 20 years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Learning - Evolution is fact, not "religion" or "theory" as understood in the vernacular sense of the word. Unfortunately, when obstructing science education in our schools, "intelligent" designers and creationists like to falsely claim that no evidence exists to show evolution is fact. For a variety of excellent papers outlining the case for evolution, click here.
g Aftermath - Here's an intriguing article: How SETI is using the social sciences to decipher our thoughts on alien life. Note: This article is from January 2002. See article.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Where rocky worlds form and organic molecule detected in an extrasolar planet
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 - The most detailed measurements to date of the dusty disks around young stars confirm a new theory that the region where rocky planets such as Earth form is much farther away from the star than originally thought. See article.
g Life - Hubble has made the first detection of an organic molecule in an extrasolar planet. The breakthrough is an important step toward identifying signs of life on a planet outside our Solar System. See article.
g Abodes - The most detailed measurements to date of the dusty disks around young stars confirm a new theory that the region where rocky planets such as Earth form is much farther away from the star than originally thought. See article.
g Life - Hubble has made the first detection of an organic molecule in an extrasolar planet. The breakthrough is an important step toward identifying signs of life on a planet outside our Solar System. See article.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Organic gases in possible planet-forming region and favorite fallacies about SETI
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 - Astronomers have discovered large amounts of organic gases and water vapor in a possible planet-forming region around a distant star. The findings provide a better view of early planet formation and could aid in the search for habitable extrasolar planets. See article.
g Message - Many common ideas about SETI just aren't true, but that doesn't prevent them from popping up in popular articles, blogs, books, and even movies. Here are three favorite fallacies about SETI. See article.
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute's John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. Note: This story is a couple of years old. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered large amounts of organic gases and water vapor in a possible planet-forming region around a distant star. The findings provide a better view of early planet formation and could aid in the search for habitable extrasolar planets. See article.
g Message - Many common ideas about SETI just aren't true, but that doesn't prevent them from popping up in popular articles, blogs, books, and even movies. Here are three favorite fallacies about SETI. See article.
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute's John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. Note: This story is a couple of years old. See article.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Deciphering a message sent by extraterrestrials
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 - NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has discovered evidence of salt deposits on the surface of Mars. These deposits may indicate areas where water was abundant and where best to search for signs of past life. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Kaylar, a Star Trek alien from "The Original Series' pilot episode, "The Cage," exist? Like the Gorn, this alien appears to be drawn from our nightmares and hence serves a more dramatic effect than offering any speculation on exobiology. A tall humanoid with intriguing jaw features, skinny legs and broad shoulders, the Kaylar on Rigel VII is reminiscent of a barbarian warrior or an ogre. Brushing aside the nearly impossible parallel evolution between Earth and the Kaylar's home world for such a creature to come about, there are a couple of possible ways that it could have gained its great height and skinny legs. Its planet might have lighter gravity, which means an indigent alien wouldn't fall as hard as we do on Earth; hence the supporting legs would not need to be as strong to hold up a little more weight than the typical human. In addition, we might speculate that as a humanoid, the Kaylar shared a similar primate evolution as humans, so possibly the savannah grass of its continental cradle simply was taller than on the African plain during the past few million years; that would have given taller proto-Kaylar an evolutionary advantage. Still, the Kaylar appears to be an unlikely alien.
g Aftermath - How would we go about deciphering a message sent by extraterrestrials? Two anthropologists suggest that we might gain clues to decoding more complex extraterrestrial messages by examining past attempts to decode languages right here on Earth. See article. Note: This article is a couple of years old.
g Abodes - NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has discovered evidence of salt deposits on the surface of Mars. These deposits may indicate areas where water was abundant and where best to search for signs of past life. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Kaylar, a Star Trek alien from "The Original Series' pilot episode, "The Cage," exist? Like the Gorn, this alien appears to be drawn from our nightmares and hence serves a more dramatic effect than offering any speculation on exobiology. A tall humanoid with intriguing jaw features, skinny legs and broad shoulders, the Kaylar on Rigel VII is reminiscent of a barbarian warrior or an ogre. Brushing aside the nearly impossible parallel evolution between Earth and the Kaylar's home world for such a creature to come about, there are a couple of possible ways that it could have gained its great height and skinny legs. Its planet might have lighter gravity, which means an indigent alien wouldn't fall as hard as we do on Earth; hence the supporting legs would not need to be as strong to hold up a little more weight than the typical human. In addition, we might speculate that as a humanoid, the Kaylar shared a similar primate evolution as humans, so possibly the savannah grass of its continental cradle simply was taller than on the African plain during the past few million years; that would have given taller proto-Kaylar an evolutionary advantage. Still, the Kaylar appears to be an unlikely alien.
g Aftermath - How would we go about deciphering a message sent by extraterrestrials? Two anthropologists suggest that we might gain clues to decoding more complex extraterrestrial messages by examining past attempts to decode languages right here on Earth. See article. Note: This article is a couple of years old.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
PlanetQuest and animal intelligence
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 - Ever want to discover a new world? That's what we are planning to have folks do with PlanetQuest, a distributed computing screen saver that will allow anyone to find extrasolar planets on their own computer. Like the venerable Seti@Home but distinct from the new planetary-systems-generating program of the OKLO project at UC Santa Cruz, PlanetQuest will enable users to discover real planets around other stars using four different detection techniques. See article.
g Intelligence - A distinguishing feature of human intelligence is our ability to understand the goals and intentions of others. This ability develops gradually during infancy, and the extent to which it is present in other animals is an intriguing question. See article.
g Aftermath - Understanding the public's current thoughts on what will happen once humanity discovers extraterrestrial intelligence is a vital part of any objective discussion in which we attempt to predict and prepare for the aftermath. Here's one person's view. Note the mix of popular mythology (UFOs) and an almost spiritual notion that the aliens will help us or make our lives better in some ways, as if they were angels descended from the sky. A thought: Is this an indication that if the aliens are technologically superior, we'll readily accept their ways and let it supplant our own culture? See article.
g Abodes - Ever want to discover a new world? That's what we are planning to have folks do with PlanetQuest, a distributed computing screen saver that will allow anyone to find extrasolar planets on their own computer. Like the venerable Seti@Home but distinct from the new planetary-systems-generating program of the OKLO project at UC Santa Cruz, PlanetQuest will enable users to discover real planets around other stars using four different detection techniques. See article.
g Intelligence - A distinguishing feature of human intelligence is our ability to understand the goals and intentions of others. This ability develops gradually during infancy, and the extent to which it is present in other animals is an intriguing question. See article.
g Aftermath - Understanding the public's current thoughts on what will happen once humanity discovers extraterrestrial intelligence is a vital part of any objective discussion in which we attempt to predict and prepare for the aftermath. Here's one person's view. Note the mix of popular mythology (UFOs) and an almost spiritual notion that the aliens will help us or make our lives better in some ways, as if they were angels descended from the sky. A thought: Is this an indication that if the aliens are technologically superior, we'll readily accept their ways and let it supplant our own culture? See article.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Converting RNA into DNA and 'The Consequences of Discovery'
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 - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: "The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios," by astronomer Ivan Almar. See article. Note: This article is from 1995.
g Life - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: "The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios," by astronomer Ivan Almar. See article. Note: This article is from 1995.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Amino acid concentrations in meteorites and how to tell if life once existed on a planet
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 - A new study shows that meteorites may contain concentrations of amino acids that are 10 times higher than levels previously measured. This means the early Solar System was quite rich in the organic building blocks of life, and that fallout from space may have played a role in life's origin on Earth. See article.
g Life - If life were suddenly eliminated from the Earth, would a visitor from another planet be able to tell what once was here? Can the landforms of Mars tell us whether it once had a biota? Two UC Berkeley scientists conclude that life leaves a detectable but very subtle signature, including more rounded than angular hills. This was a surprise, since life has a big impact on erosion, both directly and through its effects on climate. See article.
g Message - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - The world's most powerful optical telescope is now operating on southeastern Arizona's Mount Graham, capturing striking images of objects millions of light years away. See article.
g Aftermath - How might we characterize the political significance of any announcement of discovering extraterrestrial intelligence? How about using the Torino Scale, which characterizes asteroid impacts, as a model to assist the discussion and interpretation of any claimed discovery of ETI? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A new study shows that meteorites may contain concentrations of amino acids that are 10 times higher than levels previously measured. This means the early Solar System was quite rich in the organic building blocks of life, and that fallout from space may have played a role in life's origin on Earth. See article.
g Life - If life were suddenly eliminated from the Earth, would a visitor from another planet be able to tell what once was here? Can the landforms of Mars tell us whether it once had a biota? Two UC Berkeley scientists conclude that life leaves a detectable but very subtle signature, including more rounded than angular hills. This was a surprise, since life has a big impact on erosion, both directly and through its effects on climate. See article.
g Message - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - The world's most powerful optical telescope is now operating on southeastern Arizona's Mount Graham, capturing striking images of objects millions of light years away. See article.
g Aftermath - How might we characterize the political significance of any announcement of discovering extraterrestrial intelligence? How about using the Torino Scale, which characterizes asteroid impacts, as a model to assist the discussion and interpretation of any claimed discovery of ETI? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Evidence for second genesis of life and the Guardian of Forever
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 - Gazing into the majestic Grand Canyon, awe-struck visitors inevitably ask: "How old is it?" Far older than generally thought, says new evidence that scientists culled from caves lining the canyon's red limestone cliffs. See article.
g Life - The view that life will emerge with high probability on Earth-like planets is shared by many scientists, although opinions differ on just how like Earth an Earth-like planet needs to be. One planet known to be 100 percent Earth-like is Earth itself. If life originated on Earth, rather than being brought here from somewhere else, the question then arises as to whether life may have arisen more than once. If that is the case, then it is of interest to ask what evidence might exist for such a second genesis of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - South Korea said Monday a female engineer would become the country's first person in space by going aboard a Russian spacecraft, after Moscow rejected Seoul's first choice because he violated reading rules during training. See article.
g Imagining - Could Star Trek's Guardian of Forever — the ancient portal that does not know if it's a machine or a life form evolve? The Guardian likely is an intelligent, self-aware machine. Presuming that time travel to the past is even possible, the enormous energy required to accomplish this task likely wouldn't arise in a naturally evolving organic creature. Instead, it probably would be done mechanically (though organic elements might be incorporated into the machine's components). Of course, a significant motif of science fiction is the question if artificial constructs that gain self-awareness then also "life" (as in The Next Generation android Data). A civilization capable of creating a stable time portal almost certainly also would be capable of creating an intelligent, self-aware machine. In short, the Guardian didn't evolve via survival of the fittest but was built.
g Aftermath - Here's another "old" piece worth reading: "Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science" given during a Bioastronomy Symposium in 1993.
g Abodes - Gazing into the majestic Grand Canyon, awe-struck visitors inevitably ask: "How old is it?" Far older than generally thought, says new evidence that scientists culled from caves lining the canyon's red limestone cliffs. See article.
g Life - The view that life will emerge with high probability on Earth-like planets is shared by many scientists, although opinions differ on just how like Earth an Earth-like planet needs to be. One planet known to be 100 percent Earth-like is Earth itself. If life originated on Earth, rather than being brought here from somewhere else, the question then arises as to whether life may have arisen more than once. If that is the case, then it is of interest to ask what evidence might exist for such a second genesis of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - South Korea said Monday a female engineer would become the country's first person in space by going aboard a Russian spacecraft, after Moscow rejected Seoul's first choice because he violated reading rules during training. See article.
g Imagining - Could Star Trek's Guardian of Forever — the ancient portal that does not know if it's a machine or a life form evolve? The Guardian likely is an intelligent, self-aware machine. Presuming that time travel to the past is even possible, the enormous energy required to accomplish this task likely wouldn't arise in a naturally evolving organic creature. Instead, it probably would be done mechanically (though organic elements might be incorporated into the machine's components). Of course, a significant motif of science fiction is the question if artificial constructs that gain self-awareness then also "life" (as in The Next Generation android Data). A civilization capable of creating a stable time portal almost certainly also would be capable of creating an intelligent, self-aware machine. In short, the Guardian didn't evolve via survival of the fittest but was built.
g Aftermath - Here's another "old" piece worth reading: "Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science" given during a Bioastronomy Symposium in 1993.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Stony meteorites and scientific plausibility of Star Trek's alien creatures
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 - In September of last year, an object came crashing down in the Peruvian countryside and captured headlines around the world. Now the object has been identified and is changing our knowledge of stony meteorites. See article.
g Life - A geologic mapping project led to the finding of a 10 million-year-old fossil that's now being studied at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. See article.
g Cosmicus - Vietnam is preparing to launch its first satellite, hoping to improve the country's telecommunications to keep pace with its rapid economic development, officials said. See article.
g Imagining - Browse the local used bookstores for this volume, which examined the scientific plausibility of many alien creatures in "Star Trek": "To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek". Published about four years ago, Athena Andreadis' book makes a good read, boosted by her background as a molecular biologist and neurosurgeon.
g Aftermath - It is sometimes said that the best form of advertising is education. But what products would our global marketplace tolerate at the borders of an encounter with another, perhaps far different civilization? To get some perspective, an expert entertains the question of how to advertise our presence to a more universal demographic. Note: This article came out in November 2004. See article.
g Abodes - In September of last year, an object came crashing down in the Peruvian countryside and captured headlines around the world. Now the object has been identified and is changing our knowledge of stony meteorites. See article.
g Life - A geologic mapping project led to the finding of a 10 million-year-old fossil that's now being studied at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. See article.
g Cosmicus - Vietnam is preparing to launch its first satellite, hoping to improve the country's telecommunications to keep pace with its rapid economic development, officials said. See article.
g Imagining - Browse the local used bookstores for this volume, which examined the scientific plausibility of many alien creatures in "Star Trek": "To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek". Published about four years ago, Athena Andreadis' book makes a good read, boosted by her background as a molecular biologist and neurosurgeon.
g Aftermath - It is sometimes said that the best form of advertising is education. But what products would our global marketplace tolerate at the borders of an encounter with another, perhaps far different civilization? To get some perspective, an expert entertains the question of how to advertise our presence to a more universal demographic. Note: This article came out in November 2004. See article.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Habitable lake on early Mars and what happens if the next signal turns out to be the real thing
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 - Scientists have discovered evidence of what may have been a habitable, ancient lake on early Mars. Images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that Mars' Holden crater was once filled with a long-lived and calm lake. See article.
g Message - What happens if the next signal turns out to be the real thing? What happens if the sender wants to talk? Will we know what to say? See this astrobiology primer. See article.
g Cosmicus - The El-E robot looks like something you'd see in a Hollywood sci-fi flick: It's got two lenses spaced together just like eyes and a slender 5 1/2-foot-tall body. It spurts out wacky catch phrases when it accomplishes its goals. But unlike android movie stars, the El-E isn't designed to behave like a human. Rather, its focus is interacting with us. It simply grabs stuff you point at with a laser. See article.
g Imagining - Many science fiction story lines involve alien life forms. From a literary prospective, aliens often serve as metaphors for something more familiar. From a practical prospective, they make stories more interesting and TV more eye-catching. But what of scientific accuracy? A professor offers his advice about "How to Build an Alien." See article.
g Aftermath - Freelance writer Mark Pendergrast examines the folly of the Anthropic Principle in a Vermont newspaper op-ed. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have discovered evidence of what may have been a habitable, ancient lake on early Mars. Images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that Mars' Holden crater was once filled with a long-lived and calm lake. See article.
g Message - What happens if the next signal turns out to be the real thing? What happens if the sender wants to talk? Will we know what to say? See this astrobiology primer. See article.
g Cosmicus - The El-E robot looks like something you'd see in a Hollywood sci-fi flick: It's got two lenses spaced together just like eyes and a slender 5 1/2-foot-tall body. It spurts out wacky catch phrases when it accomplishes its goals. But unlike android movie stars, the El-E isn't designed to behave like a human. Rather, its focus is interacting with us. It simply grabs stuff you point at with a laser. See article.
g Imagining - Many science fiction story lines involve alien life forms. From a literary prospective, aliens often serve as metaphors for something more familiar. From a practical prospective, they make stories more interesting and TV more eye-catching. But what of scientific accuracy? A professor offers his advice about "How to Build an Alien." See article.
g Aftermath - Freelance writer Mark Pendergrast examines the folly of the Anthropic Principle in a Vermont newspaper op-ed. See article.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Photosynthesis in a way not previously thought possible and SETI's history and varying projects
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 - As every comic-book fan knows, Superman was born on the planet Krypton, which orbited a red star. Scientists are now learning that the Superman legend may contain a kernel of truth: the best places to find life in our galaxy could be on planets that circle the small but common stars known as red dwarfs. Note: This article is from late 2005. See article.
g Abodes - New research casts doubt on the idea that images of bright spots in Martian gullies indicate recently flowing water on Mars. The spots could have been caused by an avalanche of dry sand and gravel. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered marine organisms that perform photosynthesis in a way not previously thought possible. The finding may change the way in which we view photosynthesis' role in supporting life on Earth and maintaining the planet's global climate. See article.
g Intelligence - Most days, Moko the bottlenosed dolphin swims playfully with humans at a New Zealand beach. But this week, it seems, Moko found his mojo. Witnesses described Wednesday how they saw the dolphin swim up to two stranded whales and guide them to safety. See article.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI's history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
g Cosmicus - A detector designed to search for signs of life on Mars may prove useful closer to home. It turns out the device also excels at identifying the components of red wine and other foods and beverages that can cause headaches, or in extreme cases, even lead to strokes. See article.
g Imagining - Star Trek's very first alien, the Talosians pose quite an evolutionary challenge: Their heads are oversized because of large, powerful brains capable of telepathy and even mind control of others. First off, a brain of that size must demand a lot of energy. This is somewhat addressed through the large arteries and veins apparent on their bald heads; their frail bodies also indicate fewer cells below the neckline for oxygen-carrying blood to support. But they probably also need greater lung capacity to cycle more oxygen into their bodies as well as a larger heart for pumping that oxygen-laden blood to and through the brain. Their bodies don't indicate larger lungs, however. Another problem with their head/brain size is giving birth. The enormity of the head is limited by the size and shape of the pelvis — and their human shape and gait indicates they couldn't give birth to an infant with a head any larger than ours. A possibility is that their the brain primarily develops outside of the womb; perhaps they grow in their telepathic powers as they age. Another possibility: They are not born naturally but artificially created, indicating a separation from among the most basic instincts – mating. The Talosians, after all, are fairly unimaginative creatures, dependent upon probing the minds of others for new experiences! As for their telepathic and power of illusion capabilities, we'll just have to presume that somehow their brain lobes have evolved sections capable of connecting and interacting across the medium of air with another creature's neurons.
g Stars - As every comic-book fan knows, Superman was born on the planet Krypton, which orbited a red star. Scientists are now learning that the Superman legend may contain a kernel of truth: the best places to find life in our galaxy could be on planets that circle the small but common stars known as red dwarfs. Note: This article is from late 2005. See article.
g Abodes - New research casts doubt on the idea that images of bright spots in Martian gullies indicate recently flowing water on Mars. The spots could have been caused by an avalanche of dry sand and gravel. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered marine organisms that perform photosynthesis in a way not previously thought possible. The finding may change the way in which we view photosynthesis' role in supporting life on Earth and maintaining the planet's global climate. See article.
g Intelligence - Most days, Moko the bottlenosed dolphin swims playfully with humans at a New Zealand beach. But this week, it seems, Moko found his mojo. Witnesses described Wednesday how they saw the dolphin swim up to two stranded whales and guide them to safety. See article.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI's history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
g Cosmicus - A detector designed to search for signs of life on Mars may prove useful closer to home. It turns out the device also excels at identifying the components of red wine and other foods and beverages that can cause headaches, or in extreme cases, even lead to strokes. See article.
g Imagining - Star Trek's very first alien, the Talosians pose quite an evolutionary challenge: Their heads are oversized because of large, powerful brains capable of telepathy and even mind control of others. First off, a brain of that size must demand a lot of energy. This is somewhat addressed through the large arteries and veins apparent on their bald heads; their frail bodies also indicate fewer cells below the neckline for oxygen-carrying blood to support. But they probably also need greater lung capacity to cycle more oxygen into their bodies as well as a larger heart for pumping that oxygen-laden blood to and through the brain. Their bodies don't indicate larger lungs, however. Another problem with their head/brain size is giving birth. The enormity of the head is limited by the size and shape of the pelvis — and their human shape and gait indicates they couldn't give birth to an infant with a head any larger than ours. A possibility is that their the brain primarily develops outside of the womb; perhaps they grow in their telepathic powers as they age. Another possibility: They are not born naturally but artificially created, indicating a separation from among the most basic instincts – mating. The Talosians, after all, are fairly unimaginative creatures, dependent upon probing the minds of others for new experiences! As for their telepathic and power of illusion capabilities, we'll just have to presume that somehow their brain lobes have evolved sections capable of connecting and interacting across the medium of air with another creature's neurons.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Planetary evolution and mock-up of Orion crew vehicle
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 - Three-billion-year-old microcrystals are teaching scientists about planetary evolution and the processes that formed the continents of Earth. The crystals are incredibly resistant to change, and contain geological 'records' of their movements through and around the planet. See article.
g Life - Using new techniques for resurrecting ancient genes, scientists have for the first time reconstructed the Darwinian evolution of an apparently "irreducibly complex" molecular system. See article.
g Intelligence - Greek archaeologists said Tuesday they have unearthed evidence of what they believe was brain surgery performed nearly 1,800 years ago on a young woman — who died during or shortly after the operation. See article.
g Message - You don't have to leave Earth to find intelligent life on other worlds. All you have to do is tune in ... at the right time ... on the right frequency ... in the right direction ... with the right spectrometer ... using the most powerful supercomputer on this planet. Note: this article is from 2004. See article.
g Cosmicus - The aluminum and steel cone-shaped object with a pair of white fuzzy dice hanging from an interior beam is the same size and shape of a spacecraft being designed to take astronauts to the international space station and then to the moon. But this mock-up of the Orion crew vehicle is headed for the New Mexico desert. See article.
g Abodes - Three-billion-year-old microcrystals are teaching scientists about planetary evolution and the processes that formed the continents of Earth. The crystals are incredibly resistant to change, and contain geological 'records' of their movements through and around the planet. See article.
g Life - Using new techniques for resurrecting ancient genes, scientists have for the first time reconstructed the Darwinian evolution of an apparently "irreducibly complex" molecular system. See article.
g Intelligence - Greek archaeologists said Tuesday they have unearthed evidence of what they believe was brain surgery performed nearly 1,800 years ago on a young woman — who died during or shortly after the operation. See article.
g Message - You don't have to leave Earth to find intelligent life on other worlds. All you have to do is tune in ... at the right time ... on the right frequency ... in the right direction ... with the right spectrometer ... using the most powerful supercomputer on this planet. Note: this article is from 2004. See article.
g Cosmicus - The aluminum and steel cone-shaped object with a pair of white fuzzy dice hanging from an interior beam is the same size and shape of a spacecraft being designed to take astronauts to the international space station and then to the moon. But this mock-up of the Orion crew vehicle is headed for the New Mexico desert. See article.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Comparing Venus and Mars and left-handed precursor molecules
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 - Simultaneous observations of Mars and Venus by two European spacecraft are providing scientists with a unique opportunity for comparative planetology. The study will help scientists understand the past environments of both planets. See article.
g Life - Researchers may have unlocked important clues about the origin of life. They have shown that precursor molecules for life may naturally appear more often in 'left-handed' forms than previously thought. See article.
g Intelligence - Nearly all of today's Native Americans in North, Central and South America can trace part of their ancestry to six women whose descendants immigrated around 20,000 years ago, a DNA study suggests. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? Note: This paper was written in 1992. See article.
g Cosmicus - An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a secret U.S. satellite lifted off before dawn Thursday, officials said. See article.
g Imagining - Another early "Star Trek" alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don't know what the android creators (aka "the Old Ones") looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk. Their height indicates that the planet's gravity is slightly lighter than Earth's, and there isn't a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn't they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show's creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world's climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It's highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth's vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.
g Aftermath - I offer the following Web site entry on "exopolitics" only as a basis for us to think about how people might react once we know an extraterrestrial civilization exists. Certainly many will give ufology more credence and make fantastical conclusions based upon images in the popular media. Question: How do we counteract this now? Obviously we want people discussing the topic of "exopolitics," even if it's in a vacuum. But how do we move beyond silly paranormal notions? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Simultaneous observations of Mars and Venus by two European spacecraft are providing scientists with a unique opportunity for comparative planetology. The study will help scientists understand the past environments of both planets. See article.
g Life - Researchers may have unlocked important clues about the origin of life. They have shown that precursor molecules for life may naturally appear more often in 'left-handed' forms than previously thought. See article.
g Intelligence - Nearly all of today's Native Americans in North, Central and South America can trace part of their ancestry to six women whose descendants immigrated around 20,000 years ago, a DNA study suggests. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? Note: This paper was written in 1992. See article.
g Cosmicus - An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a secret U.S. satellite lifted off before dawn Thursday, officials said. See article.
g Imagining - Another early "Star Trek" alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don't know what the android creators (aka "the Old Ones") looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk. Their height indicates that the planet's gravity is slightly lighter than Earth's, and there isn't a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn't they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show's creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world's climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It's highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth's vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.
g Aftermath - I offer the following Web site entry on "exopolitics" only as a basis for us to think about how people might react once we know an extraterrestrial civilization exists. Certainly many will give ufology more credence and make fantastical conclusions based upon images in the popular media. Question: How do we counteract this now? Obviously we want people discussing the topic of "exopolitics," even if it's in a vacuum. But how do we move beyond silly paranormal notions? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 14, 2008
Enceladus' geysers and parochial viruses
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 - The international Cassini spacecraft collected science data on mysterious geysers spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus and recorded new images of its surface during a close flyby, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said Thursday. See article.
g Life - Biologists examining ecosystems similar to those that existed on Earth more than 3 billion years ago have made a surprising discovery: Viruses that infect bacteria are sometimes parochial and unrelated to their counterparts in other regions of the globe. It's surprising because bacteria and the viruses that affect them were long believed to be cosmopolitan, having similar genetic histories across the globe. See article.
g Message - If you're not familiar with Astriobiology.com's "Great Debates series, you'll want to head right away to their Web site. The discussions draw upon experts in the astrobiology field. The Fermi paradox ("If there's intelligent life out there, then why haven't we heard from them?" is examined in six parts at this link.
g Cosmicus - A pair of spacewalking astronauts started putting together a robot outside the international space station early today despite a problem getting power to the giant machine. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See article.
g Abodes - The international Cassini spacecraft collected science data on mysterious geysers spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus and recorded new images of its surface during a close flyby, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said Thursday. See article.
g Life - Biologists examining ecosystems similar to those that existed on Earth more than 3 billion years ago have made a surprising discovery: Viruses that infect bacteria are sometimes parochial and unrelated to their counterparts in other regions of the globe. It's surprising because bacteria and the viruses that affect them were long believed to be cosmopolitan, having similar genetic histories across the globe. See article.
g Message - If you're not familiar with Astriobiology.com's "Great Debates series, you'll want to head right away to their Web site. The discussions draw upon experts in the astrobiology field. The Fermi paradox ("If there's intelligent life out there, then why haven't we heard from them?" is examined in six parts at this link.
g Cosmicus - A pair of spacewalking astronauts started putting together a robot outside the international space station early today despite a problem getting power to the giant machine. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See article.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Alpha Centauri's habitability and how planets affect appearance of nebula
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 - Scientists have determined that one of the Solar System's closest stellar neighbors, Alpha Centauri, should harbor Earth-like planets. Knowing where to look for rocky planets is the first step in searching for habitable worlds around distant stars. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have found that planets may be partly responsible for the breathtaking appearance of planetary nebula. The research is helping astrobiologists understand the environments in which extrasolar planets develop, and providing insight into the future of our own Solar System. See article.
g Life - How did life get started? A growing body of evidence favors an “RNA World” as an early stage of life, before DNA assumed its present role as the molecule that stores genetic information. See article.
g Stars - Scientists have determined that one of the Solar System's closest stellar neighbors, Alpha Centauri, should harbor Earth-like planets. Knowing where to look for rocky planets is the first step in searching for habitable worlds around distant stars. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have found that planets may be partly responsible for the breathtaking appearance of planetary nebula. The research is helping astrobiologists understand the environments in which extrasolar planets develop, and providing insight into the future of our own Solar System. See article.
g Life - How did life get started? A growing body of evidence favors an “RNA World” as an early stage of life, before DNA assumed its present role as the molecule that stores genetic information. See article.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
New careers from space exploration and the social impact humanity will undergo upon discovering life elsewhere
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 Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See article.
g Imagining - Among the first and most memorable of "Star Trek" aliens is the salt vampire. Could such a creature exist, though? Forgetting the problem of its facial arrangement (eyes-nose-mouth from top to bottom), which repeats Earth's evolutionary path for vertebrates, the salt vampire receives a mixed review. Consider its shaggy coat, which appears to be inconsistent with bipedalism in a warm climate; humans likely lost their primate hair because doing so allowed our bodies to cool better in the African savanna — and the salt vampire's planet is hot, probably orbiting a G-class star that has entered its red giant phase (judging by climate and sky color). Of course, the creature could be a hominid that just come down from the trees, which certainly would be sparse on such a planet. But its intelligence level indicates a much longer path of evolution. Perhaps the planet was in a cold state before the star entered its red giant phase. On another note, the creature's need for salt is voracious for the chemical is in short supply; that seems at odds with the hot desert climate for halites would form as the sun's expansion caused the seas to evaporate. Possibly, the creature, being the last of its kind, simply had gone mad, expressing its psychosis through murder — which explains why Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock felt no mercy for it when phasering it to death at episode's end! See article.
g Aftermath - With humanity now on the verge of being capable to leave its home world, Earth, scientists have begun to wrestle with the consequences of this next great journey; of the social impact humanity will undergo upon discovering life elsewhere, be it fossil, bacterial or an intelligent civilization. Note: This article is from 1999. See article.
g Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See article.
g Imagining - Among the first and most memorable of "Star Trek" aliens is the salt vampire. Could such a creature exist, though? Forgetting the problem of its facial arrangement (eyes-nose-mouth from top to bottom), which repeats Earth's evolutionary path for vertebrates, the salt vampire receives a mixed review. Consider its shaggy coat, which appears to be inconsistent with bipedalism in a warm climate; humans likely lost their primate hair because doing so allowed our bodies to cool better in the African savanna — and the salt vampire's planet is hot, probably orbiting a G-class star that has entered its red giant phase (judging by climate and sky color). Of course, the creature could be a hominid that just come down from the trees, which certainly would be sparse on such a planet. But its intelligence level indicates a much longer path of evolution. Perhaps the planet was in a cold state before the star entered its red giant phase. On another note, the creature's need for salt is voracious for the chemical is in short supply; that seems at odds with the hot desert climate for halites would form as the sun's expansion caused the seas to evaporate. Possibly, the creature, being the last of its kind, simply had gone mad, expressing its psychosis through murder — which explains why Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock felt no mercy for it when phasering it to death at episode's end! See article.
g Aftermath - With humanity now on the verge of being capable to leave its home world, Earth, scientists have begun to wrestle with the consequences of this next great journey; of the social impact humanity will undergo upon discovering life elsewhere, be it fossil, bacterial or an intelligent civilization. Note: This article is from 1999. See article.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Will alien life be carbon-based and the challenges of looking for life elsewhere
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 - It's a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See article.
g Learning - An excellent collection of books about SETI, including some for elementary and middle school children, appears online. These would make some great gifts. See article.
g Life - It's a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See article.
g Learning - An excellent collection of books about SETI, including some for elementary and middle school children, appears online. These would make some great gifts. See article.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Plant colors on other planets and the ethical issue of what we should do if life is found in outer space
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 - The greenery on other planets may not be green. Astrobiologists say plants on Earth-sized planets orbiting stars somewhat brighter than the Sun may look yellow or orange, while those on planets orbiting stars much fainter than the Sun might look black. See article.
g Aftermath - Humanity's foray into the solar system brings out the ethical issue of what we should do if life is found in outer space. Do we send more probes to further investigate and do we have a responsibility to protect that life and allow it to develop naturally? See article.
g Life - The greenery on other planets may not be green. Astrobiologists say plants on Earth-sized planets orbiting stars somewhat brighter than the Sun may look yellow or orange, while those on planets orbiting stars much fainter than the Sun might look black. See article.
g Aftermath - Humanity's foray into the solar system brings out the ethical issue of what we should do if life is found in outer space. Do we send more probes to further investigate and do we have a responsibility to protect that life and allow it to develop naturally? See article.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
First self-replicating molecule and SETI's spectral approach
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 - Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have determined the three-dimensional structure of an RNA enzyme, or "ribozyme," that carries out a fundamental reaction required to make new RNA molecules. Their results provide insight into what may have been the first self-replicating molecule to arise billions of years ago on the evolutionary path toward the emergence of life. See article.
g Message - The spectral approach is a universal tool of both astronomical observations and SETI. Furthermore, it has a clear physical meaning – a spectrometer finds the energy distribution of photons, in human sensing it is color and pitch. Under the hypothesis on identity of physical laws in our part of universe, it may be proposed that spectrometry also are using by those aliens, who know radio and lead theirs own SETI, too. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has obtained the highest resolution map to date of the Moon's south polar region. The data has great value in selecting future landing sites for human exploration missions. See article.
g Life - Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have determined the three-dimensional structure of an RNA enzyme, or "ribozyme," that carries out a fundamental reaction required to make new RNA molecules. Their results provide insight into what may have been the first self-replicating molecule to arise billions of years ago on the evolutionary path toward the emergence of life. See article.
g Message - The spectral approach is a universal tool of both astronomical observations and SETI. Furthermore, it has a clear physical meaning – a spectrometer finds the energy distribution of photons, in human sensing it is color and pitch. Under the hypothesis on identity of physical laws in our part of universe, it may be proposed that spectrometry also are using by those aliens, who know radio and lead theirs own SETI, too. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has obtained the highest resolution map to date of the Moon's south polar region. The data has great value in selecting future landing sites for human exploration missions. See article.
Enceladus' massivbe geysers and the connection between the environment of Earth and the evolution of life
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 - Plumes of water and dust that spout from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus have intrigued scientists ever since the Cassini spacecraft first captured images of the phenomenon. Now, new information may help scientists determine how the massive geysers are formed. See article.
g Life - At two distinct points in history, increases in oxygen and oxidation of deep oceans may have impacted the spread of complex organisms. The two events - occurring 635 and 551 million years ago - highlight the connection between the environment of Earth and the evolution of life. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we've been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, "I Love Lucy" reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn't hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here's why not.
g Abodes - Plumes of water and dust that spout from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus have intrigued scientists ever since the Cassini spacecraft first captured images of the phenomenon. Now, new information may help scientists determine how the massive geysers are formed. See article.
g Life - At two distinct points in history, increases in oxygen and oxidation of deep oceans may have impacted the spread of complex organisms. The two events - occurring 635 and 551 million years ago - highlight the connection between the environment of Earth and the evolution of life. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we've been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, "I Love Lucy" reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn't hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here's why not.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Earth cooling down and practicing for Mars
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 - At its birth, our young planet was a ball of molten hot rock. How long did it take to cool down? The answer could indicate the conditions necessary for life to arise, and provide insight into the evolutionary history of life on Earth. See article.
g Life - In view of the substantial challenges ahead in instrumentation and trials on Earth analogs, we must now begin to plan a second generation of feasible evolutionary experiments with whole microorganisms. In those new experiments universal evolutionary biomarkers should be searched for in space. See article.
g Cosmicus - Last month, eight people began a simulated mission to Mars in the desert of Utah. The Earth-based experiment will help researchers understand the logistic, scientific and psychological issues involved in designing a real mission to Mars. See article.
g Abodes - At its birth, our young planet was a ball of molten hot rock. How long did it take to cool down? The answer could indicate the conditions necessary for life to arise, and provide insight into the evolutionary history of life on Earth. See article.
g Life - In view of the substantial challenges ahead in instrumentation and trials on Earth analogs, we must now begin to plan a second generation of feasible evolutionary experiments with whole microorganisms. In those new experiments universal evolutionary biomarkers should be searched for in space. See article.
g Cosmicus - Last month, eight people began a simulated mission to Mars in the desert of Utah. The Earth-based experiment will help researchers understand the logistic, scientific and psychological issues involved in designing a real mission to Mars. See article.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
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 - Formations on the surface of Mars indicated incidents of rapid release of water from the planet's interior. The finding may indicate the presence of subsurface reserves of liquid water, which could represent a habitat for life. See article.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it's quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Abodes - Formations on the surface of Mars indicated incidents of rapid release of water from the planet's interior. The finding may indicate the presence of subsurface reserves of liquid water, which could represent a habitat for life. See article.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it's quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Interactions between Saturn's satellites and utilizing resources from the Moon's regolith
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 - With data from Cassini, scientists are beginning to understand the interactions between Saturn's many dynamic moons. The environment of Saturn's moons is important in determining whether or not some of them could be abodes for life, and how transport of material between the moons affects the development of important organic molecules. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has demonstrated new robotic technology that will aid in lunar exploration. The technology will help astronauts utilize resources from the Moon's regolith, and will sustain habitats for scientists living and working on the Moon. See article.
g Abodes - With data from Cassini, scientists are beginning to understand the interactions between Saturn's many dynamic moons. The environment of Saturn's moons is important in determining whether or not some of them could be abodes for life, and how transport of material between the moons affects the development of important organic molecules. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has demonstrated new robotic technology that will aid in lunar exploration. The technology will help astronauts utilize resources from the Moon's regolith, and will sustain habitats for scientists living and working on the Moon. See article.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Space diamonds and organic molecules in the interstellar void
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 - Researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that can be 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. These tiny particles could provide insight into the distribution of molecules in the Universe that are important for the origin of life. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered that terrestrial planets might form around most of the nearby, Sun-like stars in our galaxy. The finding has important implications in the search for habitable planets. See article.
g Life - A two-year survey of enormous interstellar dust clouds has turned up eight organic molecules in two different regions of space. One is a stellar nursery awash in light while the other is a cold, starless void. See article.
g Message - Here's an intriguing hypothesis concerning the nature of extraterrestrial messages to Earth. It is based on the assumptions that aliens exist in abundance in the galaxy, that they are benevolent toward Earth-based life forms and that the lack of any human detection of extraterrestrials is due to an embargo designed to prevent any premature disclosure of their existence. It is argued that any embargo not involving alien force must be a leaky one designed to allow a gradual disclosure of the alien message and its gradual acceptance on the part of the general public over a very long time-scale. The communication may take the form of what is now considered magic, and may therefore be misinterpreted as "magic" or a hoax by contemporary governments and scientists. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? Here's a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture.
g Stars - Researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that can be 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. These tiny particles could provide insight into the distribution of molecules in the Universe that are important for the origin of life. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered that terrestrial planets might form around most of the nearby, Sun-like stars in our galaxy. The finding has important implications in the search for habitable planets. See article.
g Life - A two-year survey of enormous interstellar dust clouds has turned up eight organic molecules in two different regions of space. One is a stellar nursery awash in light while the other is a cold, starless void. See article.
g Message - Here's an intriguing hypothesis concerning the nature of extraterrestrial messages to Earth. It is based on the assumptions that aliens exist in abundance in the galaxy, that they are benevolent toward Earth-based life forms and that the lack of any human detection of extraterrestrials is due to an embargo designed to prevent any premature disclosure of their existence. It is argued that any embargo not involving alien force must be a leaky one designed to allow a gradual disclosure of the alien message and its gradual acceptance on the part of the general public over a very long time-scale. The communication may take the form of what is now considered magic, and may therefore be misinterpreted as "magic" or a hoax by contemporary governments and scientists. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? Here's a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Wet but unsuitable and detecting alien artifacts
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 - Data from NASA's Opportunity rover suggests that although early Mars may have been wet, the environment might not have been suitable for life. High concentrations of dissolved minerals in liquid water on early Mars could have prevented microbes from developing. See article.
g Life - The remains of the largest frog ever seen have been discovered in Madagascar. The finding links a group of frogs that lived 65 to 70 million years ago with modern frogs in South America, and are helping scientists understand how the landmasses of Earth have shifted over time. See article.
g Message - If extraterrestrial life and intelligence exist, and if these ETI have ever engaged in, or presently are engaging in, interstellar exploration or communication, this most likely will involve the transmission of material artifacts. Some evidence of this activity may be apparent from within the confines of the solar system and thus could be detected by a suitable observational effort. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's Ringworld universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See article.
g Abodes - Data from NASA's Opportunity rover suggests that although early Mars may have been wet, the environment might not have been suitable for life. High concentrations of dissolved minerals in liquid water on early Mars could have prevented microbes from developing. See article.
g Life - The remains of the largest frog ever seen have been discovered in Madagascar. The finding links a group of frogs that lived 65 to 70 million years ago with modern frogs in South America, and are helping scientists understand how the landmasses of Earth have shifted over time. See article.
g Message - If extraterrestrial life and intelligence exist, and if these ETI have ever engaged in, or presently are engaging in, interstellar exploration or communication, this most likely will involve the transmission of material artifacts. Some evidence of this activity may be apparent from within the confines of the solar system and thus could be detected by a suitable observational effort. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's Ringworld universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See article.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Evolution of life and stories about alien biologies
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 - Book alert: “Astrobiology: Origins from the Big-bang to Civilisation”, by Julián Chela Flores, Guillermo A. Lemarchand and John Oró, concerns the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. It discusses the transition from inert matter to cellular life and its evolution to fully developed intelligent lifeforms on Earth.
g Message - Quote of the Day: “The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me!” – Blaise Pascal
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: "Hospital Station" (1962), "Star Surgeon" (1963), "Ambulance Ship" (1979), "Sector General" (1983) and "Code Blue–Emergency" (1987).
g Life - Book alert: “Astrobiology: Origins from the Big-bang to Civilisation”, by Julián Chela Flores, Guillermo A. Lemarchand and John Oró, concerns the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. It discusses the transition from inert matter to cellular life and its evolution to fully developed intelligent lifeforms on Earth.
g Message - Quote of the Day: “The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me!” – Blaise Pascal
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: "Hospital Station" (1962), "Star Surgeon" (1963), "Ambulance Ship" (1979), "Sector General" (1983) and "Code Blue–Emergency" (1987).
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Asteroid triple threat and messages composed for aliens
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 Message - Visiting another civilization on a distant world would be fascinating, but at present such a trip is beyond our capabilities. However, it is perfectly within our capabilities to develop a communications system using a powerful transmitter and a sensitive receiver, and using it to search the sky for alien worlds whose citizens have a similar inclination. See article.
g Cosmicus - Asteroid 2001 SN263 has now been identified as the first ever near-Earth triple asteroid. Observations of the asteroid triplet are yielding surprising new insights about the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. See article.
g Imagining - The first step in imagining what a real alien might look like is to forget you ever watched the "The X-Files." They won't be the sinister grays Fox Mulder pursues, little green men or even jolly old E.T. And most assuredly they won't look like us. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
g Message - Visiting another civilization on a distant world would be fascinating, but at present such a trip is beyond our capabilities. However, it is perfectly within our capabilities to develop a communications system using a powerful transmitter and a sensitive receiver, and using it to search the sky for alien worlds whose citizens have a similar inclination. See article.
g Cosmicus - Asteroid 2001 SN263 has now been identified as the first ever near-Earth triple asteroid. Observations of the asteroid triplet are yielding surprising new insights about the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. See article.
g Imagining - The first step in imagining what a real alien might look like is to forget you ever watched the "The X-Files." They won't be the sinister grays Fox Mulder pursues, little green men or even jolly old E.T. And most assuredly they won't look like us. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
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