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 - What is the habitable zone of the nearby star system Eta Cassiopeiae AB? See article.
g Abodes - A new study shows that changes in sea levels and ocean sediments may be responsible for some of the greatest mass extinctions in history. The research sheds light on the connections between life and the environment of Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - You might expect men and women to look at sexual photographs differently. But a new study unexpectedly found that men are more likely than women to first look at faces rather than other parts of a nude body. See article.
g Message - Regardless of what causes gamma-ray bursters, they could be the key to discovering life elsewhere in the universe. An astrophysicist says smart aliens might use the bursts to alert us to their messages. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Cosmicus - A new technique has been developed to identify organic matter in soils using ultraviolet light. The technology could be useful in the search for signs of life on Mars. See article.
g Learning - This retrospective highlights Arthur C. Clarke’s influence on space travel, space exploration, and astrobiology. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Harry Turtledove's novel "A World of Difference," published by Del Rey in 1990.
g Aftermath - What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future? See this paper by University of Toronto Professor Allen Tough. Though written more than 20 years ago, the paper contains plenty of useful ideas that are fresh (and ignored) today, especially those about extraterrestrial behavior and help.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Earth habitable 4.3 billion years ago and alien chat lines
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 - What is the habitable zone of the nearby star Gliese 793?
g Abodes - A new study of ancient minerals shows that the earliest continents on Earth may have been scoured and destroyed by the planet's harsh climate. The study has also demonstrated that the Earth may have been habitable as early as 4.3 billion years ago. See article.
g Message - Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
g Imagining - For several years a "game" called COTI has been played, in which the participants design an integrated world, alien life form and culture and simulate contact with a future human society. Here are the results of one of those simulations, in which humanity encounters the Alchemists, sea creatures of a new taxon combining many characteristics found in Earth's cetaceans, crustaceans and mollusks. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: In “Cosmic Company,” Seth Shostak and Alex Barnett ponder the possibility of aliens visiting the Earth, as well as the consequences of receiving a signal from the cosmos proving we're neither alone, nor the most intelligent life forms. They explain why scientists think life might exist on other worlds, and how we might contact it. Shostak and Barnett, experienced writers of popular astronomy, provide an accessible overview of the science and technology behind the search for life in the universe. See article.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.Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the habitable zone of the nearby star Gliese 793?
g Abodes - A new study of ancient minerals shows that the earliest continents on Earth may have been scoured and destroyed by the planet's harsh climate. The study has also demonstrated that the Earth may have been habitable as early as 4.3 billion years ago. See article.
g Message - Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
g Imagining - For several years a "game" called COTI has been played, in which the participants design an integrated world, alien life form and culture and simulate contact with a future human society. Here are the results of one of those simulations, in which humanity encounters the Alchemists, sea creatures of a new taxon combining many characteristics found in Earth's cetaceans, crustaceans and mollusks. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: In “Cosmic Company,” Seth Shostak and Alex Barnett ponder the possibility of aliens visiting the Earth, as well as the consequences of receiving a signal from the cosmos proving we're neither alone, nor the most intelligent life forms. They explain why scientists think life might exist on other worlds, and how we might contact it. Shostak and Barnett, experienced writers of popular astronomy, provide an accessible overview of the science and technology behind the search for life in the universe. See article.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.Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The myth of Planet X/Nibiru and the alien invasion theme in science fiction
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star DENIS 1048-3956?
g Abodes - The "facts" behind the Planet X/Nibiru myth simply do not add up. Don't worry, Planet X will not be knocking on our door in 2012 and here's why.
g Message - Exobiology or astrobiology is the study of life elsewhere in the universe, where this life is assumed to be non-supernatural and existing in the physical context of our universe, as Earth life does. See article.
g Learning - Beginning today, Nashville officially enters an unprecedented Age of Discovery.The new Sudekum Planetarium and Space Chase at Adventure Science Center will open its doors to the public at 10 a.m., immersing visitors in a universe of wonder — and giving them as many opportunities to explore as there are stars in the sky. See article.
g Imagining - The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which a technologically-superior extraterrestrial society invades Earth with the intent to replace human life, or to enslave it under a colonial system. But would aliens actually ever attack another planet? See article.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the U.S. and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star DENIS 1048-3956?
g Abodes - The "facts" behind the Planet X/Nibiru myth simply do not add up. Don't worry, Planet X will not be knocking on our door in 2012 and here's why.
g Message - Exobiology or astrobiology is the study of life elsewhere in the universe, where this life is assumed to be non-supernatural and existing in the physical context of our universe, as Earth life does. See article.
g Learning - Beginning today, Nashville officially enters an unprecedented Age of Discovery.The new Sudekum Planetarium and Space Chase at Adventure Science Center will open its doors to the public at 10 a.m., immersing visitors in a universe of wonder — and giving them as many opportunities to explore as there are stars in the sky. See article.
g Imagining - The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which a technologically-superior extraterrestrial society invades Earth with the intent to replace human life, or to enslave it under a colonial system. But would aliens actually ever attack another planet? See article.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the U.S. and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Forty-five potential super-Earths and light curves
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Kruger 60 AB?
g Abodes - Astronomers have announced a breakthrough in the field of extra-solar planets. They have identified 45 potential super-Earths, showing that these planets may be present around one out of every three solar-like stars. See article.
g Message - Since the beginning of astronomical observation, science has been viewing light on a curve. In a galaxy filled with thousands of eclipsing binary stars, we've refined our skills by measuring the brightness or intensity of so-called variable star as a function of time. The result is known as a "light curve." Through this type of study, we've discovered size, distance and orbital speed of stellar bodies and refined our ability to detect planetary bodies orbiting distant suns. Here on Earth, most of the time it's impossible for us to resolve such small objects even with the most powerful of telescopes, because their size is less than one pixel in the detector. But new research should let us determine the shape of an object... like a ringed planet, or an orbiting alien space station. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat classroom activity: "Remote Sensing." In this lesson, students discover how remote sensing is used to identify the signatures of life even when the particular life form is not directly observable. See article.
g Aftermath - There is a good deal of apprehension among the general public that samples returned from other worlds such as Mars - just might - contain alien germs capable of turning into a worldwide plague, or at least wreaking havoc with the Earth's natural environment. Beside this fear of "back contamination," there is also a fear of "forward contamination" - the possibility that spacecraft might contaminate the worlds they land on with Earth microbes, destroying scientifically priceless alien lifeforms before we even have a chance to study them. Note: This article is from 1999. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Kruger 60 AB?
g Abodes - Astronomers have announced a breakthrough in the field of extra-solar planets. They have identified 45 potential super-Earths, showing that these planets may be present around one out of every three solar-like stars. See article.
g Message - Since the beginning of astronomical observation, science has been viewing light on a curve. In a galaxy filled with thousands of eclipsing binary stars, we've refined our skills by measuring the brightness or intensity of so-called variable star as a function of time. The result is known as a "light curve." Through this type of study, we've discovered size, distance and orbital speed of stellar bodies and refined our ability to detect planetary bodies orbiting distant suns. Here on Earth, most of the time it's impossible for us to resolve such small objects even with the most powerful of telescopes, because their size is less than one pixel in the detector. But new research should let us determine the shape of an object... like a ringed planet, or an orbiting alien space station. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat classroom activity: "Remote Sensing." In this lesson, students discover how remote sensing is used to identify the signatures of life even when the particular life form is not directly observable. See article.
g Aftermath - There is a good deal of apprehension among the general public that samples returned from other worlds such as Mars - just might - contain alien germs capable of turning into a worldwide plague, or at least wreaking havoc with the Earth's natural environment. Beside this fear of "back contamination," there is also a fear of "forward contamination" - the possibility that spacecraft might contaminate the worlds they land on with Earth microbes, destroying scientifically priceless alien lifeforms before we even have a chance to study them. Note: This article is from 1999. See article.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Martian water vaporizes and how simple processes may have laid the foundation for 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Lacaille 8760?
g Abodes - Crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench after they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander several days ago. Scientists are convinced that the material was frozen water that vaporized. See article.
g Life - Scientists have developed a new model explaining how simple processes may have laid the foundation for life. Based on simple chemical and physical laws, the model shows how interactions between just a few chemicals can lead to novel combinations of molecules of greater complexity. This emergence of complexity in natural systems is essential in understanding how life as we know it began. See article.
g Message - The universe is a noisy place, filled with the hiss and crackle of stars being born and dying. There is little escape from this cosmic din, except in one small region of the radio dial — the microwave band. Here, only the faint whimper of the Big Bang breaks the silence, making it a "really good place to communicate," according to Dan Werthimer of Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, perched close to the stars atop Grizzly Peak. Note: This article is from 2000. See article.
g Learning - What is the Carl Sagan Center? Astrobiology has become one of the hottest fields of science, and one of the most interesting to the general public. Research in astrobiology has spread widely, with many major universities and other research institutions establishing active programs. Scientists at the SETI Institute have been doing astrobiology research for more that two decades. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for an interesting read? Here's a nifty anthology of science fiction that for the most part approaches extraterrestrials from a hard science fiction perspective: "Aliens and UFOs: Extraterrestrial Tales from Asimov's Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact," by Cynthia Manson, Charles Ardai. It was published in 1993. For reviews of the book. See article.
g Aftermath - It is hard to imagine what an extraterrestrial life form might think if confronted with the words "you're human / they are human / we are human / let's try to be human / dance!" See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Lacaille 8760?
g Abodes - Crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench after they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander several days ago. Scientists are convinced that the material was frozen water that vaporized. See article.
g Life - Scientists have developed a new model explaining how simple processes may have laid the foundation for life. Based on simple chemical and physical laws, the model shows how interactions between just a few chemicals can lead to novel combinations of molecules of greater complexity. This emergence of complexity in natural systems is essential in understanding how life as we know it began. See article.
g Message - The universe is a noisy place, filled with the hiss and crackle of stars being born and dying. There is little escape from this cosmic din, except in one small region of the radio dial — the microwave band. Here, only the faint whimper of the Big Bang breaks the silence, making it a "really good place to communicate," according to Dan Werthimer of Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, perched close to the stars atop Grizzly Peak. Note: This article is from 2000. See article.
g Learning - What is the Carl Sagan Center? Astrobiology has become one of the hottest fields of science, and one of the most interesting to the general public. Research in astrobiology has spread widely, with many major universities and other research institutions establishing active programs. Scientists at the SETI Institute have been doing astrobiology research for more that two decades. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for an interesting read? Here's a nifty anthology of science fiction that for the most part approaches extraterrestrials from a hard science fiction perspective: "Aliens and UFOs: Extraterrestrial Tales from Asimov's Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact," by Cynthia Manson, Charles Ardai. It was published in 1993. For reviews of the book. See article.
g Aftermath - It is hard to imagine what an extraterrestrial life form might think if confronted with the words "you're human / they are human / we are human / let's try to be human / dance!" See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Habitability of Kapteyn’s Star and an encyclopedia of extremophiles
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Kapteyn’s Star?
g Abodes - The NASA Phoenix Mars Lander has reportedly found dice-sized ice crumbs that may have melted after being uncovered more than four days ago. As Phoenix dug around and took images of the Martian soil, scientists noticed several small cubes that vanished over a span of a several days. See article.
g Life - Here’s a neat Website that contains descriptions of various extremophiles including anaerobes, thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkalophiles, halophiles, barophiles, and xerophiles, courtesy of the Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London..
g Message - Some people mistakenly confuse a long search with a thorough one, and figure that the lack of a SETI detection indicates that we're alone in the galaxy. This, however, is nonsense. See article.
g Cosmicus - Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See article.
g Learning - Linguistics merged with computer science last week at a hands-on demonstration of spoken dialogue systems by UCSC students at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. See article.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Kapteyn’s Star?
g Abodes - The NASA Phoenix Mars Lander has reportedly found dice-sized ice crumbs that may have melted after being uncovered more than four days ago. As Phoenix dug around and took images of the Martian soil, scientists noticed several small cubes that vanished over a span of a several days. See article.
g Life - Here’s a neat Website that contains descriptions of various extremophiles including anaerobes, thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkalophiles, halophiles, barophiles, and xerophiles, courtesy of the Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London..
g Message - Some people mistakenly confuse a long search with a thorough one, and figure that the lack of a SETI detection indicates that we're alone in the galaxy. This, however, is nonsense. See article.
g Cosmicus - Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See article.
g Learning - Linguistics merged with computer science last week at a hands-on demonstration of spoken dialogue systems by UCSC students at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. See article.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Ice world beyond Pluto and what water on Mars means for 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Teegarden’s Star?
g Abodes - An icy, unknown world might lurk in the distant reaches of our solar system beyond the orbit of Pluto, according to a new computer model. See article.
g Life - A major discovery was made last week by the Phoenix Mars Lander, as it revealed that the red planet did contain ice, showing there is water. Now the question comes up, since ice has been found, what about life? See article.
g Message - Researchers probing the universe for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence got their treasure map in 2006. It came in the form of a list of 10 stars likely to be at the center of planetary systems that could support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Mars mission Job One: Get there. Job Two: Find rocks and zap them with your laser tool. Now learn the nature of the debris by spectrographically analyzing the ensuing dust and fragments. It's every kid's dream, vaporizing pebbles on other planets, and thanks to a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory, it's going to happen. See article.
g Learning - What textbooks are college students reading in "Astrobiology 101" courses around the nation? See article.
g Imagining - What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is "The Science of the X-Files", by Jeanne Cavelos. Here's a review of the book (look near the end for a discussion on the extraterrestrial biology).
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Teegarden’s Star?
g Abodes - An icy, unknown world might lurk in the distant reaches of our solar system beyond the orbit of Pluto, according to a new computer model. See article.
g Life - A major discovery was made last week by the Phoenix Mars Lander, as it revealed that the red planet did contain ice, showing there is water. Now the question comes up, since ice has been found, what about life? See article.
g Message - Researchers probing the universe for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence got their treasure map in 2006. It came in the form of a list of 10 stars likely to be at the center of planetary systems that could support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Mars mission Job One: Get there. Job Two: Find rocks and zap them with your laser tool. Now learn the nature of the debris by spectrographically analyzing the ensuing dust and fragments. It's every kid's dream, vaporizing pebbles on other planets, and thanks to a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory, it's going to happen. See article.
g Learning - What textbooks are college students reading in "Astrobiology 101" courses around the nation? See article.
g Imagining - What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is "The Science of the X-Files", by Jeanne Cavelos. Here's a review of the book (look near the end for a discussion on the extraterrestrial biology).
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Enceladus' frozen ocean and what Phoenix can tell us about the possibility for life on 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby Luyten’s Star?
g Abodes - Three years ago, surprising evidence came out for an ocean underneath the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. But a new report indicates just how hard it may be to keep water from freezing on this tiny moon. See article.
g Life - In this interview, William Boynton talks about the TEGA instrument on the Phoenix Lander, and explains what it can tell us about the possibility for life on Mars. See article.
g Message - Is METI, or “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence”, a viable option? See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: "The Drake Equation." Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
g Imagining - Psychologist Frederick Malmstrom, currently a visiting scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academy, believes that "visions" of space aliens are actually the image of the prototypical female face that is hardwired into every baby human's brain. When Malmstrom altered a picture of a woman in a way consistent with the characteristics of a newborn's vision (astigmatism and a shallow focal plane), the result looked very much like a big-eyed alien. See article.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby Luyten’s Star?
g Abodes - Three years ago, surprising evidence came out for an ocean underneath the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. But a new report indicates just how hard it may be to keep water from freezing on this tiny moon. See article.
g Life - In this interview, William Boynton talks about the TEGA instrument on the Phoenix Lander, and explains what it can tell us about the possibility for life on Mars. See article.
g Message - Is METI, or “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence”, a viable option? See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: "The Drake Equation." Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
g Imagining - Psychologist Frederick Malmstrom, currently a visiting scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academy, believes that "visions" of space aliens are actually the image of the prototypical female face that is hardwired into every baby human's brain. When Malmstrom altered a picture of a woman in a way consistent with the characteristics of a newborn's vision (astigmatism and a shallow focal plane), the result looked very much like a big-eyed alien. See article.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Brownleeite and sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star YZ Ceti?
g Abodes - Researchers have found a new mineral, named Brownleeite, in material that likely came from a comet. The mineral was discovered in interstellar dust grains captured at high altitude in the Earth's atmosphere. See article.
g Message - Similar to SETI – the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, where one listens for messages sent to Earth – METI means "Messaging to ETI": Sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars. So, METI Art represents not Art about Space, but Art for Space. In other words, METI Art is the creative work of Earth destined for inclusion in the Planetary Consciousnesses of supposed extraterrestrial civilizations. See article.
g Learning - Here's a great resource for middle school science teachers; "Life on Other Planets in the Solar System." See article.
g Imagining - In Ridley Scott's 1979 slimy monster masterpiece "Alien," the extraterrestrial life form discovered by Sigourney Weaver and crew goes through two startlingly different phases after it hatches. Is such a change during the life of an animal mere sci fi license? Not really. In fact, many earthlings go through similar drastic changes in form. Note: This article is from March 2001. See article.
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star YZ Ceti?
g Abodes - Researchers have found a new mineral, named Brownleeite, in material that likely came from a comet. The mineral was discovered in interstellar dust grains captured at high altitude in the Earth's atmosphere. See article.
g Message - Similar to SETI – the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, where one listens for messages sent to Earth – METI means "Messaging to ETI": Sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars. So, METI Art represents not Art about Space, but Art for Space. In other words, METI Art is the creative work of Earth destined for inclusion in the Planetary Consciousnesses of supposed extraterrestrial civilizations. See article.
g Learning - Here's a great resource for middle school science teachers; "Life on Other Planets in the Solar System." See article.
g Imagining - In Ridley Scott's 1979 slimy monster masterpiece "Alien," the extraterrestrial life form discovered by Sigourney Weaver and crew goes through two startlingly different phases after it hatches. Is such a change during the life of an animal mere sci fi license? Not really. In fact, many earthlings go through similar drastic changes in form. Note: This article is from March 2001. See article.
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See article.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Raw materials for the first molecules of DNA and RNA in meteorites and a cryptic representation of the first ten digits of Pi
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star DX Cancri?
g Abodes - Single person submersibles have been called in to help scientists retrieve samples from a lake in northern British Columbia that may hold vital clues to the history of life on Earth and on other planets. See article.
g Life - Molecules important for the origin of life have been positively identified in a meteorite. Scientists have confirmed that raw materials for the first molecules of DNA and RNA have been discovered in the Murchison meteorite. See article.
g Message - A complex crop circle, which appeared in an English barley field last month, is a cryptic representation of the first ten digits of Pi, says Astrophysicist Mike Reed. The remaining question: Was it made by pranksters, aliens, or a guerrilla marketing team? See article.
g Cosmicus - Prototype robotic vehicles have braved sand storms and temperature swings on sand dunes in Washington State in order to prepare for lunar expeditions. The technology will one day be used to aid in returning humans to the moon. See article.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star DX Cancri?
g Abodes - Single person submersibles have been called in to help scientists retrieve samples from a lake in northern British Columbia that may hold vital clues to the history of life on Earth and on other planets. See article.
g Life - Molecules important for the origin of life have been positively identified in a meteorite. Scientists have confirmed that raw materials for the first molecules of DNA and RNA have been discovered in the Murchison meteorite. See article.
g Message - A complex crop circle, which appeared in an English barley field last month, is a cryptic representation of the first ten digits of Pi, says Astrophysicist Mike Reed. The remaining question: Was it made by pranksters, aliens, or a guerrilla marketing team? See article.
g Cosmicus - Prototype robotic vehicles have braved sand storms and temperature swings on sand dunes in Washington State in order to prepare for lunar expeditions. The technology will one day be used to aid in returning humans to the moon. See article.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
Friday, June 20, 2008
New planets discovered and ‘Strangers in the Night’
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star GJ 1061?
g Abodes - There is a lot of new territory out there in the cosmos, but nothing you would want to pitch camp on — yet. See article.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in "Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds," an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind's attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind's attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See article.
g Learning - A Vatican cardinal in 2005 said the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism'' if it ignores scientific reason. See article.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology and cultures? Then be sure to read James Blish's classic novel "A Case of Conscience" (1958), in which he explores if original sin exists among the Lithians. See article.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star GJ 1061?
g Abodes - There is a lot of new territory out there in the cosmos, but nothing you would want to pitch camp on — yet. See article.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in "Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds," an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind's attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind's attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See article.
g Learning - A Vatican cardinal in 2005 said the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism'' if it ignores scientific reason. See article.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology and cultures? Then be sure to read James Blish's classic novel "A Case of Conscience" (1958), in which he explores if original sin exists among the Lithians. See article.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Three super-Earths discovered and how Fermi's Paradox was first asked
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Groombridge 34 AB?
g Abodes - European researchers said on Monday they discovered a batch of three "super-Earths" orbiting a nearby star, and two other solar systems with small planets as well. See article.
g Message - Here's an account of how Fermi's famous question, "Where is everybody?" was first asked. Sorry in advance for the Web site that I found this on.
g Cosmicus - Good news for green tech: The fastest supercomputer in the world is also one of the most energy efficient. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat lesson plan, "Extraterrestrials," in which students learn that a digital radio message has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico and that the purpose of the message is to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth. See article.
g Aftermath - The statement that extraterrestrial intelligence exists or doesn't can have the parallel statement that God exists or doesn't. Some people say there's already sufficient evidence of existence for both. If you set aside abductions and miracles, it's true that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence for either. However, if and when humanity ever detects evidence of an extraterrestrial intelligence, it will break the symmetry of these two statements and, in fact, that evidence will be inconsistent with the existence of God or at least organized religions. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Groombridge 34 AB?
g Abodes - European researchers said on Monday they discovered a batch of three "super-Earths" orbiting a nearby star, and two other solar systems with small planets as well. See article.
g Message - Here's an account of how Fermi's famous question, "Where is everybody?" was first asked. Sorry in advance for the Web site that I found this on.
g Cosmicus - Good news for green tech: The fastest supercomputer in the world is also one of the most energy efficient. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat lesson plan, "Extraterrestrials," in which students learn that a digital radio message has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico and that the purpose of the message is to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth. See article.
g Aftermath - The statement that extraterrestrial intelligence exists or doesn't can have the parallel statement that God exists or doesn't. Some people say there's already sufficient evidence of existence for both. If you set aside abductions and miracles, it's true that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence for either. However, if and when humanity ever detects evidence of an extraterrestrial intelligence, it will break the symmetry of these two statements and, in fact, that evidence will be inconsistent with the existence of God or at least organized religions. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Our calling card to other planets and lab-on-a-chip 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Struve 2398 ABC?
g Abodes - Single person submersibles have been called in to help scientists retrieve samples from a lake in northern British Columbia that may hold vital clues to the history of life on Earth and on other planets. See article.
g Life - Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff University scientists. See article.
g Message - Are the Olympics has been our diplomatic calling card in other places beyond the home planet? See article. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Cosmicus - A device the size of a credit card is being developed to perform multiple laboratory tests on the surface of Mars. The 'lab-on-a-chip' will be included on the European ExoMars rover, and will be used to search for signs of life on the red planet. See article.
g Learning - In the 19h century, the new science of geology was greatly affected by technological innovations. From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is an essay about how Jules Verne used his novels, such as "Journey to the Centre of the Earth," to explore the latest geological findings. See article.
g Aftermath - Quote of the Day: "The possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth … . Few important subjects are so data-poor, so subject to unwarranted and biased extrapolations - and so caught up in mankind's ultimate destiny - as is this one." — David Brin
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Struve 2398 ABC?
g Abodes - Single person submersibles have been called in to help scientists retrieve samples from a lake in northern British Columbia that may hold vital clues to the history of life on Earth and on other planets. See article.
g Life - Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff University scientists. See article.
g Message - Are the Olympics has been our diplomatic calling card in other places beyond the home planet? See article. Note: This article is from 2004. See article.
g Cosmicus - A device the size of a credit card is being developed to perform multiple laboratory tests on the surface of Mars. The 'lab-on-a-chip' will be included on the European ExoMars rover, and will be used to search for signs of life on the red planet. See article.
g Learning - In the 19h century, the new science of geology was greatly affected by technological innovations. From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is an essay about how Jules Verne used his novels, such as "Journey to the Centre of the Earth," to explore the latest geological findings. See article.
g Aftermath - Quote of the Day: "The possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth … . Few important subjects are so data-poor, so subject to unwarranted and biased extrapolations - and so caught up in mankind's ultimate destiny - as is this one." — David Brin
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Long delays in verification of potential ET signals and rock-eating 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system 61 Cygni AB?
g Abodes - Molecular hydrogen provides energy for many bacteria, in hot springs at Yellowstone and in rocks several kilometers beneath the surface. How did molecular hydrogen get inside these deep rocks, and what does this tell us about the origin of life on Earth? See article.
g Message - Most SETI programs scan the sky looking for strong radio signals. Any signals that are deemed interesting are put on a list for follow-up observations weeks, months — even years later. Long delays in verification of potential ET signals sometimes generate tantalizing, but ultimately frustrating, stories. See article. Note: This article is from March 2003.
g Cosmicus - International regulations say it's okay for astronauts to make a mess on the moon. But the rules for sending humans to Mars, according to Dr. Cassie Conley, NASA's acting planetary protection officer, are far more restrictive. See article.
g Aftermath - How would proof of extraterrestrial intelligence affect humanity's "world" view? Astronomer Steve Dick discusses the matter in this transcribed Smithsonian Institute lecture, from 1999. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system 61 Cygni AB?
g Abodes - Molecular hydrogen provides energy for many bacteria, in hot springs at Yellowstone and in rocks several kilometers beneath the surface. How did molecular hydrogen get inside these deep rocks, and what does this tell us about the origin of life on Earth? See article.
g Message - Most SETI programs scan the sky looking for strong radio signals. Any signals that are deemed interesting are put on a list for follow-up observations weeks, months — even years later. Long delays in verification of potential ET signals sometimes generate tantalizing, but ultimately frustrating, stories. See article. Note: This article is from March 2003.
g Cosmicus - International regulations say it's okay for astronauts to make a mess on the moon. But the rules for sending humans to Mars, according to Dr. Cassie Conley, NASA's acting planetary protection officer, are far more restrictive. See article.
g Aftermath - How would proof of extraterrestrial intelligence affect humanity's "world" view? Astronomer Steve Dick discusses the matter in this transcribed Smithsonian Institute lecture, from 1999. See article.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Estimating the frequency for communicating with an extrasolar civilization and meteorites showering the Earth with amino acids
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Procyon AB?
g Abodes - Meteorites shower the Earth with amino acids. A new project is exploring how long amino acids could survive on asteroids, meteorites, and the early Earth. The results could help scientists pinpoint how and where life on our planet began. See article.
g Message - Estimating the frequency for communicating with an extrasolar civilization is a multi-dimensional challenge. The answer, according to two scientists at the Hungarian Astronomical Association, is less like an equation, and more like a matrix. See article. Note: This article is from 2003
g Cosmicus - A new 'flying saucer' design for a prototype aircraft could one day aid in the exploration of other planets and moons, including Saturn's moon Titan. The technology could be used to explore many interesting sites for astrobiology in our solar system. See article.
g Imagining - Why weren't there classes like this when I was in school? Recently, Prof. Joan Slonczewski taught "Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction" at Kenyon College. Here's her book reading list. It's all great reading, whether you're in the class or not. Of course, if Slonczewski taught in Dover, Pa., her class would first have to be read the statement, "The theory that human authors wrote this book is not a fact and continues to be tested. Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of these books that differs from publishers' views." See article.
g Aftermath - Two-thirds of adults think there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe, according to a recent Roper poll. This belief tends to be more prevalent among males, adults ages 64 or younger, and residents of the Northeast as opposed to North Central and South. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Procyon AB?
g Abodes - Meteorites shower the Earth with amino acids. A new project is exploring how long amino acids could survive on asteroids, meteorites, and the early Earth. The results could help scientists pinpoint how and where life on our planet began. See article.
g Message - Estimating the frequency for communicating with an extrasolar civilization is a multi-dimensional challenge. The answer, according to two scientists at the Hungarian Astronomical Association, is less like an equation, and more like a matrix. See article. Note: This article is from 2003
g Cosmicus - A new 'flying saucer' design for a prototype aircraft could one day aid in the exploration of other planets and moons, including Saturn's moon Titan. The technology could be used to explore many interesting sites for astrobiology in our solar system. See article.
g Imagining - Why weren't there classes like this when I was in school? Recently, Prof. Joan Slonczewski taught "Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction" at Kenyon College. Here's her book reading list. It's all great reading, whether you're in the class or not. Of course, if Slonczewski taught in Dover, Pa., her class would first have to be read the statement, "The theory that human authors wrote this book is not a fact and continues to be tested. Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of these books that differs from publishers' views." See article.
g Aftermath - Two-thirds of adults think there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe, according to a recent Roper poll. This belief tends to be more prevalent among males, adults ages 64 or younger, and residents of the Northeast as opposed to North Central and South. See article.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Chances of spotting signals from extraterrestrials and plutoids
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 - A scientifically bold orbital mission in 2013 can address profound and basic scientific gaps that remain in the era beyond MRO. Not surprisingly, there is no single instrument complement that addresses all of the highest priority science, and the science analysis group identified three primary mission scenarios that would address multiple objectives. The high priority measurements are each traceable to MEPAG and NRC goals. These measurements are directly linked to the requested science study areas of the Charter and other areas where critical gaps in current knowledge exist. All three scenarios address a theme of Dynamic Mars: Activity, Transport and Change. Any one of these three scenarios will return significant new information relevant to our understanding of the planet, its history and its potential for life. See article.
g Abodes - The International Astronomical Union has defined new rules for naming and categorizing dwarf planets. Those similar to Pluto and with orbits beyond Neptune will now be named 'plutoids'. See article.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Learning - Astronomy Online provides a wealth of resources and information for teachers, students, or anyone interested in astronomy. The content is arranged into nine broad categories including Observation, Science, Solar System, Stars, Our Galaxy, Cosmology, Astrobiology, Exoplanets and Astrophotography. See review.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
g Stars - A scientifically bold orbital mission in 2013 can address profound and basic scientific gaps that remain in the era beyond MRO. Not surprisingly, there is no single instrument complement that addresses all of the highest priority science, and the science analysis group identified three primary mission scenarios that would address multiple objectives. The high priority measurements are each traceable to MEPAG and NRC goals. These measurements are directly linked to the requested science study areas of the Charter and other areas where critical gaps in current knowledge exist. All three scenarios address a theme of Dynamic Mars: Activity, Transport and Change. Any one of these three scenarios will return significant new information relevant to our understanding of the planet, its history and its potential for life. See article.
g Abodes - The International Astronomical Union has defined new rules for naming and categorizing dwarf planets. Those similar to Pluto and with orbits beyond Neptune will now be named 'plutoids'. See article.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Learning - Astronomy Online provides a wealth of resources and information for teachers, students, or anyone interested in astronomy. The content is arranged into nine broad categories including Observation, Science, Solar System, Stars, Our Galaxy, Cosmology, Astrobiology, Exoplanets and Astrophotography. See review.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
New ways to view the problem of sharing science and beaming Doritos commercials to 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system EZ Aquarii ABC?
g Abodes - Controversy still surrounds the life-detection results from NASA's Viking mission of 30 years ago. The Phoenix mission now on Mars may help answer questions raised by Viking, but researchers will need to be able to spot the difference between chemical and biological signatures. See article.
g Life - Some fundamental building blocks of our genetic code might have come from outer space, according to a controversial new meteorite study. See article.
g Message - It could be the longest commercial break in history. Over a six-hour period, high-powered radars in the Arctic Circle broadcast an advertisement into space for the first time. See article.
g Cosmicus - Transistors made from a new kind of material are now being tested in space. The durable new technology could benefit long duration missions to planets like Mars and aid in completing science objectives like the search for signs of life in our solar system. See article.
g Learning - If science communications in astrobiology is about researchers sharing their results, the audience for new findings may well turn out to be a surprising finding in itself. John Horack, one of the principal Internet architects for how a Webby-award winning NASA site found its audience, explains new ways to view the problem of sharing science. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Imagining - Scientifically speaking, are UFOs worth keeping an eye on? Not exactly. See article.
g Aftermath - The structure of terrestrial music might provide clues to creating interstellar messages that could be understood by extraterrestrial intelligence. In the process, he suggests that music may provide a means of communicating "something of our consciousness that is essentially human, regardless of the civilization from which it emerges." Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system EZ Aquarii ABC?
g Abodes - Controversy still surrounds the life-detection results from NASA's Viking mission of 30 years ago. The Phoenix mission now on Mars may help answer questions raised by Viking, but researchers will need to be able to spot the difference between chemical and biological signatures. See article.
g Life - Some fundamental building blocks of our genetic code might have come from outer space, according to a controversial new meteorite study. See article.
g Message - It could be the longest commercial break in history. Over a six-hour period, high-powered radars in the Arctic Circle broadcast an advertisement into space for the first time. See article.
g Cosmicus - Transistors made from a new kind of material are now being tested in space. The durable new technology could benefit long duration missions to planets like Mars and aid in completing science objectives like the search for signs of life in our solar system. See article.
g Learning - If science communications in astrobiology is about researchers sharing their results, the audience for new findings may well turn out to be a surprising finding in itself. John Horack, one of the principal Internet architects for how a Webby-award winning NASA site found its audience, explains new ways to view the problem of sharing science. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Imagining - Scientifically speaking, are UFOs worth keeping an eye on? Not exactly. See article.
g Aftermath - The structure of terrestrial music might provide clues to creating interstellar messages that could be understood by extraterrestrial intelligence. In the process, he suggests that music may provide a means of communicating "something of our consciousness that is essentially human, regardless of the civilization from which it emerges." Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Orphan stars and why we should send Bach to 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 Stars - A study suggest that "orphan" stars - which form in tails of gas that extend well outside their parent galaxy - may be more prevalent than previously thought. If planets can form around these stars, they would find themselves in a truly unique and lonely environment in the space between galaxies. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Message - The founder of the scientific search for extraterrestrial civilizations Frank Drake believed that a minimum of 200 highly developed civilizations were hiding somewhere in our galaxy. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is looking for a few good lunar research ideas and is willing to pay $8 to $10 million for the effort. See article.
g Learning - The SETI Institute's Education and Public Outreach programs share the excitement of searching for life in the universe with people of all ages. Many folk are curious about our place in the universe: are we alone in the vast ocean of stars and galaxies? See article.
g Aftermath - One of our natural tendencies when we make contact with strangers is to try to impress them. Sloppy dressers might polish their shoes for a job interview, hopeful suitors will wash their cars for a first date and prospective children-in-law will be on their best behavior in the presence of the parents of their intended. Wouldn't we want to do the same in our first contact with ET? Lewis Thomas, in his book "Lives of a Cell," suggests that if we want to impress an alien civilization, we should send "Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again." See article.
g Stars - A study suggest that "orphan" stars - which form in tails of gas that extend well outside their parent galaxy - may be more prevalent than previously thought. If planets can form around these stars, they would find themselves in a truly unique and lonely environment in the space between galaxies. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Message - The founder of the scientific search for extraterrestrial civilizations Frank Drake believed that a minimum of 200 highly developed civilizations were hiding somewhere in our galaxy. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is looking for a few good lunar research ideas and is willing to pay $8 to $10 million for the effort. See article.
g Learning - The SETI Institute's Education and Public Outreach programs share the excitement of searching for life in the universe with people of all ages. Many folk are curious about our place in the universe: are we alone in the vast ocean of stars and galaxies? See article.
g Aftermath - One of our natural tendencies when we make contact with strangers is to try to impress them. Sloppy dressers might polish their shoes for a job interview, hopeful suitors will wash their cars for a first date and prospective children-in-law will be on their best behavior in the presence of the parents of their intended. Wouldn't we want to do the same in our first contact with ET? Lewis Thomas, in his book "Lives of a Cell," suggests that if we want to impress an alien civilization, we should send "Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again." See article.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
First mouthful of Martian soil and clues left by extinct alien races
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 128?
g Abodes - After vibrating the screen that covers the TEGA instrument, the Phoenix Lander now has its first mouthful of Martian soil. See article.
g Message - The first 42 radio dishes of the Allen Telescope Array are activated and collecting scientific data from the far reaches of the universe. See article.
g Cosmicus - A Pentagon office is taking advantage of the collaborative nature of the Internet as it studies potential applications for space-based solar power, according to one of the officials leading the effort. See article.
g Aftermath - How might explorers determine what happened to an extinct alien race based on the clues they left behind on their home planet? See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 128?
g Abodes - After vibrating the screen that covers the TEGA instrument, the Phoenix Lander now has its first mouthful of Martian soil. See article.
g Message - The first 42 radio dishes of the Allen Telescope Array are activated and collecting scientific data from the far reaches of the universe. See article.
g Cosmicus - A Pentagon office is taking advantage of the collaborative nature of the Internet as it studies potential applications for space-based solar power, according to one of the officials leading the effort. See article.
g Aftermath - How might explorers determine what happened to an extinct alien race based on the clues they left behind on their home planet? See article.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Titan vs. Earth and picking up aliens' leakage radiation
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Lacaille 9352?
g Abodes - Scientists are drawing unique comparisons between the climate of Saturn's moon Titan and the Earth. Titan has some of the same circulation processes that happen on Earth, only they occur with completely different substances and at much colder temperatures. See article.
g Message - A new type of radio telescope may aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The LOFAR telescope could be used to detect signals directed toward Earth, and might even pick up 'leakage radiation' from radio and TV transmitters if they're being used by civilizations around nearby stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers have built a mobile robotic arm that can 'see' its environment and learn to manipulate objects. The technology could play an important role in future robotic planetary exploration. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site to introduce kids who go ga-ga over movie aliens to the science of astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, says Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Lacaille 9352?
g Abodes - Scientists are drawing unique comparisons between the climate of Saturn's moon Titan and the Earth. Titan has some of the same circulation processes that happen on Earth, only they occur with completely different substances and at much colder temperatures. See article.
g Message - A new type of radio telescope may aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The LOFAR telescope could be used to detect signals directed toward Earth, and might even pick up 'leakage radiation' from radio and TV transmitters if they're being used by civilizations around nearby stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers have built a mobile robotic arm that can 'see' its environment and learn to manipulate objects. The technology could play an important role in future robotic planetary exploration. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site to introduce kids who go ga-ga over movie aliens to the science of astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, says Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Habitable zones of Alpha Centauri and protocell model
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 - What are the habitable zones for the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri ABC?
g Life - Researchers have modeled a primitive cell, or protocell, that is capable of building, copying and containing DNA. The study could help us understand how the earliest cells on Earth formed and evolved. See article.
g Message - After 20 years of listening for signs of life elsewhere in the universe, The Planetary Society is now watching the skies. On April 11, 2006 the Society dedicated a brand new optical telescope at an observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts, designed solely to search for light signals from alien civilizations - a search known as Optical SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - A British space expert described the Phoenix Mars probe's successful landing as a "massive step forward" in the quest to establish whether life can exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a hidden gem about alien contact: the science fiction story “Contact, Incorporated”, about a private company that Earth’s government hires to make first contact with extraterrestrials. It’s from 1950 and appears in the seminal classic, “The Classic Book of Science Fiction,” edited by Groff Conklin (your library ought to have this volume). Despite being more than a half-century old, it remains an intriguing examination of how to communicate with aliens.
g Stars - What are the habitable zones for the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri ABC?
g Life - Researchers have modeled a primitive cell, or protocell, that is capable of building, copying and containing DNA. The study could help us understand how the earliest cells on Earth formed and evolved. See article.
g Message - After 20 years of listening for signs of life elsewhere in the universe, The Planetary Society is now watching the skies. On April 11, 2006 the Society dedicated a brand new optical telescope at an observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts, designed solely to search for light signals from alien civilizations - a search known as Optical SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - A British space expert described the Phoenix Mars probe's successful landing as a "massive step forward" in the quest to establish whether life can exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a hidden gem about alien contact: the science fiction story “Contact, Incorporated”, about a private company that Earth’s government hires to make first contact with extraterrestrials. It’s from 1950 and appears in the seminal classic, “The Classic Book of Science Fiction,” edited by Groff Conklin (your library ought to have this volume). Despite being more than a half-century old, it remains an intriguing examination of how to communicate with aliens.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Intelligence vs. cosmic gurgle and Martian methane
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Luyten 726-8?
g Abodes - Research on methane at a Mexican salt flat could help reveal the source of methane that has been detected in the atmosphere of Mars. But first scientists have to decipher the unique – and seemingly contradictory - isotopic signature of the Mexican methane. See article. For related story, see “Mars Soil, Chunky-Style”.
g Message - How can we be sure scientists listening to noise from space have picked up intelligence, and not just the cosmic gurgle of a completely natural object? See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - A British space expert has described the Phoenix Mars probe's successful landing as a "massive step forward" in the quest to establish whether life can exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Will ET be altruistic or hostile? An Internet poll found a strong connection between people's beliefs about extraterrestrials and their feelings about how meaningful life is. What makes the results even more compelling is that they match the findings of an earlier study conducted under more stringent testing conditions. See article. Note: This article is from February 2002.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Luyten 726-8?
g Abodes - Research on methane at a Mexican salt flat could help reveal the source of methane that has been detected in the atmosphere of Mars. But first scientists have to decipher the unique – and seemingly contradictory - isotopic signature of the Mexican methane. See article. For related story, see “Mars Soil, Chunky-Style”.
g Message - How can we be sure scientists listening to noise from space have picked up intelligence, and not just the cosmic gurgle of a completely natural object? See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - A British space expert has described the Phoenix Mars probe's successful landing as a "massive step forward" in the quest to establish whether life can exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Will ET be altruistic or hostile? An Internet poll found a strong connection between people's beliefs about extraterrestrials and their feelings about how meaningful life is. What makes the results even more compelling is that they match the findings of an earlier study conducted under more stringent testing conditions. See article. Note: This article is from February 2002.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Omega Nebula star nursery and new technology for locating ETI
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 - Detailed images of the starbirth nursery in the Omega Nebula have revealed a multi component structure in the envelope of dust and gas surrounding a very young star. The stellar newborn, called M17-SO1, has a flaring torus of gas and dust, and thin conical shells of material above and below the torus. See article. Note: This article is from 2005. See article.
g Message - Plans are being developed to use new technology to search for possible extraterrestrial intelligence. Astronomers will scan a select portion of the sky where the likelihood of detecting signals from other worlds is thought to be more favorable. See article.
g Cosmicus - Iowa State University has now established the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC). The ADRC will gather researchers from around the world to develop technologies that will protect the Earth from devastating impacts. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
g Stars - Detailed images of the starbirth nursery in the Omega Nebula have revealed a multi component structure in the envelope of dust and gas surrounding a very young star. The stellar newborn, called M17-SO1, has a flaring torus of gas and dust, and thin conical shells of material above and below the torus. See article. Note: This article is from 2005. See article.
g Message - Plans are being developed to use new technology to search for possible extraterrestrial intelligence. Astronomers will scan a select portion of the sky where the likelihood of detecting signals from other worlds is thought to be more favorable. See article.
g Cosmicus - Iowa State University has now established the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC). The ADRC will gather researchers from around the world to develop technologies that will protect the Earth from devastating impacts. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Habitable zone of Groombridge 1618 and bacteria found 2 miles inside glacier
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 - What is the habitable zone of the nearby star Groombridge 1618?
g Life - A novel, ultra-small bacterial species has been found at a depth of nearly two miles within the ice of a Greenland glacier. The ability of this organism to survive in such a unique environment will help us understand how life could survive elsewhere in the solar system. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Using Earth-based radar, scientists have studied ejecta material from the moon's Orientale impact basin. The new data has implications for future robotic and human missions to explore the lunar south pole. See article.
g Learning - Matt Levit is cautious. The 20-year-old doesn't drive, and he's never been on a plane. But Sunday, he will fly to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute on the West Coast to study astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: "After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life" by Albert A. Harrison.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone of the nearby star Groombridge 1618?
g Life - A novel, ultra-small bacterial species has been found at a depth of nearly two miles within the ice of a Greenland glacier. The ability of this organism to survive in such a unique environment will help us understand how life could survive elsewhere in the solar system. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Using Earth-based radar, scientists have studied ejecta material from the moon's Orientale impact basin. The new data has implications for future robotic and human missions to explore the lunar south pole. See article.
g Learning - Matt Levit is cautious. The 20-year-old doesn't drive, and he's never been on a plane. But Sunday, he will fly to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute on the West Coast to study astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Here's an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: "After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life" by Albert A. Harrison.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Hairy blobs and how advanced technical societies might make their presence known
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Epsilon Eridani?
g Life - They look like something out of a 1950s B-movie. Colonies of fossilized creatures, dubbed "hairy blobs", have been discovered in one of the harshest environments on Earth. The find may turn out to be crucial for spotting signs of extraterrestrial life in rocks on other planets. See article.
g Message - Interstellar transmissions via energy-markers (photons) or matter-markers (probes) appear to be energetically indistinguishable alternatives for advanced technical societies. Since only Type II and Type III civilizations realistically can afford beacons or star probe technology, alternative distinguishability criteria suggest the possible superiority of intelligent artifacts for contact and communication missions among extraterrestrial cultures. A balanced, more cost-effective Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence strategy is needed. See article.
g Cosmicus - While recognizing that many of the driving forces behind human space flight are social and political, rather than narrowly scientific, it seems clear that science has been, and will continue to be, a major beneficiary of having people in space. What, after all, is the alternative? We can either stay at home, sending a few robot spacecraft to our neighboring planets, and continuing to gaze at the more distant universe across light years of empty space, or we can get ourselves out among the planets and, eventually, the stars. In which alternative future would we learn the most about this universe and our place within it? See article.
g Learning - There's some good news (at least for scientists and rationalists) in a recent Gallup poll: When asked "do you believe that extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth at some time in the past," 51% said no. That fraction has risen. In a 1990 poll, 41% said no, and in 2001, 38%. See article.
g Aftermath - We live in a new age of discovery, the first days of a new renaissance. It is the dawn of the age of planets. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Epsilon Eridani?
g Life - They look like something out of a 1950s B-movie. Colonies of fossilized creatures, dubbed "hairy blobs", have been discovered in one of the harshest environments on Earth. The find may turn out to be crucial for spotting signs of extraterrestrial life in rocks on other planets. See article.
g Message - Interstellar transmissions via energy-markers (photons) or matter-markers (probes) appear to be energetically indistinguishable alternatives for advanced technical societies. Since only Type II and Type III civilizations realistically can afford beacons or star probe technology, alternative distinguishability criteria suggest the possible superiority of intelligent artifacts for contact and communication missions among extraterrestrial cultures. A balanced, more cost-effective Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence strategy is needed. See article.
g Cosmicus - While recognizing that many of the driving forces behind human space flight are social and political, rather than narrowly scientific, it seems clear that science has been, and will continue to be, a major beneficiary of having people in space. What, after all, is the alternative? We can either stay at home, sending a few robot spacecraft to our neighboring planets, and continuing to gaze at the more distant universe across light years of empty space, or we can get ourselves out among the planets and, eventually, the stars. In which alternative future would we learn the most about this universe and our place within it? See article.
g Learning - There's some good news (at least for scientists and rationalists) in a recent Gallup poll: When asked "do you believe that extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth at some time in the past," 51% said no. That fraction has risen. In a 1990 poll, 41% said no, and in 2001, 38%. See article.
g Aftermath - We live in a new age of discovery, the first days of a new renaissance. It is the dawn of the age of planets. See article.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Smallest yet extrasolar planet observed and false detection of 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 Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 248?
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered the smallest yet observed extrasolar planet. The planet is only three times more massive than Earth, and has proven that low-mass stars may be good candidates for hosting Earth-like planets. See article.
g Life - Astrobiologists hope to find evidence for life on Mars. Sending spacecraft from Earth to study the planet could introduce biological contamination, however, and lead to a false detection of alien life. New research adds to these concerns with evidence that ATP - an energy-storage molecule vital to life on Earth - could survive for months or even years onboard a Martian probe. See article.
g Message - Maybe it’s time to put some new numbers into the Drake Equation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Expanding its existing relationship with NASA, Google on Wednesday said it plans to lease 42.2 acres of unimproved land at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., to construct up to 1.2 million square feet of offices and research space. See article.
g Aftermath - If, as “The X-Files'” Fox Mulder might say, "The truth is out there," then the researchers running the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program are likely to be the first ones to find it. On the other hand, there are numerous people who believe they've already been in contact with aliens. National Geographic's video ”Phantom Quest: The Search for Extraterrestrials” studies the claims of both groups, ultimately seeking to reveal precisely what an encounter with beings from another planet could mean for humanity. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 248?
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered the smallest yet observed extrasolar planet. The planet is only three times more massive than Earth, and has proven that low-mass stars may be good candidates for hosting Earth-like planets. See article.
g Life - Astrobiologists hope to find evidence for life on Mars. Sending spacecraft from Earth to study the planet could introduce biological contamination, however, and lead to a false detection of alien life. New research adds to these concerns with evidence that ATP - an energy-storage molecule vital to life on Earth - could survive for months or even years onboard a Martian probe. See article.
g Message - Maybe it’s time to put some new numbers into the Drake Equation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Expanding its existing relationship with NASA, Google on Wednesday said it plans to lease 42.2 acres of unimproved land at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., to construct up to 1.2 million square feet of offices and research space. See article.
g Aftermath - If, as “The X-Files'” Fox Mulder might say, "The truth is out there," then the researchers running the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program are likely to be the first ones to find it. On the other hand, there are numerous people who believe they've already been in contact with aliens. National Geographic's video ”Phantom Quest: The Search for Extraterrestrials” studies the claims of both groups, ultimately seeking to reveal precisely what an encounter with beings from another planet could mean for humanity. See article.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Roadmap for finding Earth-like planets and Phoenix’s first scoop of Martian soil
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 - What is the habitable zone or the nearby star Luyten 1813-21? See article.
g Abodes - ESA is launching a new initiative to develop a roadmap for finding Earth-like planets. Searching for rocky planets around other stars, in the hopes of finding an Earth-like world, is a top scientific goal in ESA's Cosmic Vision program. See article.
g Message - The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft celebrated their 30th anniversary last fall. They are now past the edge of the Solar System, continuing to collect scientific data and carrying their famous golden records – which contain sounds and images of Earth – into interstellar space. See article.
g Cosmicus -NASA’s Phoenix lander has lifted its first scoop of Martian soil – and possibly Martian ice -- as a test of the lander's Robotic Arm. See article.
g Learning - A British university has launched a three-year degree course in the hunt for life beyond planet Earth. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: As many Earthlings already know —including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience — our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that "Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations" (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking, and McConnell has put together a methodical, nuts-and-bolts walkthrough of both the challenges involved and how binary code might be enlisted to solve them. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone or the nearby star Luyten 1813-21? See article.
g Abodes - ESA is launching a new initiative to develop a roadmap for finding Earth-like planets. Searching for rocky planets around other stars, in the hopes of finding an Earth-like world, is a top scientific goal in ESA's Cosmic Vision program. See article.
g Message - The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft celebrated their 30th anniversary last fall. They are now past the edge of the Solar System, continuing to collect scientific data and carrying their famous golden records – which contain sounds and images of Earth – into interstellar space. See article.
g Cosmicus -NASA’s Phoenix lander has lifted its first scoop of Martian soil – and possibly Martian ice -- as a test of the lander's Robotic Arm. See article.
g Learning - A British university has launched a three-year degree course in the hunt for life beyond planet Earth. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: As many Earthlings already know —including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience — our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that "Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations" (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking, and McConnell has put together a methodical, nuts-and-bolts walkthrough of both the challenges involved and how binary code might be enlisted to solve them. See article.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Water ice on Mars and foreign DNA
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 154?
g Abodes - When NASA's Phoenix lander reached the surface of Mars a week ago, soil was blown away and exposed what may be ice. The existence of water ice, and the potential for liquid water, is important for the existence of life on Mars. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered numerous pieces of foreign DNA in the genome of a freshwater animal. The study sheds new light on the mechanisms behind the evolution of life. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here's one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University. See article.
g Cosmicus - Forty years ago, Project Apollo put the first humans on the surface of the Moon. The next time the U.S. launches its astronauts to Earth's natural satellite, they will do so as part of Project Orion. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: "Wings over Mars." For grades 5-8, students get to design robotic airplanes to explore and collect data on Mars. See article.
g Aftermath - After its long voyage from Earth across the vast stretches of interstellar space, the space ship finally lands on a planet with an environment compatible with human life. The human space voyagers descend from their ship and encounter a race of intelligent beings native to the planet. Communication is soon established between the two groups, human and alien, of intelligent beings. So might begin a story in the contemporary science fiction genre. Such stories might not seem to have much to do with the question of the nature of language, but there is one aspect of the story that merits our attention, namely, the fact that communication is established. That in itself is remarkable. In real life humans have never succeeded in establishing communication with any other species, at least not in establishing communication in the same way as they do with alien beings in many science fiction stories. In such stories it is often possible to communicate with the aliens as effectively as with a human group who speak another language. Are we to say, then, that these alien beings have language? See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Ross 154?
g Abodes - When NASA's Phoenix lander reached the surface of Mars a week ago, soil was blown away and exposed what may be ice. The existence of water ice, and the potential for liquid water, is important for the existence of life on Mars. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered numerous pieces of foreign DNA in the genome of a freshwater animal. The study sheds new light on the mechanisms behind the evolution of life. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here's one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University. See article.
g Cosmicus - Forty years ago, Project Apollo put the first humans on the surface of the Moon. The next time the U.S. launches its astronauts to Earth's natural satellite, they will do so as part of Project Orion. See article.
g Learning - Here's a neat Web site, courtesy of NASA: "Wings over Mars." For grades 5-8, students get to design robotic airplanes to explore and collect data on Mars. See article.
g Aftermath - After its long voyage from Earth across the vast stretches of interstellar space, the space ship finally lands on a planet with an environment compatible with human life. The human space voyagers descend from their ship and encounter a race of intelligent beings native to the planet. Communication is soon established between the two groups, human and alien, of intelligent beings. So might begin a story in the contemporary science fiction genre. Such stories might not seem to have much to do with the question of the nature of language, but there is one aspect of the story that merits our attention, namely, the fact that communication is established. That in itself is remarkable. In real life humans have never succeeded in establishing communication with any other species, at least not in establishing communication in the same way as they do with alien beings in many science fiction stories. In such stories it is often possible to communicate with the aliens as effectively as with a human group who speak another language. Are we to say, then, that these alien beings have language? See article.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Did salt exterminate Martians and prospecting in a rich molecular cloud
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Sirius AB?
g Abodes - If life ever got going on Mars, it may have been exterminated 4 billion years ago by a buildup of salt. Evidence that the planet is poisonously salty comes from a study of minerals near the Martian surface. See article.
g Life - Scientists are using the giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope to go prospecting in a rich molecular cloud in our Milky Way Galaxy. They seek to discover new, complex molecules in interstellar space that may be precursors to life. See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus -An amateur astronomer has made an observation that will boost our knowledge of near Earth asteroids. Now the fastest known, naturally rotating object in our solar system has been identified. See article.
g Aftermath - Humans live and die by approximations. We are seldom as perfect or as accurate as we would like to be. And as we contemplate what we might say to an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, maybe that's a point we should emphasize. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star system Sirius AB?
g Abodes - If life ever got going on Mars, it may have been exterminated 4 billion years ago by a buildup of salt. Evidence that the planet is poisonously salty comes from a study of minerals near the Martian surface. See article.
g Life - Scientists are using the giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope to go prospecting in a rich molecular cloud in our Milky Way Galaxy. They seek to discover new, complex molecules in interstellar space that may be precursors to life. See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus -An amateur astronomer has made an observation that will boost our knowledge of near Earth asteroids. Now the fastest known, naturally rotating object in our solar system has been identified. See article.
g Aftermath - Humans live and die by approximations. We are seldom as perfect or as accurate as we would like to be. And as we contemplate what we might say to an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, maybe that's a point we should emphasize. See article.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Martian hydrothermal vents and how we’re trying to contact E.T.I.
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 - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Luyten 726-8 A/UV Ceti?
g Abodes - NASA's Spirit rover has discovered deposits on Mars that resemble those seen around hydrothermal vents on Earth. The finding has important implications in understanding whether or not Mars once supported habitats suitable for life. See article.
g Message - It's possible to split up the methods of finding extraterrestrial life into two categories; humans trying to discover extraterrestrial life, and humans trying to be discovered by extraterrestrial life. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Cosmicus -NASA's Phoenix lander has freed its nearly 8-foot robotic arm. This will allow the lander to dig into the Martian soil and determine if this region of the Red Planet was ever habitable for life. Phoenix also sent more detailed images of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - When Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution through natural selection 143 years ago, the scientists of the day argued over it fiercely, but the massing evidence from paleontology, genetics, zoology, molecular biology and other fields gradually established evolution's truth beyond reasonable doubt. Today that battle has been won everywhere — except in the public imagination. Embarrassingly, in the 21st century, in the most scientifically advanced nation the world has ever known, creationists can still persuade politicians, judges and ordinary citizens that evolution is a flawed, poorly supported fantasy. They lobby for creationist ideas such as "intelligent design" to be taught as alternatives to evolution in science classrooms. As this article goes to press, the Ohio Board of Education is debating whether to mandate such a change. Some antievolutionists, such as Philip E. Johnson, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley and author of "Darwin on Trial," admit that they intend for intelligent-design theory to serve as a "wedge" for reopening science classrooms to discussions of God. See article.
g Aftermath - To create interstellar messages that have a realistic chance of being understood across interstellar distances, we need to identify some information shared by humans and extraterrestrials. We need to identify a foundation for establishing a universal language that will let us bridge the gap between our world and theirs, all without the convenience of face-to-face contact. See article. Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
g Stars - What is the habitable zone for the nearby star Luyten 726-8 A/UV Ceti?
g Abodes - NASA's Spirit rover has discovered deposits on Mars that resemble those seen around hydrothermal vents on Earth. The finding has important implications in understanding whether or not Mars once supported habitats suitable for life. See article.
g Message - It's possible to split up the methods of finding extraterrestrial life into two categories; humans trying to discover extraterrestrial life, and humans trying to be discovered by extraterrestrial life. See article. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Cosmicus -NASA's Phoenix lander has freed its nearly 8-foot robotic arm. This will allow the lander to dig into the Martian soil and determine if this region of the Red Planet was ever habitable for life. Phoenix also sent more detailed images of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - When Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution through natural selection 143 years ago, the scientists of the day argued over it fiercely, but the massing evidence from paleontology, genetics, zoology, molecular biology and other fields gradually established evolution's truth beyond reasonable doubt. Today that battle has been won everywhere — except in the public imagination. Embarrassingly, in the 21st century, in the most scientifically advanced nation the world has ever known, creationists can still persuade politicians, judges and ordinary citizens that evolution is a flawed, poorly supported fantasy. They lobby for creationist ideas such as "intelligent design" to be taught as alternatives to evolution in science classrooms. As this article goes to press, the Ohio Board of Education is debating whether to mandate such a change. Some antievolutionists, such as Philip E. Johnson, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley and author of "Darwin on Trial," admit that they intend for intelligent-design theory to serve as a "wedge" for reopening science classrooms to discussions of God. See article.
g Aftermath - To create interstellar messages that have a realistic chance of being understood across interstellar distances, we need to identify some information shared by humans and extraterrestrials. We need to identify a foundation for establishing a universal language that will let us bridge the gap between our world and theirs, all without the convenience of face-to-face contact. See article. Note: This article is from 2002. See article.
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