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.