Origin of life pushed back 500 million years and ‘Sharing the Universe’

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 832?
g Abodes -Geologists have found that major basins in India are 500 million years older than previously thought. The study may lend weight to idea that complex life originated earlier in Earth's history. See article.
g Message -Quote of the Day: “The stars … blindly run;/A web is wov’n across the sky;/From out waste places comes a cry” – Lord Alfred Tennyson, “In Memoriam, A.H.H. III”
g Learning -TERC has developed a middle and high school curriculum that stimulates student learning and participation with intriguing questions and illuminating activities. Astrobiology, by its very nature, kindles interest and curiosity in students and offers a genuinely exciting entrée to high school science. Students experience science in a relevant and meaningful way as they consider the fascinating story of searching for life in the universe. See article.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, click here.