Universe now twice as bright and students study 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 - The universe is twice as bright than previously thought, astronomers claim. See article.
g Abodes -The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft have shown. See article.
g Message - In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote the equation that put the search for alien civilizations on a scientific footing and launched the modern SETI movement. How do the numbers look today? See articles. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Cosmicus -Unmanned, toy-sized snowmobiles recently navigated Alaska's frozen arctic outback. The new technology may one day help scientists study the affects of global climate change on melting ice in the arctic. See article.
g Learning -School pupils in Dundee, Perth and Fife are exploring life on Mars. See article.
g Aftermath - With humanity now on the verge of being capable to leave its home world, Earth, scientists have begun to wrestle with the consequences of this next great journey; of the social impact humanity will have upon discovering life elsewhere, be it fossil, bacterial or an intelligent civilization. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.