Cameras on Mars and Lunar and Planetary Institute teaching resources

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here's today's news:
g Abodes -The Visual Monitoring Camera is mounted on Mars Express, ESA's deep-space probe now orbiting the Red Planet. It originally provided simple, low-tech images of Beagle lander separation, and is now back in action as the “Mars Webcam.” See article.
g Message -Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Learning -This subject is the study of the life beyond Earth, and the conditions under which life may exist. Here are Lunar and Planetary Institute resources from its field trips, workshops, programs, and products. They include activities, images, powerpoints, recommended books and videos and Web sites, and more.
g Aftermath - Comparing the task presented to a stellar communicator to the reasoning why past civilizations have prepared for posterity, one considers whether SETI lays the groundwork for future archaeology. Why did our terrestrial ancestors prepare relics like the Rosetta Stone? See article. Note: This article is from 2003.