Organisms colonizing glass and Nordic contributions to astrobiology

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 -U.S. scientists say they are preparing for the day when they can study materials returned to Earth from Mars or other planetary bodies. See article.
g Life - Organisms colonize glass in order to extract energy, “eating” metals such as iron or manganese contained within. See article.
g Message -In Part Three in the series on stellar and terrestrial evolution, Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium and host of the PBS/NOVA Series "Origins," discusses the limits of radio searches for extraterrestrial life. See article.
g Cosmicus -NASA has concluded that corrective action is appropriate in the Government Accountability Office bid protest of Exploration Systems & Technology, Inc. NASA determined that a compliance issue requires the termination of the contract for the Constellation Space Suit System with Oceaneering International, Inc. of Houston for the convenience of the government. See article.
g Learning -Brimming with new interviews, stories and essays, the Summer 2008 issue of AMEE focuses on the Nordic community's contributions to astrobiology. See article.
g Imagining -Notes on Life Underground: here are some astrobiological thoughts on the novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” through the eyes of Nordic science fiction writer, Ludvig Holberg. See article.
g Aftermath - The next big discovery in science will be the proof that alien life exists — and it could come any day now. See article. Note: This article is from 2006.