Carbonate minerals on Mars and Expedition 18 spacewalk

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 - Researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have identified carbonate minerals on the Martian surface, indicating that the planet had different types of watery environments in its past. The discovery has important implications in determining if Mars was once habitable. See article.
g Life - What is the history of life on Earth? Here’s a primer.
g Message - Visiting another civilization on a distant world would be fascinating, but at present such a trip is beyond our capabilities. However, it is perfectly within our capabilities to develop a communications system using a powerful transmitter and a sensitive receiver, and using it to search the sky for alien worlds whose citizens have a similar inclination. See article.
g Cosmicus - Oh, those balky connectors! Just like working at home, the Expedition 18 spacewalking team had some "huff and puff" moments with balky connectors as they attached, removed, and toted elements on the International Space Station hull. See article.