Optical SETI and extremophiles in Yellowstone

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 Life - When bacteriologist Thomas Brock started probing the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park in the 1960s, he was not looking to overthrow a ground rule of biology. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Intelligence - Do you sometimes have memories of a mysterious past life? Recall odd experiences such as being abducted by aliens? Wonder where these memories come from and if, in fact, you were really once whisked off in a flying saucer by ETs? Seems the answer may be simpler than you think—or remember. A new study shows that people with memories of past lives are more likely than others to misremember the source of any given piece of information. See article.
g Message - After 20 years of listening for signs of life elsewhere in the universe, The Planetary Society is watching the skies. On April 11, 2006, the society dedicated a brand new optical telescope at an observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts, designed solely to search for light signals from alien civilizations - a search known as Optical SETI. See article. Note: This article is from 2006.
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 2004.