Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Epsilon Indi ABC, a nearby star system popular in science fiction tales? See article.
g Abodes - Last week, NASA heralded the discovery of the first two Earth-sized planets orbiting a star similar to the sun. That followed NASA's tantalizing announcement only two weeks before that scientists had discovered a planet roughly twice the size of Earth orbiting at a habitable distance around a sun-like star. While none of these planets meet all the conditions for habitability, it may not be long until Kepler scientists discover one that does. See article.
g Message - In 1961 the Drake Equation launched the search for other civilizations among the stars. How does it look today? What is the chance of finding aliens? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Large volumes of water beneath Martian surface and temporal aspects of the Drake Equation
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Radar probing of the Phlegra Montes region on Mars suggests large volumes of ice water sit below the surface. See article.
g Message - Here’s an interesting paper, The Temporal Aspect of the Drake Equation and SETI”, which critically investigates some evolutionary aspects of the famous Drake equation. Note: This paper is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Five days after a failed launch, the Russian Soyuz rocket system has been pressed back into service. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Radar probing of the Phlegra Montes region on Mars suggests large volumes of ice water sit below the surface. See article.
g Message - Here’s an interesting paper, The Temporal Aspect of the Drake Equation and SETI”, which critically investigates some evolutionary aspects of the famous Drake equation. Note: This paper is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Five days after a failed launch, the Russian Soyuz rocket system has been pressed back into service. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Marooned Mars probe falling back to Earth and potential habitability of GJ 1061
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of GJ 1061, an M-type star less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A team of scientists has successfully plotted changes in the Earth's axis through laboratory measurements. See article.
g Cosmicus - Russia's marooned Mars probe Phobos-Grunt, currently stuck in orbit, is headed for a mid-January plunge into Earth's atmosphere, and more than two dozen pieces of the huge spacecraft could survive the fall, scientists say. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of GJ 1061, an M-type star less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A team of scientists has successfully plotted changes in the Earth's axis through laboratory measurements. See article.
g Cosmicus - Russia's marooned Mars probe Phobos-Grunt, currently stuck in orbit, is headed for a mid-January plunge into Earth's atmosphere, and more than two dozen pieces of the huge spacecraft could survive the fall, scientists say. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Complex hydrocarbons on Pluto and searching for alien artifacts on the Moon
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Groombridge 34, a binary less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - New data from the Hubble Space Telescope indicates that complex hydrocarbon and/or nitrile molecules may be present on the surface of Pluto. See article.
g Message - Arizona State University's professor Paul Davies—a theoretical physicist and cosmologist now working on astrobiology — and Robert Wagner—Research Technician at the School of Earth & Space Exploration — have published a scientific paper calling for the search of alien artifacts on the Moon. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers have created a new type of optical device small enough to fit millions on a computer chip that could lead to faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Groombridge 34, a binary less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - New data from the Hubble Space Telescope indicates that complex hydrocarbon and/or nitrile molecules may be present on the surface of Pluto. See article.
g Message - Arizona State University's professor Paul Davies—a theoretical physicist and cosmologist now working on astrobiology — and Robert Wagner—Research Technician at the School of Earth & Space Exploration — have published a scientific paper calling for the search of alien artifacts on the Moon. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers have created a new type of optical device small enough to fit millions on a computer chip that could lead to faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Two deep fried Earth-sized planets and fossil of single-celled ancestors discovered
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered around a dying star that has passed the red giant stage. This discovery, published in the science journal Nature, may shed new light on the destiny of stellar and planetary systems, including our solar system. See article.
g Life - Evidence of the single-celled ancestors of animals, dating from the interval in Earth's history just before multicellular animals appeared, has been discovered in 570 million-year-old rocks from South China by researchers from the University of Bristol, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the Paul Scherrer Institute and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. See article.
g Cosmicus - Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light - electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame has made a major advance toward this vision by creating an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered around a dying star that has passed the red giant stage. This discovery, published in the science journal Nature, may shed new light on the destiny of stellar and planetary systems, including our solar system. See article.
g Life - Evidence of the single-celled ancestors of animals, dating from the interval in Earth's history just before multicellular animals appeared, has been discovered in 570 million-year-old rocks from South China by researchers from the University of Bristol, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the Paul Scherrer Institute and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. See article.
g Cosmicus - Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light - electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame has made a major advance toward this vision by creating an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 26, 2011
Incredibly distant and productive galaxy discovered and brain reading
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - A team of scientists using NASA’s Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes announced they have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate. See article.
g Abodes - According to a new NASA study, climate change will modify plant communities over almost half of the Earth's land surface. See article.
g Intelligence - At UCLA's Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology, researchers use functional MRI brain scans to observe brain signal changes that take place during mental activity. They then employ computerized machine learning (ML) methods to study these patterns and identify the cognitive state - or sometimes the thought process - of human subjects. The technique is called "brain reading" or "brain decoding." See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - A team of scientists using NASA’s Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes announced they have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate. See article.
g Abodes - According to a new NASA study, climate change will modify plant communities over almost half of the Earth's land surface. See article.
g Intelligence - At UCLA's Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology, researchers use functional MRI brain scans to observe brain signal changes that take place during mental activity. They then employ computerized machine learning (ML) methods to study these patterns and identify the cognitive state - or sometimes the thought process - of human subjects. The technique is called "brain reading" or "brain decoding." See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Determining what the Star of Bethlehem might have been and origin of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - For centuries, astrologers, astronomers and mathematicians have studied and posited theories about the Star of Bethlehem, questioning if it was really a star at all. Was it a supernova, a comet, a conjunction of planets, the birth of a new star or something entirely different? See article.
g Abodes - Based on studies of rock cores, geoscientists have determined that oxygen did not appear in Earth's atmosphere in a single event. See article.
g Cosmicus - The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - For centuries, astrologers, astronomers and mathematicians have studied and posited theories about the Star of Bethlehem, questioning if it was really a star at all. Was it a supernova, a comet, a conjunction of planets, the birth of a new star or something entirely different? See article.
g Abodes - Based on studies of rock cores, geoscientists have determined that oxygen did not appear in Earth's atmosphere in a single event. See article.
g Cosmicus - The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Link between cosmology and the emergence of life, and our world’s rising nitrogen level
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Struve 2398, a trinary just 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Among the 'footprints left on Earth's climate by humans is an over-abundance of available nitrogen. Scientists are now trying to determine how this disruption in the nitrogen balance will affect the future of life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - Recently, Theoretical Physicist Marcelo Gleiser, the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy Dartmouth College, was asked to give an opening lecture at an international conference on astrobiology, linking cosmology to the emergence of life on Earth and other planetary platforms. His conclusion: We, and any other alien creature that might exist, are products of the same laws of physics and chemistry that operate across the cosmos. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Struve 2398, a trinary just 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Among the 'footprints left on Earth's climate by humans is an over-abundance of available nitrogen. Scientists are now trying to determine how this disruption in the nitrogen balance will affect the future of life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - Recently, Theoretical Physicist Marcelo Gleiser, the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy Dartmouth College, was asked to give an opening lecture at an international conference on astrobiology, linking cosmology to the emergence of life on Earth and other planetary platforms. His conclusion: We, and any other alien creature that might exist, are products of the same laws of physics and chemistry that operate across the cosmos. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 23, 2011
Planets that are 50% diamond and potential habitability of 61 Cygni AB
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of 61 Cygni AB, a binary less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A new study suggests that terrestrial planets containing up to 50 percent diamond could exist in the Milky Way. However, such planets would not provide habitats for life as we know it. See article.
g Message - In late 1997, after almost 40 years of operation, the Ohio State University Radio Observatory and its "Big Ear" radio telescope — which picked up the famous “Wow!” signal — ceased operation. The land on which the observatory was sitting (owned by the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio) was sold in 1983 to land developers who later claimed their rights to develop the property. The telescope was destroyed in early 1998. Here’s a Here's Web page memorial to Big Ear.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of 61 Cygni AB, a binary less than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A new study suggests that terrestrial planets containing up to 50 percent diamond could exist in the Milky Way. However, such planets would not provide habitats for life as we know it. See article.
g Message - In late 1997, after almost 40 years of operation, the Ohio State University Radio Observatory and its "Big Ear" radio telescope — which picked up the famous “Wow!” signal — ceased operation. The land on which the observatory was sitting (owned by the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio) was sold in 1983 to land developers who later claimed their rights to develop the property. The telescope was destroyed in early 1998. Here’s a Here's Web page memorial to Big Ear.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Update on astrobiologusts’ mission to Laguna Negra and a history of SETI
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Lacaille 9352, a star about 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Message - How did the SETI program come to be? For a timeline of the program’s history, see article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Lacaille 9352, a star about 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Message - How did the SETI program come to be? For a timeline of the program’s history, see article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Two Earth-size planets discovered around distant star and modifying the Drake Equation
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - A new study on the effects of solar storms on the Moon could help astrobiologists understand atmospheric loss on planets without global magnetic fields. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two Earth-size planets orbiting a distant star. The planets are too close to their sun to be in its habitable zone, but they are they smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a sun-like star. See article.
g Message - Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See article.
g Cosmicus - Sensorbots equipped with biogeochemical sensors could open a new chapter in ocean exploration. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - A new study on the effects of solar storms on the Moon could help astrobiologists understand atmospheric loss on planets without global magnetic fields. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two Earth-size planets orbiting a distant star. The planets are too close to their sun to be in its habitable zone, but they are they smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a sun-like star. See article.
g Message - Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See article.
g Cosmicus - Sensorbots equipped with biogeochemical sensors could open a new chapter in ocean exploration. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Possibility of silicon-based life and dust avalanches on Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Another erroneous doomsday theory for 2012 is that a supernova explosion could harm life on Earth. Astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth. See article.
g Abodes - Dust avalanches around impact craters on Mars appear to be the result of the shock wave preceding the actual impact, according to a new study. See article.
g Life - Bruce Dorminey, science journalist and author of "Distant Wanderers: The Search for Planets Beyond the Solar System," interviews NASA astrochemist Max Bernstein about the possibility of silicon-based life. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Russian Space Agency is now preparing an ambitious program of lunar exploration. Russia's new lunar mission, Luna-Glob, is scheduled for launch in 2014 or 2015. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Another erroneous doomsday theory for 2012 is that a supernova explosion could harm life on Earth. Astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth. See article.
g Abodes - Dust avalanches around impact craters on Mars appear to be the result of the shock wave preceding the actual impact, according to a new study. See article.
g Life - Bruce Dorminey, science journalist and author of "Distant Wanderers: The Search for Planets Beyond the Solar System," interviews NASA astrochemist Max Bernstein about the possibility of silicon-based life. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Russian Space Agency is now preparing an ambitious program of lunar exploration. Russia's new lunar mission, Luna-Glob, is scheduled for launch in 2014 or 2015. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 19, 2011
Exploring Titan’s lakes with an Earth analog and principles behind evolution of multicellular organisms
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Sirius AB?
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Life - New research is helping scientists understand the principles behind the evolution of multicellular organisms. See article.
g Imagining - Could Star Trek’s Caretaker of The Original Series’ “Shore Leave” fame actually evolve? Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about his race with the exception that it is very advanced technologically and quite disciplined mentally. We also know that it appears human, which virtually eliminates it from the realm of possibility, as the parallel evolution on another planet of homo sapiens is extremely unlikely. However, the Caretaker’s kind may not be humanoid at all. Indeed, his race employs machinery that can nearly instantaneously create items based on the readings of one’s thoughts. It’s similar to what the Squire of Gothos and The Next Generation’s Q can do. However, the squire and the Q can achieve this instantaneously, the squire through a machine and the Q through an omnipotent understanding of the universe. Both the squire and the Q also are energy beings. Might the caretaker as well be one (though of a different race than the squire or the Q) and merely took on human form for the landing party’s sake?
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Sirius AB?
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Life - New research is helping scientists understand the principles behind the evolution of multicellular organisms. See article.
g Imagining - Could Star Trek’s Caretaker of The Original Series’ “Shore Leave” fame actually evolve? Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about his race with the exception that it is very advanced technologically and quite disciplined mentally. We also know that it appears human, which virtually eliminates it from the realm of possibility, as the parallel evolution on another planet of homo sapiens is extremely unlikely. However, the Caretaker’s kind may not be humanoid at all. Indeed, his race employs machinery that can nearly instantaneously create items based on the readings of one’s thoughts. It’s similar to what the Squire of Gothos and The Next Generation’s Q can do. However, the squire and the Q can achieve this instantaneously, the squire through a machine and the Q through an omnipotent understanding of the universe. Both the squire and the Q also are energy beings. Might the caretaker as well be one (though of a different race than the squire or the Q) and merely took on human form for the landing party’s sake?
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Potential consequences of discovering ETI and habitability of Luyten 726-8 A/UV Ceti
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Luyten 726-8 A/UV Ceti, a star less than 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Imagining - Star Trek’s very first alien, the Talosians, pose quite an evolutionary challenge: Their heads are oversized because of large, powerful brains capable of telepathy and even mind control of others. First off, a brain of that size must demand a lot of energy. This is somewhat addressed through the large arteries and veins apparent on their bald heads; their frail bodies also indicate fewer cells below the neckline for oxygen-carrying blood to support. But they probably also need greater lung capacity to cycle more oxygen into their bodies as well as a larger heart for pumping that oxygen-laden blood to and through the brain. Their bodies don’t indicate larger lungs, however. Another problem with their head/brain size is giving birth. The enormity of the head is limited by the size and shape of the pelvis — and their human shape and gait indicates they couldn’t give birth to an infant with a head any larger than ours. A possibility is that their the brain primarily develops outside of the womb; perhaps they grow in their telepathic powers as they age. Another possibility: They are not born naturally but artificially created, indicating a separation from among the most basic instincts – mating. The Talosians, after all, are fairly unimaginative creatures, dependent upon probing the minds of others for new experiences! As for their telepathic and power of illusion capabilities, we’ll just have to presume that somehow their brain lobes have evolved sections capable of connecting and interacting across the medium of air with another creature’s neurons.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers by astronomer Ivan Almar: : "The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios". This article is from 1995.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Luyten 726-8 A/UV Ceti, a star less than 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Imagining - Star Trek’s very first alien, the Talosians, pose quite an evolutionary challenge: Their heads are oversized because of large, powerful brains capable of telepathy and even mind control of others. First off, a brain of that size must demand a lot of energy. This is somewhat addressed through the large arteries and veins apparent on their bald heads; their frail bodies also indicate fewer cells below the neckline for oxygen-carrying blood to support. But they probably also need greater lung capacity to cycle more oxygen into their bodies as well as a larger heart for pumping that oxygen-laden blood to and through the brain. Their bodies don’t indicate larger lungs, however. Another problem with their head/brain size is giving birth. The enormity of the head is limited by the size and shape of the pelvis — and their human shape and gait indicates they couldn’t give birth to an infant with a head any larger than ours. A possibility is that their the brain primarily develops outside of the womb; perhaps they grow in their telepathic powers as they age. Another possibility: They are not born naturally but artificially created, indicating a separation from among the most basic instincts – mating. The Talosians, after all, are fairly unimaginative creatures, dependent upon probing the minds of others for new experiences! As for their telepathic and power of illusion capabilities, we’ll just have to presume that somehow their brain lobes have evolved sections capable of connecting and interacting across the medium of air with another creature’s neurons.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers by astronomer Ivan Almar: : "The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios". This article is from 1995.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Interview with ‘Time Travel: Beyond the Science Fiction’ authors and potential habitability of Lalande 21185
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Lalande 21185, a star less than 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A new study could help scientists understand how the elements that make up our bodies and our planet were created. See article.
g Message - What sort of signal would satisfactorily announce an extraterrestrial intelligence as detected by radio-emission or light reception? For an opinion article on what sort of signal is a SETI hit, click here.
g Cosmicus - Here’s an interview with the authors of the new science book “Time Travel: Beyond the Science Fiction”.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Lalande 21185, a star less than 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A new study could help scientists understand how the elements that make up our bodies and our planet were created. See article.
g Message - What sort of signal would satisfactorily announce an extraterrestrial intelligence as detected by radio-emission or light reception? For an opinion article on what sort of signal is a SETI hit, click here.
g Cosmicus - Here’s an interview with the authors of the new science book “Time Travel: Beyond the Science Fiction”.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 16, 2011
Microbes that can live in Mars-like conditions and what bees tell us about how our brains work
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Researchers are moving a step closer to solving one of the greatest murder mysteries of all time. It happened roughly 200 million years ago, marking the boundary between the Triassic and Jurassic periods, and the crime scene was the entire planet. In their quest to solve this ancient mystery, a team of scientists has been combing the coast of Northern Ireland for evidence. See article.
g Life - Researchers have discovered microbes that thrive in an environment that is, in some ways, "Mars-like." The microorganisms were found within a lava tube, and tolerate temperatures near freezing, low levels of oxygen, and absence of organic food. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study on swarms of bees could teach us about how our brains work. See article.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is once again searching for signals of extraterrestrial intelligence. New targets for ATA will include exoplanet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new harpoon may help NASA grab samples from a speeding comet. See article.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe” by Seth Shostak. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Researchers are moving a step closer to solving one of the greatest murder mysteries of all time. It happened roughly 200 million years ago, marking the boundary between the Triassic and Jurassic periods, and the crime scene was the entire planet. In their quest to solve this ancient mystery, a team of scientists has been combing the coast of Northern Ireland for evidence. See article.
g Life - Researchers have discovered microbes that thrive in an environment that is, in some ways, "Mars-like." The microorganisms were found within a lava tube, and tolerate temperatures near freezing, low levels of oxygen, and absence of organic food. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study on swarms of bees could teach us about how our brains work. See article.
g Message - The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is once again searching for signals of extraterrestrial intelligence. New targets for ATA will include exoplanet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new harpoon may help NASA grab samples from a speeding comet. See article.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe” by Seth Shostak. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Is Vesta a small planet and habitability of Barnard’s Star
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Barnard’s Star, the second closest solar system to Earth? See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Dawn spacecraft spent the last four years voyaging to asteroid Vesta - and may have found a planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Given the plethora of New Age/UFOlogy Web sites about alien contact, it’s refreshing to find one that’s serious. Try the “extraterrestrial intelligence, implications following first contact” entry at astrobiologist David Darling’s site “The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight”. It includes some links and a mini reference list.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Barnard’s Star, the second closest solar system to Earth? See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Dawn spacecraft spent the last four years voyaging to asteroid Vesta - and may have found a planet. See article.
g Aftermath - Given the plethora of New Age/UFOlogy Web sites about alien contact, it’s refreshing to find one that’s serious. Try the “extraterrestrial intelligence, implications following first contact” entry at astrobiologist David Darling’s site “The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight”. It includes some links and a mini reference list.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Curiosity already running scientific experiments and Alpha Centauri's habitability
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Could extraterrestrial life exist on a planet in the Alpha Centauri solar system? See article.
g Abodes - Following a successful launch on November 26th, NASA's new Mars rover is already returning important scientific data. The Curiosity rover is monitoring space radiation from inside its capsule, which will aid in planning future human missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Phobos-Grunt probe has been trapped in low Earth orbit for more than a month. Now, it is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere in early January. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Could extraterrestrial life exist on a planet in the Alpha Centauri solar system? See article.
g Abodes - Following a successful launch on November 26th, NASA's new Mars rover is already returning important scientific data. The Curiosity rover is monitoring space radiation from inside its capsule, which will aid in planning future human missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Phobos-Grunt probe has been trapped in low Earth orbit for more than a month. Now, it is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere in early January. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Hints of the God particle and Martian subsurface could be ideal for life
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Two teams of scientists at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva say they detected 'tantalizing hints' of the elusive Higgs boson, or 'God particle,' but no definitive proof. See article.
g Abodes - A new study indicates that extensive regions of the sub-surface of Mars could contain water and be at comfortable temperatures for terrestrial – and potentially Martian – microbes. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing short story for you to look up: Frederick Pohl’s “The Day after the Day the Martians Came.” It examines racial prejudice and raises an interesting point about how we might react to one another following alien contact. Pohl’s story is anthologized in the classic “Dangerous Visions,” edited by Harlan Ellison.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Two teams of scientists at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva say they detected 'tantalizing hints' of the elusive Higgs boson, or 'God particle,' but no definitive proof. See article.
g Abodes - A new study indicates that extensive regions of the sub-surface of Mars could contain water and be at comfortable temperatures for terrestrial – and potentially Martian – microbes. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing short story for you to look up: Frederick Pohl’s “The Day after the Day the Martians Came.” It examines racial prejudice and raises an interesting point about how we might react to one another following alien contact. Pohl’s story is anthologized in the classic “Dangerous Visions,” edited by Harlan Ellison.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 12, 2011
Testing technology to explore Titan’s lakes
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Imagining - Could "Star Trek"'s Alfa 177 canine exist? Setting aside the facial features that show the canine is an Earth-descended vertebrate, the answer is yes. The Alfa 113 biome the Enterprise crew visits is cold but dry, perhaps a summer plain set below a great continental ice sheet. In cold climates, life forms need to be compact and/or covered in thick hair or fat; this is so with this creature. In addition, the canine's short legs indicate it need not worry about snowdrifts. Based on the creature's canine teeth and jaw structure, it must be a predator; considering the canine's size, it likely preys on creatures no larger than rats - and rodents are quite abundant on the tundra. A lack of claws indicates it doesn't burrow, however, which probably would be necessary in such a climate. Perhaps caves in the area or other creature's burrows provide shelter. As for the antenna upon its head, I'll withhold speculation!
g Aftermath - Here’s one futurist’s thoughts about what will happen to humanity when we make first contact with aliens. I offer this site not for its scientific rigor but as an example of something all of us who care about astrobiology should consider: What are the trends in popular culture about first contact? Such thinking will greatly influence public reaction when first contact actually does occur. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Abodes - A team of scientists has traveled to remote Laguna Negra in the central Andes of Chile to test technologies that could one day be used to explore the lakes of Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Expeditions Editor, Henry Bortman, provides a first-hand account of their progress. See article.
g Imagining - Could "Star Trek"'s Alfa 177 canine exist? Setting aside the facial features that show the canine is an Earth-descended vertebrate, the answer is yes. The Alfa 113 biome the Enterprise crew visits is cold but dry, perhaps a summer plain set below a great continental ice sheet. In cold climates, life forms need to be compact and/or covered in thick hair or fat; this is so with this creature. In addition, the canine's short legs indicate it need not worry about snowdrifts. Based on the creature's canine teeth and jaw structure, it must be a predator; considering the canine's size, it likely preys on creatures no larger than rats - and rodents are quite abundant on the tundra. A lack of claws indicates it doesn't burrow, however, which probably would be necessary in such a climate. Perhaps caves in the area or other creature's burrows provide shelter. As for the antenna upon its head, I'll withhold speculation!
g Aftermath - Here’s one futurist’s thoughts about what will happen to humanity when we make first contact with aliens. I offer this site not for its scientific rigor but as an example of something all of us who care about astrobiology should consider: What are the trends in popular culture about first contact? Such thinking will greatly influence public reaction when first contact actually does occur. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, December 11, 2011
First 3D views of Vesta and how little we’ve truly thought about first contact
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - NASA has released a new video of the Dawn spacecraft gliding over asteroid Vesta in 3-D. See article.
g Imagining - Another early “Star Trek” alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don’t know what the android creators (aka “the Old Ones”) looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk (click here and then on “Ruk is shot by phaser”). Their height indicates that the planet’s gravity is slightly lighter than Earth’s, and there isn’t a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn’t they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show’s creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world’s climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It’s highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth’s vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Abodes - NASA has released a new video of the Dawn spacecraft gliding over asteroid Vesta in 3-D. See article.
g Imagining - Another early “Star Trek” alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don’t know what the android creators (aka “the Old Ones”) looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk (click here and then on “Ruk is shot by phaser”). Their height indicates that the planet’s gravity is slightly lighter than Earth’s, and there isn’t a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn’t they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show’s creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world’s climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It’s highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth’s vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.
g Aftermath - Though an older Web posting, “After Contact, Then What?” shows how little we’ve thought about this question. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Nearby habitable solar systems and Voyager enters cosmic purgatory
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What stars nearby Earth might contain planets conducive to supporting life? See article.
g Abodes - New research into Earth's climate history suggests that there is the potential for rapid climate changes this century if global warming is not abated. Drastic changes could include multiple meters of sea level rise and significant ice sheet loss in Greenland and Antarctica. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region between our solar system and interstellar space. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What stars nearby Earth might contain planets conducive to supporting life? See article.
g Abodes - New research into Earth's climate history suggests that there is the potential for rapid climate changes this century if global warming is not abated. Drastic changes could include multiple meters of sea level rise and significant ice sheet loss in Greenland and Antarctica. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region between our solar system and interstellar space. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 09, 2011
Minerals deposited by water on Mars and why being smarter doesn’t pay off
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Wolf 359, the third closest star system to Earth? See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found bright veins of a mineral, apparently gypsum, deposited by water. The discovery could have implications in understanding the potential for life in Mars' past. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study indicates that, due to evolutionary tradeoffs, being smarter may not be better for human beings. See article.
g Cosmicus - Most people don't take it literally when they're told to shoot for the moon — but thinking small isn't Naveen Jain's way. The 52-year-old Internet entrepreneur is a co-founder of Moon Express Inc., one of several companies in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, in which privately funded teams will try to put robots on the moon by 2016. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Wolf 359, the third closest star system to Earth? See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found bright veins of a mineral, apparently gypsum, deposited by water. The discovery could have implications in understanding the potential for life in Mars' past. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study indicates that, due to evolutionary tradeoffs, being smarter may not be better for human beings. See article.
g Cosmicus - Most people don't take it literally when they're told to shoot for the moon — but thinking small isn't Naveen Jain's way. The 52-year-old Internet entrepreneur is a co-founder of Moon Express Inc., one of several companies in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, in which privately funded teams will try to put robots on the moon by 2016. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Potential habitability of tidally lock words and nearby star Ross 154
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 154, a star less than 10 light years from Earth?
g Abodes - Planets that are tidally locked, with the same side always facing their sun, could end up with climates that spiral out of control. See article.
g Message - Science fiction author David Brin offers a copy of his 1983 article .“Xenology: The Science of Asking Who’s Out There”. While two decades old, the information is still relevant and offers a good overview of fundamental astrobiological questions.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 154, a star less than 10 light years from Earth?
g Abodes - Planets that are tidally locked, with the same side always facing their sun, could end up with climates that spiral out of control. See article.
g Message - Science fiction author David Brin offers a copy of his 1983 article .“Xenology: The Science of Asking Who’s Out There”. While two decades old, the information is still relevant and offers a good overview of fundamental astrobiological questions.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Early Earth in deep-freeze and designing amateur radio telescope dedicated to SETI
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A circulation model of Earth's climate some 2.8 billion years ago indicates that the planet may have been more prone to catastrophic glaciation than previously believed. See article.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial life need not be limited to the government or scientists. Don’t believe it? Then check out this Web site, “Amateur SETI: Project BAMBI (Bob and Mike’s Big Investment),” which describes the design and construction of a 4 GHz amateur radio telescope dedicated to SETI, See article.
g Aftermath - There’s a neat transcription of a video conference interview with Dr. Frank Drake (whose famous equation this site is organized after), conducted by the class members of Penn State’s "Space Colonization” class. Drake touches on a variety of SETI topics, including the philosophical implication of extraterrestrial contact. Note: The interview took place in 2001.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A circulation model of Earth's climate some 2.8 billion years ago indicates that the planet may have been more prone to catastrophic glaciation than previously believed. See article.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial life need not be limited to the government or scientists. Don’t believe it? Then check out this Web site, “Amateur SETI: Project BAMBI (Bob and Mike’s Big Investment),” which describes the design and construction of a 4 GHz amateur radio telescope dedicated to SETI, See article.
g Aftermath - There’s a neat transcription of a video conference interview with Dr. Frank Drake (whose famous equation this site is organized after), conducted by the class members of Penn State’s "Space Colonization” class. Drake touches on a variety of SETI topics, including the philosophical implication of extraterrestrial contact. Note: The interview took place in 2001.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
First planet orbiting in habitable zone of its parent star found and how SETI works
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 128, a star about 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Kepler has confirmed its first planet orbiting in the habitable zone of its parent star. The planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet found to orbit in this region around a star similar to our sun. See article.
g Message - Just exactly how does SETI work? See primer.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 128, a star about 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Kepler has confirmed its first planet orbiting in the habitable zone of its parent star. The planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet found to orbit in this region around a star similar to our sun. See article.
g Message - Just exactly how does SETI work? See primer.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 05, 2011
New Habitable Exoplanets Catalog and primer for decoding messages from extraterrestrials
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory has created the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, which assesses the habitability of exoplanets with the right size and orbit to be considered suitable for life. See article.
g Cosmicus - When the Mars Science Laboratory rover ‘Curiosity" lands on Mars in August 2012, its SAM instrument will "follow the carbon" to better understand the past and present habitability of our planetary neighbor. See article.
g Aftermath - Will we ever find a primer for decoding messages from extraterrestrials? Recently, anthropologists who gathered for a major conference in Atlanta heard some news that will be sobering for SETI enthusiasts: it may be much more difficult to understand extraterrestrials than many scientists have thought before. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory has created the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, which assesses the habitability of exoplanets with the right size and orbit to be considered suitable for life. See article.
g Cosmicus - When the Mars Science Laboratory rover ‘Curiosity" lands on Mars in August 2012, its SAM instrument will "follow the carbon" to better understand the past and present habitability of our planetary neighbor. See article.
g Aftermath - Will we ever find a primer for decoding messages from extraterrestrials? Recently, anthropologists who gathered for a major conference in Atlanta heard some news that will be sobering for SETI enthusiasts: it may be much more difficult to understand extraterrestrials than many scientists have thought before. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Eighteen new extrasolar planets discovered and potential habitability of Procyon AB
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Procyon AB, home of Star Trek’s legendary Andorians? See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have announced the discovery of 18 new extrasolar planets. The planets are helping to increase our knowledge of the diversity of worlds in our universe. See article.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI’s history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Procyon AB, home of Star Trek’s legendary Andorians? See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have announced the discovery of 18 new extrasolar planets. The planets are helping to increase our knowledge of the diversity of worlds in our universe. See article.
g Message - Want to get a sense of SETI’s history and varying projects? Jodrell Bank Observatory offers an easy to follow yet informative primer.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 03, 2011
How long-duration space travel affects living organisms and the fictional alien seaswallower
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ez Aquarii ABC, a star about 11 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times throughout history. Based on geologic and fossil records, it seems that such a polarity reversal would have no dramatic effects for life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - New research shows that in space, a microscopic worm develops from egg to adulthood in the same way as it does on Earth. The results could help astrobiologists understand how long-duration space travel affects living organisms. See article.
g Imagining - In Prof. Joan Slonczewski’s “Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction” class at Kenyon College, her students, using astrobiological principles, attempted to create a number of plausible alien civilizations and worlds as a class project. Here’s one, called the seaswallower.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ez Aquarii ABC, a star about 11 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times throughout history. Based on geologic and fossil records, it seems that such a polarity reversal would have no dramatic effects for life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - New research shows that in space, a microscopic worm develops from egg to adulthood in the same way as it does on Earth. The results could help astrobiologists understand how long-duration space travel affects living organisms. See article.
g Imagining - In Prof. Joan Slonczewski’s “Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction” class at Kenyon College, her students, using astrobiological principles, attempted to create a number of plausible alien civilizations and worlds as a class project. Here’s one, called the seaswallower.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 02, 2011
Planet 1.6 times Earth’s size discovered and potential habitability of Epsilon Eridani star system
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of planets in the Epsilon Eridani star system? See article.
g Abodes - Using observations from both space and Earth-based telescopes, a new planet that is only 1.6 times the radius of Earth. See article.
g Message - "If we want to find evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, we must work out an observational strategy for detecting this evidence in order to establish the various physical quantities in which it involves,” according to the paper “Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities.” “This information must be carefully analyzed so that it is neither over-interpreted nor overlooked and can be checked by independent researchers.” Read the entire paper online. See article. Note: This paper was presented in 1992.
g Learning - NASA and the Library of Congress have established the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA-Library of Congress chair in Astrobiology at the Library’s scholarly research organization, the John W. Kluge Center in Washington. The chair is named for the late Nobel Laureate and founding director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Baruch “Barry” Blumberg. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of planets in the Epsilon Eridani star system? See article.
g Abodes - Using observations from both space and Earth-based telescopes, a new planet that is only 1.6 times the radius of Earth. See article.
g Message - "If we want to find evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, we must work out an observational strategy for detecting this evidence in order to establish the various physical quantities in which it involves,” according to the paper “Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities.” “This information must be carefully analyzed so that it is neither over-interpreted nor overlooked and can be checked by independent researchers.” Read the entire paper online. See article. Note: This paper was presented in 1992.
g Learning - NASA and the Library of Congress have established the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA-Library of Congress chair in Astrobiology at the Library’s scholarly research organization, the John W. Kluge Center in Washington. The chair is named for the late Nobel Laureate and founding director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Baruch “Barry” Blumberg. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Natural nuclear reactors lead to life and how plants grow in space
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 248, a star just 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - In the first study of its kind, scientists have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the composition of our planet's atmosphere just 500 million years after its formation, finding that it shares much closer characteristics to present-day conditions that previously thought. See article.
g Life - Natural nuclear reactors have arisen on Earth and possibly on other planets. The radiation and energy released by these reactors would have had complex effects on any developing life. See article.
g Message - Here are some moving excerpts from the written testimony submitted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Department of Astrophysics and Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History, to the "Life in the Universe" hearings held by the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics in 2001. See article.
g Cosmicus - An experiment aboard the shuttle Discovery is helping astrobiologists understand how plants adapt to living in space. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Ross 248, a star just 10 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - In the first study of its kind, scientists have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the composition of our planet's atmosphere just 500 million years after its formation, finding that it shares much closer characteristics to present-day conditions that previously thought. See article.
g Life - Natural nuclear reactors have arisen on Earth and possibly on other planets. The radiation and energy released by these reactors would have had complex effects on any developing life. See article.
g Message - Here are some moving excerpts from the written testimony submitted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Department of Astrophysics and Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History, to the "Life in the Universe" hearings held by the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics in 2001. See article.
g Cosmicus - An experiment aboard the shuttle Discovery is helping astrobiologists understand how plants adapt to living in space. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Understanding how genes evolve and potential habitability of Gamma Leporis AB
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Gamma Leporis AB? See article.
g Abodes - New research shows that the bow shock formed by the interactions between the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field is remarkably thin. See article.
g Life - By studying a virulent fungus, scientists have answered the question of why a single gene could come in different lengths in different individuals. It all comes down to “spliceosomal introns.” The study could have wider implications in understanding how genes evolve. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Gamma Leporis AB? See article.
g Abodes - New research shows that the bow shock formed by the interactions between the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field is remarkably thin. See article.
g Life - By studying a virulent fungus, scientists have answered the question of why a single gene could come in different lengths in different individuals. It all comes down to “spliceosomal introns.” The study could have wider implications in understanding how genes evolve. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Mars Science Laboratory and potential habitability of Wolf 718
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Wolf 718? See article.
g Abodes - Chemists may have solved a liquid mystery by showing how cold water can get before it absolutely must freeze: 55 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on its way and researchers are preparing for the data it's instruments will return from Mars. Among MSL's instruments is ChemCam, which will use lasers to remotely analyze the elemental composition of Mars's surface. ChemCam could help determine the potential for past or present life on Mars. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Wolf 718? See article.
g Abodes - Chemists may have solved a liquid mystery by showing how cold water can get before it absolutely must freeze: 55 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on its way and researchers are preparing for the data it's instruments will return from Mars. Among MSL's instruments is ChemCam, which will use lasers to remotely analyze the elemental composition of Mars's surface. ChemCam could help determine the potential for past or present life on Mars. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Topographic map of the Moon and potential habitability of 44 Draconis AB
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system ? See article.
g Life - New research has narrowed down the date of the most severe mass extinction known to have occurred on Earth. Additionally, the study has determined the rate at which extinctions occurred. See article.
g Cosmicus - The highest resolution topographic map of the Moon has now been released. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system ? See article.
g Life - New research has narrowed down the date of the most severe mass extinction known to have occurred on Earth. Additionally, the study has determined the rate at which extinctions occurred. See article.
g Cosmicus - The highest resolution topographic map of the Moon has now been released. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Curiosity rover blasts off for Mars and potential habitability of Wolf 359
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation.
Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Wolf 359? See article.
g Abodes - Scientists know that the liquid outer core of the Earth consists mostly of iron, but the other elements present remain unknown. New research shows that oxygen is not present in the outer core. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and its Curiosity rover have blasted off on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and is now heading to Mars. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
>
Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Wolf 359? See article.
g Abodes - Scientists know that the liquid outer core of the Earth consists mostly of iron, but the other elements present remain unknown. New research shows that oxygen is not present in the outer core. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and its Curiosity rover have blasted off on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and is now heading to Mars. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
>
Friday, November 25, 2011
New system for classifying exoplanets
New system for classifying exoplanets
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star Nu 2 Lupi? See article.
g Abodes - Although the number of exoplanets discovered is reaching the thousands, few are "Earth-like" in terms of their suitability for life as we know it. A team of scientists is now proposing a new system for classifying exoplanets to help identify planets that are theoretically conducive to life in less earthlike conditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new computer program may help track near Earth objects (NEOs) and compute more accurate orbits. Monitoring NEOs can help scientists determine whether or not they pose a risk to life's future on Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star Nu 2 Lupi? See article.
g Abodes - Although the number of exoplanets discovered is reaching the thousands, few are "Earth-like" in terms of their suitability for life as we know it. A team of scientists is now proposing a new system for classifying exoplanets to help identify planets that are theoretically conducive to life in less earthlike conditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new computer program may help track near Earth objects (NEOs) and compute more accurate orbits. Monitoring NEOs can help scientists determine whether or not they pose a risk to life's future on Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Potential habitability of nearby star Mu Arae
Potential habitability of nearby star Mu Arae
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star Mu Arae? See article.
g Abodes - New research shows that the occurrence of "sprites" in the Earth's atmosphere is not a phenomenon limited to our planet. These offshoots of electric discharges are caused by lightning storms. Studying lightning on other planets could help astrobiologists determine their potential to support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Future astronauts spending Thanksgiving in space may not have to forgo one of the most traditional parts of the day's feast: fresh sweet potatoes. New methods for growing the plants could make them a viable space crop. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star Mu Arae? See article.
g Abodes - New research shows that the occurrence of "sprites" in the Earth's atmosphere is not a phenomenon limited to our planet. These offshoots of electric discharges are caused by lightning storms. Studying lightning on other planets could help astrobiologists determine their potential to support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Future astronauts spending Thanksgiving in space may not have to forgo one of the most traditional parts of the day's feast: fresh sweet potatoes. New methods for growing the plants could make them a viable space crop. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
