Massive network of recent gene exchange in bacteria from around the world
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 new study suggests that if life ever existed on Mars, the longest lasting habitats were most likely below the Red Planet´s surface. The results come from a new interpretation of mineral-mapping data from European and NASA orbiters. See article.
g Life - Scientists have found evidence of a massive network of recent gene exchange in bacteria from around the world. The study illustrates the rapid speed with which genes can proliferate in bacteria, bypassing the time it would take for mutation to occur. See article.
g Cosmicus - Russia's first interplanetary mission in nearly two decades is being prepared for launch. The Phobos-Grunt mission will perform the first ever landing on Mars' small moon Phobos. If successful, the mission will collect samples from the moon and return them to Earth. See article.
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The Drake Equation
This formula estimates the number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy.N=(R*)(Ns)(Fp)(Ne)(Fl)(Fi)(Fc)(L)
Where:- N = Number of civilizations we can communicate with
- R* = Average star formation rate
- Ns = Percentage of stars capable of supporting earth-like planets
- Fp = Percentage of those stars with planets
- Ne = Average umber of planets in those stars' habitable zones
- Fl = Percentage of those planets where life begins
- Fi = Percentage of planets with life where an intelligent species evolves
- Fc = Percentage of those intelligent species that develop communication technology
- L = Average lifetime, in years, of a civilization that develops such technology
About Me
- Rob Bignell
- I'm the owner and chief editor at Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the editing and proofreading needs of writers both new and published. For more than two decades, I worked as an award-winning journalist, with half of those years spent as an editor. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres have been published, and I am the author of the nonfiction “Hikes with Tykes” series, a novel "Windmill", and a collection of poetry, "Love Letters to Sophie's Mom". For seven years I worked as an English teacher or a community college journalism instructor. I hold a master's degree in English and a bachelor's in journalism and English.