Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study shows that the unique cellular structure and function of palm trees may contribute to their long life-span. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers have used brain imaging technology to show that young people with a known genetic risk of bipolar but no clinical signs of the condition have clear and quantifiable differences in brain activity when compared to controls. See article.
g Imagining - An early “Star Trek” alien is the Thasians, who serve a deux ex machina role in one episode. The Thasians apparently are a noncorporeal life form that gave a human child incredible powers of telekinesis. Such capabilities, as exhibited by the child (now a 17-year-old teenager) appear to stem from within his own physical being, however. The Thasians themselves also are dependent on the physical reality of a spacecraft for traveling beyond their planet. Of course, how a noncorporeal life form might exist is beyond our physical science, though one might suspect it is an organized pattern of electrical impulses, somehow held together and organized without use of a physical platform (such as our brain cells) — though their powers can be transferred to such a platform, as occurs with the boy. Most likely the Thasians did not evolve as noncorporeal life forms but instead, being eons ahead of us in technology, rely on machines (using teleportation-like technology) to do their work; their own beings might be interfaced with such machines so a mere concentrated thought can command it. The Thasians, thus feeling encumbered by physical form, shifted to another dimension — again, more fiction than reality — where the very nature of that space allows the beings (electrical patterns) to remain organized, and perhaps better able to communicate with their machines. Of course, too little was said about the Thasians in the episode, though the boy did note that the Thasians do not “feel” or “touch” in the same way that humans do.
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Meteorite ‘gold rush’ on Earth
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Scientists studying how songbirds stay on key have developed a statistical explanation for why some things are harder for the brain to learn than others. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not. This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A new tool is helping improve the odds of identifying meteorite falls on Earth. Using weather radars, scientists have helped identify three confirmed meteorites in the United States alone in the past eight months. See article.
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g Life - Scientists studying how songbirds stay on key have developed a statistical explanation for why some things are harder for the brain to learn than others. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not. This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A new tool is helping improve the odds of identifying meteorite falls on Earth. Using weather radars, scientists have helped identify three confirmed meteorites in the United States alone in the past eight months. See article.
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Swan song biospheres
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 challenges the idea that a nearby supernova forced the formation of our solar system. See article.
g Abodes - Billions of years from now, life on Earth will be extinguished when the Sun becomes a Red Giant star. New research determines the last places life will exist before our planet is sterilized. See article.
g Message - Book alert: “Talking About Life” consists of a series of interviews conducted by Chris Impey with over three dozen people who have played a role, in one manner or another, in studying the potential for life to exist elsewhere in the universe. See review.
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g Stars - A new study challenges the idea that a nearby supernova forced the formation of our solar system. See article.
g Abodes - Billions of years from now, life on Earth will be extinguished when the Sun becomes a Red Giant star. New research determines the last places life will exist before our planet is sterilized. See article.
g Message - Book alert: “Talking About Life” consists of a series of interviews conducted by Chris Impey with over three dozen people who have played a role, in one manner or another, in studying the potential for life to exist elsewhere in the universe. See review.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 28, 2012
Potential habitability of Tau Ceti 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 the nearby star system Tau Ceti? See article.
g Life - A new study shows that dead bacteria are important in soils because their biomass is converted to organic soil components. See article.
g Message - Would extraterrestrials like to listen to our music? A new collaboration between science and music has created musical messages that might one day be sent to alien worlds. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Tau Ceti? See article.
g Life - A new study shows that dead bacteria are important in soils because their biomass is converted to organic soil components. See article.
g Message - Would extraterrestrials like to listen to our music? A new collaboration between science and music has created musical messages that might one day be sent to alien worlds. See article.
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tau Ceti may host five planets
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 - Astronomers have discovered that one of the closest Sun-like stars to our solar system may host five planets. One of the planets may lie within the star's habitable zone. See article.
g Life - Along with pollutants from Asia, transpacific dust plumes deliver vast quantities of microbes to North America, according to a manuscript published online ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. Here’s the program.
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g Stars - Astronomers have discovered that one of the closest Sun-like stars to our solar system may host five planets. One of the planets may lie within the star's habitable zone. See article.
g Life - Along with pollutants from Asia, transpacific dust plumes deliver vast quantities of microbes to North America, according to a manuscript published online ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. See article.
g Message - Want to help SETI discover alien life? If you haven’t already done so, download the free SETI at Home software. Using Internet-connected computers, the program downloads and analyzes radio telescope data on your desktop when it is idle. The program has been so successful in plowing through data that other scientific researchers, especially in medicine, are adopting it to their fields. Here’s the program.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Searching newborn stars for precursors to 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 - A team of astrobiology researchers -- including two from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute -- will use a series of nighttime flights on an airborne observatory to search newly born stars for the presence of precursors to life. See article.
g Life - Synthetic biologists try to engineer useful biological systems that do not exist in nature. One of their goals is to design an orthogonal chromosome different from DNA and RNA, termed XNA for xeno nucleic acids. XNA exhibits a variety of structural chemical changes relative to its natural counterparts. These changes make this novel information-storing biopolymer “invisible” to natural biological systems. The lack of cognition to the natural world, however, is seen as an opportunity to implement a genetic firewall that impedes exchange of genetic information with the natural world, which means it could be the ultimate biosafety tool. Here’s an essay that discusses why it is necessary to go ahead designing xenobiological systems like XNA and its XNA binding proteins; what the biosafety specifications should look like for this genetic enclave; which steps should be carried out to boot up the first XNA life form; and what it means for the society at large. See essay.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about how astronauts spend their time on the ISS - from performing experiments to simply trying to stay alive. See article.
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g Stars - A team of astrobiology researchers -- including two from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute -- will use a series of nighttime flights on an airborne observatory to search newly born stars for the presence of precursors to life. See article.
g Life - Synthetic biologists try to engineer useful biological systems that do not exist in nature. One of their goals is to design an orthogonal chromosome different from DNA and RNA, termed XNA for xeno nucleic acids. XNA exhibits a variety of structural chemical changes relative to its natural counterparts. These changes make this novel information-storing biopolymer “invisible” to natural biological systems. The lack of cognition to the natural world, however, is seen as an opportunity to implement a genetic firewall that impedes exchange of genetic information with the natural world, which means it could be the ultimate biosafety tool. Here’s an essay that discusses why it is necessary to go ahead designing xenobiological systems like XNA and its XNA binding proteins; what the biosafety specifications should look like for this genetic enclave; which steps should be carried out to boot up the first XNA life form; and what it means for the society at large. See essay.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about how astronauts spend their time on the ISS - from performing experiments to simply trying to stay alive. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
My Christmas wish: I want to be an astrobiologist
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 researchers are constructing a statistical typhoon model that can quickly generate millions of synthetic typhoons from birth through termination. Their work could provide new details about the climate of Earth, and what the future may hold for life on our planet See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers involved in a new study led by Oxford University have found that between three million and 3.5 million years ago, the diet of our very early ancestors in central Africa is likely to have consisted mainly of tropical grasses and sedges. The findings are published in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. See article.
g Imagining - What is an astrobiologist, and can you become one? See article.
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g Abodes - NASA researchers are constructing a statistical typhoon model that can quickly generate millions of synthetic typhoons from birth through termination. Their work could provide new details about the climate of Earth, and what the future may hold for life on our planet See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers involved in a new study led by Oxford University have found that between three million and 3.5 million years ago, the diet of our very early ancestors in central Africa is likely to have consisted mainly of tropical grasses and sedges. The findings are published in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. See article.
g Imagining - What is an astrobiologist, and can you become one? See article.
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Monday, December 24, 2012
Titan’s 400-mile ‘river’ valley
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 - Cassini has spotted a river valley on Titan that stretches more than 400km from its “headwaters” to a large sea. See article.
g Life - A new study has removed Ediacaran fossils from the ancestry of animals. Ediacaran fossils are the oldest large multicellular fossils and have long been a scientific mystery. 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.
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g Abodes - Cassini has spotted a river valley on Titan that stretches more than 400km from its “headwaters” to a large sea. See article.
g Life - A new study has removed Ediacaran fossils from the ancestry of animals. Ediacaran fossils are the oldest large multicellular fossils and have long been a scientific mystery. 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.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Technique could help scientists find extrasolar planets
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 - When Venus passed between the Earth and the Sun on June 6, 2012, astronomers used the opportunity to watch how the sunlight reflected off the Moon changed during the transit. The technique could help scientists to find planets in orbit around other stars. See article.
g Intelligence - A University of Oklahoma-led study has demonstrated that ancient DNA can be used to understand ancient human microbiomes. The microbiomes from ancient people have broad reaching implications for understanding recent changes to human health, such as what good bacteria might have been lost as a result of our current abundant use of antibiotics and aseptic practices. See article.
g Message - Interstellar transmissions via energy-markers (photons) or matter-markers (probes) appear to be energetically indistinguishable alternatives for advanced technical societies. Since only Type II and Type III civilizations realistically can afford beacons or star probe technology, alternative distinguishability criteria suggest the possible superiority of intelligent artifacts for contact and communication missions among extraterrestrial cultures. A balanced, more cost-effective Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence strategy is needed. See article.
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g Abodes - When Venus passed between the Earth and the Sun on June 6, 2012, astronomers used the opportunity to watch how the sunlight reflected off the Moon changed during the transit. The technique could help scientists to find planets in orbit around other stars. See article.
g Intelligence - A University of Oklahoma-led study has demonstrated that ancient DNA can be used to understand ancient human microbiomes. The microbiomes from ancient people have broad reaching implications for understanding recent changes to human health, such as what good bacteria might have been lost as a result of our current abundant use of antibiotics and aseptic practices. See article.
g Message - Interstellar transmissions via energy-markers (photons) or matter-markers (probes) appear to be energetically indistinguishable alternatives for advanced technical societies. Since only Type II and Type III civilizations realistically can afford beacons or star probe technology, alternative distinguishability criteria suggest the possible superiority of intelligent artifacts for contact and communication missions among extraterrestrial cultures. A balanced, more cost-effective Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence strategy is needed. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Evolution of life’s ‘software’
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 - High-speed video is helping scientists understand how meteorites transfer the energy of impact to sand and dirt grains. See article.
g Life - A new approach to the question of life's origin focuses not on the chemical “hardware” of life, but instead the “software” or information content. See article.
g Message - In popular fiction and conspiracy theories, life forms, especially intelligent life forms, that are of extraterrestrial origin, - i.e. not coming from the Earth - are referred to as alien and collectively as aliens. Prime examples of how aliens are viewed are found in the movies Alien, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Signs, Independence Day, and The War of the Worlds. This usage is clearly anthropocentric: When humans in fictional accounts accomplish interstellar travel and land on a planet elsewhere in the universe, the local inhabitants of these other planets are usually still referred to as "alien," even though they are the native life form and the humans are the intruders. In general they are seen as unfriendly life forms. This may be seen as a reversion to the classic meaning of "alien" as referring to "other," in contrast to "us" in the context of the writer's frame of reference. See article.
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g Abodes - High-speed video is helping scientists understand how meteorites transfer the energy of impact to sand and dirt grains. See article.
g Life - A new approach to the question of life's origin focuses not on the chemical “hardware” of life, but instead the “software” or information content. See article.
g Message - In popular fiction and conspiracy theories, life forms, especially intelligent life forms, that are of extraterrestrial origin, - i.e. not coming from the Earth - are referred to as alien and collectively as aliens. Prime examples of how aliens are viewed are found in the movies Alien, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Signs, Independence Day, and The War of the Worlds. This usage is clearly anthropocentric: When humans in fictional accounts accomplish interstellar travel and land on a planet elsewhere in the universe, the local inhabitants of these other planets are usually still referred to as "alien," even though they are the native life form and the humans are the intruders. In general they are seen as unfriendly life forms. This may be seen as a reversion to the classic meaning of "alien" as referring to "other," in contrast to "us" in the context of the writer's frame of reference. See article.
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Friday, December 21, 2012
How Mars dried out
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 - In this interview, Darby Dyer explains how Curiosity rover’s ChemCam instrument will probe the rocks of Mars to learn about the planet from the inside out. See article.
g Life - Tropical montane cloud forest trees use more than their roots to take up water. They also drink water from clouds directly through their leaves, University of California, Berkeley, scientists have discovered. See article.
g Message - Here’s a neat Web site: “Interstellar Messaging.” You’ll find discussion, history and real-world examples of mankind's methods and ongoing attempts to communicate with extraterrestrials. See article
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g Abodes - In this interview, Darby Dyer explains how Curiosity rover’s ChemCam instrument will probe the rocks of Mars to learn about the planet from the inside out. See article.
g Life - Tropical montane cloud forest trees use more than their roots to take up water. They also drink water from clouds directly through their leaves, University of California, Berkeley, scientists have discovered. See article.
g Message - Here’s a neat Web site: “Interstellar Messaging.” You’ll find discussion, history and real-world examples of mankind's methods and ongoing attempts to communicate with extraterrestrials. See article
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 20, 2012
How wide binary star systems form
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 - Using computer simulations, scientists from the NASA Astrobiology Institute team at the University of Hawaii are shedding light on a question that has challenged astronomers for years: What causes wide binary stars? See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have spotted gullies that sculpt the walls of geologically young craters on the giant asteroid Vesta. See article.
g Message - If you've ever seen the movie Contact, you'll know the alien-hunter stereotype: quirky, visionary loners who sit up all night listening to static, hoping for the signal that will change the world. That's probably not far off from real life, except that SETI (that's Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) scientists are getting creative. At the recent Astrobiology Science Conference, 2008, they're presenting new ways of looking for little green men, including watching for signs of alien lasers, infrared signals, and even gravity waves. See article.
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g Stars - Using computer simulations, scientists from the NASA Astrobiology Institute team at the University of Hawaii are shedding light on a question that has challenged astronomers for years: What causes wide binary stars? See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have spotted gullies that sculpt the walls of geologically young craters on the giant asteroid Vesta. See article.
g Message - If you've ever seen the movie Contact, you'll know the alien-hunter stereotype: quirky, visionary loners who sit up all night listening to static, hoping for the signal that will change the world. That's probably not far off from real life, except that SETI (that's Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) scientists are getting creative. At the recent Astrobiology Science Conference, 2008, they're presenting new ways of looking for little green men, including watching for signs of alien lasers, infrared signals, and even gravity waves. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Ancient mcrobes fed on sulfate
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 technique could help scientists study structures beneath the Earth's surface by measuring tiny seismic waves created by ocean waves as they crash against the shore. See article.
g Life - Sulfide ore deposits from a mine in Canada confirm that oxygen levels on Earth 2.7 billion years ago were extremely low, but they also indicate that microbes were actively feeding on sulfate in the planet's oceans. See article.
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible! (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See article.
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g Abodes - A new technique could help scientists study structures beneath the Earth's surface by measuring tiny seismic waves created by ocean waves as they crash against the shore. See article.
g Life - Sulfide ore deposits from a mine in Canada confirm that oxygen levels on Earth 2.7 billion years ago were extremely low, but they also indicate that microbes were actively feeding on sulfate in the planet's oceans. See article.
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible! (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See article.
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Are we living in a computer simulation?
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 - Data from NASA's GRAIL mission indicates that in the first billion years of formation, the Moon may have endured much more massive impacts than previously thought. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of physicists has come up with a potential test to determine whether or not the universe we live in might in fact be a computer simulation. See article.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See article.
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g Abodes - Data from NASA's GRAIL mission indicates that in the first billion years of formation, the Moon may have endured much more massive impacts than previously thought. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of physicists has come up with a potential test to determine whether or not the universe we live in might in fact be a computer simulation. See article.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 17, 2012
Water may exist in Martain caverns
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 have found evidence that water from catastrophic flood discharges 2 billion years ago may have been captured by extensive cavern systems on Mars. The findings could have implications in understanding the potential for life on ancient Mars. See article.
g Message - Book alert: Scour your used bookstore shelves for "Life Beyond Earth," by Timothy Ferris. Rock-solid science writer Ferris has covered this ground before. In the two-hour PBS documentary that he wrote and narrated - which shares the title, text, and many of the images of this generously illustrated book - Ferris tackles two age-old questions about the potentially universal nature of life: Are we alone, and, if not, is anybody listening? See reviews.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about dealing with reflected light in space photography and capturing images in the far infrared. See article.
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g Abodes - Researchers have found evidence that water from catastrophic flood discharges 2 billion years ago may have been captured by extensive cavern systems on Mars. The findings could have implications in understanding the potential for life on ancient Mars. See article.
g Message - Book alert: Scour your used bookstore shelves for "Life Beyond Earth," by Timothy Ferris. Rock-solid science writer Ferris has covered this ground before. In the two-hour PBS documentary that he wrote and narrated - which shares the title, text, and many of the images of this generously illustrated book - Ferris tackles two age-old questions about the potentially universal nature of life: Are we alone, and, if not, is anybody listening? See reviews.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about dealing with reflected light in space photography and capturing images in the far infrared. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 16, 2012
NASA’s new multi-year program for Mars exploration
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 - Its name is unimpressive, but its location is choice. European astronomers have discovered a sixth planet around the dwarf star HD 40307 that just might have the right stuff for life. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has announced a new multi-year program for Mars exploration. The plans include a new robotic science rover set to launch in 2020. See article.
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g Abodes - Its name is unimpressive, but its location is choice. European astronomers have discovered a sixth planet around the dwarf star HD 40307 that just might have the right stuff for life. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has announced a new multi-year program for Mars exploration. The plans include a new robotic science rover set to launch in 2020. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, December 15, 2012
More liquid water on Moon than thought
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 analysis of data from Titan suggests that the Moon's icy outer crust is twice as thick as scientists previously thought. Beneath this icy shell, which could be 200 kilometers thick, an ocean of liquid water is thought to exist. See article.
g Message - In 2001, a group of Russian teens from Moscow, Kaluga, Voronezh, and Zheleznogorsk participated directly and via the Internet in composing a Teen-Age Message to extraterrestrial intelligence, and in the selection of target stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's long-lived Opporunity rover has completed its walkabout of a crater-rim site where observations from orbiting Mars spacecraft detected traces of clay minerals. See article.
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g Abodes - A new analysis of data from Titan suggests that the Moon's icy outer crust is twice as thick as scientists previously thought. Beneath this icy shell, which could be 200 kilometers thick, an ocean of liquid water is thought to exist. See article.
g Message - In 2001, a group of Russian teens from Moscow, Kaluga, Voronezh, and Zheleznogorsk participated directly and via the Internet in composing a Teen-Age Message to extraterrestrial intelligence, and in the selection of target stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's long-lived Opporunity rover has completed its walkabout of a crater-rim site where observations from orbiting Mars spacecraft detected traces of clay minerals. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, December 14, 2012
Planets orbiting stars hotter than Sun may host microbial 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 - What is the potentianl habitiability of the nearby star system HD 40307? See article.
g Abodes - A new study indicates that planets orbiting stars that are hotter than our sun may be more dynamic than Earth, and capable of supporting microbial life. Such planets would likely have warmer interiors and are more geologically active than our home planet. See article.
g Message - Aliens will be glad to know that if ever they need to find an apartment here on Earth, someone has got them covered. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potentianl habitiability of the nearby star system HD 40307? See article.
g Abodes - A new study indicates that planets orbiting stars that are hotter than our sun may be more dynamic than Earth, and capable of supporting microbial life. Such planets would likely have warmer interiors and are more geologically active than our home planet. See article.
g Message - Aliens will be glad to know that if ever they need to find an apartment here on Earth, someone has got them covered. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Venus’ volcanic eruptions
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 - Six years of observations by the European Space Agency's Venus Express have shown large changes in the sulphur dioxide content of the planet's atmosphere, and one intriguing possible explanation is volcanic eruptions. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered that water transforms into a previously unknown structure between a liquid and a vapor when in contact with alcohol molecules containing long, only chains. The findings could have implications in understanding numerous biological processes. See article.
g Intelligence - Did different species of early humans interbreed and produce offspring of mixed ancestry? See article.
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g Abodes - Six years of observations by the European Space Agency's Venus Express have shown large changes in the sulphur dioxide content of the planet's atmosphere, and one intriguing possible explanation is volcanic eruptions. See article.
g Life - Scientists have discovered that water transforms into a previously unknown structure between a liquid and a vapor when in contact with alcohol molecules containing long, only chains. The findings could have implications in understanding numerous biological processes. See article.
g Intelligence - Did different species of early humans interbreed and produce offspring of mixed ancestry? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Youngest still-forming solar system yet seen
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 - Astronomers have found the youngest still-forming solar system yet seen, an infant star surrounded by a swirling disk of dust and gas more than 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. See article.
g Abodes - Data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft supports the hypothesis that the planet Mercury harbors abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed craters. The finding is helping astrobiologists understand how water may have been delivered to planets like Earth as the Solar System formed. See article.
g Learning - Molecular biologist and complexity theorist, Stuart Kauffman, discusses his role in research taking place as part of the Origin of Life-CERN collaborative project. In February 2013, CERN is set to host private talks concerning the potential for origin of life research at the organization. See article.
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g Stars - Astronomers have found the youngest still-forming solar system yet seen, an infant star surrounded by a swirling disk of dust and gas more than 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. See article.
g Abodes - Data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft supports the hypothesis that the planet Mercury harbors abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed craters. The finding is helping astrobiologists understand how water may have been delivered to planets like Earth as the Solar System formed. See article.
g Learning - Molecular biologist and complexity theorist, Stuart Kauffman, discusses his role in research taking place as part of the Origin of Life-CERN collaborative project. In February 2013, CERN is set to host private talks concerning the potential for origin of life research at the organization. See article.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Voyager 1 enters solar system’s farthest region
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 galaxy class has been identified using observations from ESO's Very Large Telescope, the Gemini South telescope, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Nicknamed "green bean galaxies" because of their unusual appearance, these galaxies glow in the intense light emitted from the surroundings of monster black holes and are amongst the rarest objects in the universe. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists are now study small particles of the asteroid Itokawa that were returned to Earth by the Hayabusa spacecraft. The samples from space are providing new insight into the earliest stages of our solar system's formation and evolution. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region at the far reaches of our solar system that scientists feel is the final area the spacecraft has to cross before reaching interstellar space. See article.
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g Stars - A new galaxy class has been identified using observations from ESO's Very Large Telescope, the Gemini South telescope, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Nicknamed "green bean galaxies" because of their unusual appearance, these galaxies glow in the intense light emitted from the surroundings of monster black holes and are amongst the rarest objects in the universe. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists are now study small particles of the asteroid Itokawa that were returned to Earth by the Hayabusa spacecraft. The samples from space are providing new insight into the earliest stages of our solar system's formation and evolution. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region at the far reaches of our solar system that scientists feel is the final area the spacecraft has to cross before reaching interstellar space. See article.
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Monday, December 10, 2012
Martian soil’s complex chemistry
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’s Mars Curiosity rover has used its full array of instruments to analyze Martian soil for the first time, and found a complex chemistry within the Martian soil. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have discovered for the first time how humans - and other mammals - have evolved to have intelligence. The research, which is detailed in two papers in Nature Neuroscience, also shows a direct link between the evolution of behavior and the origins of brain diseases.See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is funding a project to develop high-powered microscope for astrobiology research. See article.
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g Abodes - NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has used its full array of instruments to analyze Martian soil for the first time, and found a complex chemistry within the Martian soil. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have discovered for the first time how humans - and other mammals - have evolved to have intelligence. The research, which is detailed in two papers in Nature Neuroscience, also shows a direct link between the evolution of behavior and the origins of brain diseases.See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is funding a project to develop high-powered microscope for astrobiology research. See article.
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Sunday, December 09, 2012
North Star closer than thought
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 - The famed North Star has been a beacon in the night sky throughout human history, but a new study reveals the star is actually closer to our solar system than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - An analysis of mineral grains from the bottom of the western Grand Canyon indicates it was largely carved out by about 70 million years ago - a time when dinosaurs were around and may have even peeked over the rim, says a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about observing solar phenomenon from Earth orbit, and the continued care of the plants he has been caring for on the ISS. See article.
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g Stars - The famed North Star has been a beacon in the night sky throughout human history, but a new study reveals the star is actually closer to our solar system than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - An analysis of mineral grains from the bottom of the western Grand Canyon indicates it was largely carved out by about 70 million years ago - a time when dinosaurs were around and may have even peeked over the rim, says a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the International Space Station. In this installment he talks about observing solar phenomenon from Earth orbit, and the continued care of the plants he has been caring for on the ISS. See article.
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Saturday, December 08, 2012
Challenging current theories of how rocky planets form
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 - Astronomers have found that the outer region of a dusty disc encircling a brown dwarf star contains millimeter-sized solid grains. The grains resemble those found in denser discs around newborn stars. The findings could challenge current theories of how rocky planets form. See article.
g Abodes - Cassini mission have spotted a second feature shaped like the 1980s video game icon in the Saturn system, this time on the moon Tethys. See article.
g Intelligence - Borrowing from microfabrication techniques used in the semiconductor industry, MIT and Harvard Medical School engineers have developed a simple and inexpensive way to create three-dimensional brain tissues in a lab dish. See article.
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g Stars - Astronomers have found that the outer region of a dusty disc encircling a brown dwarf star contains millimeter-sized solid grains. The grains resemble those found in denser discs around newborn stars. The findings could challenge current theories of how rocky planets form. See article.
g Abodes - Cassini mission have spotted a second feature shaped like the 1980s video game icon in the Saturn system, this time on the moon Tethys. See article.
g Intelligence - Borrowing from microfabrication techniques used in the semiconductor industry, MIT and Harvard Medical School engineers have developed a simple and inexpensive way to create three-dimensional brain tissues in a lab dish. See article.
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Friday, December 07, 2012
New ‘Statistical 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 paradigm for understanding the earliest eras in the history of the universe has been developed by scientists at Penn State University. Using techniques from an area of modern physics called loop quantum cosmology, developed at Penn State, the scientists now have extended analyses that include quantum physics farther back in time than ever before - all the way to the beginning. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins shows, for the first time, that the large-scale structures we now see in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of "space-time," which existed even at the very beginning of the universe over 14 billion years ago. See article.
g Abodes - Using ESA's Herschel space observatory, astronomers have discovered vast comet belts surrounding two nearby planetary systems known to host only Earth-to-Neptune-mass worlds. The comet reservoirs could have delivered life-giving oceans to the innermost planets. See article.
g Intelligence - Frank Drake’s famous equation for estimating alien life has been altered by one scientist to create the “Statistical Drake Equation”. The results provide good news for the SETI community. See article.
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g Stars - A new paradigm for understanding the earliest eras in the history of the universe has been developed by scientists at Penn State University. Using techniques from an area of modern physics called loop quantum cosmology, developed at Penn State, the scientists now have extended analyses that include quantum physics farther back in time than ever before - all the way to the beginning. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins shows, for the first time, that the large-scale structures we now see in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of "space-time," which existed even at the very beginning of the universe over 14 billion years ago. See article.
g Abodes - Using ESA's Herschel space observatory, astronomers have discovered vast comet belts surrounding two nearby planetary systems known to host only Earth-to-Neptune-mass worlds. The comet reservoirs could have delivered life-giving oceans to the innermost planets. See article.
g Intelligence - Frank Drake’s famous equation for estimating alien life has been altered by one scientist to create the “Statistical Drake Equation”. The results provide good news for the SETI community. See article.
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Thursday, December 06, 2012
SETI needs help searching discovered 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 - A group of astronomers led by Remco van den Bosch from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have discovered a black hole that could shake the foundations of current models of galaxy evolution. At 17 billion times the mass of the Sun, its mass is much greater than current models predict - in particular since the surrounding galaxy is comparatively small. This could be the most massive black hole found to date. See article.
g Abodes - A detailed study of a protoplanetary disk shows that dust grains colliding with and adhere to each other. The process it what will eventually lead to the formation of planets. See article.
g Message - Scientists at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence are pointing their instruments toward the litany of exoplanets discovered by the NASA's Kepler telescope. And they need your help. See article.
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g Stars - A group of astronomers led by Remco van den Bosch from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have discovered a black hole that could shake the foundations of current models of galaxy evolution. At 17 billion times the mass of the Sun, its mass is much greater than current models predict - in particular since the surrounding galaxy is comparatively small. This could be the most massive black hole found to date. See article.
g Abodes - A detailed study of a protoplanetary disk shows that dust grains colliding with and adhere to each other. The process it what will eventually lead to the formation of planets. See article.
g Message - Scientists at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence are pointing their instruments toward the litany of exoplanets discovered by the NASA's Kepler telescope. And they need your help. See article.
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Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Evolution of rocky planets
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 on the mineral magnesium oxide is helping scientists understand the nature of planetary interiors. The results could yield new insight into the evolution of rocky planets. See article.
g Life - This week a pioneering study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and co-authored by Dr. Alison Murray and Dr. Christian Fritsen of Nevada's Desert Research Institute (DRI) reveals, for the first time, a viable community of bacteria that survives and ekes out a living in a dark, salty and subfreezing environment beneath nearly 20 meters of ice in one of Antarctica's most isolated lakes. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the international space station. In this installment he reports on the progress of plants being grown in the conditions of low Earth orbit. See article.
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g Abodes - A new study on the mineral magnesium oxide is helping scientists understand the nature of planetary interiors. The results could yield new insight into the evolution of rocky planets. See article.
g Life - This week a pioneering study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and co-authored by Dr. Alison Murray and Dr. Christian Fritsen of Nevada's Desert Research Institute (DRI) reveals, for the first time, a viable community of bacteria that survives and ekes out a living in a dark, salty and subfreezing environment beneath nearly 20 meters of ice in one of Antarctica's most isolated lakes. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his diary from Expedition 31 on the international space station. In this installment he reports on the progress of plants being grown in the conditions of low Earth orbit. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Theories about how life began at a molecular 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 Life - The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. However, recent mathematical research sheds light on a possible mechanism by which life may have gotten a foothold in the chemical soup that existed on the early Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Roger Summons explains how the SAM instrument is geared to detect organic matter on Mars, and even figure out where it came from. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
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g Life - The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. However, recent mathematical research sheds light on a possible mechanism by which life may have gotten a foothold in the chemical soup that existed on the early Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Roger Summons explains how the SAM instrument is geared to detect organic matter on Mars, and even figure out where it came from. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, December 03, 2012
Don’t expect little green men
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 - Nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere could cause more damage to Earth's environment than carbon dioxide. Luckily, a previously unknown army of microorganisms helps transform the nitrous oxide into harmless nitrogen gas. See article.
g Life - UW-Madison's Clark Johnson, a geoscientist, has spent years thinking about and studying extraterrestrial life — where we are most likely to find it and what it is probably going to look like. Don't expect little green men. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book that is slated for June publication: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See review.
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g Abodes - Nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere could cause more damage to Earth's environment than carbon dioxide. Luckily, a previously unknown army of microorganisms helps transform the nitrous oxide into harmless nitrogen gas. See article.
g Life - UW-Madison's Clark Johnson, a geoscientist, has spent years thinking about and studying extraterrestrial life — where we are most likely to find it and what it is probably going to look like. Don't expect little green men. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book that is slated for June publication: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See review.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Discovery of alien microbes will profoundly alter human society
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 - New observations of the dwarf planet Makemake indicate that, unlike Pluto, the distant world does not have an atmosphere. See article.
g Life - A new instrument could allow astrobiologists to study chirality, or "handedness," of amino acids on our solar system's icy moons, asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects. See article.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See article. This article is from 2001.
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g Abodes - New observations of the dwarf planet Makemake indicate that, unlike Pluto, the distant world does not have an atmosphere. See article.
g Life - A new instrument could allow astrobiologists to study chirality, or "handedness," of amino acids on our solar system's icy moons, asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects. See article.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See article. This article is from 2001.
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Saturday, December 01, 2012
Could life exist around cool stars?
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 indicates that planets orbiting white or brown dwarfs may be poor candidates for life as we know it. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article. This article is from 1996.
g Cosmicus - A robot that has been exploring a coal mine pit in Pennsylvania could be rappelling into holes on the Moon in the future. See article.
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g Stars - A new study indicates that planets orbiting white or brown dwarfs may be poor candidates for life as we know it. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article. This article is from 1996.
g Cosmicus - A robot that has been exploring a coal mine pit in Pennsylvania could be rappelling into holes on the Moon in the future. See article.
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Friday, November 30, 2012
Do aliens use hairspray?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study indicates that Mars formed from similar building blocks to those of Earth, but that there were differences in how the two planets evolved. See article.
g Intelligence - Chemicals such as those found in hairspray might one day serve as signs that aliens have reshaped distant worlds, researchers say. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
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g Life - A new study indicates that Mars formed from similar building blocks to those of Earth, but that there were differences in how the two planets evolved. See article.
g Intelligence - Chemicals such as those found in hairspray might one day serve as signs that aliens have reshaped distant worlds, researchers say. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Could Curiosity have made an incredible discovery?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A mole-like mammal nicknamed the "grave robber" survived the event that killed the dinosaurs, new research finds. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has now been exploring Gale Crater on Mars for a few months, testing its instruments and taking its first measurements. Already, it has found evidence that water once flowed in the crater. In the coming weeks, NASA's newest rover could have even more exciting science results to share. See article.
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g Life - A mole-like mammal nicknamed the "grave robber" survived the event that killed the dinosaurs, new research finds. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has now been exploring Gale Crater on Mars for a few months, testing its instruments and taking its first measurements. Already, it has found evidence that water once flowed in the crater. In the coming weeks, NASA's newest rover could have even more exciting science results to share. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A 3.45-billion-year-old diet
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Researchers are providing new information about the ‘diet’ of microorganisms on the early Earth. By studying 3.45-billion-year-old rocks, the team uncovered clues about ancient microbial metabolism. See article.
g Message - The set of assumptions that generates progressive research programs associated with the search for extra-terrestrial life--especially intelligent life--constitute a myth-like picture of reality. See article.
g Cosmicus - In his latest diary entry, astronaut Don Pettit talks about how exercise is used to stay healthy on the space station. Pettit also looks at the crystal structure of ice sheets made in space, questioning if they could be different than 'normal' ice that forms on Earth. See article.
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g Life - Researchers are providing new information about the ‘diet’ of microorganisms on the early Earth. By studying 3.45-billion-year-old rocks, the team uncovered clues about ancient microbial metabolism. See article.
g Message - The set of assumptions that generates progressive research programs associated with the search for extra-terrestrial life--especially intelligent life--constitute a myth-like picture of reality. See article.
g Cosmicus - In his latest diary entry, astronaut Don Pettit talks about how exercise is used to stay healthy on the space station. Pettit also looks at the crystal structure of ice sheets made in space, questioning if they could be different than 'normal' ice that forms on Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
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