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 - Aside from the attention it receives around one of its rare solar transits, Venus hardly makes headlines. But before our warming sun turned Venus into a poster child for the dangers of a runaway greenhouse, our closest planetary neighbor may have once had oceans capable of harboring complex life. See article.
g Life - Why do bigger creatures tend to have longer lifespans? A new theory suggests that this biological mystery could be explained by a physical law called the Constructal Law. See article.
g Cosmicus - XCOR Aerospace, one of a handful of U.S. firms developing suborbital spaceships, plans to build its vehicles and fly tourists, researchers and commercial payloads from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials announced. See article.
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Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Planets found in habitable zone of binary 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 Abodes - Astronomers have observed multiple planets orbiting two suns. The discovery shows that planets can form and persist in the stressful realm of a binary star. One gas giant planet in the system orbits the star pair within the system's potential habitable zone. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers have revealed that chimpanzees are not only capable of learning from one another, but also use this social information to form and maintain local traditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity’s first successful drive across the martian landscape is cause for celebration. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman thinks it is also a good moment to pause and reflect on MSL’s long-term goals. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have observed multiple planets orbiting two suns. The discovery shows that planets can form and persist in the stressful realm of a binary star. One gas giant planet in the system orbits the star pair within the system's potential habitable zone. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers have revealed that chimpanzees are not only capable of learning from one another, but also use this social information to form and maintain local traditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity’s first successful drive across the martian landscape is cause for celebration. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman thinks it is also a good moment to pause and reflect on MSL’s long-term goals. See article.
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
First group of galaxies just like ours 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 Stars - Astronomers have found the first group of galaxies that is just like ours. See article.
g Intelligence - The problems of living with bipolar have been well documented, but a new study by Lancaster University has captured the views of those who also report highly-valued, positive experiences of living with the condition. See article.
g Cosmicus - Thirty-five years ago, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. See article.
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g Stars - Astronomers have found the first group of galaxies that is just like ours. See article.
g Intelligence - The problems of living with bipolar have been well documented, but a new study by Lancaster University has captured the views of those who also report highly-valued, positive experiences of living with the condition. See article.
g Cosmicus - Thirty-five years ago, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. See article.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Understanding ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe
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 studying the cracks and crevices in ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. See article.
g Life - A paleontologist has confirmed that two nodosaurs walked through the campus of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. They left their prints sometime between 110 and 112 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - Is sleep learning possible? A new Weizmann Institute study appearing August 26 in Nature Neuroscience has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone – even when no odor is present -- both during sleep and, later, when awake. In other words, people can learn new information while they sleep, and this can unconsciously modify their waking behavior. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "…we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul...We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." – Neil Armstrong
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g Abodes - A new study suggests that studying the cracks and crevices in ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. See article.
g Life - A paleontologist has confirmed that two nodosaurs walked through the campus of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. They left their prints sometime between 110 and 112 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - Is sleep learning possible? A new Weizmann Institute study appearing August 26 in Nature Neuroscience has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone – even when no odor is present -- both during sleep and, later, when awake. In other words, people can learn new information while they sleep, and this can unconsciously modify their waking behavior. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "…we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul...We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." – Neil Armstrong
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Monday, August 27, 2012
Evidence of planet destroyed by its aging 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 Abodes - Astronomers have discovered evidence of a planet that has been destroyed by its aging star. The finding provides insight into the evolution of planetary systems, and the future of our own solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity's ChemCam zapped its first rock last weekend. Since then, the laser instrument has fired nearly 500 shots so far that have produced clear data abou the composition of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - "A lot of people couldn't figure out Armstrong." With those words Tom Wolfe introduced Neil Armstrong, the astronaut hero of his nonfiction masterpiece, "The Right Stuff." Armstrong, of course, was a masterpiece himself: the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission and the first man ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong died Saturday from complications relating to heart surgery. He was 82. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered evidence of a planet that has been destroyed by its aging star. The finding provides insight into the evolution of planetary systems, and the future of our own solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity's ChemCam zapped its first rock last weekend. Since then, the laser instrument has fired nearly 500 shots so far that have produced clear data abou the composition of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - "A lot of people couldn't figure out Armstrong." With those words Tom Wolfe introduced Neil Armstrong, the astronaut hero of his nonfiction masterpiece, "The Right Stuff." Armstrong, of course, was a masterpiece himself: the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission and the first man ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong died Saturday from complications relating to heart surgery. He was 82. See article.
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Sunday, August 26, 2012
Phosphorus biochemistry
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 - Book alert: Among all known agents of cosmic creative destruction, none are more potently menacing – and intriguing – than black holes, the subject of Caleb Scharf’s new book “Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life In The Cosmos.” See article.
g Life - Phosphorus is vital to life on Earth, even though our planet doesn't provide life very much phosphorus to work with. Scientists are now studying how phosphorus biochemistry may have originated at the dawn of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists are now conducting a simulated mission to a near-Earth asteroid at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. See article.
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g Stars - Book alert: Among all known agents of cosmic creative destruction, none are more potently menacing – and intriguing – than black holes, the subject of Caleb Scharf’s new book “Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life In The Cosmos.” See article.
g Life - Phosphorus is vital to life on Earth, even though our planet doesn't provide life very much phosphorus to work with. Scientists are now studying how phosphorus biochemistry may have originated at the dawn of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists are now conducting a simulated mission to a near-Earth asteroid at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. See article.
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Saturday, August 25, 2012
Is Mars’ core solid or liquid?
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 have observed a new and unusual form of carbon clusters. The material is helping scientists understand the properties of carbon - the fourth-most-abundant element in the universe. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has selected a new mission to Mars. InSight will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid, and will provide new information about how terrestrial planets form and evolve. See article.
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g Life - Scientists have observed a new and unusual form of carbon clusters. The material is helping scientists understand the properties of carbon - the fourth-most-abundant element in the universe. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has selected a new mission to Mars. InSight will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid, and will provide new information about how terrestrial planets form and evolve. See article.
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Friday, August 24, 2012
Why the sun is so round
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 Sun is nearly the roundest object ever measured...but why? See article.
g Intelligence - Human and chimp brains look anatomically similar because both evolved from the same ancestor millions of years ago. But where does the chimp brain end and the human brain begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - With the incredible landing of a new rover on Mars, NASA has sparked the curiosity of Earth's public - as well as their sense of humor. See article.
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g Stars - The Sun is nearly the roundest object ever measured...but why? See article.
g Intelligence - Human and chimp brains look anatomically similar because both evolved from the same ancestor millions of years ago. But where does the chimp brain end and the human brain begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - With the incredible landing of a new rover on Mars, NASA has sparked the curiosity of Earth's public - as well as their sense of humor. See article.
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Thursday, August 23, 2012
Hexamer structures that make up tiniest droplets of water
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 - To unravel the nature of black holes is of utmost importance, wrote Eric Chaisson, an American astrophysicist, "lest we someday begin to worship them." Dr Chaisson was warning against the human tendency to venerate the unknown, but new data suggest that black holes, some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe, may in a sense be deserving of veneration. For they seem to have been instrumental in bringing about the conditions necessary for life ultimately to emerge. See article.
g Life - A new study has uncovered fundamental details about the hexamer structures that make up the tiniest droplets of water. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his account of the Expedition 31 mission. In this installment, he talks about how space has a certain smell, the difficulties of shaving in microgravity, and the lakes of Kyrgyszstan. See article.
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g Stars - To unravel the nature of black holes is of utmost importance, wrote Eric Chaisson, an American astrophysicist, "lest we someday begin to worship them." Dr Chaisson was warning against the human tendency to venerate the unknown, but new data suggest that black holes, some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe, may in a sense be deserving of veneration. For they seem to have been instrumental in bringing about the conditions necessary for life ultimately to emerge. See article.
g Life - A new study has uncovered fundamental details about the hexamer structures that make up the tiniest droplets of water. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his account of the Expedition 31 mission. In this installment, he talks about how space has a certain smell, the difficulties of shaving in microgravity, and the lakes of Kyrgyszstan. See article.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Rethinking evolution of galaxy clusters
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 - An extraordinary galaxy cluster may cause astronomers to rethink the evolution of such structures and the galaxies that inhabit them. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has fired its laser for the first time on Mars. The Chemistry and Camera instrument was used to study a fist-size rock called "Coronation." See article.
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g Stars - An extraordinary galaxy cluster may cause astronomers to rethink the evolution of such structures and the galaxies that inhabit them. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has fired its laser for the first time on Mars. The Chemistry and Camera instrument was used to study a fist-size rock called "Coronation." See article.
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012
White dwarfs’ light 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 - White dwarfs may be dying, but their light could be just right to sustain life as we know it. That could make habitable planets even more common than we think. See article.
g Life - The authors of a Harvard study published August 19 in Nature Climate Change gathered their data from an unlikely source - the trip accounts of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. During the past 19 years, the amateur naturalist group has logged species counts on nearly 20,000 expeditions throughout Massachusetts. Their records fill a crucial gap in the scientific record. See article.
g Cosmicus - Using next-generation sequencing technology and a novel strategy to encode 1,000 times the largest data size previously achieved in DNA, a Harvard geneticist encodes his book in life's language. See article.
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g Stars - White dwarfs may be dying, but their light could be just right to sustain life as we know it. That could make habitable planets even more common than we think. See article.
g Life - The authors of a Harvard study published August 19 in Nature Climate Change gathered their data from an unlikely source - the trip accounts of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. During the past 19 years, the amateur naturalist group has logged species counts on nearly 20,000 expeditions throughout Massachusetts. Their records fill a crucial gap in the scientific record. See article.
g Cosmicus - Using next-generation sequencing technology and a novel strategy to encode 1,000 times the largest data size previously achieved in DNA, a Harvard geneticist encodes his book in life's language. See article.
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Monday, August 20, 2012
Evolution of thousands of galaxies over billions of years
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 - Scientists have invented a new computational approach that can accurately follow the birth and evolution of thousands of galaxies over billions of years. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study suggests nature walks improve cognitive abilities for people diagnosed with clinical depression. See article.
g Cosmicus - With the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars recently, the search for evidence of past life on the Martian surface has begun. For now we’re talking about microbes. No one expects Curiosity’s cameras to image a “critter” scampering across the landscape. See article.
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g Stars - Scientists have invented a new computational approach that can accurately follow the birth and evolution of thousands of galaxies over billions of years. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study suggests nature walks improve cognitive abilities for people diagnosed with clinical depression. See article.
g Cosmicus - With the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars recently, the search for evidence of past life on the Martian surface has begun. For now we’re talking about microbes. No one expects Curiosity’s cameras to image a “critter” scampering across the landscape. See article.
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Sunday, August 19, 2012
How magnesium plays an important role in formation of low mass 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 - A new theory suggests that metals like magnesium may play an important role in the formation of low mass planets. The research could aid in the search for rocky, habitable worlds around distant stars. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital have conducted a study which has found striking brain similarities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The research has also pinpointed for the first time that a process which controls how information is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain is altered in both conditions and may potentially contribute to the developments of improved treatments in the future. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Curiosity rover has returned the first images from its the remote micro imager on the ChemCam instrument. Now, scientists have selected the first target for ChemCam's rock-zapping laser will be fired in the near future. See article.
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g Stars - A new theory suggests that metals like magnesium may play an important role in the formation of low mass planets. The research could aid in the search for rocky, habitable worlds around distant stars. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital have conducted a study which has found striking brain similarities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The research has also pinpointed for the first time that a process which controls how information is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain is altered in both conditions and may potentially contribute to the developments of improved treatments in the future. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Curiosity rover has returned the first images from its the remote micro imager on the ChemCam instrument. Now, scientists have selected the first target for ChemCam's rock-zapping laser will be fired in the near future. See article.
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Saturday, August 18, 2012
Trogloraptor spider species discovered and Uranus’ moons’ dance of death
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 - Researchers may have discovered a new method to predict solar flares more than a day before they occur. See article.
g Abodes - An intricate dynamical dance performed by the inner moons of Uranus could end in disaster as it appears that certain pairs of moons have the orbital equivalent to two left feet. See article.
g Life - The forests of the coastal regions from California to British Columbia are renowned for their unique and ancient animals and plants, such as coast redwoods, tailed frogs, mountain beavers and the legendary Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch). Whereas Bigfoot is probably just fiction, a huge, newly discovered spider is very real. Trogloraptor (or "cave robber") is named for its cave home and spectacular, elongate claws. It is a spider so evolutionarily special that it represents not only a new genus and species, but also a new family (Trogloraptoridae). Even for the species-rich insects and arachnids, to discover a new, previously unknown family is an historic moment. See article.
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g Stars - Researchers may have discovered a new method to predict solar flares more than a day before they occur. See article.
g Abodes - An intricate dynamical dance performed by the inner moons of Uranus could end in disaster as it appears that certain pairs of moons have the orbital equivalent to two left feet. See article.
g Life - The forests of the coastal regions from California to British Columbia are renowned for their unique and ancient animals and plants, such as coast redwoods, tailed frogs, mountain beavers and the legendary Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch). Whereas Bigfoot is probably just fiction, a huge, newly discovered spider is very real. Trogloraptor (or "cave robber") is named for its cave home and spectacular, elongate claws. It is a spider so evolutionarily special that it represents not only a new genus and species, but also a new family (Trogloraptoridae). Even for the species-rich insects and arachnids, to discover a new, previously unknown family is an historic moment. See article.
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Friday, August 17, 2012
Why we shouldn’t give up on 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 - Experiments using heavy ions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are advancing understanding of the primordial universe. See article.
g Message - It’s been 35 years since the most tantalizing signal, but the prospect of finding cosmic company is looking brighter than ever. See article.
g Cosmicus - A hybrid electric mission to Mars could harness the power of sunlight to save on cost, fuel and time to recover samples from the Red Planet. See article.
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g Stars - Experiments using heavy ions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are advancing understanding of the primordial universe. See article.
g Message - It’s been 35 years since the most tantalizing signal, but the prospect of finding cosmic company is looking brighter than ever. See article.
g Cosmicus - A hybrid electric mission to Mars could harness the power of sunlight to save on cost, fuel and time to recover samples from the Red Planet. See article.
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Thursday, August 16, 2012
Curiosity rover completes ‘brain transplant’
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 - Do supermassive black holes prune galaxies? See article.
g Abodes - The Curiosity rover has completed a “brain transplant,” transitioning to new software for Mars surface operations. The new software was uploaded to the rover's memory during the flight from Earth, and adds new capabilities that will help Curiosity explore the surface of Mars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Don Pettit recounts life on the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 31 crew. Some of his unique experiences include using chopsticks in microgravity, and orbiting in the Earth in perpetual twilight. See article.
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g Stars - Do supermassive black holes prune galaxies? See article.
g Abodes - The Curiosity rover has completed a “brain transplant,” transitioning to new software for Mars surface operations. The new software was uploaded to the rover's memory during the flight from Earth, and adds new capabilities that will help Curiosity explore the surface of Mars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Don Pettit recounts life on the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 31 crew. Some of his unique experiences include using chopsticks in microgravity, and orbiting in the Earth in perpetual twilight. See article.
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012
What astrobiology says about ‘inevitability of war’
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 research has shown that meteor smoke may play a role in the formation of noctilucent clouds on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - In a pair of Discover magazine articles, biologist E.O. Wilson and science journalist John Horgan take on the question "Is War Inevitable." While they come to opposite conclusions, they bracket the modern answers to this ancient question. Both positions make for fascinating reading, but there is another possibility that one philosopher says comes only by looking at life in its largest, planetary systems context. See article.
g Cosmicus - For many years man has looked up to the sky and wondered: Are We Alone? As Curiosity - the Mars rover - landed safely on the Red Planet, we have high hopes of solving this age-old mystery. But this is not the first time for us as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been a fixation since the 1960s. ET picks the landmark missions. See article.
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g Abodes - New research has shown that meteor smoke may play a role in the formation of noctilucent clouds on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - In a pair of Discover magazine articles, biologist E.O. Wilson and science journalist John Horgan take on the question "Is War Inevitable." While they come to opposite conclusions, they bracket the modern answers to this ancient question. Both positions make for fascinating reading, but there is another possibility that one philosopher says comes only by looking at life in its largest, planetary systems context. See article.
g Cosmicus - For many years man has looked up to the sky and wondered: Are We Alone? As Curiosity - the Mars rover - landed safely on the Red Planet, we have high hopes of solving this age-old mystery. But this is not the first time for us as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been a fixation since the 1960s. ET picks the landmark missions. See article.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Tweeting senders of the Wow! Signal
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 Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will send two spacecraft into the harsh environment of our planet’s radiation belts. See article.
g Message - On August 15, with the push of a few buttons, a Twitter experiment of galactic proportions will launch from Earth into the cosmos.b See article.
g Cosmicus - New data from the Voyager 1 spacecraft has revealed that three key signs of changes expected to occur at the boundary of interstellar space have changed faster than at any other time in the last seven years. Data from Voyager includes measurements of high-energy cosmic rays from outside the Solar System, low-energy particles originating from inside the Solar System, and studies on the direction of the magnetic field. See article.
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g Abodes - NASA’s Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will send two spacecraft into the harsh environment of our planet’s radiation belts. See article.
g Message - On August 15, with the push of a few buttons, a Twitter experiment of galactic proportions will launch from Earth into the cosmos.b See article.
g Cosmicus - New data from the Voyager 1 spacecraft has revealed that three key signs of changes expected to occur at the boundary of interstellar space have changed faster than at any other time in the last seven years. Data from Voyager includes measurements of high-energy cosmic rays from outside the Solar System, low-energy particles originating from inside the Solar System, and studies on the direction of the magnetic field. See article.
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Monday, August 13, 2012
Extraterrestrial quasicrystals
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 - An expedition to far eastern Russia that set out to find the origin of naturally occurring quasicrystals has provided convincing evidence that they arrived on Earth from outer space. See article.
g Intelligence - Singing mice (scotinomys teguina) are not your average lab rats. Their fur is tawny brown instead of the common white albino strain; they hail from the tropical cloud forests in the mountains of Costa Rica; and, as their name hints, they use song to communicate. See article.
g Cosmicus - The first images from Curiosity's color Mast Camera, or Mastcam, have been received. The images provide the first color, horizon-to-horizon glimpse of Gale Crater. See article.
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g Abodes - An expedition to far eastern Russia that set out to find the origin of naturally occurring quasicrystals has provided convincing evidence that they arrived on Earth from outer space. See article.
g Intelligence - Singing mice (scotinomys teguina) are not your average lab rats. Their fur is tawny brown instead of the common white albino strain; they hail from the tropical cloud forests in the mountains of Costa Rica; and, as their name hints, they use song to communicate. See article.
g Cosmicus - The first images from Curiosity's color Mast Camera, or Mastcam, have been received. The images provide the first color, horizon-to-horizon glimpse of Gale Crater. See article.
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Sunday, August 12, 2012
The mysterious lives of methane-exhaling microbes and plate tectonics 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 Abodes - Previously, many scientists though that Earth was the only planet in our solar system with tectonic plates. New research now shows that the geological phenomenon may also be present on Mars. See article.
g Life - New research is shining a light on the mysterious lives of methane-exhaling microbes that live deep in the cracks of hot undersea volcanoes. See article.
g Learning - A recent National Geographic Society poll reported that 36 percent of Americans -- about 80 million people -- believe UFOs exist, only 17 percent do not, and the rest of the people are undecided. The survey did not specifically equate UFOs with flying saucers or little green men, however. See article.
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g Abodes - Previously, many scientists though that Earth was the only planet in our solar system with tectonic plates. New research now shows that the geological phenomenon may also be present on Mars. See article.
g Life - New research is shining a light on the mysterious lives of methane-exhaling microbes that live deep in the cracks of hot undersea volcanoes. See article.
g Learning - A recent National Geographic Society poll reported that 36 percent of Americans -- about 80 million people -- believe UFOs exist, only 17 percent do not, and the rest of the people are undecided. The survey did not specifically equate UFOs with flying saucers or little green men, however. See article.
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Saturday, August 11, 2012
Take me to your teacher, Earthling
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 suggests that the increased efficiency of dividing tasks among different individuals may explain a key transition in evolutionary history, from single-celled to multi-celled organisms. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new study has shown that the method famously used to save Earth from a devastating asteroid impact in the movie Armageddon would not work in real life. See article.
g Learning - If aliens land, should they be welcomed or taken away by men in white coats? The prospect of a close encounter can make for an interesting classroom debate See article.
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g Life - A new study suggests that the increased efficiency of dividing tasks among different individuals may explain a key transition in evolutionary history, from single-celled to multi-celled organisms. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new study has shown that the method famously used to save Earth from a devastating asteroid impact in the movie Armageddon would not work in real life. See article.
g Learning - If aliens land, should they be welcomed or taken away by men in white coats? The prospect of a close encounter can make for an interesting classroom debate See article.
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Friday, August 10, 2012
Areas in outer space where complex organic molecules may form
Areas in outer space where complex organic molecules may 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 - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system BD 07-5839? See article.
g Life - Astrobiologists are helping to locate areas in outer space where complex organic molecules may form. Their results have implications for determining the origins of molecules that spark life in the cosmos. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is studying ways to make tractor beams a reality. The technology could provide an excellent method for collecting extraterrestrial samples from planets like Mars. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system BD 07-5839? See article.
g Life - Astrobiologists are helping to locate areas in outer space where complex organic molecules may form. Their results have implications for determining the origins of molecules that spark life in the cosmos. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA is studying ways to make tractor beams a reality. The technology could provide an excellent method for collecting extraterrestrial samples from planets like Mars. See article.
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Will ETI also be in God's image?
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 - Within an hour of landing, Curiosity's ChemCam instrument indicated that all systems are go. ChemCam is now ready to begin its scientific work, providing new clues about whether or not Mars once harbored ancient life. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has caputred an image of the Curiosity rover when it was still connected to its 51-foot-wide (almost 16 meter) parachute as it descended towards its landing site at Gale Crater. See article.
g Imagining - The chance of Curiosity finding little green men on the Red Planet is zero, granted; but do you believe intelligent life could have developed somewhere in the endless reaches of space? And if such life existed, would it also be in God's image? See article.
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g Abodes - Within an hour of landing, Curiosity's ChemCam instrument indicated that all systems are go. ChemCam is now ready to begin its scientific work, providing new clues about whether or not Mars once harbored ancient life. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has caputred an image of the Curiosity rover when it was still connected to its 51-foot-wide (almost 16 meter) parachute as it descended towards its landing site at Gale Crater. See article.
g Imagining - The chance of Curiosity finding little green men on the Red Planet is zero, granted; but do you believe intelligent life could have developed somewhere in the endless reaches of space? And if such life existed, would it also be in God's image? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Third of all organisms remain a mystery
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 - Carl Sagan once said that to make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe. He was right. And in inventing the universe you will need to build all the objects and structures found in it. See article.
g Life - By some estimates, a third of Earth's organisms live in our planet's rocks and sediments, yet their lives are almost a complete mystery. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit recounts his arrival at the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 31 crew, and some notable views of Earth from orbit that he glimpsed from onboard. See article.
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g Stars - Carl Sagan once said that to make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe. He was right. And in inventing the universe you will need to build all the objects and structures found in it. See article.
g Life - By some estimates, a third of Earth's organisms live in our planet's rocks and sediments, yet their lives are almost a complete mystery. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit recounts his arrival at the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 31 crew, and some notable views of Earth from orbit that he glimpsed from onboard. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Why we keep searching for ETI
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 - Despite sharp increases in carbon dioxide emissions by humans in recent decades that are warming the planet, Earth's vegetation and oceans continue to soak up about half. See article.
g Message - Why does the privately-funded organization called SETI, an acronym for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, seek for signs of sentience elsewhere in the universe? What does it hope to achieve? Or, to put it more plainly, why does it — along with the rest of us —hanker so desperately to succeed in spite of decades of failure till date? See article.
g Cosmicus - A new start-up company is hoping to ride the crowdsourcing wave to privately raise millions of dollars to fund scientific research, space exploration projects and other educational initiatives. See article.
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g Abodes - Despite sharp increases in carbon dioxide emissions by humans in recent decades that are warming the planet, Earth's vegetation and oceans continue to soak up about half. See article.
g Message - Why does the privately-funded organization called SETI, an acronym for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, seek for signs of sentience elsewhere in the universe? What does it hope to achieve? Or, to put it more plainly, why does it — along with the rest of us —hanker so desperately to succeed in spite of decades of failure till date? See article.
g Cosmicus - A new start-up company is hoping to ride the crowdsourcing wave to privately raise millions of dollars to fund scientific research, space exploration projects and other educational initiatives. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Curiosity rover lands 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 Abodes - Curiosity is the closest thing yet to a real geologist being sent to Mars. As the rover prepares for its dramatic landing, scientists on Earth are preparing for the incredible amount of data that Curiosity will return from Gale Crater. See article.
g Life - When Daniel Glavin isn't designing a chemistry experiment to run from millions of miles away, he's a researcher in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where scientists are working to solve two of the biggest mysteries facing humanity: How did we get here? And are we alone? The answers may lie in carbonaceous meteorites. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has successfully touched down on Mars. Several minutes later, amidst the cheers and high-fives at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, the rover’s first image was received on Earth. See article.
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g Abodes - Curiosity is the closest thing yet to a real geologist being sent to Mars. As the rover prepares for its dramatic landing, scientists on Earth are preparing for the incredible amount of data that Curiosity will return from Gale Crater. See article.
g Life - When Daniel Glavin isn't designing a chemistry experiment to run from millions of miles away, he's a researcher in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where scientists are working to solve two of the biggest mysteries facing humanity: How did we get here? And are we alone? The answers may lie in carbonaceous meteorites. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has successfully touched down on Mars. Several minutes later, amidst the cheers and high-fives at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, the rover’s first image was received on Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, August 06, 2012
Landslides on Iapetus
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 - Last year, astronomers discovered a quiescent black hole in a distant galaxy that erupted after shredding and consuming a passing star. Now researchers have identified a distinctive X-ray signal observed in the days following the outburst that comes from matter on the verge of falling into the black hole. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have revealed new information about the fluid-like motion of landslides on Saturn's moon Iapetus. See article.
g Cosmicus - Fewer than half of the attempts by global space agencies to reach Mars have succeeded since 1960. See article.
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g Stars - Last year, astronomers discovered a quiescent black hole in a distant galaxy that erupted after shredding and consuming a passing star. Now researchers have identified a distinctive X-ray signal observed in the days following the outburst that comes from matter on the verge of falling into the black hole. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have revealed new information about the fluid-like motion of landslides on Saturn's moon Iapetus. See article.
g Cosmicus - Fewer than half of the attempts by global space agencies to reach Mars have succeeded since 1960. See article.
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Sunday, August 05, 2012
Purported detections of methane on Mars
Purported detections of methane 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 - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Gl 506. See article.
g Abodes - Eight years have passed, and scientists still haven't been able to come to any consensus over purported detections of methane on Mars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humans have had a continual presence in space for 11 years onboard the International Space Station. Following the failure of a Russian rocket launch, mission planners are hoping that the streak won't be broken. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star system Gl 506. See article.
g Abodes - Eight years have passed, and scientists still haven't been able to come to any consensus over purported detections of methane on Mars. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humans have had a continual presence in space for 11 years onboard the International Space Station. Following the failure of a Russian rocket launch, mission planners are hoping that the streak won't be broken. See article.
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Keys to surviving extinction
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 Groombridge 1618? See article.
g Life - What makes some species more prone to extinction? A new study of nearly 300 species of New Zealand birds - from pre-human times to the present - reveals that the keys to survival today differ from those of the past See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's newest Mars mission is a bold step forward in our study of life's past and present potential on Mars. However, to accomplish its goals, the Curiosity rover will also draw on support from previous missions sent to Mars years ago. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of the nearby star Groombridge 1618? See article.
g Life - What makes some species more prone to extinction? A new study of nearly 300 species of New Zealand birds - from pre-human times to the present - reveals that the keys to survival today differ from those of the past See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's newest Mars mission is a bold step forward in our study of life's past and present potential on Mars. However, to accomplish its goals, the Curiosity rover will also draw on support from previous missions sent to Mars years ago. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Vaporization of Earth-like planets and Dutch company aims to land humans on Mars by 2023
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 - Simulations of the vaporization of Earth-like planets tell planet-hunting astronomers what to look for in the atmospheres of candidate super-Earths. See article.
g Life - Researchers have developed a novel method to search the archives of known gene sequences to identify and compare similar proteins across the many kingdoms of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - A Dutch company aims to land humans on Mars by 2023 as the first step toward establishing a permanent colony on the Red Planet. See article.
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g Abodes - Simulations of the vaporization of Earth-like planets tell planet-hunting astronomers what to look for in the atmospheres of candidate super-Earths. See article.
g Life - Researchers have developed a novel method to search the archives of known gene sequences to identify and compare similar proteins across the many kingdoms of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - A Dutch company aims to land humans on Mars by 2023 as the first step toward establishing a permanent colony on the Red Planet. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, August 03, 2012
Large polygon features on Mars and brain differences
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 indicates that large polygon features on Mars may have been formed in the same way as similar structures on Earth - at the bottom of an ocean. See article.
g Intelligence - When it comes to intelligence, what factors distinguish the brains of exceptionally smart humans from those of average humans? See article.
g Cosmicus - Soon the rover Curiosity will land on Mars. By design it won’t involve life-detection, but it was assembled to look for the carbon-based building blocks of Martian life and to explore the possible habitats where life might once have existed. See article.
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g Abodes - A new study indicates that large polygon features on Mars may have been formed in the same way as similar structures on Earth - at the bottom of an ocean. See article.
g Intelligence - When it comes to intelligence, what factors distinguish the brains of exceptionally smart humans from those of average humans? See article.
g Cosmicus - Soon the rover Curiosity will land on Mars. By design it won’t involve life-detection, but it was assembled to look for the carbon-based building blocks of Martian life and to explore the possible habitats where life might once have existed. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Trajectories of particles in protoplanetary disk and Mars Science Laboratory about to land
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 - For the first time, scientists have modeled the trajectories of particles in the protoplanetary disk the formed the solar system. The results have shed new light on how icy comets may have formed. See article.
g Intelligence - Just grin and bear it! At some point, we have all probably heard or thought something like this when facing a tough situation. But is there any truth to this piece of advice? Feeling good usually makes us smile, but does it work the other way around? Can smiling actually make us feel better? See article.
g Cosmicus - This past Saturday, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory completed what may be the last flight-path adjustment needed before landing day. See article.
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g Abodes - For the first time, scientists have modeled the trajectories of particles in the protoplanetary disk the formed the solar system. The results have shed new light on how icy comets may have formed. See article.
g Intelligence - Just grin and bear it! At some point, we have all probably heard or thought something like this when facing a tough situation. But is there any truth to this piece of advice? Feeling good usually makes us smile, but does it work the other way around? Can smiling actually make us feel better? See article.
g Cosmicus - This past Saturday, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory completed what may be the last flight-path adjustment needed before landing day. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Gene vital to surviving Earth’s most extreme environments and looking for alien bubbles
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Message - We are embedded in a thick forest of stars, and identifying the location of an extraterrestrial civilization - one that's attempting to contact us - is the proverbial needle-in-haystack search as the SETI scientists always say. Therefore, it would make sense to go looking at a neighboring "forest," or rather nearby galaxy, for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. See article.
g Cosmicus - Fifty years ago, American astronaut John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit. See article.
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g Message - We are embedded in a thick forest of stars, and identifying the location of an extraterrestrial civilization - one that's attempting to contact us - is the proverbial needle-in-haystack search as the SETI scientists always say. Therefore, it would make sense to go looking at a neighboring "forest," or rather nearby galaxy, for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. See article.
g Cosmicus - Fifty years ago, American astronaut John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
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