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 - At the 2012 Astrobiology Science Conference, Astrobiology Magazine hosted a plenary session titled: “Expanding the Habitable Zone. The Hunt for Exoplanets Now and Into the Future.” See article.
g Life - When it comes to life across the cosmos, the universe might just be an "awful waste of space" after all. See article.
g Message - Several big hunts are seeking radio and laser emissions from other civilizations. From Project Phoenix to SETI@home, here's a complete rundown of all the searches now under way or recently conducted. See article.
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Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Life thriving in acid
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 are trying to understand how a single-celled alga can thrive in different extreme environments using multiple strategies to survive. The organism uses photosynthesis when living in the hot springs of Yellowstone, but feeds on bacteria when inhabiting dark, caustic mineshaft drainage. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - On April 17, scientists will venture to Washington D.C. to present research as part of NASA's Technology Day on the Hill. One project focuses on protecting the Earth from asteroids using a 'one-two' nuclear punch. See article.
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g Life - Scientists are trying to understand how a single-celled alga can thrive in different extreme environments using multiple strategies to survive. The organism uses photosynthesis when living in the hot springs of Yellowstone, but feeds on bacteria when inhabiting dark, caustic mineshaft drainage. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - On April 17, scientists will venture to Washington D.C. to present research as part of NASA's Technology Day on the Hill. One project focuses on protecting the Earth from asteroids using a 'one-two' nuclear punch. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 29, 2013
How gas giants 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 Abodes - A new theoretical model is providing clues to how the gas giant planets in our solar system - Jupiter and Saturn - might have formed and evolved. See article.
g Message - Book alert: In “Are We Alone in the Cosmos? The Search for Alien Contact in the New Millenium,” edited by Byron Preiss and Ben Bova, major scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, explain their work and reveal their thoughts. Joining them are some of the best speculative thinkers, from Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov to Gregory Benford, who address the major philosophical questions involved. See reviews.
g Cosmicus - Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will make a very close approach to Mars in October 2014. See article.
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g Abodes - A new theoretical model is providing clues to how the gas giant planets in our solar system - Jupiter and Saturn - might have formed and evolved. See article.
g Message - Book alert: In “Are We Alone in the Cosmos? The Search for Alien Contact in the New Millenium,” edited by Byron Preiss and Ben Bova, major scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, explain their work and reveal their thoughts. Joining them are some of the best speculative thinkers, from Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov to Gregory Benford, who address the major philosophical questions involved. See reviews.
g Cosmicus - Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will make a very close approach to Mars in October 2014. See article.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
Best chance of picking up ETI signals
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 have uncovered important genetic clues about the history of archaea and the origins of life itself. The new study may indicate that the ability to make DNA formed late in life's evolution on Earth. See article.
g Message - Our best chance of picking up a broadcast from intelligent aliens is when the Earth is closest to being directly between our Sun and the transmitting alien star. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Cosmicus - The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most powerful available to astronomers, but sometimes it too needs a helping hand. This comes in the form of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. See article.
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g Life - Researchers have uncovered important genetic clues about the history of archaea and the origins of life itself. The new study may indicate that the ability to make DNA formed late in life's evolution on Earth. See article.
g Message - Our best chance of picking up a broadcast from intelligent aliens is when the Earth is closest to being directly between our Sun and the transmitting alien star. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Cosmicus - The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most powerful available to astronomers, but sometimes it too needs a helping hand. This comes in the form of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. See article.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Where we’re likely to find ET
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 variety of new findings point to the "habitable zones" where we're likely to find extraterrestrials. See article.
g Life - A new experiment simulating conditions in deep space reveals that the complex building blocks of life could have been created on icy interplanetary dust and then carried to Earth, jump-starting life. See article.
g Message - In 1967, a small group of radio astronomers in the United Kingdom had stumbled upon clock-precision radio pulses coming from deep space. The signal was unlike anything ever seen before or even predicted in astronomy. In the absence of a natural explanation, the researchers pondered, for three long weeks, whether this was really a “hello” from an extraterrestrial civilization. See article.
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g Stars - A variety of new findings point to the "habitable zones" where we're likely to find extraterrestrials. See article.
g Life - A new experiment simulating conditions in deep space reveals that the complex building blocks of life could have been created on icy interplanetary dust and then carried to Earth, jump-starting life. See article.
g Message - In 1967, a small group of radio astronomers in the United Kingdom had stumbled upon clock-precision radio pulses coming from deep space. The signal was unlike anything ever seen before or even predicted in astronomy. In the absence of a natural explanation, the researchers pondered, for three long weeks, whether this was really a “hello” from an extraterrestrial civilization. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Europa’s salty ocean
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 - Scientists using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory have found the strongest evidence yet that salty water from the vast liquid ocean beneath Europa’s frozen exterior actually makes its way to the surface. See article.
g Intelligence - A study published in the February 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that children and adolescents with major depression or subthreshold forms of bipolar disorder - and who had at least one first-degree relative with bipolar disorder - responded better to a 12-session family-focused treatment than to a briefer educational treatment. See article.
g Message - Here’s a classic essay on SETI: Carl Sagan’s “The Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”.
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g Abodes - Scientists using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory have found the strongest evidence yet that salty water from the vast liquid ocean beneath Europa’s frozen exterior actually makes its way to the surface. See article.
g Intelligence - A study published in the February 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that children and adolescents with major depression or subthreshold forms of bipolar disorder - and who had at least one first-degree relative with bipolar disorder - responded better to a 12-session family-focused treatment than to a briefer educational treatment. See article.
g Message - Here’s a classic essay on SETI: Carl Sagan’s “The Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, March 25, 2013
How solar systems evolve
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 - Scientists are uncovering new information about how the Solar System evolved by studying the origins of different isotope ratios among the elements that make up objects like planets and moons in our system. See article.
g Intelligence - The discovery and analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome pushes back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils. See article.
g Message - In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote the equation that put the search for alien civilizations on a scientific footing and launched the modern SETI movement. How do the numbers look today? See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
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g Abodes - Scientists are uncovering new information about how the Solar System evolved by studying the origins of different isotope ratios among the elements that make up objects like planets and moons in our system. See article.
g Intelligence - The discovery and analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome pushes back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils. See article.
g Message - In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote the equation that put the search for alien civilizations on a scientific footing and launched the modern SETI movement. How do the numbers look today? See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Exomoon habitability
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Exomoons – moons of alien planets – have many hurdles to habitability, such as eclipses and tidal heating, that are different from the planets they orbit. See article.
g Life - New research examines how primitive cells could have evolved without structures like protein machinery or cell walls. The study could shed light on how the earliest forms of cellular life on Earth may have replicated. 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 - Exomoons – moons of alien planets – have many hurdles to habitability, such as eclipses and tidal heating, that are different from the planets they orbit. See article.
g Life - New research examines how primitive cells could have evolved without structures like protein machinery or cell walls. The study could shed light on how the earliest forms of cellular life on Earth may have replicated. 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
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Swinging rocky 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 Abodes - Rocky extrasolar planets thought to be half frozen and half scorched might instead rock back and forth, creating large swaths of twilight with temperatures suitable for life. See article.
g Intelligence - New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. A team at the University of Copenhagen have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye colour of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today. See article.
g Cosmicus - A proposed space-junk removal system would hop from one piece of debris to the next without burning much fuel, potentially making a de-clutter mission economically feasible with current technologiy. See article.
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g Abodes - Rocky extrasolar planets thought to be half frozen and half scorched might instead rock back and forth, creating large swaths of twilight with temperatures suitable for life. See article.
g Intelligence - New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. A team at the University of Copenhagen have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye colour of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today. See article.
g Cosmicus - A proposed space-junk removal system would hop from one piece of debris to the next without burning much fuel, potentially making a de-clutter mission economically feasible with current technologiy. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 22, 2013
Atmospheric changes caused Snowball 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 Abodes - New research might help explain how Earth sprung back after a period of extensive glaciation known as Snowball Earth. The key may have been significant changes in the atmospheric conditions on the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviourists from ETH Zurich demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic. See article.
g Imagining - Book alert: What would life on other planets look like? Forget the little green men, alien life is likely to be completely unrecognizable - we haven’t even discovered all the life on our own planet. The visionary “Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life,” by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart, offers some of the most radical but scientifically accurate thinking on the possibility of life on other planets ever conceived. Using broad principles of Earthly biology and expanding on them laterally, Cohen and Stewart examine what could be out there. Redefining our whole concept of what ‘life’ is, they ask whether aliens could live on the surface of a star, in the vacuum of space or beneath the ice of a frozen moon. And whether life could exist without carbon or DNA – or even without matter at all. They also look at ‘celebrity aliens’ from books and films – most of which are biologically impossible. Jack Cohen is an ‘alien consultant’ to many writers, advising what an alien could and couldn’t look like. (E.T. go home – you do not pass the test). But this book is as much about the latest discoveries in Earthly biology as well as life on other planets. It’s a serious yet entertaining science book. See article.
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g Abodes - New research might help explain how Earth sprung back after a period of extensive glaciation known as Snowball Earth. The key may have been significant changes in the atmospheric conditions on the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviourists from ETH Zurich demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic. See article.
g Imagining - Book alert: What would life on other planets look like? Forget the little green men, alien life is likely to be completely unrecognizable - we haven’t even discovered all the life on our own planet. The visionary “Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life,” by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart, offers some of the most radical but scientifically accurate thinking on the possibility of life on other planets ever conceived. Using broad principles of Earthly biology and expanding on them laterally, Cohen and Stewart examine what could be out there. Redefining our whole concept of what ‘life’ is, they ask whether aliens could live on the surface of a star, in the vacuum of space or beneath the ice of a frozen moon. And whether life could exist without carbon or DNA – or even without matter at all. They also look at ‘celebrity aliens’ from books and films – most of which are biologically impossible. Jack Cohen is an ‘alien consultant’ to many writers, advising what an alien could and couldn’t look like. (E.T. go home – you do not pass the test). But this book is as much about the latest discoveries in Earthly biology as well as life on other planets. It’s a serious yet entertaining science book. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, March 21, 2013
‘Contact: Culture of the Imagination’ conference
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 model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulphide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research, published online this week in the journal Nature Communications, considers the composition of the oceans from 550 million to 700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity that examines if yeast, a common yet tenacious microbe, can survive boiling water, salt, UV radiation and citric acid? Students find out for themselves by creating "Planets in a Bottle" which illustrate extreme conditions on other worlds. See articles.
g Aftermath - An intriguing conference begins today at NASA Ames: “Contact: Culture of the Imagination.” Contact is a unique interdisciplinary conference that brings together some of the foremost international social and space scientists, science fiction writers and artists to exchange ideas, stimulate new perspectives and encourage serious, creative speculation about humanity's future ... onworld and offworld. See http://www.contact-conference.com/.
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g Abodes - A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulphide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research, published online this week in the journal Nature Communications, considers the composition of the oceans from 550 million to 700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity that examines if yeast, a common yet tenacious microbe, can survive boiling water, salt, UV radiation and citric acid? Students find out for themselves by creating "Planets in a Bottle" which illustrate extreme conditions on other worlds. See articles.
g Aftermath - An intriguing conference begins today at NASA Ames: “Contact: Culture of the Imagination.” Contact is a unique interdisciplinary conference that brings together some of the foremost international social and space scientists, science fiction writers and artists to exchange ideas, stimulate new perspectives and encourage serious, creative speculation about humanity's future ... onworld and offworld. See http://www.contact-conference.com/.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Minerals of young 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 - New research on a mineral called molybdenite is helping scientists understand how geological and biological processes have helped shaped the chemistry of planet Earth. See article.
g Life - A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs. See article.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
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g Abodes - New research on a mineral called molybdenite is helping scientists understand how geological and biological processes have helped shaped the chemistry of planet Earth. See article.
g Life - A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs. See article.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Pair of prebiotic chemicals discovered in space
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth. The belts are critical regions for modern society, which is dependent on many space-based technologies. See article.
g Life - Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
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g Abodes - NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth. The belts are critical regions for modern society, which is dependent on many space-based technologies. See article.
g Life - Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, March 18, 2013
Gas giant planet forming around 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 obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. See article.
g Message - Recent discussions within the SETI community have thoroughly explored the issue of whether people with access to radio telescopes should send powerful signals to alien civilizations without some process of prior international consultation. In particular, those exchanges have focused on the question of "Active SETI." See article.
g Cosmicus - Dawn Sumner helps interpret the visual data that Curiosity rover sees with its cameras. In this interview, she reveals why Curiosity’s first images of Mount Sharp made her cry. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. See article.
g Message - Recent discussions within the SETI community have thoroughly explored the issue of whether people with access to radio telescopes should send powerful signals to alien civilizations without some process of prior international consultation. In particular, those exchanges have focused on the question of "Active SETI." See article.
g Cosmicus - Dawn Sumner helps interpret the visual data that Curiosity rover sees with its cameras. In this interview, she reveals why Curiosity’s first images of Mount Sharp made her cry. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Mercury’s ancient magma ocean
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 - Scientists have partially reconstructed Mercury's history over billions of years, revealing that the planet may have harbored a large, rolling ocean of magma. See article.
g Cosmicus - A target has been selected for the proposed Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission (AIDA). AIDA will intercept Didymos as the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth in 2022. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists have partially reconstructed Mercury's history over billions of years, revealing that the planet may have harbored a large, rolling ocean of magma. See article.
g Cosmicus - A target has been selected for the proposed Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission (AIDA). AIDA will intercept Didymos as the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth in 2022. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Theological and philosophical consequences of First Contact
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The first results from a record-setting expedition into the world's deepest points, including the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, has revealed previously unexplored ecosystems in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized depths. See article.
g Life - Biologists have found that the mutation that helps an organism survive in the harshest environment is often dependent on a "relay team" of other mutations that came before, mutations that emerge only as conditions worsen at gradual and moderate rates. See article.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
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g Abodes - The first results from a record-setting expedition into the world's deepest points, including the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, has revealed previously unexplored ecosystems in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized depths. See article.
g Life - Biologists have found that the mutation that helps an organism survive in the harshest environment is often dependent on a "relay team" of other mutations that came before, mutations that emerge only as conditions worsen at gradual and moderate rates. See article.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 15, 2013
Could white dwarf stars host habitable 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 white dwarf is a dead star that slowly cools down until it fades into oblivion. Yet it has been predicted that habitable planets can orbit a white dwarf. If we can somehow detect these planets, would we also be able to spot signs of life? See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists have released an initial sequence of radar images of asteroid 2012 DA14 that was obtained on the night of Feb. 15/16, 2013 using the Deep Space Network antenna. See article.
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g Stars - A white dwarf is a dead star that slowly cools down until it fades into oblivion. Yet it has been predicted that habitable planets can orbit a white dwarf. If we can somehow detect these planets, would we also be able to spot signs of life? See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists have released an initial sequence of radar images of asteroid 2012 DA14 that was obtained on the night of Feb. 15/16, 2013 using the Deep Space Network antenna. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Designing a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens
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 Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image showing an object known as HH 151, a bright jet of glowing material trailed by an intricate, orange-hued plume of gas and dust. See article.
g Cosmicus - The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission, JUICE, will carry a total of 11 scientific experiments to study the gas giant planet and its large ocean-bearing moons. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
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g Stars - The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image showing an object known as HH 151, a bright jet of glowing material trailed by an intricate, orange-hued plume of gas and dust. See article.
g Cosmicus - The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission, JUICE, will carry a total of 11 scientific experiments to study the gas giant planet and its large ocean-bearing moons. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Could Martian research samples carry diseases?
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 - After analyzing Hubble Space Telescope images of star cluster NGC 1818 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, researchers at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in Beijing found more binary star systems toward the periphery of cluster than in the center -- the opposite of what they expected. The surprising distribution of binaries is thought to result from complex interactions among stars within young clusters. See article.
g Intelligence - The balance of evidence, researchers say, suggests that human language is a grafting of two communication forms found elsewhere in the animal kingdom: first, the elaborate songs of birds, and second, the more utilitarian, information-bearing types of expression seen in a diversity of other animals. See article.
g Aftermath - Could Martian research samples carry diseases? Certainly this is an issue for the first time we make contact with extraterrestrial life, whether it is intelligent or microbial. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - After analyzing Hubble Space Telescope images of star cluster NGC 1818 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, researchers at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in Beijing found more binary star systems toward the periphery of cluster than in the center -- the opposite of what they expected. The surprising distribution of binaries is thought to result from complex interactions among stars within young clusters. See article.
g Intelligence - The balance of evidence, researchers say, suggests that human language is a grafting of two communication forms found elsewhere in the animal kingdom: first, the elaborate songs of birds, and second, the more utilitarian, information-bearing types of expression seen in a diversity of other animals. See article.
g Aftermath - Could Martian research samples carry diseases? Certainly this is an issue for the first time we make contact with extraterrestrial life, whether it is intelligent or microbial. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Exoplanet slightly larger than Moon discovered
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our Sun. The planet, Kepler-37b, is smaller than Mercury and only slightly larger than the Moon. See article.
g Intelligence - Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human. 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 Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our Sun. The planet, Kepler-37b, is smaller than Mercury and only slightly larger than the Moon. See article.
g Intelligence - Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human. 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, March 11, 2013
Traces of water in Moon rocks
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 - Scientists have detected traces of water in the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the upper crust of the Moon that were obtained during the Apollo missions. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Jeff Moersch describes the DAN instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. Donated by the Russian Federal Space Agency, this instrument will search for underground water without any need for digging. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book: “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
g Abodes - Scientists have detected traces of water in the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the upper crust of the Moon that were obtained during the Apollo missions. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Jeff Moersch describes the DAN instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. Donated by the Russian Federal Space Agency, this instrument will search for underground water without any need for digging. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book: “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, March 10, 2013
Searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL), which maintains the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, is now joining in efforts to actually discover new exoplanets. Using new algorithms based on pattern recognition, the PHL is now searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope. See article.
g Message - Using radio signals to search for extraterrestrial life was not an original idea of Sagan and his followers. 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 - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL), which maintains the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, is now joining in efforts to actually discover new exoplanets. Using new algorithms based on pattern recognition, the PHL is now searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope. See article.
g Message - Using radio signals to search for extraterrestrial life was not an original idea of Sagan and his followers. 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.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Proposed telescope might find ETI in 25 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 Message - Astronomers have published a new study that claims it could be possible to detect signs of extraterrestrial life within the next 25 years - and without the need for a space mission. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Cassini mission is continuing its exploration of the Saturn system. Cassini has provided invaluable data for astrobiologists studying life's potential on moons of giant planets. See article.
g Learning - Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite, and William Shatner. Three men, each with a unique connection to space exploration. Three men who also play a role in Mark Showalter's tale of discovery. See article.
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g Message - Astronomers have published a new study that claims it could be possible to detect signs of extraterrestrial life within the next 25 years - and without the need for a space mission. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Cassini mission is continuing its exploration of the Saturn system. Cassini has provided invaluable data for astrobiologists studying life's potential on moons of giant planets. See article.
g Learning - Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite, and William Shatner. Three men, each with a unique connection to space exploration. Three men who also play a role in Mark Showalter's tale of discovery. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 08, 2013
Contacting ETI with Bracewell probes
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 could suggest that exposure to cold air may promote longevity in mammals. 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.
g Cosmicus - An all-in-one chemical analysis instrument - currently under development -- could potentially detect a single amino acid in a gram of Martian soil. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - A new study could suggest that exposure to cold air may promote longevity in mammals. 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.
g Cosmicus - An all-in-one chemical analysis instrument - currently under development -- could potentially detect a single amino acid in a gram of Martian soil. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Inside Project BETA
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 Australia's rich plant diversity was wiped out by the ice ages. 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 - A worldwide network of sensors has been used to gather new information about the object that entered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over Siberia on February 15. The object was unrelated to the asteroid 2012 DA14, which hours later made its flyby of Earth. See article.
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g Life - A new study shows that Australia's rich plant diversity was wiped out by the ice ages. 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 - A worldwide network of sensors has been used to gather new information about the object that entered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over Siberia on February 15. The object was unrelated to the asteroid 2012 DA14, which hours later made its flyby of Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Evidence of RNA’s ability to assemble into genes?
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 reported that a pair of RNA-like molecules can spontaneously assemble into gene-length chains. A similar process may have led to the evolution of RNA and life itself billions of years ago. 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 - Scientists have proposed a system that could eliminate the threat of asteroids that are roughly half the size of a football field. The process would take only an hour. The system also could destroy asteroids 10 times larger in about a year. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - Scientists have reported that a pair of RNA-like molecules can spontaneously assemble into gene-length chains. A similar process may have led to the evolution of RNA and life itself billions of years ago. 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 - Scientists have proposed a system that could eliminate the threat of asteroids that are roughly half the size of a football field. The process would take only an hour. The system also could destroy asteroids 10 times larger in about a year. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Virus, bacterium battle for control of our planet
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 strike from a big asteroid more than 300 million years ago left a huge impact zone buried in Australia and changed the face of the earth. See article.
g Life - Scientists have uncovered a war in the oceans that has been going on for hundreds of millions of years. The battle is between SAR11 bacterium and the Pelagiphage viruses that infect them, and the results of this microscopic war have profound effects on Earth's carbon cycle. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Learning - Watch videos, marvel at lush photos, interact with the universe, and much more courtesy of the History Channel. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A strike from a big asteroid more than 300 million years ago left a huge impact zone buried in Australia and changed the face of the earth. See article.
g Life - Scientists have uncovered a war in the oceans that has been going on for hundreds of millions of years. The battle is between SAR11 bacterium and the Pelagiphage viruses that infect them, and the results of this microscopic war have profound effects on Earth's carbon cycle. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Learning - Watch videos, marvel at lush photos, interact with the universe, and much more courtesy of the History Channel. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, March 04, 2013
Do ETIs use Dyson Spheres?
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 - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have explained what looks like a piece of shiny metal sticking out of a rock on Mars in a photograph from the Curiosity rover. See article.
g Aftermath - Book Alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. Jean Heidmann, Chief Astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book, “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation — all of it grounded in real science — is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Message - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have explained what looks like a piece of shiny metal sticking out of a rock on Mars in a photograph from the Curiosity rover. See article.
g Aftermath - Book Alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. Jean Heidmann, Chief Astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book, “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation — all of it grounded in real science — is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Ethics of contacting 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 - The thought that alien fishes, sharks and squids could be chasing each other in the pitch black waters of Jupiter's moon Europa has astrobiologists like Steve Vance itching to get a good look below the ice. See article.
g Message - Is it even ethical for us to contact alien life? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have put out a call to the public to name two newly discovered moons of Pluto, currently dubbed P4 and P5. See article.
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g Abodes - The thought that alien fishes, sharks and squids could be chasing each other in the pitch black waters of Jupiter's moon Europa has astrobiologists like Steve Vance itching to get a good look below the ice. See article.
g Message - Is it even ethical for us to contact alien life? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have put out a call to the public to name two newly discovered moons of Pluto, currently dubbed P4 and P5. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Life found under 800 meters of ice
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 identified microbial life in a lake trapped under the frozen ice sheet of Antarctica. For their discovery, the team drilled through 800 meters of ice covering Lake Whillans to collect samples. See article.
g Message - Professor Peter Smith, the University of Arizona expert who led NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, predicts that at least basic forms of life would be discovered within the next decade. Microbes and bacteria were, thus far, the best bet, he said. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has used its drill to bore into a flat rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. The rock could hold evidence about long-gone wet environments, providing astrobiologists with new insight into the potential for past life on the red plant. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - Scientists have identified microbial life in a lake trapped under the frozen ice sheet of Antarctica. For their discovery, the team drilled through 800 meters of ice covering Lake Whillans to collect samples. See article.
g Message - Professor Peter Smith, the University of Arizona expert who led NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, predicts that at least basic forms of life would be discovered within the next decade. Microbes and bacteria were, thus far, the best bet, he said. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has used its drill to bore into a flat rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. The rock could hold evidence about long-gone wet environments, providing astrobiologists with new insight into the potential for past life on the red plant. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 01, 2013
What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Intelligence - Domestic dogs are much more likely to steal food when they think nobody can see them, suggesting for the first time that dogs are capable of understanding a human's point of view. See article.
g Message - What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future? Here’s a paper by University of Toronto Professor Allen Tough. Though written more than 25 years ago, the paper contains plenty of useful ideas that are fresh (and ignored) today, especially those about extraterrestrial behavior and help.
g Cosmicus - NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission will take the most precise measurements of how warmth from the Sun can ultimately push asteroids and change their orbits. The data will help astrobiologists understand the risk of an asteroid collision with Earth in the future. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Intelligence - Domestic dogs are much more likely to steal food when they think nobody can see them, suggesting for the first time that dogs are capable of understanding a human's point of view. See article.
g Message - What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future? Here’s a paper by University of Toronto Professor Allen Tough. Though written more than 25 years ago, the paper contains plenty of useful ideas that are fresh (and ignored) today, especially those about extraterrestrial behavior and help.
g Cosmicus - NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission will take the most precise measurements of how warmth from the Sun can ultimately push asteroids and change their orbits. The data will help astrobiologists understand the risk of an asteroid collision with Earth in the future. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
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