Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A star once hidden by a stellar death shroud is the source of odd behavior of its companion supernova, a new study has found. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060504_super
nova_companion.html.
g Abodes - Chances are you haven't spent a whole lot of time wondering how many Jupiter-like planets exist in our galaxy. But Charley Lineweaver has, because it bears on a more important question: How many potentially habitable planets are there? See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/jupiter_
typical_020128.html. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas has measured water evaporation rates under Mars-like conditions, and their findings favor the presence of surface water on the planet. Water on the planet's surface makes the existence of past or present life on Mars a little more likely. See http://www.spacedaily.com/
news/mars-water-science-03o.html.
g Intelligence - The shapes of letters in all languages are derived from common forms in nature, according to a new hypothesis. The idea, in some ways seemingly obvious and innately human, arose however from a study of how robots see the world. See http://www.
livescience.com/othernews/060425_letter_shapes.html.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: C. Zerwick’s and H. Brown’s “The Cassiopeia Affair,” published in 1968 by Curtis. In this novel, an exploration of the effects that an alien radio message might have on Earth. One of the authors is a geochemist.
g Cosmicus - A lot of people think you need to be a superman to survive the trip to orbit, or to live there. But it's not true. This is just a myth - largely based on fictional stories and movies from before the first space flight was made. (Remember Tintin and friends blacking out? Or the strained expressions on people's faces in old space movies?) The fact is that acceleration of even several Gs is no problem at all so long as you're lying on your back. It doesn't hurt. It's not even hard to breathe. It's like having a baby lying on your chest. But it's not uncomfortable so long as you're lying on something soft. And there's no need for an individually contoured couch! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/healthfitness.shtml.
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 http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad16mar99_1a.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story "Killdozer," published in the November 1944 edition of Astounding.
g Aftermath - What would an intelligent signal from another planet change about human destiny? This large question is the topic of the book “The SETI Factor,” by Frank White, who also analyzes how to announce such an historic finding and whether it would unite or divide nations. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article646.html. Note: This article is from 2003.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Monstrous stars, exploring Europa and evolutionary biomarkers
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists have secured their first look at the birth of monstrous stars that shine 100,000 times more brightly than the Sun, thanks to the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0605/02monstrous/.
g Abodes - Europa remains a tantalizing target for astrobiologists - but what would be the best way to investigate the mysterious moon? In this interview, Karl Hibbitts describes a proposed hyper-velocity impactor that would smack right into Europa’s outer ice shell. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1944mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - In view of the substantial challenges ahead in instrumentation and trials on Earth analogs, we must now begin to plan a second generation of feasible evolutionary experiments with whole microorganisms. In those new experiments universal evolutionary biomarkers should be searched for. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss5.html.
g Intelligence - Humans have an uncanny ability to skim through text, instantly recognizing words by their shape--even though writing developed only about 6000 years ago - long after humans evolved. Thus, neuroscientists have hotly debated whether an area of the cortex called the Visual Word Form Area is truly a specific and necessary area for recognizing words. See http://www.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422122127.htm.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: Norman Spinrad’s short story "The Helping Hand," anthologized in “Full Spectrum 3,” (edited by Lou Aronica, et al., 1991, Bantam). In this story, an alien message unites humanity, but turns out to be a benevolent lie.
g Cosmicus - The first accommodation in orbit available to the public won't be a real "hotel" - it's more likely just to be rooms in pre-fabricated cylindrical modules connected together, because this is the easiest way to start. However, it will gradually grow in quantity and quality to include more elaborate facilities constructed in orbit - eventually including full-scale hotels and even apartment blocks. Starting at thousands of dollars per night, costs will fall continually as the volume grows, and it's likely that guests will choose to stay for longer and longer. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/accommodation.shtml.
g Learning - Are you thinking of a career in SETI? Get the low-down at http://www.setileague.org/articles/getinto.htm. Note: This article is from 1998.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye’s “Treaty at Doona,” published by Ace in 1994.
g Aftermath - What affect would the discovery of alien life have on the story-telling genre that inspires the search for it — science fiction? See http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue388/cassutt.html.
g Stars - Scientists have secured their first look at the birth of monstrous stars that shine 100,000 times more brightly than the Sun, thanks to the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0605/02monstrous/.
g Abodes - Europa remains a tantalizing target for astrobiologists - but what would be the best way to investigate the mysterious moon? In this interview, Karl Hibbitts describes a proposed hyper-velocity impactor that would smack right into Europa’s outer ice shell. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1944mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - In view of the substantial challenges ahead in instrumentation and trials on Earth analogs, we must now begin to plan a second generation of feasible evolutionary experiments with whole microorganisms. In those new experiments universal evolutionary biomarkers should be searched for. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss5.html.
g Intelligence - Humans have an uncanny ability to skim through text, instantly recognizing words by their shape--even though writing developed only about 6000 years ago - long after humans evolved. Thus, neuroscientists have hotly debated whether an area of the cortex called the Visual Word Form Area is truly a specific and necessary area for recognizing words. See http://www.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422122127.htm.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: Norman Spinrad’s short story "The Helping Hand," anthologized in “Full Spectrum 3,” (edited by Lou Aronica, et al., 1991, Bantam). In this story, an alien message unites humanity, but turns out to be a benevolent lie.
g Cosmicus - The first accommodation in orbit available to the public won't be a real "hotel" - it's more likely just to be rooms in pre-fabricated cylindrical modules connected together, because this is the easiest way to start. However, it will gradually grow in quantity and quality to include more elaborate facilities constructed in orbit - eventually including full-scale hotels and even apartment blocks. Starting at thousands of dollars per night, costs will fall continually as the volume grows, and it's likely that guests will choose to stay for longer and longer. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/accommodation.shtml.
g Learning - Are you thinking of a career in SETI? Get the low-down at http://www.setileague.org/articles/getinto.htm. Note: This article is from 1998.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye’s “Treaty at Doona,” published by Ace in 1994.
g Aftermath - What affect would the discovery of alien life have on the story-telling genre that inspires the search for it — science fiction? See http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue388/cassutt.html.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Star spinning out of control, carbon-based life and how SETI works
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A team of astronomers have been baffled by a star spinning out of control. See http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/
display.var.746544.0.mystery_over_star_thats_out_of_control.
php.
g Abodes - Astronomers on alien planets almost certainly have the Earth listed as a world teeming with life, a leading scientist says. See http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/02/19/alien.communica
tion/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - It’s a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti
_carbon_040415.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Intelligence - Men and women are actually from the same planet, but scientists now have the first strong evidence that the emotional wiring of the sexes is fundamentally different. See http://www.live
science.com/humanbiology/060419_brain_wiring.html.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview: http://www.howstuffworks.
com/seti.htm.
g Cosmicus - The design of hotels in orbit is a feast for the imagination of architects and interior designers. The basic ideas have been well understood since people lived safely in the U.S. space station Skylab in 1973-74. But the cost of getting to and from orbit has remained so high that tourism hasn't got started yet, and so there's been little incentive for anyone to make the effort required to design true orbital hotels. However, remembering that the hotel industry (or "hospitality industry") is a huge, highly competitive, global industry, we can foresee that once accommodation in orbit gets started as a business, it will grow and grow as companies compete to provide more interesting services for their guests. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/hoteldesign.shtml.
g Learning - There’s a neat set of online activities, primarily for older teens or young adults, about communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence at http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~collins/astro/subjects/ceti.html. It helps students learn about SETI while they send one another messages then decode them, as if they were alien civilizations on distant worlds.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s novel “The Greks Bring Gifts,” published by MacFadden in 1964.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/09653
77431/10232743405947363.
g Stars - A team of astronomers have been baffled by a star spinning out of control. See http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/
display.var.746544.0.mystery_over_star_thats_out_of_control.
php.
g Abodes - Astronomers on alien planets almost certainly have the Earth listed as a world teeming with life, a leading scientist says. See http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/02/19/alien.communica
tion/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - It’s a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti
_carbon_040415.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Intelligence - Men and women are actually from the same planet, but scientists now have the first strong evidence that the emotional wiring of the sexes is fundamentally different. See http://www.live
science.com/humanbiology/060419_brain_wiring.html.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview: http://www.howstuffworks.
com/seti.htm.
g Cosmicus - The design of hotels in orbit is a feast for the imagination of architects and interior designers. The basic ideas have been well understood since people lived safely in the U.S. space station Skylab in 1973-74. But the cost of getting to and from orbit has remained so high that tourism hasn't got started yet, and so there's been little incentive for anyone to make the effort required to design true orbital hotels. However, remembering that the hotel industry (or "hospitality industry") is a huge, highly competitive, global industry, we can foresee that once accommodation in orbit gets started as a business, it will grow and grow as companies compete to provide more interesting services for their guests. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/hoteldesign.shtml.
g Learning - There’s a neat set of online activities, primarily for older teens or young adults, about communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence at http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~collins/astro/subjects/ceti.html. It helps students learn about SETI while they send one another messages then decode them, as if they were alien civilizations on distant worlds.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s novel “The Greks Bring Gifts,” published by MacFadden in 1964.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/09653
77431/10232743405947363.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Earth-like Mars, silence on scientific interests and an orbiting hotel
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Molecules spewed outward from a dying star are confined into narrow jets by a tightly-wound magnetic field, according to astronomers who used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope to study an old star about 8,500 light-years from Earth. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.
htmlpid=19746.
g Abodes - A salty sea once washed over the plains of Mars at the Opportunity rover's landing site, creating a life-friendly environment more earthlike than any known on another world. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_sea_040323.html. Note: This article is from 2004. For related story, see “Just in Time” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&
file=article&sid=1945mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Theorizing and model building are one thing; it is another to go out and get data that will support science and the acquisition of new knowledge. For this purpose, NASA has instituted its Astrobiology Program to study the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. Existing programs and new endeavors will be brought together in a multidisciplinary fashion to tackle the questions surrounding life's place in the organization of the universe. In so doing, NASA has adopted six canonical questions to use as guideposts as its programs are developed. See http://www.
astrobiology.com/asc2002/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - More Americans are interested in science news and information than is commonly thought, a new study suggests. But not everyone wears the intrigue on his or her sleeves. In fact some people are downright silent about their scientific interests, perhaps not wanting to be perceived as nerds. See http://www.livescience
.com/othernews/060419_omd_study.html.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060112_shostak_transmit.html.
g Cosmicus - From the economic point of view, building orbital accommodation has the great attraction that it will provide a large-scale commercial outlet for the know-how developed with the U.S. space station Skylab that operated from 1973-74, the two Russian stations Salyut and Mir, and the International Space Station being developed in the late 1990s. Many tens of billions of dollars have been and are being spent on these - but only one of each is ever built! So none of the manufacturers can make any money, and taxpayers have to pay for it all - but they never get to go! A truly crazy "lose-lose" situation! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/businesscase.shtml.
g Learning - Are you a future SETI scientist? See http://www.
space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_sleuths_010228.html. Note: This article is from Feb. 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,” published by Scribners in 1958.
g Aftermath - If we hear from ET, not only can we expect his civilization to be an old one with a great time lag in correspondence, a SETI astronomer says. Could this limit the impact of extraterrestrial contact upon humanity? See http://www.space.
com/searchforlife/seti_long_distance_011227.html. Note: This article is from December 2001.
g Stars - Molecules spewed outward from a dying star are confined into narrow jets by a tightly-wound magnetic field, according to astronomers who used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope to study an old star about 8,500 light-years from Earth. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.
htmlpid=19746.
g Abodes - A salty sea once washed over the plains of Mars at the Opportunity rover's landing site, creating a life-friendly environment more earthlike than any known on another world. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_sea_040323.html. Note: This article is from 2004. For related story, see “Just in Time” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&
file=article&sid=1945mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Theorizing and model building are one thing; it is another to go out and get data that will support science and the acquisition of new knowledge. For this purpose, NASA has instituted its Astrobiology Program to study the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. Existing programs and new endeavors will be brought together in a multidisciplinary fashion to tackle the questions surrounding life's place in the organization of the universe. In so doing, NASA has adopted six canonical questions to use as guideposts as its programs are developed. See http://www.
astrobiology.com/asc2002/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - More Americans are interested in science news and information than is commonly thought, a new study suggests. But not everyone wears the intrigue on his or her sleeves. In fact some people are downright silent about their scientific interests, perhaps not wanting to be perceived as nerds. See http://www.livescience
.com/othernews/060419_omd_study.html.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060112_shostak_transmit.html.
g Cosmicus - From the economic point of view, building orbital accommodation has the great attraction that it will provide a large-scale commercial outlet for the know-how developed with the U.S. space station Skylab that operated from 1973-74, the two Russian stations Salyut and Mir, and the International Space Station being developed in the late 1990s. Many tens of billions of dollars have been and are being spent on these - but only one of each is ever built! So none of the manufacturers can make any money, and taxpayers have to pay for it all - but they never get to go! A truly crazy "lose-lose" situation! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/businesscase.shtml.
g Learning - Are you a future SETI scientist? See http://www.
space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_sleuths_010228.html. Note: This article is from Feb. 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,” published by Scribners in 1958.
g Aftermath - If we hear from ET, not only can we expect his civilization to be an old one with a great time lag in correspondence, a SETI astronomer says. Could this limit the impact of extraterrestrial contact upon humanity? See http://www.space.
com/searchforlife/seti_long_distance_011227.html. Note: This article is from December 2001.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Supermassive black hole son collision course, planet hunting and brain-skull relationship
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have detected a pair of supermassive black holes that are closer together than any previously discovered. The two giants are dancing around each other with only about 24-light-years between them and are expected to collide in the very distant future. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060501_bh_neighbors.html.
g Abodes - More than 100 planets have been found outside the solar system. Some astronomers think there may be planets around up to half the stars in our galaxy alone — that's 50 billion possible planetary systems. For a series of BBC reports on planet hunting, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/looking/planethunting.shtml.
g Life - Paleontologists at the Duke Lemur Center have assembled a new picture of a 35-million-year-old fossil mammal - and they even have added a hint of sound. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060426173925.htm.
g Intelligence - People usually think of the skull as packaging for the brain and researchers usually investigate them separately, but a team of researchers now thinks that developmentally and evolutionarily that the two are incontrovertibly linked. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415115217.htm.
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 - Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/law.shtml.
g Learning - Although exobiology is of widespread interest to high school science students, it is not generally dealt with comprehensively in most textbooks. In addition, teachers often have inadequate resources available to prepare classroom presentations on how life may have begun on Earth and whether these processes might take place elsewhere in the solar system and the universe. Here’s a classroom teaching module suitable for use in both general and advanced high school biology courses: See http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/astro/html/Exobiology.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gordon R. Dickson’s short story, "In The Bone," published in the October 1966 edition of Worlds of IF.
g Aftermath - If SETI is successful in detecting an extraterrestrial civilization, it will raise the question of whether and how humanity should attempt to communicate with the other civilization. How should that decision be made? What should be the content of such a message? Who should decide? The same questions would apply to proposals that signals be sent in the absence of detection, in the hope that they might be detected by an extraterrestrial civilization. See http://www.iaanet.org/p_papers/seti.html. Note: This paper was presented in October 1995.
g Stars - Astronomers have detected a pair of supermassive black holes that are closer together than any previously discovered. The two giants are dancing around each other with only about 24-light-years between them and are expected to collide in the very distant future. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060501_bh_neighbors.html.
g Abodes - More than 100 planets have been found outside the solar system. Some astronomers think there may be planets around up to half the stars in our galaxy alone — that's 50 billion possible planetary systems. For a series of BBC reports on planet hunting, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/looking/planethunting.shtml.
g Life - Paleontologists at the Duke Lemur Center have assembled a new picture of a 35-million-year-old fossil mammal - and they even have added a hint of sound. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060426173925.htm.
g Intelligence - People usually think of the skull as packaging for the brain and researchers usually investigate them separately, but a team of researchers now thinks that developmentally and evolutionarily that the two are incontrovertibly linked. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415115217.htm.
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 - Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/law.shtml.
g Learning - Although exobiology is of widespread interest to high school science students, it is not generally dealt with comprehensively in most textbooks. In addition, teachers often have inadequate resources available to prepare classroom presentations on how life may have begun on Earth and whether these processes might take place elsewhere in the solar system and the universe. Here’s a classroom teaching module suitable for use in both general and advanced high school biology courses: See http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/astro/html/Exobiology.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gordon R. Dickson’s short story, "In The Bone," published in the October 1966 edition of Worlds of IF.
g Aftermath - If SETI is successful in detecting an extraterrestrial civilization, it will raise the question of whether and how humanity should attempt to communicate with the other civilization. How should that decision be made? What should be the content of such a message? Who should decide? The same questions would apply to proposals that signals be sent in the absence of detection, in the hope that they might be detected by an extraterrestrial civilization. See http://www.iaanet.org/p_papers/seti.html. Note: This paper was presented in October 1995.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Solar superstorm, Norway’s first dinosaur and chimpanzee taste buds
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The relative void between Sun and Earth is loaded with electrically charged particles, radiation, magnetic field, and electromagnetic energy. The effects from this space weather can range from damage to satellites to disruption of power grids on Earth. Space weather can wreak havoc on a planet-wide basis. And a look back more than 145 years ago may offer clues as to how harmful a space superstorm might be given our dependence on technological systems. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060502_
solar_storm.html.
g Abodes - The chance of detecting life outside our own solar system probably is greater than discovering it on neighboring planets and moons like Mars or Europa, a moon of Jupiter, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htmlpid=7453.
g Life - While most nations excavate their skeletons using a toothbrush, the Norwegians found one using a drill. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060425091449.htm.
g Intelligence - Gene variants determine which humans and which chimpanzees can taste bitter substances. For humans, this taste sensitivity may influence nutritional choices and ultimately their health, as well as behaviors, such as smoking. For chimpanzees, it provides a way to live safely in their environments by avoiding toxic plants and other harmful compounds. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415120824.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat interactive Web game where you analyze a signal from space, just as would a SETI astronomer: http://mystery.sonoma.edu/alien_bandstand/.
g Cosmicus - Many people think that weightlessness is a strange and even dangerous condition, but there's nothing particularly weird about it. Anyone can experience it (briefly!) by just jumping into the air, or for up to about a second by jumping off a wall. While you're airborne your body is in weightlessness. Trampolinists and high divers experience weightlessness for up to a few seconds. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/zerog.shtml.
g Learning - There are some great teacher resources on space biology at http://www.spacebio.net/modules/index.html. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel, “Needle,” published by Doubleday in 1951.
g Aftermath - Book alert: “Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications, by Steven J. Dick (editor), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail//1890151424/qid=
/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/1039154374-8730217v=glance.
g Stars - The relative void between Sun and Earth is loaded with electrically charged particles, radiation, magnetic field, and electromagnetic energy. The effects from this space weather can range from damage to satellites to disruption of power grids on Earth. Space weather can wreak havoc on a planet-wide basis. And a look back more than 145 years ago may offer clues as to how harmful a space superstorm might be given our dependence on technological systems. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060502_
solar_storm.html.
g Abodes - The chance of detecting life outside our own solar system probably is greater than discovering it on neighboring planets and moons like Mars or Europa, a moon of Jupiter, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htmlpid=7453.
g Life - While most nations excavate their skeletons using a toothbrush, the Norwegians found one using a drill. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060425091449.htm.
g Intelligence - Gene variants determine which humans and which chimpanzees can taste bitter substances. For humans, this taste sensitivity may influence nutritional choices and ultimately their health, as well as behaviors, such as smoking. For chimpanzees, it provides a way to live safely in their environments by avoiding toxic plants and other harmful compounds. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415120824.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat interactive Web game where you analyze a signal from space, just as would a SETI astronomer: http://mystery.sonoma.edu/alien_bandstand/.
g Cosmicus - Many people think that weightlessness is a strange and even dangerous condition, but there's nothing particularly weird about it. Anyone can experience it (briefly!) by just jumping into the air, or for up to about a second by jumping off a wall. While you're airborne your body is in weightlessness. Trampolinists and high divers experience weightlessness for up to a few seconds. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/zerog.shtml.
g Learning - There are some great teacher resources on space biology at http://www.spacebio.net/modules/index.html. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel, “Needle,” published by Doubleday in 1951.
g Aftermath - Book alert: “Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications, by Steven J. Dick (editor), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail//1890151424/qid=
/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/1039154374-8730217v=glance.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Europa lander, joy of zero G and “The Psychology of Interstellar Communication”
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Most stardust is made of tiny silicate grains, much like dust from rocks on earth. Away from city lights, you can see the dust as a dark band across the Milky Way. This dust comes from dying and exploded stars. Scientists think stars form when these dust clouds collapse and that some of this dust became trapped inside asteroids and comets when our own sun formed. See http://www.astrobio.net/
news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=
385.
g Abodes - Europa, the ice-covered satellite of Jupiter, is currently the most favorable site for the search of extraterrestrial life. Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without solar energy. Similar possible volcanic activity on Europa, caused by its interaction with Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the quest for discrete, or 'parallel' evolutionary lines in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's possible biological activity, particularly its likely degree of evolution. We have conjectured that evolution may have occurred in Europa and that the experimental test of such a conjecture is feasible 1-3: A lander spacecraft capable of penetrating the European surface ice-layer does not seem beyond present technological capabilities. Although difficult instrumentation issues are involved, we have initiated the discussion of what would seem to be a reasonable biological experiment.The possibility of detecting biomolecules on the ice surface of Europa has recently been made by others. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss4.html.
g Life - In the frantic world of fruitfly courtship, the difference between attracting a mate and going home alone may depend on having the right wing spots. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have learned which elements of fly DNA make these spots come and go in different species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2006/04/060422121625.htm.
g Intelligence - Book alert: In a universe infinitely large, what is the probability of intelligent life on another planet? Sounds like a trick question, but for anyone versed in cosmology and statistics, the answer is 1; that is, there must be life on at least one other planet in the universe. This is Amir Aczel's theorem I his book “Probablity 1.” But, as physicist Enrico Fermi once asked, if that's true, where is everyone? Aczel tackles that paradox after he goes through the statistical calculations for the probability of intelligent life, considering factors such as how many stars are in a galaxy, how many of those stars might be hospitable, how many might have planets, and how many planets might have environments suitable to support life as we know it (or as we don't). See http://www.amazon.
com/gp/product/0156010801/10296734647416116v=glance
&n=283155.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than 50 years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
179534.
g Cosmicus - The joy of zero G? I don't really need to discuss details that people can imagine for themselves, but basically, floating has got to be fun! Anything that makes you giggle in such a situation surely has to be a good thing! Among other effects, being weightless will mean that you and your partner can maneuver round each other without danger of either of you - or any parts of you - getting squashed! No more arms or legs going numb! See http://www.
spacefuture.com/habitat/joyofzerog.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a good introduction to learning about the characteristics of living things is to get the kids brainstorming as to what makes a living thing living: “Glue Critters.” See http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/168.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “Childhood's End,” published by Ballantine in 1953.
g Aftermath - If we establish communication with a civilization even as close as 100 light years from Earth, the round-trip time for a message and its reply is 200 years. What will be the psychology of a civilization that can engage in a meaningful conversation with this sort of delay? How is such a conversation to be established? What should the content of such a conversation be? These are the questions which motivate this article’s title: "Minds and Millennia: The Psychology of Interstellar Communication." See http://web.
archive./org/web/20010217051450/204.240.36.10/radobs/
vol1no3/minds.htm
g Stars - Most stardust is made of tiny silicate grains, much like dust from rocks on earth. Away from city lights, you can see the dust as a dark band across the Milky Way. This dust comes from dying and exploded stars. Scientists think stars form when these dust clouds collapse and that some of this dust became trapped inside asteroids and comets when our own sun formed. See http://www.astrobio.net/
news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=
385.
g Abodes - Europa, the ice-covered satellite of Jupiter, is currently the most favorable site for the search of extraterrestrial life. Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without solar energy. Similar possible volcanic activity on Europa, caused by its interaction with Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the quest for discrete, or 'parallel' evolutionary lines in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's possible biological activity, particularly its likely degree of evolution. We have conjectured that evolution may have occurred in Europa and that the experimental test of such a conjecture is feasible 1-3: A lander spacecraft capable of penetrating the European surface ice-layer does not seem beyond present technological capabilities. Although difficult instrumentation issues are involved, we have initiated the discussion of what would seem to be a reasonable biological experiment.The possibility of detecting biomolecules on the ice surface of Europa has recently been made by others. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss4.html.
g Life - In the frantic world of fruitfly courtship, the difference between attracting a mate and going home alone may depend on having the right wing spots. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have learned which elements of fly DNA make these spots come and go in different species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2006/04/060422121625.htm.
g Intelligence - Book alert: In a universe infinitely large, what is the probability of intelligent life on another planet? Sounds like a trick question, but for anyone versed in cosmology and statistics, the answer is 1; that is, there must be life on at least one other planet in the universe. This is Amir Aczel's theorem I his book “Probablity 1.” But, as physicist Enrico Fermi once asked, if that's true, where is everyone? Aczel tackles that paradox after he goes through the statistical calculations for the probability of intelligent life, considering factors such as how many stars are in a galaxy, how many of those stars might be hospitable, how many might have planets, and how many planets might have environments suitable to support life as we know it (or as we don't). See http://www.amazon.
com/gp/product/0156010801/10296734647416116v=glance
&n=283155.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than 50 years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
179534.
g Cosmicus - The joy of zero G? I don't really need to discuss details that people can imagine for themselves, but basically, floating has got to be fun! Anything that makes you giggle in such a situation surely has to be a good thing! Among other effects, being weightless will mean that you and your partner can maneuver round each other without danger of either of you - or any parts of you - getting squashed! No more arms or legs going numb! See http://www.
spacefuture.com/habitat/joyofzerog.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a good introduction to learning about the characteristics of living things is to get the kids brainstorming as to what makes a living thing living: “Glue Critters.” See http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/168.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “Childhood's End,” published by Ballantine in 1953.
g Aftermath - If we establish communication with a civilization even as close as 100 light years from Earth, the round-trip time for a message and its reply is 200 years. What will be the psychology of a civilization that can engage in a meaningful conversation with this sort of delay? How is such a conversation to be established? What should the content of such a conversation be? These are the questions which motivate this article’s title: "Minds and Millennia: The Psychology of Interstellar Communication." See http://web.
archive./org/web/20010217051450/204.240.36.10/radobs/
vol1no3/minds.htm
Friday, May 05, 2006
Solar physics, snakes with legs and analog-digital brains
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - In understanding our own star, solar physicists have one giant question: why is the outside hotter than the inside? See http://
www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=
article&sid=532. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Abodes - The weather and surface conditions of planets outside our Solar System could be detected by constellations of telescopes sent to space, and then used to predict which are most Earthly and likely to harbor life, according to recent research. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/extrasolar_weather_
010829.html. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - Once upon a time, snakes had legs. A new discovery reveals at least one had hips, too. See http://www.livescience.com/ani
malworld/060419_snake_hips.html.
g Intelligence - Contrary to popular belief, brain cells use a mix of analog and digital coding at the same time to communicate efficiently, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
04/060412223937.htm.
g Message - Most SETI programs scan the sky looking for strong radio signals. Any signals that are deemed interesting are put on a list for follow-up observations weeks, months — even years later. Long delays in verification of potential ET signals sometimes generate tantalizing, but ultimately frustrating, stories. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_backus_rhythm_030320.
html. Note: This article is from March 2003.
g Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/intro
duction.shtml.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_010130.html. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s short story "Not Final!" published in the Oct. 1941 edition of Astounding.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s "Are We Alone?" at http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=289154. Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
g Stars - In understanding our own star, solar physicists have one giant question: why is the outside hotter than the inside? See http://
www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=
article&sid=532. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Abodes - The weather and surface conditions of planets outside our Solar System could be detected by constellations of telescopes sent to space, and then used to predict which are most Earthly and likely to harbor life, according to recent research. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/extrasolar_weather_
010829.html. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - Once upon a time, snakes had legs. A new discovery reveals at least one had hips, too. See http://www.livescience.com/ani
malworld/060419_snake_hips.html.
g Intelligence - Contrary to popular belief, brain cells use a mix of analog and digital coding at the same time to communicate efficiently, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
04/060412223937.htm.
g Message - Most SETI programs scan the sky looking for strong radio signals. Any signals that are deemed interesting are put on a list for follow-up observations weeks, months — even years later. Long delays in verification of potential ET signals sometimes generate tantalizing, but ultimately frustrating, stories. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_backus_rhythm_030320.
html. Note: This article is from March 2003.
g Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/intro
duction.shtml.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_010130.html. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s short story "Not Final!" published in the Oct. 1941 edition of Astounding.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s "Are We Alone?" at http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=289154. Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Planet formation, shear waves and social structures to aid survival
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - For scientists who spend time thinking about how planets form, life would be simpler if gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn didn’t exist. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060328_
gas_giant.html.
g Abodes - To truly understand some of the movement we see at the Earth's surface, scientists have to probe deep into the interior. A region near the planet's core, about 1,800 miles down called the core-mantle boundary, is particularly intriguing. Through novel experiments mimicking high-pressures and temperatures there, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory may have solved a longstanding mystery about why certain seismic waves called shear waves move so sluggishly through clumpy patches (ultralow velocity zones) at these incredible depths. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060428152124.htm.
g Life - A rare Patagonian rodent known as the colonial tuco-tuco fascinates biologists because it seems to defy all odds. This threatened species has so little genetic diversity that the slightest whiff of climate change or disease should have wiped it off the face of the earth long ago. Yet the hearty gopher-like creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands, it has evolved a complex social structure that's unique among the more than 50 closely related tuco-tuco species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060421110553.htm.
g Intelligence - Newfound fossils from Ethiopia are giving scientists a clearer glimpse into the murky origins of a hominid species that was an important link in the evolution of ape to man. See http://
www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060412_anamensis_evo.html.
g Message - SETI research isn’t limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s. To learn more about it, see http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/seti/META2/META-story.html.
g Cosmicus - Contrary to what many people who make expendable rockets will tell you, it isn't difficult to design a "single stage to orbit" rocket. In fact it's very easy - it can be done with rocket engines and propellant tanks designed, manufactured and operated 20 years ago! It's important to know this, because a lot of people will try to tell you otherwise. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/building.shtml.
g Learning - "Teacher, why do I need to learn this?" "What’s it good for?" Students ask these questions when faced with content that seems unrelated to their lives. Motivating students is fundamental to promoting achievement in any classroom, even in science, which encompasses the entire natural world, the whole universe. Good questions and quality experiences support science learning for all students, not just those who are already science-friendly. The relatively new discipline of astrobiology asks great questions that intrigue students. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_devore_why_040408.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian Watson’s short story, "Peace," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0ED59B4CD09E79113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.
g Stars - For scientists who spend time thinking about how planets form, life would be simpler if gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn didn’t exist. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060328_
gas_giant.html.
g Abodes - To truly understand some of the movement we see at the Earth's surface, scientists have to probe deep into the interior. A region near the planet's core, about 1,800 miles down called the core-mantle boundary, is particularly intriguing. Through novel experiments mimicking high-pressures and temperatures there, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory may have solved a longstanding mystery about why certain seismic waves called shear waves move so sluggishly through clumpy patches (ultralow velocity zones) at these incredible depths. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060428152124.htm.
g Life - A rare Patagonian rodent known as the colonial tuco-tuco fascinates biologists because it seems to defy all odds. This threatened species has so little genetic diversity that the slightest whiff of climate change or disease should have wiped it off the face of the earth long ago. Yet the hearty gopher-like creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands, it has evolved a complex social structure that's unique among the more than 50 closely related tuco-tuco species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060421110553.htm.
g Intelligence - Newfound fossils from Ethiopia are giving scientists a clearer glimpse into the murky origins of a hominid species that was an important link in the evolution of ape to man. See http://
www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060412_anamensis_evo.html.
g Message - SETI research isn’t limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s. To learn more about it, see http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/seti/META2/META-story.html.
g Cosmicus - Contrary to what many people who make expendable rockets will tell you, it isn't difficult to design a "single stage to orbit" rocket. In fact it's very easy - it can be done with rocket engines and propellant tanks designed, manufactured and operated 20 years ago! It's important to know this, because a lot of people will try to tell you otherwise. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/building.shtml.
g Learning - "Teacher, why do I need to learn this?" "What’s it good for?" Students ask these questions when faced with content that seems unrelated to their lives. Motivating students is fundamental to promoting achievement in any classroom, even in science, which encompasses the entire natural world, the whole universe. Good questions and quality experiences support science learning for all students, not just those who are already science-friendly. The relatively new discipline of astrobiology asks great questions that intrigue students. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_devore_why_040408.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian Watson’s short story, "Peace," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0ED59B4CD09E79113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Constants of nature, brainy development and reusable space vehicles
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Physicists at JILA have performed the first-ever precision measurements using ultracold molecules, in work that may help solve a long-standing scientific mystery — whether so-called constants of nature have changed since the dawn of the universe. See http://
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060429124748.htm.
g Abodes - The discovery of an olive branch buried in volcanic ash for centuries is helping scientists pinpoint the date of one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years. See http://www.livescience.com/history/060427_olive_volcano.html.
g Life - Book alert: How did life begin on Earth? Is it confined to our planet? Will humans one day be able to travel long distances in space in search of other life forms? Written by three experts in the space arena, “Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System,” by Paul Clancy, aims to answer these and other intriguing questions. Beginning with what we understand of life on Earth, it describes the latest ideas about the chemical basis of life as we know it, and how they are influencing strategies to search for life elsewhere. It considers the ability of life, from microbes to humans, to survive in space, on the surface of other planets, and be transported from one planet to another. It looks at the latest plans for missions to search for life in the Solar System, and how these are being influenced by new technologies, and current thinking about life on Earth. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521824508/1049524058871
1941v=glance&n=283155.
g Intelligence - Kids with high IQs have a distinct pattern of brain development, according to a 20-year study of more than 300 young minds. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/0604
11_bad_IQ.html.
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. See http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/beta.html.
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/rocketsvsplanes.shtml.
g Learning - NASA’s free Astrobiology Education Poster illustrates in words and pictures the fundamental questions addressed by astrobiology: What is life? Where is it? How do you find it? Three activities have been developed to explore these themes. It’s great for teachers — or parents looking to spend some quality time with their children. See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/poster/index.cfm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Harry Turtledove’s short story, "The Road Not Taken," published in the Nov. 1985 Analog.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: “After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life” by Albert A. Harrison. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/prod
uct/customerreviews/0306456214/10426166182449525_en
coding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=books for some reviews.
g Stars - Physicists at JILA have performed the first-ever precision measurements using ultracold molecules, in work that may help solve a long-standing scientific mystery — whether so-called constants of nature have changed since the dawn of the universe. See http://
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060429124748.htm.
g Abodes - The discovery of an olive branch buried in volcanic ash for centuries is helping scientists pinpoint the date of one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years. See http://www.livescience.com/history/060427_olive_volcano.html.
g Life - Book alert: How did life begin on Earth? Is it confined to our planet? Will humans one day be able to travel long distances in space in search of other life forms? Written by three experts in the space arena, “Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System,” by Paul Clancy, aims to answer these and other intriguing questions. Beginning with what we understand of life on Earth, it describes the latest ideas about the chemical basis of life as we know it, and how they are influencing strategies to search for life elsewhere. It considers the ability of life, from microbes to humans, to survive in space, on the surface of other planets, and be transported from one planet to another. It looks at the latest plans for missions to search for life in the Solar System, and how these are being influenced by new technologies, and current thinking about life on Earth. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521824508/1049524058871
1941v=glance&n=283155.
g Intelligence - Kids with high IQs have a distinct pattern of brain development, according to a 20-year study of more than 300 young minds. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/0604
11_bad_IQ.html.
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. See http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/beta.html.
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/rocketsvsplanes.shtml.
g Learning - NASA’s free Astrobiology Education Poster illustrates in words and pictures the fundamental questions addressed by astrobiology: What is life? Where is it? How do you find it? Three activities have been developed to explore these themes. It’s great for teachers — or parents looking to spend some quality time with their children. See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/poster/index.cfm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Harry Turtledove’s short story, "The Road Not Taken," published in the Nov. 1985 Analog.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: “After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life” by Albert A. Harrison. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/prod
uct/customerreviews/0306456214/10426166182449525_en
coding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=books for some reviews.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Merging galaxies, honeybee decision-making and ‘Consequences of Success in SETI’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A pair of dancing galaxies appears dressed for a cosmic masquerade in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The infrared picture shows what looks like two icy blue eyes staring through an elaborate, swirling red mask. These "eyes" are actually the cores of two merging galaxies, which recently met and began to twirl around each other. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
news/n0604/26spitzer/.
g Abodes - It's becoming harder to find the right snow to build an igloo, and melting permafrost is turning land into mud. With climate change the nature of the Arctic is changing, too, in ways that worry the people who live there. See http://www.livescience.com/environ
ment/ap_060412_igloo.html.
g Life - When 10,000 honeybees fly the coop to hunt for a new home, usually a tree cavity, they have a unique method of deciding which site is right: With great efficiency they narrow down the options and minimize bad decisions. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1935mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Given the chance, most people will punish moochers with "freeloader fines," even if it means taking a financial hit themselves, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/060406_punish_moochers.html.
g Message - Would anyone deliberately beam high-powered signals into space? Can we assume that extraterrestrial societies would broadcast in ways that would mark their location as plainly as a flag on a golf green? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/shostak_quantum_030522.html.
g Cosmicus - In order for people to be able to travel economically to space, for space tourism and for other purposes, we need reusable launch vehicles. All commercial transport industries use reusable vehicles - and so will the commercial space transport industry. Luckily research aimed at developing low-cost reusable launch vehicles has increased recently - though total funding is still barely 2 percent (!) of government funding for space activities. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/designs.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a cool set of classroom lessons courtesy of NASA: Astroventure, in which students search for and design a habitable planet. See http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story, "The Hurkle is a Happy Beast," published in the Fall 1949 F&SF magazine.
g Aftermath - Here’s another “old” piece worth reading: “Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science,” given during a Bioastronomy Symposium in 1993. See http://www.nidsci.org/articles/steve_dick.php.
g Stars - A pair of dancing galaxies appears dressed for a cosmic masquerade in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The infrared picture shows what looks like two icy blue eyes staring through an elaborate, swirling red mask. These "eyes" are actually the cores of two merging galaxies, which recently met and began to twirl around each other. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
news/n0604/26spitzer/.
g Abodes - It's becoming harder to find the right snow to build an igloo, and melting permafrost is turning land into mud. With climate change the nature of the Arctic is changing, too, in ways that worry the people who live there. See http://www.livescience.com/environ
ment/ap_060412_igloo.html.
g Life - When 10,000 honeybees fly the coop to hunt for a new home, usually a tree cavity, they have a unique method of deciding which site is right: With great efficiency they narrow down the options and minimize bad decisions. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1935mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Given the chance, most people will punish moochers with "freeloader fines," even if it means taking a financial hit themselves, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/060406_punish_moochers.html.
g Message - Would anyone deliberately beam high-powered signals into space? Can we assume that extraterrestrial societies would broadcast in ways that would mark their location as plainly as a flag on a golf green? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/shostak_quantum_030522.html.
g Cosmicus - In order for people to be able to travel economically to space, for space tourism and for other purposes, we need reusable launch vehicles. All commercial transport industries use reusable vehicles - and so will the commercial space transport industry. Luckily research aimed at developing low-cost reusable launch vehicles has increased recently - though total funding is still barely 2 percent (!) of government funding for space activities. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/designs.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a cool set of classroom lessons courtesy of NASA: Astroventure, in which students search for and design a habitable planet. See http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story, "The Hurkle is a Happy Beast," published in the Fall 1949 F&SF magazine.
g Aftermath - Here’s another “old” piece worth reading: “Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science,” given during a Bioastronomy Symposium in 1993. See http://www.nidsci.org/articles/steve_dick.php.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Fossil galaxy clusters, Antarctica turning to ice and moons of Jupiter
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of ESA's XMM-Newton and the sharp vision of NASA's Chandra X-Ray space observatories, astronomers have studied the behavior of massive fossil galaxy clusters, trying to find out how they find the time to form. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0604/27
fossilgalaxy/.
g Abodes - Ancient fish teeth are yielding clues about when Antarctica became the icy continent it is today, highlighting how ocean currents affect climate change. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060420233450.htm. For related story, see “Satellite Helps Detect Massive Rivers Under Antarctica” at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422120954.htm.
g Life - The octopus arm is extremely flexible. Thanks to this flexibility - the arm is said to possess a virtually infinite number of "degrees of freedom" - the octopus is able to generate a vast repertoire of movements that is unmatched by the human arm. Nonetheless, despite the huge evolutionary gap and morphological differences between the octopus and vertebrates, the octopus arm acts much like a three-jointed vertebrate limb when the octopus performs precise point-to-point movements. See http://www.sci
encedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060417125118.htm.
g Intelligence - Although the human brain is skilled at facial recognition and discrimination, new research from Georgetown University Medical Center suggests that the brain may not have developed a specific ability for “understanding faces” but instead uses the same kind of pattern recognition techniques to distinguish between people as it uses to search for differences between other groups of objects, such as plants, animals and cars. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406231623.htm.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in “Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds,” an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind’s attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind’s attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obid
os/ASIN/1887178872/boggysgeologylin/20292899029087057.
g Cosmicus - The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example at many public exhibitions about Energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little funding has been spent on SPS research to date - about 1/1000 of 1 percent of the about $1 trillion that governments have spent subsidizing the development of nuclear power over the past 50 years. See http://www.spacefuture.com/power/introduction.shtml. For related story, see “SPS 2000” at http://www.spacefuture.com/power/sps2000.shtml (Note: this latter article is from the mid-1990s).
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Moons of Jupiter.” In this lesson plan, students build model rovers to learn about engineering and evidence of alien life. See http://www.adlerplanet/
arium.org/education/teachers/plans/alien/Lesson_Plan.pdf.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Silverberg’s novel “Tower of Glass,” published by Scribner's in 1970.
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See http://ieti.org/articles/security.htm.
g Stars - Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of ESA's XMM-Newton and the sharp vision of NASA's Chandra X-Ray space observatories, astronomers have studied the behavior of massive fossil galaxy clusters, trying to find out how they find the time to form. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0604/27
fossilgalaxy/.
g Abodes - Ancient fish teeth are yielding clues about when Antarctica became the icy continent it is today, highlighting how ocean currents affect climate change. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060420233450.htm. For related story, see “Satellite Helps Detect Massive Rivers Under Antarctica” at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422120954.htm.
g Life - The octopus arm is extremely flexible. Thanks to this flexibility - the arm is said to possess a virtually infinite number of "degrees of freedom" - the octopus is able to generate a vast repertoire of movements that is unmatched by the human arm. Nonetheless, despite the huge evolutionary gap and morphological differences between the octopus and vertebrates, the octopus arm acts much like a three-jointed vertebrate limb when the octopus performs precise point-to-point movements. See http://www.sci
encedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060417125118.htm.
g Intelligence - Although the human brain is skilled at facial recognition and discrimination, new research from Georgetown University Medical Center suggests that the brain may not have developed a specific ability for “understanding faces” but instead uses the same kind of pattern recognition techniques to distinguish between people as it uses to search for differences between other groups of objects, such as plants, animals and cars. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406231623.htm.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in “Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds,” an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind’s attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind’s attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obid
os/ASIN/1887178872/boggysgeologylin/20292899029087057.
g Cosmicus - The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example at many public exhibitions about Energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little funding has been spent on SPS research to date - about 1/1000 of 1 percent of the about $1 trillion that governments have spent subsidizing the development of nuclear power over the past 50 years. See http://www.spacefuture.com/power/introduction.shtml. For related story, see “SPS 2000” at http://www.spacefuture.com/power/sps2000.shtml (Note: this latter article is from the mid-1990s).
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Moons of Jupiter.” In this lesson plan, students build model rovers to learn about engineering and evidence of alien life. See http://www.adlerplanet/
arium.org/education/teachers/plans/alien/Lesson_Plan.pdf.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Silverberg’s novel “Tower of Glass,” published by Scribner's in 1970.
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See http://ieti.org/articles/security.htm.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Disintegrating comet, pristine meteorite and making stone tools
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Last week, ESO's Very Large Telescope observed fragment B of the comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 that had split a few days earlier. To their great surprise, the ESO astronomers discovered that the piece just ejected by fragment B was splitting again! Five other mini-comets are also visible on the image. The comet seems thus doomed to disintegrate but the question remains in how much time. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0604/25comet/. For related story, see “NASA Says Comet Fragments Won't Hit Earth” at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060427_cometsw3_noim
pact.html.
g Abodes - The depths of space are much closer to home following the University of Alberta's acquisition of a meteorite that is the only one of its kind known to exist on Earth! What makes it so rare? The meteorite is “pristine” - that is, still frozen and uncontaminated - and so provides an invaluable preserved record of material from when the solar system formed 4.57 billion years ago. See http://
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060421234604.htm.
g Life - Scientists are learning more about what appears to be one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs known, a two-legged beast whose bones were found several years ago in the fossil-rich Patagonia region of Argentina. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/
060417_big_dino.html.
g Intelligence - How did ancient man make stone tools, such as a Clovis spear point? See http://students.kennesaw.edu/~bberger/
page1.shtml.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial intelligence could be taking the wrong approach. Instead of listening for alien radio broadcasts, a better strategy may be to look for giant structures placed in orbit around nearby stars by alien civilizations. See http://www.newscientist.com/channel/space/mg18624944.800.
g Cosmicus - Here is a transcript of the remarks given by John Marburger earlier this year during the Keynote Address of the 44th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium in Greenbelt, Md. See http://space.com/adastra/adastra_marburger_vision_060420.html.
g Learning - An excellent collection of books about SETI, including some for elementary and middle school children, appears online at http://www.space.com/searchforlife/sharing_seti_devore_041209.
html. These would make some great holiday gifts.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Lisanne Norman’s novel “Turning Point,” published by DAW in 1993.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0965377431/
10232743405947363.
g Stars - Last week, ESO's Very Large Telescope observed fragment B of the comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 that had split a few days earlier. To their great surprise, the ESO astronomers discovered that the piece just ejected by fragment B was splitting again! Five other mini-comets are also visible on the image. The comet seems thus doomed to disintegrate but the question remains in how much time. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0604/25comet/. For related story, see “NASA Says Comet Fragments Won't Hit Earth” at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060427_cometsw3_noim
pact.html.
g Abodes - The depths of space are much closer to home following the University of Alberta's acquisition of a meteorite that is the only one of its kind known to exist on Earth! What makes it so rare? The meteorite is “pristine” - that is, still frozen and uncontaminated - and so provides an invaluable preserved record of material from when the solar system formed 4.57 billion years ago. See http://
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060421234604.htm.
g Life - Scientists are learning more about what appears to be one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs known, a two-legged beast whose bones were found several years ago in the fossil-rich Patagonia region of Argentina. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/
060417_big_dino.html.
g Intelligence - How did ancient man make stone tools, such as a Clovis spear point? See http://students.kennesaw.edu/~bberger/
page1.shtml.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial intelligence could be taking the wrong approach. Instead of listening for alien radio broadcasts, a better strategy may be to look for giant structures placed in orbit around nearby stars by alien civilizations. See http://www.newscientist.com/channel/space/mg18624944.800.
g Cosmicus - Here is a transcript of the remarks given by John Marburger earlier this year during the Keynote Address of the 44th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium in Greenbelt, Md. See http://space.com/adastra/adastra_marburger_vision_060420.html.
g Learning - An excellent collection of books about SETI, including some for elementary and middle school children, appears online at http://www.space.com/searchforlife/sharing_seti_devore_041209.
html. These would make some great holiday gifts.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Lisanne Norman’s novel “Turning Point,” published by DAW in 1993.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0965377431/
10232743405947363.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Star-creating black holes, wet Mars and mastodons on the Mississippi River
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Older supermassive black holes that were once thought to be quiet, actually generate high energy jets of particles powerful enough to put a brake on the formation of new stars, say a team of researchers. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n06
04/24chandrablackholes/.
g Abodes - Mars started out relatively wet and temperate, underwent a major climate shift, and evolved into a cold, dry place strewn with acidic rock – less than ideal conditions for supporting life. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/0604211
10227.htm. For related story, see “One for the Water Side?” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1939mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - What mastodon finds have occurred along the Mississippi River? See http://www.greatriver.com/mastodon.htm. For related story, see “The First People in Wisconsin” at http://www.fox.uwc.edu/academics/depts/tpleger/paleoindian.html.
g Intelligence - If you've experienced the highs and lows of creative thinking, you know that sometimes the creative well is dry, while at other times creativity is free flowing. It is during the latter times that people often experience so-called "Aha!" moments - those moments of clarity when the solution to a vexing problem falls into place with a sudden insight and you see connections that previously eluded you. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060405234439.htm.
g Message - Put yourself in the situation of the aliens, out there somewhere in the galaxy. They surmise that Earth looks promising for the emergence of intelligent life one day, but they have no idea when. There would be little point in beaming radio messages in this direction for eons in the vague hope that one day radio technology would be developed here and someone would decide to tune in, says one astrobiologist. See http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/
08/09/1092022404578.htmloneclick=true. Note: this article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A former astronaut says protecting humans from high-level radiation, as well as bone and muscle loss, pose the greatest challenges in getting to Mars. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/
index.phpfeed=Science&article=UPI12006040418383100bcusmars
trip.xml. For related story, see “Piecing Phoenix Together” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1941mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - What is an astrobiologist, and can you become one? See http://www.astrobiology.com/how.to.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s “The Mote In God's Eye,” published by Simon & Shuster in 1974.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See http://publish.seti.org/general/articles.phpid=54. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Stars - Older supermassive black holes that were once thought to be quiet, actually generate high energy jets of particles powerful enough to put a brake on the formation of new stars, say a team of researchers. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n06
04/24chandrablackholes/.
g Abodes - Mars started out relatively wet and temperate, underwent a major climate shift, and evolved into a cold, dry place strewn with acidic rock – less than ideal conditions for supporting life. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/0604211
10227.htm. For related story, see “One for the Water Side?” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1939mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - What mastodon finds have occurred along the Mississippi River? See http://www.greatriver.com/mastodon.htm. For related story, see “The First People in Wisconsin” at http://www.fox.uwc.edu/academics/depts/tpleger/paleoindian.html.
g Intelligence - If you've experienced the highs and lows of creative thinking, you know that sometimes the creative well is dry, while at other times creativity is free flowing. It is during the latter times that people often experience so-called "Aha!" moments - those moments of clarity when the solution to a vexing problem falls into place with a sudden insight and you see connections that previously eluded you. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060405234439.htm.
g Message - Put yourself in the situation of the aliens, out there somewhere in the galaxy. They surmise that Earth looks promising for the emergence of intelligent life one day, but they have no idea when. There would be little point in beaming radio messages in this direction for eons in the vague hope that one day radio technology would be developed here and someone would decide to tune in, says one astrobiologist. See http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/
08/09/1092022404578.htmloneclick=true. Note: this article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - A former astronaut says protecting humans from high-level radiation, as well as bone and muscle loss, pose the greatest challenges in getting to Mars. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/
index.phpfeed=Science&article=UPI12006040418383100bcusmars
trip.xml. For related story, see “Piecing Phoenix Together” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1941mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - What is an astrobiologist, and can you become one? See http://www.astrobiology.com/how.to.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s “The Mote In God's Eye,” published by Simon & Shuster in 1974.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See http://publish.seti.org/general/articles.phpid=54. Note: This article is from 2002.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Neutron star crust, Venus Exploration Analysis Group and how fish evolved into land creatures
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 using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have estimated the depth of the crust on a neutron star, the densest object known in the universe. The crust, they say, is close to a mile deep and so tightly packed that a teaspoon of this material would weigh about 10 million tons on Earth. See article.
g Abodes - The Venus Exploration Analysis Group was established by NASA in July 2005 to identify scientific priorities and strategy for exploration of Venus. VEXAG is currently composed of two co-chairs and two focus groups. The focus groups will actively solicit input from the scientific community. Here’s its Web site.
g Life - You might think a catfish on land would fare as well as an elephant on roller-skates, but a new study reveals they slither around and adeptly catch insect meals [Video]. The finding helps scientists imagine how ancient fish made their first hunting trips ashore prior to evolving into land creatures. See article.
g Intelligence - Claims of a pre-Clovis human occupation in the Americas have been around for decades. By the 1980s, dozens of such sites had been reported, some estimated to be as much as 200,000 years old. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not.
g Cosmicus - It is misleading to think of today’s "space program" as a single-source activity with NASA as the center of the universe. First of all, the multi-nation character of space exploration has long dethroned that notion. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat astrobiology lesson plan for teachers about “Life in the Universe”, courtesy the United Kingdom. It includes activities.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey’s novel “The Rowan,” published by Ace in 1991.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Award-winning author Paul Davies, an eminent scientist who writes like a science fiction novelist, explores the ramifications of successful contact with alien life in his fascinating book, "Are We Alone? Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life." "The discovery of a single extraterrestrial microbe," he writes, "would drastically alter our world view and change our society as profoundly as the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions. It could truly be described as the greatest scientific discovery of all time." Though a decade old, the book still is a great read. See reviews.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Scientists using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have estimated the depth of the crust on a neutron star, the densest object known in the universe. The crust, they say, is close to a mile deep and so tightly packed that a teaspoon of this material would weigh about 10 million tons on Earth. See article.
g Abodes - The Venus Exploration Analysis Group was established by NASA in July 2005 to identify scientific priorities and strategy for exploration of Venus. VEXAG is currently composed of two co-chairs and two focus groups. The focus groups will actively solicit input from the scientific community. Here’s its Web site.
g Life - You might think a catfish on land would fare as well as an elephant on roller-skates, but a new study reveals they slither around and adeptly catch insect meals [Video]. The finding helps scientists imagine how ancient fish made their first hunting trips ashore prior to evolving into land creatures. See article.
g Intelligence - Claims of a pre-Clovis human occupation in the Americas have been around for decades. By the 1980s, dozens of such sites had been reported, some estimated to be as much as 200,000 years old. See article.
g Message - For more than 80 years, we’ve been sending radio (and eventually television) transmissions into space, allowing anyone in space to hear war reports from London, “I Love Lucy” reruns and our latest election results. So wouldn’t hearing aliens be as simple as turning on the radio? Here’s why not.
g Cosmicus - It is misleading to think of today’s "space program" as a single-source activity with NASA as the center of the universe. First of all, the multi-nation character of space exploration has long dethroned that notion. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat astrobiology lesson plan for teachers about “Life in the Universe”, courtesy the United Kingdom. It includes activities.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey’s novel “The Rowan,” published by Ace in 1991.
g Aftermath - Book alert: Award-winning author Paul Davies, an eminent scientist who writes like a science fiction novelist, explores the ramifications of successful contact with alien life in his fascinating book, "Are We Alone? Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life." "The discovery of a single extraterrestrial microbe," he writes, "would drastically alter our world view and change our society as profoundly as the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions. It could truly be described as the greatest scientific discovery of all time." Though a decade old, the book still is a great read. See reviews.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Starburst galaxy, ‘Habitable Planets for Man’ and sending humans to 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 - To celebrate the NASA-ESA Hubble Space Telescope's 16 years of success, the two space agencies are releasing this mosaic image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (M82). It is the sharpest wide-angle view ever obtained of M82, a galaxy remarkable for its webs of shredded clouds and flame-like plumes of glowing hydrogen blasting out from its central regions. See article.
g Abodes - Book alert: Here’s a classic — “Habitable Planets for Man,” by Stephen H. Dale. As one reviewer writes, “This book was written in 1970 as an analysis of what sort of planet would be inhabitable by humans on a permanent basis (colonization), and what are the chances of finding such planets around nearby stars. The book looks at human requirements, such as temperature, gravity, atmospheric composition, etc. Then other factors are reviewed, such as solar system organization, stellar properties, satellite relationships, special properties of binary star systems, etc. This book makes for some very interesting reading. It is rather dated, though, with the mass of Pluto being placed at equivalent to the Earths, and with water oceans being speculated about for Venus. Admittedly, this probably does mean that some of the conclusions are suspect. However, the depth of information in this book does make it an interesting resource for science-fiction authors, and other interested in speculating about extra-solar planets for man.” See reviews.
g Life - Contrary to traditional wisdom, being a leftie promotes survival from attacks, at least in the world of snails and crabs, according to a report by researchers at Yale and Cornell in the Biology Letters of the Royal Society, UK. See article.
g Intelligence - If you dread going to the dentist, be thankful you didn't live in the Stone Age. Roughly 8,000 years before Novocaine and some 7,300 years before they could even swig whiskey to dull the pain, prehistoric patients were having holes drilled into their teeth with drill bits carved from stone. See article.
g Message - Here’s something neat albeit technical: A slide show presentation of "Spectrum Environment of the Allen Telescope Array".
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency doesn’t have any concrete plans to send humans to Mars, but they’ve already begun making preparations for the trip. A small Italian-French crew is currently spending a year in a remote Antarctic research station, to learn how to handle the individual psychological problems and the stresses on group dynamics that can occur under such difficult, isolated conditions. See article.
g Learning - This module, from the Japan Science and Technology Corporation, provides excellent background to the search for life in the universe, for kids. There is information about all the planets in the solar system and possibilities for life beyond, as well as descriptions of spacecraft and signals that originate from Earth (requires Flash plug-in). See module.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "The Castaway,” published in the June 1953 edition of Universe magazine.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See lesson.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - To celebrate the NASA-ESA Hubble Space Telescope's 16 years of success, the two space agencies are releasing this mosaic image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (M82). It is the sharpest wide-angle view ever obtained of M82, a galaxy remarkable for its webs of shredded clouds and flame-like plumes of glowing hydrogen blasting out from its central regions. See article.
g Abodes - Book alert: Here’s a classic — “Habitable Planets for Man,” by Stephen H. Dale. As one reviewer writes, “This book was written in 1970 as an analysis of what sort of planet would be inhabitable by humans on a permanent basis (colonization), and what are the chances of finding such planets around nearby stars. The book looks at human requirements, such as temperature, gravity, atmospheric composition, etc. Then other factors are reviewed, such as solar system organization, stellar properties, satellite relationships, special properties of binary star systems, etc. This book makes for some very interesting reading. It is rather dated, though, with the mass of Pluto being placed at equivalent to the Earths, and with water oceans being speculated about for Venus. Admittedly, this probably does mean that some of the conclusions are suspect. However, the depth of information in this book does make it an interesting resource for science-fiction authors, and other interested in speculating about extra-solar planets for man.” See reviews.
g Life - Contrary to traditional wisdom, being a leftie promotes survival from attacks, at least in the world of snails and crabs, according to a report by researchers at Yale and Cornell in the Biology Letters of the Royal Society, UK. See article.
g Intelligence - If you dread going to the dentist, be thankful you didn't live in the Stone Age. Roughly 8,000 years before Novocaine and some 7,300 years before they could even swig whiskey to dull the pain, prehistoric patients were having holes drilled into their teeth with drill bits carved from stone. See article.
g Message - Here’s something neat albeit technical: A slide show presentation of "Spectrum Environment of the Allen Telescope Array".
g Cosmicus - The European Space Agency doesn’t have any concrete plans to send humans to Mars, but they’ve already begun making preparations for the trip. A small Italian-French crew is currently spending a year in a remote Antarctic research station, to learn how to handle the individual psychological problems and the stresses on group dynamics that can occur under such difficult, isolated conditions. See article.
g Learning - This module, from the Japan Science and Technology Corporation, provides excellent background to the search for life in the universe, for kids. There is information about all the planets in the solar system and possibilities for life beyond, as well as descriptions of spacecraft and signals that originate from Earth (requires Flash plug-in). See module.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "The Castaway,” published in the June 1953 edition of Universe magazine.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life - even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See lesson.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Sun’s binary partner, mingling oceans and more proof for evolution
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 Binary Research Institute has found that orbital characteristics of the recently discovered planetoid, "Sedna", demonstrate the possibility that our sun might be part of a binary star system. A binary star system consists of two stars gravitationally bound orbiting a common center of mass. Once thought to be highly unusual, such systems are now considered to be common in the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - The Pacific and Atlantic oceans were separated by a giant landmass once, but then a chink formed in this supercontinent and their waters intermingled. New fossil dating reveals that this event occurred about 41 million years ago, millions of years earlier than some scientists had estimated. See article.
g Life - In a new study, scientists tested Darwin's theory that many current traits can be explained by the ancestral lineage of a species (For instance, predators that have evolved a taste for a certain prey, can go on to develop a taste for the prey's eggs.). See article.
g Intelligence - Microscopic specs of lead are offering clues about the enormous cultural changes that swept across northern Africa a thousand years ago. See article.
g Message - In the search for life on other worlds, scientists can listen for radio transmissions from stellar neighborhoods where intelligent civilizations might lurk or they can try to actually spot planets like our own in habitable zones around nearby stars. Either approach is tricky and relies on choosing the right targets for scrutiny out of the many thousands of nearby stars in our galactic neighborhood. See article.
g Cosmicus - Japan plans to send robots to explore and set up a base on the moon, possibly within the next 10 years, officials said. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of NASA: Who Can Live Here? Students explore the limits of life on Earth to extend their beliefs about life to include its possibility on other worlds. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Stephen Leigh’s novel “Dark Water's Embrace,” published by Avon Eos in 1998.
g Aftermath - How would proof of extraterrestrial intelligence affect humanity’s “world” view? Astronomer Steve Dick discusses the matter in this transcribed Smithsonian Institute lecture, from 1999, at article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - The Binary Research Institute has found that orbital characteristics of the recently discovered planetoid, "Sedna", demonstrate the possibility that our sun might be part of a binary star system. A binary star system consists of two stars gravitationally bound orbiting a common center of mass. Once thought to be highly unusual, such systems are now considered to be common in the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - The Pacific and Atlantic oceans were separated by a giant landmass once, but then a chink formed in this supercontinent and their waters intermingled. New fossil dating reveals that this event occurred about 41 million years ago, millions of years earlier than some scientists had estimated. See article.
g Life - In a new study, scientists tested Darwin's theory that many current traits can be explained by the ancestral lineage of a species (For instance, predators that have evolved a taste for a certain prey, can go on to develop a taste for the prey's eggs.). See article.
g Intelligence - Microscopic specs of lead are offering clues about the enormous cultural changes that swept across northern Africa a thousand years ago. See article.
g Message - In the search for life on other worlds, scientists can listen for radio transmissions from stellar neighborhoods where intelligent civilizations might lurk or they can try to actually spot planets like our own in habitable zones around nearby stars. Either approach is tricky and relies on choosing the right targets for scrutiny out of the many thousands of nearby stars in our galactic neighborhood. See article.
g Cosmicus - Japan plans to send robots to explore and set up a base on the moon, possibly within the next 10 years, officials said. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of NASA: Who Can Live Here? Students explore the limits of life on Earth to extend their beliefs about life to include its possibility on other worlds. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Stephen Leigh’s novel “Dark Water's Embrace,” published by Avon Eos in 1998.
g Aftermath - How would proof of extraterrestrial intelligence affect humanity’s “world” view? Astronomer Steve Dick discusses the matter in this transcribed Smithsonian Institute lecture, from 1999, at article.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Green black holes, Allen Telescope Array and asteroid impact
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 - Black holes are the most fuel efficient engines in the Universe, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. By making the first direct estimate of how efficient or "green" black holes are, this work gives insight into how black holes generate energy and affect their environment. See article.
g Abodes - The atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is increasing as a consequence of the large-scale use of fossil fuels in the industrial era. This has apparently brought about a stronger relative increase in the light carbon isotope 12C. Due to this the ratio of the stable carbon isotopes 13C/12C has show a clearly measurable decrease of 0.1 percent. However in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, 180 million and 120 million years ago, there were periods with a shift four times as large in a period of just several tens of thousands of years. Where did all of that light carbon suddenly come from? See article.
g Life - In findings that may offer insight into how evolution operates, a Duke University evolutionary ecologist reported evidence that aggressive male western bluebirds out-compete less aggressive males for preferred breeding territories. In the process, she found that more-aggressive and milder mannered birds also tended to breed in different settings that favor different body types. See article.
g Intelligence - If you're down in the dumps, you might just think about watching a funny movie. A new study suggests that the mere expectation of laughter makes us feel good. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Over the last few decades there has been a great deal of debate about the level of danger posed by impacts from asteroids and comets. It appears the world needs to take the threat of asteroid strikes a lot more seriously. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a good Web site that gives an general overview of astrobiology for kids: “Astrocentral.” See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,” published by Scribners in 1958.
g Aftermath - Decades after Hollywood first made the leap between alien life and the threat of contamination, a scientist has issued a similar warning. U.S. Geological Survey geologist Jeffrey Kargel says convincing evidence uncovered by NASA's robotic rover Opportunity that water once flowed on Mars means scientists should proceed cautiously in bringing back potentially germ-laden samples of the Red Planet. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Black holes are the most fuel efficient engines in the Universe, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. By making the first direct estimate of how efficient or "green" black holes are, this work gives insight into how black holes generate energy and affect their environment. See article.
g Abodes - The atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is increasing as a consequence of the large-scale use of fossil fuels in the industrial era. This has apparently brought about a stronger relative increase in the light carbon isotope 12C. Due to this the ratio of the stable carbon isotopes 13C/12C has show a clearly measurable decrease of 0.1 percent. However in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, 180 million and 120 million years ago, there were periods with a shift four times as large in a period of just several tens of thousands of years. Where did all of that light carbon suddenly come from? See article.
g Life - In findings that may offer insight into how evolution operates, a Duke University evolutionary ecologist reported evidence that aggressive male western bluebirds out-compete less aggressive males for preferred breeding territories. In the process, she found that more-aggressive and milder mannered birds also tended to breed in different settings that favor different body types. See article.
g Intelligence - If you're down in the dumps, you might just think about watching a funny movie. A new study suggests that the mere expectation of laughter makes us feel good. See article.
g Message - SETI and the University of California at Berkeley decided they needed their own instrument, so they started developing the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - Over the last few decades there has been a great deal of debate about the level of danger posed by impacts from asteroids and comets. It appears the world needs to take the threat of asteroid strikes a lot more seriously. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a good Web site that gives an general overview of astrobiology for kids: “Astrocentral.” See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,” published by Scribners in 1958.
g Aftermath - Decades after Hollywood first made the leap between alien life and the threat of contamination, a scientist has issued a similar warning. U.S. Geological Survey geologist Jeffrey Kargel says convincing evidence uncovered by NASA's robotic rover Opportunity that water once flowed on Mars means scientists should proceed cautiously in bringing back potentially germ-laden samples of the Red Planet. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, April 24, 2006
Galaxy globs, Xena’s size and China’s space program
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 - Try mixing caramel into vanilla ice cream - you will always end up with globs and swirls of caramel. Scientists are finding that galaxies may distribute themselves in similar ways throughout the universe and in places where there is lots of so-called dark matter. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has resolved the "10th planet," nicknamed "Xena" for the first time, and has found that it is only just a little larger than Pluto. Previous ground-based observations suggested that Xena was about 30 percent greater in diameter than Pluto. See article.
g Life - Worms that live in deep-sea hypothermal vents have the highest temperature preference of any animal studied, scientists said. See article.
g Intelligence - It's true—you might die of loneliness, but not until you're older. See article.
g Message - The founder of the scientific search for extraterrestrial civilizations Frank Drake believed that a minimum of 200 highly developed civilizations were hiding somewhere in our galaxy. See article.
g Cosmicus - China is stepping up its space program, preparing to launch dozens upon dozens of Earth orbiting satellites over the next five to eight years. Also being readied are several space science missions, fielding a new heavy-lift booster, as well as strengthening its human spaceflight program to include an Earth-circling space lab and initiating a multi-step program of robotic lunar exploration. See article. For related story, see “U.S.-China Space Ties Weighed”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of DiscoverSchool.com: “Extraterrestrials.” In the activity, a digital radio message, intended to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth, has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico. Students must ensure the message is effective by showing that the senders (humans from Earth) are capable of advanced thinking — but it must not depend on the ability of extraterrestrials to understand any Earth language. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Alan Dean Foster’s novel “Quozl,” published by Ace in 1989.
g Aftermath - Would dutiful American citizens trust the government to handle first contact with extraterrestrials and rush to get information to the public? See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Try mixing caramel into vanilla ice cream - you will always end up with globs and swirls of caramel. Scientists are finding that galaxies may distribute themselves in similar ways throughout the universe and in places where there is lots of so-called dark matter. See article.
g Abodes - NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has resolved the "10th planet," nicknamed "Xena" for the first time, and has found that it is only just a little larger than Pluto. Previous ground-based observations suggested that Xena was about 30 percent greater in diameter than Pluto. See article.
g Life - Worms that live in deep-sea hypothermal vents have the highest temperature preference of any animal studied, scientists said. See article.
g Intelligence - It's true—you might die of loneliness, but not until you're older. See article.
g Message - The founder of the scientific search for extraterrestrial civilizations Frank Drake believed that a minimum of 200 highly developed civilizations were hiding somewhere in our galaxy. See article.
g Cosmicus - China is stepping up its space program, preparing to launch dozens upon dozens of Earth orbiting satellites over the next five to eight years. Also being readied are several space science missions, fielding a new heavy-lift booster, as well as strengthening its human spaceflight program to include an Earth-circling space lab and initiating a multi-step program of robotic lunar exploration. See article. For related story, see “U.S.-China Space Ties Weighed”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of DiscoverSchool.com: “Extraterrestrials.” In the activity, a digital radio message, intended to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth, has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico. Students must ensure the message is effective by showing that the senders (humans from Earth) are capable of advanced thinking — but it must not depend on the ability of extraterrestrials to understand any Earth language. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Alan Dean Foster’s novel “Quozl,” published by Ace in 1989.
g Aftermath - Would dutiful American citizens trust the government to handle first contact with extraterrestrials and rush to get information to the public? See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Comet data, spider threads plus thickening and thinning brains
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 - Over the past five years, three space missions - Deep Impact, Deep Space 1 and Stardust - have provided unprecedented information about comets. However, rather than clearing up the true nature of comets, the sometimes conflicting data from these missions have scientists questioning almost everything they thought they knew about these fascinating, and potentially dangerous, objects. See article.
g Abodes - As mankind spreads out through the universe, what creatures might he encounter and where? Life on Earth has evolved into a myriad of forms, capable of surviving in some very harsh conditions, but it all started in the oceans. Early life and its precursors were very fragile molecules without the survival mechanisms to protect them that cells and beasts are. See article.
g Life - The extraordinary properties of spider's thread are like a blessing for researchers working on polymers. However, the amazing twisting properties it displays are still not very well understood. How can one explain the fact that a spider suspended by a thread remains completely motionless, instead of rotating like a climber does at the end of a rope? See article.
g Intelligence - Youth with superior IQ are distinguished by how fast the thinking part of their brains thickens and thins as they grow up, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have discovered. MRI scans showed that their brain's outer mantle, or cortex, thickens more rapidly during childhood, reaching its peak later than in their peers — perhaps reflecting a longer developmental window for high-level thinking circuitry. It also thins faster during the late teens, likely due to the withering of unused neural connections as the brain streamlines its operations. See article.
g Message - Australian scientists also are conducting a search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Here’s an overview of their effort and facilities.
g Cosmicus - Exploration of space now and in the future depends on both human and robotic skills. However, according to a leading scientist, there is need to fortify and rebalance the funding between the two. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat interactive Web site for kids: “Are Humans All Alone in the Universe?” In the program, kids get to search for ET — and learn some principles of science along the way. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gordon R. Dickson’s short story, "In The Bone," published in the October 1966 Worlds of IF magazine.
g Aftermath - How would humans react the day after ET landed? A nationwide survey by the Roper Organization in 1999 found that the following: "... one out of four Americans think most people would "totally freak out and panic" if such evidence were confirmed. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Over the past five years, three space missions - Deep Impact, Deep Space 1 and Stardust - have provided unprecedented information about comets. However, rather than clearing up the true nature of comets, the sometimes conflicting data from these missions have scientists questioning almost everything they thought they knew about these fascinating, and potentially dangerous, objects. See article.
g Abodes - As mankind spreads out through the universe, what creatures might he encounter and where? Life on Earth has evolved into a myriad of forms, capable of surviving in some very harsh conditions, but it all started in the oceans. Early life and its precursors were very fragile molecules without the survival mechanisms to protect them that cells and beasts are. See article.
g Life - The extraordinary properties of spider's thread are like a blessing for researchers working on polymers. However, the amazing twisting properties it displays are still not very well understood. How can one explain the fact that a spider suspended by a thread remains completely motionless, instead of rotating like a climber does at the end of a rope? See article.
g Intelligence - Youth with superior IQ are distinguished by how fast the thinking part of their brains thickens and thins as they grow up, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have discovered. MRI scans showed that their brain's outer mantle, or cortex, thickens more rapidly during childhood, reaching its peak later than in their peers — perhaps reflecting a longer developmental window for high-level thinking circuitry. It also thins faster during the late teens, likely due to the withering of unused neural connections as the brain streamlines its operations. See article.
g Message - Australian scientists also are conducting a search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Here’s an overview of their effort and facilities.
g Cosmicus - Exploration of space now and in the future depends on both human and robotic skills. However, according to a leading scientist, there is need to fortify and rebalance the funding between the two. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat interactive Web site for kids: “Are Humans All Alone in the Universe?” In the program, kids get to search for ET — and learn some principles of science along the way. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gordon R. Dickson’s short story, "In The Bone," published in the October 1966 Worlds of IF magazine.
g Aftermath - How would humans react the day after ET landed? A nationwide survey by the Roper Organization in 1999 found that the following: "... one out of four Americans think most people would "totally freak out and panic" if such evidence were confirmed. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Beta Pictoris dust disk, Martian geological history and bee speed
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A combination of observing strategy and advanced technology has produced the most detailed picture yet of a dust disk surrounding a nearby star. Observations of the disk surrounding the star Beta Pictoris by a team of researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Nagoya University and Hokkaido University suggest that asteroid and comet-like objects are colliding to produce fluffy icy dust-balls the size of bacteria. See article.
g Abodes - By mapping minerals on the surface of Mars using the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, scientists have discovered the three ages of Martian geological history - as reported in the latest issue of Science - and found valuable clues as to where life might have developed. See article.
g Life - Bee speed is limited not by muscle power or how high they can flap their wings, but on how they balance themselves during unstable conditions, researchers have found. See article.
g Intelligence - Book alert: In an ongoing tour of literature related to astrobiology, Linda Sauter reviews "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. While not overtly about astrobiology, "Collapse" can provide insights about the likely development of life and civilizations in the universe. See article.
g Message - Since SETI first became a subject for serious scientific research, scientists have come up with many possible ways to detect the presence of other civilizations by searching our part of the galaxy for signs of artificially created signals. Using many different kinds of detection equipment and novel concepts, investigators labored away in their electronics laboratories and observatories dreaming, that one day, the signs they had been searching for would be found. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA announced that a small, “secondary payload” spacecraft, to be developed by a team at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has been selected to travel to the moon to look for precious water ice at the lunar south pole in October 2008. See article.
g Learning - As a society, we're increasingly ignorant about science, and if that continues, it's going to cost us. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Mission Of Gravity,” published by Doubleday in 1954.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - A combination of observing strategy and advanced technology has produced the most detailed picture yet of a dust disk surrounding a nearby star. Observations of the disk surrounding the star Beta Pictoris by a team of researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Nagoya University and Hokkaido University suggest that asteroid and comet-like objects are colliding to produce fluffy icy dust-balls the size of bacteria. See article.
g Abodes - By mapping minerals on the surface of Mars using the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, scientists have discovered the three ages of Martian geological history - as reported in the latest issue of Science - and found valuable clues as to where life might have developed. See article.
g Life - Bee speed is limited not by muscle power or how high they can flap their wings, but on how they balance themselves during unstable conditions, researchers have found. See article.
g Intelligence - Book alert: In an ongoing tour of literature related to astrobiology, Linda Sauter reviews "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. While not overtly about astrobiology, "Collapse" can provide insights about the likely development of life and civilizations in the universe. See article.
g Message - Since SETI first became a subject for serious scientific research, scientists have come up with many possible ways to detect the presence of other civilizations by searching our part of the galaxy for signs of artificially created signals. Using many different kinds of detection equipment and novel concepts, investigators labored away in their electronics laboratories and observatories dreaming, that one day, the signs they had been searching for would be found. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA announced that a small, “secondary payload” spacecraft, to be developed by a team at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has been selected to travel to the moon to look for precious water ice at the lunar south pole in October 2008. See article.
g Learning - As a society, we're increasingly ignorant about science, and if that continues, it's going to cost us. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel “Mission Of Gravity,” published by Doubleday in 1954.
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
+preserved.+The+scale+is+1+meter+long.+Credit%3A+Science){kind=link}