Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - New satellite data are providing insights into space "tsunamis" that disrupt the northern lights and result in auroral dances in the sky. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070412_space_tsunami.html.
g Abodes - A team of NASA scientists led by a member of the Spitzer Science Center believe they have found a way to predict the color of plants on planets in other solar systems. Green, yellow or even red-dominant plants may live on extra-solar planets. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/11planetcolors/.
g Life - An adolescent female Tyrannosaurus rex died 68 million years ago, but its bones still contain intact soft tissue, including the oldest preserved proteins ever found, scientists say. And a comparison of the protein’s chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens, bolstering the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070412_dino_tissues.html.
g Intelligence - You might expect men and women to look at sexual photographs differently. But a new study unexpectedly found that men are more likely than women to first look at faces rather than other parts of a nude body. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070412_sex_pics.html.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/lifesigns_spots_020103.html.
g Cosmicus - Space shuttle program officials have affirmed a new launch schedule to accomplish six flights over the next 12 months that will expand the space station to include the international science laboratory modules. See http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts117/070416shuttlesked/.
g Learning - The challenge to communicate both the breadth and depth of astrobiology is discussed by Carol Oliver, of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology. As a researcher in communicating science, she considers how best to tell a busy public what it means to explore other worlds for signs of life elsewhere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article678.html.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: George E. Slusser’s "Metamorphoses of the Dragon," in “Aliens: The Anthropology of Science Fiction," (Slusser and Eric S. Rabkin, eds., 1987). It critiques LeGuin's ideas about dragons as fantasy creatures, then goes on to discuss dragon-like aliens in SF in Clarke's “Childhood's End” and Herbert's “Dune” and “Dragon in the Sea” series, bringing in contexts as wide-ranging as Beowulf, the work of Escher, subatomic physics and Sagan's “Dragons of Eden.”
g Aftermath - Epicurus, in the fourth century BC, believed that the universe contained other worlds like our own, and since his time there has been considerable debate whether extraterrestrial life exists and might communicate with us. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, an international social movement — Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence — has emerged which advocates an attempt to achieve communication with extraterrestrial intelligence, and many of its most active members have been leading scientists. Modest efforts to detect radio signals from intelligent extraterrestrials already have been made, both under government aegis and privately funded, and the technical means for a more vigorous search have been developed. If a CETI project were successful, linguists would suddenly have one or more utterly alien languages to study, and some consideration of linguistic issues is a necessary preparation for it. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/ceti.htm.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Habitable planets around M dwarf stars, one year at Venus and evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - There’s considerable interest in the question of whether M-Stars could host habitable planets. Would the planets be tidally locked with one face always directed toward the M-Star? Would flares wipe out life on the local planet? If M-Stars could host habitable planets, life may be much more widespread that we’ve previously thought. Thus, M-Stars are of interest to astrobiologists including SETI scientists who are searching for life beyond Earth. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070412_seti_thursday.html.
g Abodes - Venus Express has now spent one year collecting planetary data on Venus, one of the most mysterious planets in the Solar System. The spacecraft is studying aspects of Venus' complex atmosphere as well as searching for active volcanism on the planet's surface. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2300mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412102430.htm.
g Intelligence - While the government spends billions of dollars on educational and prevention programs to persuade teens not to do things like smoke, drink or do drugs, a Temple University psychologist suggests that competing systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and that educational interventions alone are unlikely to be effective. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412115231.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat radio interview on the program “Earth and Sky,” about scientists looking for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. See http://www.earthsky.com/shows/edgeofdiscovery.php?date=20030513. Note: The interview is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - The U.S. civil space exploration program is a matter of national strategy. But the country’s space policy - of returning to the Moon, trekking onward to Mars and beyond - needs to fly high above partisan bickering. See http://www.space.com/news/0701412_nss_griffin.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See http://www.resa.net/nasa/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: “Hospital Station” (1962), “Star Surgeon” (1963), “Ambulance Ship” (1979), “Sector General” (1983) and “Code Blue–Emergency” (1987).
g Stars - There’s considerable interest in the question of whether M-Stars could host habitable planets. Would the planets be tidally locked with one face always directed toward the M-Star? Would flares wipe out life on the local planet? If M-Stars could host habitable planets, life may be much more widespread that we’ve previously thought. Thus, M-Stars are of interest to astrobiologists including SETI scientists who are searching for life beyond Earth. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070412_seti_thursday.html.
g Abodes - Venus Express has now spent one year collecting planetary data on Venus, one of the most mysterious planets in the Solar System. The spacecraft is studying aspects of Venus' complex atmosphere as well as searching for active volcanism on the planet's surface. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2300mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Remnants from a cave embedded in a limestone quarry southwest of Chicago have yielded a fossil trove that may influence the known history of north central Illinois some 310 million years ago. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412102430.htm.
g Intelligence - While the government spends billions of dollars on educational and prevention programs to persuade teens not to do things like smoke, drink or do drugs, a Temple University psychologist suggests that competing systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and that educational interventions alone are unlikely to be effective. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412115231.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat radio interview on the program “Earth and Sky,” about scientists looking for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. See http://www.earthsky.com/shows/edgeofdiscovery.php?date=20030513. Note: The interview is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - The U.S. civil space exploration program is a matter of national strategy. But the country’s space policy - of returning to the Moon, trekking onward to Mars and beyond - needs to fly high above partisan bickering. See http://www.space.com/news/0701412_nss_griffin.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site from NASA: A curriculum framework for comparing Earth to other planets with regard to life. See http://www.resa.net/nasa/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for any of these fine novels by James White: “Hospital Station” (1962), “Star Surgeon” (1963), “Ambulance Ship” (1979), “Sector General” (1983) and “Code Blue–Emergency” (1987).
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Fall colors on alien planets, spotting signals from extraterrestrials and photosynthesis revealed
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Chandra observations of the galaxy NGC 1365 have captured a remarkable eclipse of the supermassive black hole at its center. A dense cloud of gas passed in front of the black hole, which blocked high-energy X-rays from material close to the black hole. This serendipitous alignment allowed astronomers to measure the size of the disk of material around the black hole, a relatively tiny structure on galactic scales. See article.
g Abodes - If plant life exists on other planets, they may not be predominantly green. Scientists have found that the predominant color of foliage on Earth-like worlds could be a range of other colors depending on the star that the planet orbits and the composition of its atmosphere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2299mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100-percent efficiency. Speed is the key – the transfer of the solar energy takes place almost instantaneously so little energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing mystery that may have finally been solved. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412131257.htm.
g Intelligence - An international consortium of researchers has published the genome sequence of the rhesus macaque monkey and aligned it with the chimpanzee and human genomes. Published April 13 in a special section of the journal Science, the analysis reveals that the three primate species share about 93 percent of their DNA, yet have some significant differences among their genes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412141025.htm.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Cosmicus - The most heated space race since the Cold War is under way in Asia, where countries are concluding that a space program is no longer just an expensive status symbol but a matter of national security. And they are scrambling to keep abreast. See http://www.space.com/news/ap_070414_ap_space_race.html.
g Learning - Calling attention to itself as soon as the Sun goes down, Venus shines brilliantly in the west-northwest sky about one-third of the way up from the horizon. Pointing out Venus is a great way to get kids interested in astronomy. See http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070413_ns_venus_update.html.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: Gregory Benford’s "Aliens and Knowability: A Scientist's Perspective," in “Bridges to Science Fiction” (George E. Slusser, George R. Guffet and Mark Rose, eds., 1980).
g Aftermath - Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence depends as much upon social support for the project as upon appropriate engineering design and upon the actual existence of a nearby extrasolar civilization. The results of a sociological survey of 1,465 American college students provide the first detailed analysis of the social and ideological factors that influence support for CETI, thereby suggesting ways that support might be increased. Linked to the most idealistic goals of the space program, notably interplanetary colonization, enthusiasm for CETI is little affected by attitudes toward technology or militarism. Few sciences or scholarly fields encourage CETI, with the exceptions of anthropology and astronomy. Support is somewhat greater among men than among women, but the sex difference is far less than in attitudes toward space flight in general. Evangelical Protestantism, represented by the "Born Again" movement, strongly discourages support for CETI. Just as exobiology begins with an understanding of terrestrial biology, exosociology on the question of how interstellar contact can be achieved should begin with serious sociological study of factors operating on our own world. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/cetijbis.htm.
g Stars - Chandra observations of the galaxy NGC 1365 have captured a remarkable eclipse of the supermassive black hole at its center. A dense cloud of gas passed in front of the black hole, which blocked high-energy X-rays from material close to the black hole. This serendipitous alignment allowed astronomers to measure the size of the disk of material around the black hole, a relatively tiny structure on galactic scales. See article.
g Abodes - If plant life exists on other planets, they may not be predominantly green. Scientists have found that the predominant color of foliage on Earth-like worlds could be a range of other colors depending on the star that the planet orbits and the composition of its atmosphere. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2299mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100-percent efficiency. Speed is the key – the transfer of the solar energy takes place almost instantaneously so little energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing mystery that may have finally been solved. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412131257.htm.
g Intelligence - An international consortium of researchers has published the genome sequence of the rhesus macaque monkey and aligned it with the chimpanzee and human genomes. Published April 13 in a special section of the journal Science, the analysis reveals that the three primate species share about 93 percent of their DNA, yet have some significant differences among their genes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412141025.htm.
g Message - Is anyone out there? The chance of spotting signals from extraterrestrials is about to soar, say SETI Institute scientists, who, together with radio astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley have begun building the first telescope to look around the clock for life on other planets. See article.
g Cosmicus - The most heated space race since the Cold War is under way in Asia, where countries are concluding that a space program is no longer just an expensive status symbol but a matter of national security. And they are scrambling to keep abreast. See http://www.space.com/news/ap_070414_ap_space_race.html.
g Learning - Calling attention to itself as soon as the Sun goes down, Venus shines brilliantly in the west-northwest sky about one-third of the way up from the horizon. Pointing out Venus is a great way to get kids interested in astronomy. See http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070413_ns_venus_update.html.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting critical examination of science fiction aliens that’s worth reading: Gregory Benford’s "Aliens and Knowability: A Scientist's Perspective," in “Bridges to Science Fiction” (George E. Slusser, George R. Guffet and Mark Rose, eds., 1980).
g Aftermath - Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence depends as much upon social support for the project as upon appropriate engineering design and upon the actual existence of a nearby extrasolar civilization. The results of a sociological survey of 1,465 American college students provide the first detailed analysis of the social and ideological factors that influence support for CETI, thereby suggesting ways that support might be increased. Linked to the most idealistic goals of the space program, notably interplanetary colonization, enthusiasm for CETI is little affected by attitudes toward technology or militarism. Few sciences or scholarly fields encourage CETI, with the exceptions of anthropology and astronomy. Support is somewhat greater among men than among women, but the sex difference is far less than in attitudes toward space flight in general. Evangelical Protestantism, represented by the "Born Again" movement, strongly discourages support for CETI. Just as exobiology begins with an understanding of terrestrial biology, exosociology on the question of how interstellar contact can be achieved should begin with serious sociological study of factors operating on our own world. See http://mysite.verizon.net/wsbainbridge/dl/cetijbis.htm.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Mystery of the spiral arm, water found on extrasolar planet and compartmentalized science instruction
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Using a quartet of space observatories, University of Maryland astronomers may have cracked a 45-year mystery surrounding two ghostly spiral arms in the galaxy M106. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12spiralarms/.
g Abodes - For the first time, strong evidence for water has been identified in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. The planet, HD209458b, is located 150 light years from Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2298mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Far-flung regions with similar climates that are suddenly linked by a busy flight route are at an increased risk of an invasion of foreign species, according to scientists at Oxford University. The new research also identified an ‘invasion window’ across the global air network from June to August when climatic conditions at regions linked by long haul routes are most similar to one another and the higher number of flights increases the chances of exotic species hitching a ride to somewhere new. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413214637.htm.
g Intelligence - Something old is now something new, thanks to Lamar University researcher Jim Westgate and colleagues. The scientists' research has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of primate, one long vanished from the earth but preserved in the fossil record. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409161526.htm.
g Message - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/9902/vakoch.html.
g Cosmicus - Asteroids are Earth's closest celestial neighbors, sometimes passing closer to Earth than even the Moon. And yet, to date, only two spacecraft have ever remained in proximity to one of these bodies. Last month, orbit mechanics experts from around the world met to discuss methods for finding the best possible spacecraft trajectory, or flight path, for visiting a sequence of asteroids. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/07asteroids/.
g Learning - High school courses have traditionally been compartmentalized into biology, chemistry, physical or earth science, and perhaps physics or an elective such as astronomy or oceanography. This may, in the best of cases, prepare students for the "almighty test," but does it really prepare students for scientific literacy and logical decision-making? See http://www.astrosociety.
org/education/publications/tnl/51/astrobiology2.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Clifford Simak’s ”Way Station” (1963), which examines many different kinds of potential aliens.
g Aftermath - An Outside Context Problem or an OCP is any problem outside given organization or society experience, with an immediate, ubiquitous and lasting impact upon an entire culture or civilization — such as first contact with extraterrestrials. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Context_Problem.
g Stars - Using a quartet of space observatories, University of Maryland astronomers may have cracked a 45-year mystery surrounding two ghostly spiral arms in the galaxy M106. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/12spiralarms/.
g Abodes - For the first time, strong evidence for water has been identified in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. The planet, HD209458b, is located 150 light years from Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2298mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Far-flung regions with similar climates that are suddenly linked by a busy flight route are at an increased risk of an invasion of foreign species, according to scientists at Oxford University. The new research also identified an ‘invasion window’ across the global air network from June to August when climatic conditions at regions linked by long haul routes are most similar to one another and the higher number of flights increases the chances of exotic species hitching a ride to somewhere new. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413214637.htm.
g Intelligence - Something old is now something new, thanks to Lamar University researcher Jim Westgate and colleagues. The scientists' research has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of primate, one long vanished from the earth but preserved in the fossil record. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409161526.htm.
g Message - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/9902/vakoch.html.
g Cosmicus - Asteroids are Earth's closest celestial neighbors, sometimes passing closer to Earth than even the Moon. And yet, to date, only two spacecraft have ever remained in proximity to one of these bodies. Last month, orbit mechanics experts from around the world met to discuss methods for finding the best possible spacecraft trajectory, or flight path, for visiting a sequence of asteroids. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/07asteroids/.
g Learning - High school courses have traditionally been compartmentalized into biology, chemistry, physical or earth science, and perhaps physics or an elective such as astronomy or oceanography. This may, in the best of cases, prepare students for the "almighty test," but does it really prepare students for scientific literacy and logical decision-making? See http://www.astrosociety.
org/education/publications/tnl/51/astrobiology2.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Clifford Simak’s ”Way Station” (1963), which examines many different kinds of potential aliens.
g Aftermath - An Outside Context Problem or an OCP is any problem outside given organization or society experience, with an immediate, ubiquitous and lasting impact upon an entire culture or civilization — such as first contact with extraterrestrials. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Context_Problem.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Atmospheres of alien worlds, jellyfish’s 24 eyes and early speculations on ET
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1 and revealed clues about the composition of comets and their potential connections to the origin of life on Earth. Now, the spacecraft may be used to make additional scientific discoveries, including observing the atmospheres of alien worlds and visiting another comet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2296mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Unlike normal jellyfish, which drift in the ocean current, box jellyfish are active swimmers that can rapidly make 180-degree turns and deftly dart between objects. Scientists suspect that box jellyfish are such agile because one set of their 24 eyes detects objects that get in their way. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070330_jellyfish_eyes.html.
g Message - The earliest speculations about communication with extraterrestrial intelligence involved contact with the Moon and with other planets of our own solar system. In the 1800s, many astronomers thought that — at least theoretically — life might well exist throughout the solar system. But when people raised the question of whether we are really alone in the solar system, they began to imagine ways to find a very concrete answer. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179533.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities for high school students: “Voyages Through Time.” It’s an integrated science curriculum for ninth or tenth grade based on the theme of evolution and delivered on CD-ROM. Its six modules span the breadth of astrobiology research, from cosmic evolution through the evolution of life, and beyond. See http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology/cultures? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Mary Gentle’s “Golden Witchbreed” (1983) and “Ancient Light” (1987), which examines a culture of feline aliens.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, writes Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465004180/ref=sid_dp_dp/103-7507272-1771804?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155.
g Abodes - In 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft released a probe that blasted a crater in comet Tempel 1 and revealed clues about the composition of comets and their potential connections to the origin of life on Earth. Now, the spacecraft may be used to make additional scientific discoveries, including observing the atmospheres of alien worlds and visiting another comet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name
=News&file=article&sid=2296mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Unlike normal jellyfish, which drift in the ocean current, box jellyfish are active swimmers that can rapidly make 180-degree turns and deftly dart between objects. Scientists suspect that box jellyfish are such agile because one set of their 24 eyes detects objects that get in their way. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070330_jellyfish_eyes.html.
g Message - The earliest speculations about communication with extraterrestrial intelligence involved contact with the Moon and with other planets of our own solar system. In the 1800s, many astronomers thought that — at least theoretically — life might well exist throughout the solar system. But when people raised the question of whether we are really alone in the solar system, they began to imagine ways to find a very concrete answer. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179533.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of classroom activities for high school students: “Voyages Through Time.” It’s an integrated science curriculum for ninth or tenth grade based on the theme of evolution and delivered on CD-ROM. Its six modules span the breadth of astrobiology research, from cosmic evolution through the evolution of life, and beyond. See http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org/.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien anthropology/cultures? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Mary Gentle’s “Golden Witchbreed” (1983) and “Ancient Light” (1987), which examines a culture of feline aliens.
g Aftermath - Book alert: The authentic discovery of extraterrestrial life would usher in a scientific revolution on par with Copernicus or Darwin, writes Paul Davies in “Are We Alone?: Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life.” Just as these ideas sparked religious and philosophical controversy when they were first offered, so would proof of life arising away from Earth. With this brief book (160 pages, including two appendices and an index), Davies tries to get ahead of the curve and begin to sort out the metaphysical mess before it happens. Many science fiction writers have preceded him, of course, but here the matter is plainly put. This is a very good introduction to a compelling subject. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465004180/ref=sid_dp_dp/103-7507272-1771804?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Warm snowball Earth, alien encoding schemes and communicating with ET
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - New evidence shows that periods of warmth may have occurred during a time in Earth's history when scientists had thought the entire globe was frozen over. The new findings have implications in our understanding of how life interacted with the changing planetary environment of Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2295mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Starting to breed late in life is a bad idea if you want to maximize the number of offspring that you produce - or so the theory goes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405122410.htm.
g Intelligence - Children who have at least one depressed parent are more likely to use costly health-care services, such as visits to the emergency room and to specialists. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603203.html.
g Message - Is it more likely for an advanced civilization to resort to some sophisticated encoding scheme than we would? See http://www.setiuniverse.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.aspa=178&z=10.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters: http://aca.mq.edu.au/Links/AstrobiologyJournalList.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Michael Bishop’s “Transfigurations” (1979), in which ET converses by changing colors.
g Aftermath - The issue of stability of conditions prevailing on (at least potentially) habitable planets throughout the Galaxy is the central question of the nascent science of astrobiology. We are lucky enough to live in an epoch of great astronomical discoveries, the most distinguished probably being the discovery of dozens of planets orbiting nearby stars. This particular discovery brings about a profound change in our thinking about the universe, and prompts further questions on thefrequency of Earth-like habitats elsewhere in the galaxy. In a sense, it answers a question posed since antiquity: are there other, potentially inhabited or inhabitable, worlds in the vastness of space? In asking that question, obviously, we take into account our properties as intelligent observers, as well as physical, chemical, and other pre-conditions necessary for our existence. The latter are the topic of the so-called anthropic principle(s), the subject of much debate and controversy in cosmology, fundamental physics, and philosophy of science. See http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:XmrDGnkdyV0J:www.anthropic-principle.com/preprints/MilanFirst.pdf+astrobiology&hl=en.
g Abodes - New evidence shows that periods of warmth may have occurred during a time in Earth's history when scientists had thought the entire globe was frozen over. The new findings have implications in our understanding of how life interacted with the changing planetary environment of Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2295mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Starting to breed late in life is a bad idea if you want to maximize the number of offspring that you produce - or so the theory goes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405122410.htm.
g Intelligence - Children who have at least one depressed parent are more likely to use costly health-care services, such as visits to the emergency room and to specialists. See http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603203.html.
g Message - Is it more likely for an advanced civilization to resort to some sophisticated encoding scheme than we would? See http://www.setiuniverse.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.aspa=178&z=10.
g Learning - Here is a very thorough list of astrobiology-related journals, magazines and newsletters: http://aca.mq.edu.au/Links/AstrobiologyJournalList.html.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Michael Bishop’s “Transfigurations” (1979), in which ET converses by changing colors.
g Aftermath - The issue of stability of conditions prevailing on (at least potentially) habitable planets throughout the Galaxy is the central question of the nascent science of astrobiology. We are lucky enough to live in an epoch of great astronomical discoveries, the most distinguished probably being the discovery of dozens of planets orbiting nearby stars. This particular discovery brings about a profound change in our thinking about the universe, and prompts further questions on thefrequency of Earth-like habitats elsewhere in the galaxy. In a sense, it answers a question posed since antiquity: are there other, potentially inhabited or inhabitable, worlds in the vastness of space? In asking that question, obviously, we take into account our properties as intelligent observers, as well as physical, chemical, and other pre-conditions necessary for our existence. The latter are the topic of the so-called anthropic principle(s), the subject of much debate and controversy in cosmology, fundamental physics, and philosophy of science. See http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:XmrDGnkdyV0J:www.anthropic-principle.com/preprints/MilanFirst.pdf+astrobiology&hl=en.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Galaxy’s red glow, Earth’s early magnetic field and Dawn arrives in Florida
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists have solved a decades-long mystery of a red glow that permeates our Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070406_red_rectangle.html.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field was at least half as strong 3.2 billion years ago as it is today, researchers report. That means the planet was pretty well protected way back then from solar output that could otherwise have stripped away the atmosphere and doused early living organisms with lethal radiation. See http://www.livescience.com/
forcesofnature/070404_earth_magnetism.html.
g Life - Bacteria can “talk” to each other: by using signal substances they inform their neighbors as to whether or not it is worth switching certain genes on or off. This communication between bacterial cells is essential for the adaptation to changing environments and for the survival. What exactly do bacteria learn from the signal substances? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402103058.htm.
g Intelligence - A discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated in the first place" and how people can potentially better manage phobias, researcher Ajai Vyas, a Stanford University neuroscientist, told LiveScience. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070402_cat_urine.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty 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 Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/10dawnarrival/.
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 stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” (1970) and the sequel, “Ringworld Engineers” (1980).
g Aftermath - A wide variety of steps should be taken to help the social sciences increase their visibility, status and contribution within the SETI field. The impact of social scientists will be profound if they contribute fresh ideas about the nature of ETI and how to detect it, bold insights into the variety of human reactions if the search succeeds, and far- sighted scenarios of humanity’s eventual relations with extraterrestrial intelligence. The quality of their thought, the ingenuity of their research designs and the depth of their findings will, in the long run, be particularly significant factors in their contribution to the SETI field. See http://64.233.167.104/searchq=
cache:4wvY91izFFYJ:www.ieti.org/tough/books/succeeds/sectVp01.
pdf+astrobiology+%22after+contact%22&hl=en.
g Stars - Scientists have solved a decades-long mystery of a red glow that permeates our Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070406_red_rectangle.html.
g Abodes - Earth's magnetic field was at least half as strong 3.2 billion years ago as it is today, researchers report. That means the planet was pretty well protected way back then from solar output that could otherwise have stripped away the atmosphere and doused early living organisms with lethal radiation. See http://www.livescience.com/
forcesofnature/070404_earth_magnetism.html.
g Life - Bacteria can “talk” to each other: by using signal substances they inform their neighbors as to whether or not it is worth switching certain genes on or off. This communication between bacterial cells is essential for the adaptation to changing environments and for the survival. What exactly do bacteria learn from the signal substances? See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402103058.htm.
g Intelligence - A discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated in the first place" and how people can potentially better manage phobias, researcher Ajai Vyas, a Stanford University neuroscientist, told LiveScience. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070402_cat_urine.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty 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 Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/10dawnarrival/.
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 stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” (1970) and the sequel, “Ringworld Engineers” (1980).
g Aftermath - A wide variety of steps should be taken to help the social sciences increase their visibility, status and contribution within the SETI field. The impact of social scientists will be profound if they contribute fresh ideas about the nature of ETI and how to detect it, bold insights into the variety of human reactions if the search succeeds, and far- sighted scenarios of humanity’s eventual relations with extraterrestrial intelligence. The quality of their thought, the ingenuity of their research designs and the depth of their findings will, in the long run, be particularly significant factors in their contribution to the SETI field. See http://64.233.167.104/searchq=
cache:4wvY91izFFYJ:www.ieti.org/tough/books/succeeds/sectVp01.
pdf+astrobiology+%22after+contact%22&hl=en.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Star snacks, Martian dust storms and message to ET
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - For the last two years, astronomers have suspected that a nearby white dwarf star called GD 362 was "snacking" on a shredded asteroid. Now, an analysis of chemical "crumbs" in the star's atmosphere conducted by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has confirmed this suspicion. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/01starsnacks/.
g Abodes - Shifting dust storms on Mars might be contributing to global warming there that is shrinking the planet's southern polar ice caps, scientists say. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070404_gw_mars.html.
g Life - Microbiologists are rethinking the ways in which they define and classify microbial species. Studying microbes and understanding how they are related to one another throughout evolutionary time is important in determining how life originated on our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2291mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - People who believe they have lived past lives as, say, Indian princesses or battlefield commanders are more likely to make certain types of memory errors, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070406_past_lives.html.
g Message - The Harvard SETI Group have conducted several searches for extraterrestrial life since 1978. For a history of those searches, see http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/setihist.html.
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 http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Science fiction authors produce a lot of very strange critters. In the desperate dash to be different, many go way overboard to invent fantastic, outlandish species unlike anything anyone has ever seen. It’s an admirable expression of their artistic abilities, but there’s an inherent problem: They almost always lose the reader along the way. Sure, it sounds ultra-cool to have a whole herd of 80-foot quasi-limbed orb-stasis beings, but unless you draw me a picture of these things, the reader often has no idea what you’re talking about. However, if you write that your alien has four wings, 10 eyes and looks a little like a kangaroo, the reader is right there with you. Most readers need at least something familiar to draw on for their imagination, or they get lost. See http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue10/themealiens.htm.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
g Stars - For the last two years, astronomers have suspected that a nearby white dwarf star called GD 362 was "snacking" on a shredded asteroid. Now, an analysis of chemical "crumbs" in the star's atmosphere conducted by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has confirmed this suspicion. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/01starsnacks/.
g Abodes - Shifting dust storms on Mars might be contributing to global warming there that is shrinking the planet's southern polar ice caps, scientists say. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/070404_gw_mars.html.
g Life - Microbiologists are rethinking the ways in which they define and classify microbial species. Studying microbes and understanding how they are related to one another throughout evolutionary time is important in determining how life originated on our planet. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2291mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - People who believe they have lived past lives as, say, Indian princesses or battlefield commanders are more likely to make certain types of memory errors, according to a new study. See http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070406_past_lives.html.
g Message - The Harvard SETI Group have conducted several searches for extraterrestrial life since 1978. For a history of those searches, see http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/setihist.html.
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 http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Science fiction authors produce a lot of very strange critters. In the desperate dash to be different, many go way overboard to invent fantastic, outlandish species unlike anything anyone has ever seen. It’s an admirable expression of their artistic abilities, but there’s an inherent problem: They almost always lose the reader along the way. Sure, it sounds ultra-cool to have a whole herd of 80-foot quasi-limbed orb-stasis beings, but unless you draw me a picture of these things, the reader often has no idea what you’re talking about. However, if you write that your alien has four wings, 10 eyes and looks a little like a kangaroo, the reader is right there with you. Most readers need at least something familiar to draw on for their imagination, or they get lost. See http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue10/themealiens.htm.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Supernova from tens of millions of years ago, emerging field of metegenomics and COTI
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - Tens of millions of years ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a massive star suffered a nasty double whammy. Signs of the first shock reached Earth in 2004, when the star was observed letting loose an outburst enormous and bright. The star survived for nearly two years, however, until it blew itself to smithereens as supernova. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/04burp/.
g Abodes - High-resolution images that reveal unexpected details of the Earth's internal structure are among the results reported by MIT and Purdue scientists in the March 30 issue of Science. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070406171041.htm.
g Life - The emerging field of metegenomics allows researchers to study the DNA of entire communities of microbes simultaneously and is set to provide major advances in our knowledge of Earth's most prolific organisms. Microbes can thrive in Earth's most inhospitable environments and are the most likely candidates for life on other locations in the Solar System. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2289mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - McGill University researchers have discovered that a mutant gene improves the long-term memory of laboratory mice, a discovery they hope will one day lead to a better quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients and others suffering from memory impairment. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405164911.htm.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within twenty years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. See http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/1204/welch.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The concept of dispatching low-cost spacecraft to repair and refuel more expensive troubled satellites took a step closer to reality this week when two first-of-a-kind orbiting testbeds began operations to validate autonomous in-space servicing techniques. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/03orbitalexpress/.
g Learning - Here’s a good Web site that gives an general overview of astrobiology for kids: “Astrocentral.” See http://www.astrocentral.co.uk/lifeindex.html.
g Imagining - For several years a "game" called COTI has been played, in which the participants design an integrated world, alien life form and culture and simulate contact with a future human society. Here are the results of one of those simulations, in which humanity encounters the Alchemists, sea creatures of a new taxon combining many characteristics found in Earth’s cetaceans, crustaceans and mollusks. See http://www.contact-conference.com/archive/coti1.html.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
g Stars - Tens of millions of years ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a massive star suffered a nasty double whammy. Signs of the first shock reached Earth in 2004, when the star was observed letting loose an outburst enormous and bright. The star survived for nearly two years, however, until it blew itself to smithereens as supernova. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/04burp/.
g Abodes - High-resolution images that reveal unexpected details of the Earth's internal structure are among the results reported by MIT and Purdue scientists in the March 30 issue of Science. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070406171041.htm.
g Life - The emerging field of metegenomics allows researchers to study the DNA of entire communities of microbes simultaneously and is set to provide major advances in our knowledge of Earth's most prolific organisms. Microbes can thrive in Earth's most inhospitable environments and are the most likely candidates for life on other locations in the Solar System. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2289mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - McGill University researchers have discovered that a mutant gene improves the long-term memory of laboratory mice, a discovery they hope will one day lead to a better quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients and others suffering from memory impairment. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405164911.htm.
g Message - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within twenty years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. See http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/1204/welch.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - The concept of dispatching low-cost spacecraft to repair and refuel more expensive troubled satellites took a step closer to reality this week when two first-of-a-kind orbiting testbeds began operations to validate autonomous in-space servicing techniques. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/03orbitalexpress/.
g Learning - Here’s a good Web site that gives an general overview of astrobiology for kids: “Astrocentral.” See http://www.astrocentral.co.uk/lifeindex.html.
g Imagining - For several years a "game" called COTI has been played, in which the participants design an integrated world, alien life form and culture and simulate contact with a future human society. Here are the results of one of those simulations, in which humanity encounters the Alchemists, sea creatures of a new taxon combining many characteristics found in Earth’s cetaceans, crustaceans and mollusks. See http://www.contact-conference.com/archive/coti1.html.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Venus’ atmosphere, microbial communities on Mars and science education on Earth
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has delivered an unrivalled snapshot of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672. This remarkable image provides a high definition view of the galaxy's large bar, its fields of star-forming clouds and dark bands of interstellar dust. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/05spiralgalaxy/.
g Abodes - New images and data from the European Space Agency's mission to Venus provide new insights into the turbulent and noxious atmosphere of Earth's sister planet. What causes violent winds and turbulences? Is the surface topography playing a role in the complex global dynamics of the atmosphere? Venus Express is on the case. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/03venus/.
g Life - Microbial communities in some of the world's oldest, driest and remote deserts may yield clues to the potential for life on Mars. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2287mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Intimidation and threats are common throughout society, whether it's in the school playground, sporting arena or boardroom. Threatening behavior is equally widespread among non-human animals. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402101947.htm.
g Message - When looking for ET, we may have to consider other strategies beyond radio waves. See http://www.zeitlin.net/OpenSETI/NewSearches.html. As a side note, one of those strategies might by looking for optical signals; see http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=
modload&name=News&file=article&sid=174 for more.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists are studying ways to improve space medicine to tackle space travel's medical challenges. One effort is to develop 'image fusion.' In this process, clear, sharp x-rays and other high-resolution, scanned images of astronauts taken on Earth will be combined with less sharp sonograms taken onboard spacecraft to enhance those images. These improved images will enable doctors to better see the condition of major organs in astronauts. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/05heart/.
g Learning - Dana Backman was staffing one of the walk-by tables in a gizmos and gadgets “Share-a-thon” session at the National Science Teachers Association’s annual convention in St. Louis last month. Her demo showed how an inexpensive photocell could detect both visible light from a flashlight, and invisible near-infrared radiation from a TV remote-control unit, which is one of the four activities in her SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) Active Astronomy kit. As hundreds of teachers filed by during two hours, she hawked my wares and handed out teacher guide on CD-ROMs plus web address cards to those who lingered for a conversation. And then things got interesting … See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_particles_070405.html.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's "Ringworld" universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See http://www1.tip.nl/~t619162/pak.htm.
g Aftermath - If, as “The X-Files'” Fox Mulder might say, "The truth is out there," then the researchers running the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program are likely to be the first ones to find it. On the other hand, there are numerous people who believe they've already been in contact with aliens. National Geographic's video ”Phantom Quest: The Search for Extraterrestrials” studies the claims of both groups, ultimately seeking to reveal precisely what an encounter with beings from another planet could mean for humanity. See http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue128/cool.html.
g Stars - The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has delivered an unrivalled snapshot of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672. This remarkable image provides a high definition view of the galaxy's large bar, its fields of star-forming clouds and dark bands of interstellar dust. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/05spiralgalaxy/.
g Abodes - New images and data from the European Space Agency's mission to Venus provide new insights into the turbulent and noxious atmosphere of Earth's sister planet. What causes violent winds and turbulences? Is the surface topography playing a role in the complex global dynamics of the atmosphere? Venus Express is on the case. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/03venus/.
g Life - Microbial communities in some of the world's oldest, driest and remote deserts may yield clues to the potential for life on Mars. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2287mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Intimidation and threats are common throughout society, whether it's in the school playground, sporting arena or boardroom. Threatening behavior is equally widespread among non-human animals. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402101947.htm.
g Message - When looking for ET, we may have to consider other strategies beyond radio waves. See http://www.zeitlin.net/OpenSETI/NewSearches.html. As a side note, one of those strategies might by looking for optical signals; see http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=
modload&name=News&file=article&sid=174 for more.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists are studying ways to improve space medicine to tackle space travel's medical challenges. One effort is to develop 'image fusion.' In this process, clear, sharp x-rays and other high-resolution, scanned images of astronauts taken on Earth will be combined with less sharp sonograms taken onboard spacecraft to enhance those images. These improved images will enable doctors to better see the condition of major organs in astronauts. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0704/05heart/.
g Learning - Dana Backman was staffing one of the walk-by tables in a gizmos and gadgets “Share-a-thon” session at the National Science Teachers Association’s annual convention in St. Louis last month. Her demo showed how an inexpensive photocell could detect both visible light from a flashlight, and invisible near-infrared radiation from a TV remote-control unit, which is one of the four activities in her SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) Active Astronomy kit. As hundreds of teachers filed by during two hours, she hawked my wares and handed out teacher guide on CD-ROMs plus web address cards to those who lingered for a conversation. And then things got interesting … See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_particles_070405.html.
g Imagining - Could the Pak of Larry Niven's "Ringworld" universe possibly evolve? They've got a homepage to discuss that and other questions about the intriguing fiction alien race. See http://www1.tip.nl/~t619162/pak.htm.
g Aftermath - If, as “The X-Files'” Fox Mulder might say, "The truth is out there," then the researchers running the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program are likely to be the first ones to find it. On the other hand, there are numerous people who believe they've already been in contact with aliens. National Geographic's video ”Phantom Quest: The Search for Extraterrestrials” studies the claims of both groups, ultimately seeking to reveal precisely what an encounter with beings from another planet could mean for humanity. See http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue128/cool.html.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
From big to small antenna, Europe's Aurora program and ‘Origins’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life - Remains from a 95-million-year-old marine creature with nubs for legs is clarifying how some lizards shed their limbs as they crept through evolutionary time and morphed into slinky snakes. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070326_lizard_limbs.html.
g Message - The next generation of big radio telescopes won't look anything like today's massive dishes. Instead of giant steel constructions towering into the sky, the future will belong to more economical arrays of many small antennas hugging the ground. And, in a historic role reversal, searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence are blazing a trail for conventional radio astronomy to follow. See http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/
resources/seti/article_256.asp.
g Cosmicus - Scientists in Europe are preparing for an ambitious program of exploration that includes the Moon and Mars. Europe's Aurora Programme endeavors to explore the solar system with numerous robotic missions, and to ultimately land humans on Mars in the 2030s. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2293mode=thread&order=
0&thold=0.
g Learning - Popularizing science has become a personal passion for astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium and a monthly essayist for “Natural History “ magazine, Tyson has also served on presidential commissions on the aerospace industry and the future of space exploration. His latest book, “Origins,” is a pocket history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the appearance of life on Earth. See http://www.americanscientist.org/template/
InterviewTypeDetail/assetid/39524;jsessionid
=baa9.
g Imagining - Book alert: A complaint that I see again and again of science fiction aliens — and I’ve made it myself — is that they look too much like us. Is that complaint valid? Is it so unlikely that extraterrestrials would look similar (not identical) to human beings? If so, then what would beings, intelligent or not so intelligent, who evolved on another world look like? That's what Cliff Pickover explores in "The Science of Aliens." See http://ufos.about.com
/gi/dynamic/offsite.htmsite=http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu
/pickover/soa.htm.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
g Life - Remains from a 95-million-year-old marine creature with nubs for legs is clarifying how some lizards shed their limbs as they crept through evolutionary time and morphed into slinky snakes. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070326_lizard_limbs.html.
g Message - The next generation of big radio telescopes won't look anything like today's massive dishes. Instead of giant steel constructions towering into the sky, the future will belong to more economical arrays of many small antennas hugging the ground. And, in a historic role reversal, searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence are blazing a trail for conventional radio astronomy to follow. See http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/
resources/seti/article_256.asp.
g Cosmicus - Scientists in Europe are preparing for an ambitious program of exploration that includes the Moon and Mars. Europe's Aurora Programme endeavors to explore the solar system with numerous robotic missions, and to ultimately land humans on Mars in the 2030s. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2293mode=thread&order=
0&thold=0.
g Learning - Popularizing science has become a personal passion for astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium and a monthly essayist for “Natural History “ magazine, Tyson has also served on presidential commissions on the aerospace industry and the future of space exploration. His latest book, “Origins,” is a pocket history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the appearance of life on Earth. See http://www.americanscientist.org/template/
InterviewTypeDetail/assetid/39524;jsessionid
=baa9.
g Imagining - Book alert: A complaint that I see again and again of science fiction aliens — and I’ve made it myself — is that they look too much like us. Is that complaint valid? Is it so unlikely that extraterrestrials would look similar (not identical) to human beings? If so, then what would beings, intelligent or not so intelligent, who evolved on another world look like? That's what Cliff Pickover explores in "The Science of Aliens." See http://ufos.about.com
/gi/dynamic/offsite.htmsite=http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu
/pickover/soa.htm.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them at http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/arecibo/tools/vakoch.html.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Rocco’s Lab, Mars 500 and ‘How to Build an Alien’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life - Virginia Woolf once famously said, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." It might as accurately be said that a scientist must have funding and a lab of her/his own. In the summer of 2004 the nearly 50 Carl Sagan Center scientists of the SETI Institute moved to a new facility with three vacant laboratory spaces and instantly acquired entire new vistas of research. One of those laboratories has been fully outfitted and operational for nearly six months now. That has made all the difference to Dr. Rocco Mancinelli and the other astrobiologists who analyze their samples in the Microbial Ecology and Molecular Microbiology Laboratory-Lab 2 or simply ‘Rocco’s lab” to friends. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_halophiles_070329.html.
g Message - Because of the ability to study many areas on the sky at once, with more channels and for 24 hours a day, the Allen Telescope Array will permit an expansion from SETI’s last stellar reconnaissance of 1,000 stars to 100 thousand or even 1 million nearby stars. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179146.
g Cosmicus - Europe is preparing for Mars by sending a crew of six on a simulated Mars mission for 500 days. The mission will help pave the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars by providing important insight into the psychological and medical aspects of long-duration spaceflight. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2292mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - “Curious Minds: How a Child Becomes a Scientist,” edited by John Brockman, is a fascinating and original collection of essays from 27 of the world’s most interesting scientists about the moments and events in their childhoods that set them on the paths that would define their lives. See http://www.edge.org/books/curious_index.html.
g Imagining - Many science fiction story lines involve alien life forms. From a literary prospective, aliens often serve as metaphors for something more familiar. From a practical prospective, they make stories more interesting and TV more eye-catching. But what of scientific accuracy? A professor offers his advice about "How to Build an Alien" at http://people.msoe.edu/~tritt/sf/BuildAnAlien.pdf.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/news_stories/news_print.cfm?ID=138. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - Virginia Woolf once famously said, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." It might as accurately be said that a scientist must have funding and a lab of her/his own. In the summer of 2004 the nearly 50 Carl Sagan Center scientists of the SETI Institute moved to a new facility with three vacant laboratory spaces and instantly acquired entire new vistas of research. One of those laboratories has been fully outfitted and operational for nearly six months now. That has made all the difference to Dr. Rocco Mancinelli and the other astrobiologists who analyze their samples in the Microbial Ecology and Molecular Microbiology Laboratory-Lab 2 or simply ‘Rocco’s lab” to friends. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_halophiles_070329.html.
g Message - Because of the ability to study many areas on the sky at once, with more channels and for 24 hours a day, the Allen Telescope Array will permit an expansion from SETI’s last stellar reconnaissance of 1,000 stars to 100 thousand or even 1 million nearby stars. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179146.
g Cosmicus - Europe is preparing for Mars by sending a crew of six on a simulated Mars mission for 500 days. The mission will help pave the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars by providing important insight into the psychological and medical aspects of long-duration spaceflight. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2292mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - “Curious Minds: How a Child Becomes a Scientist,” edited by John Brockman, is a fascinating and original collection of essays from 27 of the world’s most interesting scientists about the moments and events in their childhoods that set them on the paths that would define their lives. See http://www.edge.org/books/curious_index.html.
g Imagining - Many science fiction story lines involve alien life forms. From a literary prospective, aliens often serve as metaphors for something more familiar. From a practical prospective, they make stories more interesting and TV more eye-catching. But what of scientific accuracy? A professor offers his advice about "How to Build an Alien" at http://people.msoe.edu/~tritt/sf/BuildAnAlien.pdf.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/news_stories/news_print.cfm?ID=138. Note: This article is from 2001.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Evo-devo, artistic messages to the stars and ‘Let’s Build an Extraterrestrial’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life - Research in evolutionary developmental biology, known as “evo-devo”, is being held back because the dominant model organisms used by scientists are unable to illustrate key questions about evolution, argue biologists in the latest issue of Nature Reviews Genetics. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329092010.htm.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See http://lnfm1.sai.msu.ru/SETI/koi/articles/METIArt.htm.
g Cosmicus - In viewing Earth, moon and Mars, few could or would ask to look ahead five hundred years. When presenting his views to the blue-ribbon Presidential Panel, author Ray Bradbury took on the challenge of imagining a moon base and a Mars' civilization. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article974.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that offers a variety of book, video and Web resources for teaching about space and astrobiology: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/our_place/resources.shtml.
g Imagining - Here’s a neat site that draws upon the history of science fiction for examples: "Let’s Build an Extraterrestrial": http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3aa.
html.
g Aftermath - Some of the best discussion of the consequences of alien contact occurs in science fiction. Here’s a novel that ranks among the most important in that dialogue: Arthur C. Clark’s “Songs of a Distant Earth.” Look for it at your library or local used bookstore.
g Life - Research in evolutionary developmental biology, known as “evo-devo”, is being held back because the dominant model organisms used by scientists are unable to illustrate key questions about evolution, argue biologists in the latest issue of Nature Reviews Genetics. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329092010.htm.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See http://lnfm1.sai.msu.ru/SETI/koi/articles/METIArt.htm.
g Cosmicus - In viewing Earth, moon and Mars, few could or would ask to look ahead five hundred years. When presenting his views to the blue-ribbon Presidential Panel, author Ray Bradbury took on the challenge of imagining a moon base and a Mars' civilization. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article974.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that offers a variety of book, video and Web resources for teaching about space and astrobiology: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/our_place/resources.shtml.
g Imagining - Here’s a neat site that draws upon the history of science fiction for examples: "Let’s Build an Extraterrestrial": http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3aa.
html.
g Aftermath - Some of the best discussion of the consequences of alien contact occurs in science fiction. Here’s a novel that ranks among the most important in that dialogue: Arthur C. Clark’s “Songs of a Distant Earth.” Look for it at your library or local used bookstore.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Martian caves, SETI alternatives and alien disinformation
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Techniques used to scope out caves on Earth have been used to identify potential entrances to caves on Mars. If caves do exist on Mars, they might serve as a habitat for life by helping to protect organisms from harsh surface radiation and other factors. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2290mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Biologists at New York University have identified how different species use common genes to control their early development and alter how these genes are used to accommodate their own features. The findings offer new insight into the workings of developmental pathways across species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070330185043.htm.
g Message - On an episode of “The Space Show” in 2005, Scot Stride, a senior engineer at NASA JPL in Pasadena, Calif., was the guest for this Space Show program. Stride discussed SETI programs with us and highlighted his discussion with the SETI alternatives, SETV (Search for ET Visitation) and S3ETI (Solar System SETI). Stride provided listeners with a superb background and history on SETI, how it started and how it became what it is today. He also discussed the Allen Telescope Array and what it will mean for future SETI efforts. To hear a copy of the show, see http://thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=359.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that links to sites offering K-12 instructional materials on space exploration astrobiology: http://www.k12imc.org/classroom/integrated/astronomy/space.php.
g Imagining - Could the legendary dragons of Pern from Anne McCaffrey’s famous science fiction novels actually exist? Welcome to the theoretical science of dracogenetics. See http://www.geocities.com/jenaith/DNA1.html.
g Aftermath - Could a signal from the stars broadcast by an alien intelligence also carry harmful information, in the spirit of a computer virus? Could star folk launch a "disinformation" campaign — one that covers up aspects of their culture? Perhaps they might even mask the "real" intent of dispatching a message to other civilizations scattered throughout the cosmos. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/space_hackers_031111.html.
g Abodes - Techniques used to scope out caves on Earth have been used to identify potential entrances to caves on Mars. If caves do exist on Mars, they might serve as a habitat for life by helping to protect organisms from harsh surface radiation and other factors. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2290mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - Biologists at New York University have identified how different species use common genes to control their early development and alter how these genes are used to accommodate their own features. The findings offer new insight into the workings of developmental pathways across species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070330185043.htm.
g Message - On an episode of “The Space Show” in 2005, Scot Stride, a senior engineer at NASA JPL in Pasadena, Calif., was the guest for this Space Show program. Stride discussed SETI programs with us and highlighted his discussion with the SETI alternatives, SETV (Search for ET Visitation) and S3ETI (Solar System SETI). Stride provided listeners with a superb background and history on SETI, how it started and how it became what it is today. He also discussed the Allen Telescope Array and what it will mean for future SETI efforts. To hear a copy of the show, see http://thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=359.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that links to sites offering K-12 instructional materials on space exploration astrobiology: http://www.k12imc.org/classroom/integrated/astronomy/space.php.
g Imagining - Could the legendary dragons of Pern from Anne McCaffrey’s famous science fiction novels actually exist? Welcome to the theoretical science of dracogenetics. See http://www.geocities.com/jenaith/DNA1.html.
g Aftermath - Could a signal from the stars broadcast by an alien intelligence also carry harmful information, in the spirit of a computer virus? Could star folk launch a "disinformation" campaign — one that covers up aspects of their culture? Perhaps they might even mask the "real" intent of dispatching a message to other civilizations scattered throughout the cosmos. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/space_hackers_031111.html.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Radiation-resistant organism, astrobiology at a museum and exopsychology
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute recently tested a new device, the Environmental Sample Processor, designed to probe the ocean depths. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman joined them on a day-long voyage and filed this report on their progress. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2288mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - A new study may completely change our understanding of one of Earth's most radiation-resistant organisms, the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. The findings may have implications ranging from protecting cancer patients from the harmful effects of radiation therapy, to ensuring the safety of astronauts on space missions. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2279mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A long-standing thorn in the side of biologists has been the difficulty in accounting for the enormous variation between individuals when sexual selection by females for the most attractive mates should quickly spread the “best” genes through a population. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070328_lek_para
dox.html.
g Message - Since the beginning of astronomical observation, science has been viewing light on a curve. In a galaxy filled with thousands of eclipsing binary stars, we've refined our skills by measuring the brightness or intensity of so-called variable star as a function of time. The result is known as a "light curve." Through this type of study, we've discovered size, distance and orbital speed of stellar bodies and refined our ability to detect planetary bodies orbiting distant suns. Here on Earth, most of the time it's impossible for us to resolve such small objects even with the most powerful of telescopes, because their size is less than one pixel in the detector. But new research should let us determine the shape of an object... like a ringed planet, or an orbiting alien space station. See http://
www.universetoday.com/am/publish/alien_space_stations.html.
g Learning - In this interview, David Grinspoon talks about his job as the first-ever curator of astrobiology for a museum. While there are no alien artifacts yet available for display, there are many ways a museum can feature the various facets of astrobiology. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1966=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - While science fiction has come a long way from the days of bug-eyed monsters, the genre still hasn't gone far enough in presenting well-conceived alien beings. As a derivative genre, role-playing games have an even poorer record. See http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/sfnov99.html.
g Aftermath - The next social science to be created might be "exopsychology" — the study of behavior, attitudes, personalities and thoughts of alien beings. Although necessarily speculative, exopsychology might eventually be a critical link between humans and aliens. In the meantime, such a study could also provide the additional benefit of informing us about earthbound prejudices. See http://www.parentsurf.com/p/articles/mi_m1175/is_n2_v22/ai_630
6697.
g Abodes - Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute recently tested a new device, the Environmental Sample Processor, designed to probe the ocean depths. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman joined them on a day-long voyage and filed this report on their progress. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2288mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - A new study may completely change our understanding of one of Earth's most radiation-resistant organisms, the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. The findings may have implications ranging from protecting cancer patients from the harmful effects of radiation therapy, to ensuring the safety of astronauts on space missions. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=2279mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A long-standing thorn in the side of biologists has been the difficulty in accounting for the enormous variation between individuals when sexual selection by females for the most attractive mates should quickly spread the “best” genes through a population. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070328_lek_para
dox.html.
g Message - Since the beginning of astronomical observation, science has been viewing light on a curve. In a galaxy filled with thousands of eclipsing binary stars, we've refined our skills by measuring the brightness or intensity of so-called variable star as a function of time. The result is known as a "light curve." Through this type of study, we've discovered size, distance and orbital speed of stellar bodies and refined our ability to detect planetary bodies orbiting distant suns. Here on Earth, most of the time it's impossible for us to resolve such small objects even with the most powerful of telescopes, because their size is less than one pixel in the detector. But new research should let us determine the shape of an object... like a ringed planet, or an orbiting alien space station. See http://
www.universetoday.com/am/publish/alien_space_stations.html.
g Learning - In this interview, David Grinspoon talks about his job as the first-ever curator of astrobiology for a museum. While there are no alien artifacts yet available for display, there are many ways a museum can feature the various facets of astrobiology. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1966=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - While science fiction has come a long way from the days of bug-eyed monsters, the genre still hasn't gone far enough in presenting well-conceived alien beings. As a derivative genre, role-playing games have an even poorer record. See http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/sfnov99.html.
g Aftermath - The next social science to be created might be "exopsychology" — the study of behavior, attitudes, personalities and thoughts of alien beings. Although necessarily speculative, exopsychology might eventually be a critical link between humans and aliens. In the meantime, such a study could also provide the additional benefit of informing us about earthbound prejudices. See http://www.parentsurf.com/p/articles/mi_m1175/is_n2_v22/ai_630
6697.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Earth’s inner temperature, SETI from ET's perspective and clichéd alien vocabularies
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - Scientists have taken the temperature of Earth’s innards, more than a thousand miles beneath the surface, and found that the mercury there soars to about 6,650 degrees Fahrenheit. See http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/070330_earth_tempera
ture.html.
g Life - Pigs made a harrowing journey about 3,500 years ago to the most remote islands of the Pacific alongside their ancient human owners, and that partnership is revealing how the region was colonized. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070
320_pacific_pigs.html.
g Intelligence - An ancient member of the human family gets a digital makeover, revealing a mug that looks more apelike than previously thought. But not everyone is buying the result. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070329_rudolf_recon
struct.html.
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 Learning - Americans love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? See http://www.astrobio.
net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article
&sid=1032.
g Imagining - Ever wondered how all those traditional space-opera and epic-fantasy races - the pig-faced warriors, the smug bumheads, and all the rest - came up with their wonderfully clichéd alien vocabularies? It's not difficult; once you've mastered these basic rules, you'll be able to produce names and phrases just as stereotypical as theirs. See http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/lingo.htmllingo.html.
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/0965
377431/10232743405947363.
g Abodes - Scientists have taken the temperature of Earth’s innards, more than a thousand miles beneath the surface, and found that the mercury there soars to about 6,650 degrees Fahrenheit. See http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/070330_earth_tempera
ture.html.
g Life - Pigs made a harrowing journey about 3,500 years ago to the most remote islands of the Pacific alongside their ancient human owners, and that partnership is revealing how the region was colonized. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070
320_pacific_pigs.html.
g Intelligence - An ancient member of the human family gets a digital makeover, revealing a mug that looks more apelike than previously thought. But not everyone is buying the result. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070329_rudolf_recon
struct.html.
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 Learning - Americans love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? See http://www.astrobio.
net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article
&sid=1032.
g Imagining - Ever wondered how all those traditional space-opera and epic-fantasy races - the pig-faced warriors, the smug bumheads, and all the rest - came up with their wonderfully clichéd alien vocabularies? It's not difficult; once you've mastered these basic rules, you'll be able to produce names and phrases just as stereotypical as theirs. See http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/lingo.htmllingo.html.
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/0965
377431/10232743405947363.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
3-D views of astronomical bodies, talking with intelligent cephalopods and how humanity should attempt to communicate with an alien civilization
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - A unique collaboration created by Harvard's Initiative for Innovative Computing has brought together astronomers, medical imaging specialists, and software engineers to adapt medical imaging software to create 3-D views of astronomical bodies. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0703/28stars3d/.
g Abodes - Roping together observations from the world's largest telescopes as well as the small instrument of a local backyard amateur, astronomers have assembled the most complete picture yet of a pair of asteroids whirling around one another in a perpetual pas de deux. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329145626.htm.
g Life - An ancient arboreal lizard coasted through the air using a wing-like membrane stretched across elongated ribs, a new fossil reveals. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070319_gliding_lizard.html.
g Intelligence - Adult minds are so keen at spotting race, gender and age that we can correctly guess those features from nothing more than a black-and-white silhouette, new experiments show. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070330_face_this.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 - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has declared its Falcon 1 rocket ready to begin launching satellites in September despite a premature engine shut down that prevented the booster from reaching orbit during a second demonstration flight last week. See http://space.com/news/070328_spacex_falc1test_updt.html.
g Learning - Here’s a great resource for middle school science teachers; “Life on Other Planets in the Solar System.” See http://www.resa.net/nasa/xlife_intro.htm.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Then be sure to read Jack Vance’s "The Gift of Gab" (1955), which involves "talking" with intelligent cephalopods. See http://www.jackvance.
com/dbase/viewstory.phplang=1&title=Gift+of+Gab+(The.
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.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - A unique collaboration created by Harvard's Initiative for Innovative Computing has brought together astronomers, medical imaging specialists, and software engineers to adapt medical imaging software to create 3-D views of astronomical bodies. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0703/28stars3d/.
g Abodes - Roping together observations from the world's largest telescopes as well as the small instrument of a local backyard amateur, astronomers have assembled the most complete picture yet of a pair of asteroids whirling around one another in a perpetual pas de deux. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329145626.htm.
g Life - An ancient arboreal lizard coasted through the air using a wing-like membrane stretched across elongated ribs, a new fossil reveals. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070319_gliding_lizard.html.
g Intelligence - Adult minds are so keen at spotting race, gender and age that we can correctly guess those features from nothing more than a black-and-white silhouette, new experiments show. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070330_face_this.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 - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has declared its Falcon 1 rocket ready to begin launching satellites in September despite a premature engine shut down that prevented the booster from reaching orbit during a second demonstration flight last week. See http://space.com/news/070328_spacex_falc1test_updt.html.
g Learning - Here’s a great resource for middle school science teachers; “Life on Other Planets in the Solar System.” See http://www.resa.net/nasa/xlife_intro.htm.
g Imagining - Like stories about communicating with aliens? Then be sure to read Jack Vance’s "The Gift of Gab" (1955), which involves "talking" with intelligent cephalopods. See http://www.jackvance.
com/dbase/viewstory.phplang=1&title=Gift+of+Gab+(The.
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.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Twin-star systems, predator-prey relationships and ‘The Listeners’
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Stars - The double sunset that Luke Skywalker gazed upon in the film "Star Wars" might not be a fantasy. Astronomers working on the search for distant, Earth-like planets have observed that planetary disks, which harbor asteroids, comets and possibly planets, are at least as abundant in twin-star systems as they are in single-star systems like our own. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2286mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - A serene orb of ice is set against the gentle pastel clouds of giant Saturn in a new Cassini spacecraft image. Rhea transits the face of the gas giant, whose darkened rings and their planet-hugging shadows appear near upper right. See http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/070328rhea.html. For related stories, see “Unusual Hyperion” at http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/070328hyperion.html.
g Life - Two new studies, detailed in the March 22 issue of the journal Nature, suggest predator-prey relationships, as well as the timing and relative order of a species' arrival into a new environment, can greatly affect how rapidly this branching process occurs. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070321
_adaptive_radiation.html.
g Intelligence - Distractions turn on different part of our brains and do so more quickly than the daily grind of paying attention, neuroscientists have discovered. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/070329_brain_regions.html.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: James Gunn’s novel “The Listeners,” published by Signet in 1972. This offers a good early portrayal of a scientifically reasonable search.
g Cosmicus - A European craft designed to ferry science experiments, fuel and other supplies to the international space station will launch this fall, several months later than originally planned, officials said last week. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0703/25atv1/.
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 http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/
programs/extraterrestrials/extraterrestrials.rtf.
g Imagining - Like stories about efforts to communicate with alien? Then be sure to read Fred Hoyle’s "A for Andromeda" (1962). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_for_Andromeda.
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 - The double sunset that Luke Skywalker gazed upon in the film "Star Wars" might not be a fantasy. Astronomers working on the search for distant, Earth-like planets have observed that planetary disks, which harbor asteroids, comets and possibly planets, are at least as abundant in twin-star systems as they are in single-star systems like our own. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2286mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - A serene orb of ice is set against the gentle pastel clouds of giant Saturn in a new Cassini spacecraft image. Rhea transits the face of the gas giant, whose darkened rings and their planet-hugging shadows appear near upper right. See http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/070328rhea.html. For related stories, see “Unusual Hyperion” at http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/070328hyperion.html.
g Life - Two new studies, detailed in the March 22 issue of the journal Nature, suggest predator-prey relationships, as well as the timing and relative order of a species' arrival into a new environment, can greatly affect how rapidly this branching process occurs. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070321
_adaptive_radiation.html.
g Intelligence - Distractions turn on different part of our brains and do so more quickly than the daily grind of paying attention, neuroscientists have discovered. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/070329_brain_regions.html.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: James Gunn’s novel “The Listeners,” published by Signet in 1972. This offers a good early portrayal of a scientifically reasonable search.
g Cosmicus - A European craft designed to ferry science experiments, fuel and other supplies to the international space station will launch this fall, several months later than originally planned, officials said last week. See http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0703/25atv1/.
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 http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/
programs/extraterrestrials/extraterrestrials.rtf.
g Imagining - Like stories about efforts to communicate with alien? Then be sure to read Fred Hoyle’s "A for Andromeda" (1962). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_for_Andromeda.
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.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Diversification of mammals, search for life in the universe (for kids) and life on a neutron star
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - A new study challenges the classic idea that the mass extinction of the dinosaurs played a major role in the diversification of mammals. The study may shed new light on the connections between Earth's climate and the evolution of life.
See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2285mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - The fossil of an ancient amphibious reptile with a crocodile's body and a fish's tail has been unearthed in Oregon. Scientists believe the creature's remains were transported by geologic processes nearly 5,000 miles away from where it originally died more than 100 million years ago. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070321_jurassic_croc.html.
g Message - Modern Exobiology and Astrobiology studies now being sponsored by NASA, with participation by other nations and academia, are doing more than just ponder the probabilities of extraterrestrial life. Technological and human resources are being invested in remote-sensing efforts like the Terrestrial Planet Finder and robotic probe missions to search, in-situ, for clear signs of ET life on Mars, Europa and other promising solar system bodies. To further enhance and broaden the search for ETI, it’s now time to invest in methods, such as SETV, which search for clear evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence locally to aid in proving we are not alone in the universe. See www.interstellar-probes.org/SETI/JBIS-SETV1.pdf.
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 http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Robert L. Dragon's "Egg" (1980), which describes life on a neutron star.
g Aftermath - “If we are able to find one extraterrestrial civilization, we should be able to find many,” according to the paper “Networking with our Galactic Neighbors.” “By the year 3000 either we will have abandoned the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or we will have made progress networking with other civilizations in our galaxy. One alternative is that we will first detect a civilization that, like our own, has not yet confirmed the existence of other distant civilizations. This success will accelerate our search efforts and put us in touch, one by one, with many more extraterrestrial societies. Under this alternative we would be founding members of the Galactic Club, that is the largest network of communicating civilizations within our galaxy. Another alternative is that our initial contact will be with a civilization that is already affiliated with the Galactic Club, with the result that we ourselves are offered membership. Whether we help build the first network of civilizations or are inducted into a pre-existing network could have profound implications for Humanity 3000.” For more, read http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:WWP5W8vC1zYJ:www.bigelowaerospace.com/fff-galactic-club.doc+consequences+of+contacting+extraterrestrial+life&hl=en. Note: This paper was released in 2000.
g Abodes - A new study challenges the classic idea that the mass extinction of the dinosaurs played a major role in the diversification of mammals. The study may shed new light on the connections between Earth's climate and the evolution of life.
See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2285mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Life - The fossil of an ancient amphibious reptile with a crocodile's body and a fish's tail has been unearthed in Oregon. Scientists believe the creature's remains were transported by geologic processes nearly 5,000 miles away from where it originally died more than 100 million years ago. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070321_jurassic_croc.html.
g Message - Modern Exobiology and Astrobiology studies now being sponsored by NASA, with participation by other nations and academia, are doing more than just ponder the probabilities of extraterrestrial life. Technological and human resources are being invested in remote-sensing efforts like the Terrestrial Planet Finder and robotic probe missions to search, in-situ, for clear signs of ET life on Mars, Europa and other promising solar system bodies. To further enhance and broaden the search for ETI, it’s now time to invest in methods, such as SETV, which search for clear evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence locally to aid in proving we are not alone in the universe. See www.interstellar-probes.org/SETI/JBIS-SETV1.pdf.
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 http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/universe/et_e/index_e.htm.
g Imagining - Like stories about alien biologies/environments? Be sure to scour your favorite used bookstores for Robert L. Dragon's "Egg" (1980), which describes life on a neutron star.
g Aftermath - “If we are able to find one extraterrestrial civilization, we should be able to find many,” according to the paper “Networking with our Galactic Neighbors.” “By the year 3000 either we will have abandoned the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or we will have made progress networking with other civilizations in our galaxy. One alternative is that we will first detect a civilization that, like our own, has not yet confirmed the existence of other distant civilizations. This success will accelerate our search efforts and put us in touch, one by one, with many more extraterrestrial societies. Under this alternative we would be founding members of the Galactic Club, that is the largest network of communicating civilizations within our galaxy. Another alternative is that our initial contact will be with a civilization that is already affiliated with the Galactic Club, with the result that we ourselves are offered membership. Whether we help build the first network of civilizations or are inducted into a pre-existing network could have profound implications for Humanity 3000.” For more, read http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:WWP5W8vC1zYJ:www.bigelowaerospace.com/fff-galactic-club.doc+consequences+of+contacting+extraterrestrial+life&hl=en. Note: This paper was released in 2000.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Science vs. exploration, astrobiology in our schools and contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Life - Two new raptor dinosaur species have been unearthed in Mongolia, including one that ranks among the smallest non-avian dinosaurs ever discovered. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070323_new_raptors.html.
g Message - Interstellar spacecraft are superior to electromagnetic wave propagation for extrasolar exploration and communication. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence should include a search for extraterrestrial probes. See http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/The
CaseForInterstellarProbes1983.htm. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Cosmicus - Which is a better investment, science or exploration? The question is almost as old as the space program itself, and answering it won’t get any easier as humans move toward establishing a lunar base. But could science be an inevitable outgrowth of exploration? The exploration needed to occupy the moon will give us plenty of opportunities for basic lunar science. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2284mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - What are SETI scientists doing to foment the study and understanding of astrobiology in our schools? See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_phspace_051117.html.
g Imagining - Could "Star Trek"'s Alfa 177 canine (for a picture, see http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/ 68670.html) exist? Setting aside the facial features that show the canine is an Earth-descended vertebrate, the answer is yes. The Alfa 113 biome the Enterprise crew visits is cold but dry, perhaps a summer plain set below a great continental ice sheet. In cold climates, life forms need to be compact and/or covered in thick hair or fat; this is so with this creature. In addition, the canine's short legs indicate it need not worry about snowdrifts. Based on the creature's canine teeth and jaw structure, it must be a predator; considering the canine's size, it likely preys on creatures no larger than rats - and rodents are quite abundant on the tundra. A lack of claws indicates it doesn't burrow, however, which probably would be necessary in such a climate. Perhaps caves in the area or other creature's burrows provide shelter. As for the antenna upon its head, I'll withhold speculation!
g Aftermath - Book alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. In “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” Jean Heidmann, chief astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation - all of it grounded in real science - is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? Heidmann reviews the protocols established in the SETI Declaration and then offers his own suggestion: send them the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521585635/102-7953720-3747358?n=283155.
g Life - Two new raptor dinosaur species have been unearthed in Mongolia, including one that ranks among the smallest non-avian dinosaurs ever discovered. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070323_new_raptors.html.
g Message - Interstellar spacecraft are superior to electromagnetic wave propagation for extrasolar exploration and communication. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence should include a search for extraterrestrial probes. See http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/The
CaseForInterstellarProbes1983.htm. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Cosmicus - Which is a better investment, science or exploration? The question is almost as old as the space program itself, and answering it won’t get any easier as humans move toward establishing a lunar base. But could science be an inevitable outgrowth of exploration? The exploration needed to occupy the moon will give us plenty of opportunities for basic lunar science. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&
name=News&file=article&sid=2284mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Learning - What are SETI scientists doing to foment the study and understanding of astrobiology in our schools? See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_phspace_051117.html.
g Imagining - Could "Star Trek"'s Alfa 177 canine (for a picture, see http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/ 68670.html) exist? Setting aside the facial features that show the canine is an Earth-descended vertebrate, the answer is yes. The Alfa 113 biome the Enterprise crew visits is cold but dry, perhaps a summer plain set below a great continental ice sheet. In cold climates, life forms need to be compact and/or covered in thick hair or fat; this is so with this creature. In addition, the canine's short legs indicate it need not worry about snowdrifts. Based on the creature's canine teeth and jaw structure, it must be a predator; considering the canine's size, it likely preys on creatures no larger than rats - and rodents are quite abundant on the tundra. A lack of claws indicates it doesn't burrow, however, which probably would be necessary in such a climate. Perhaps caves in the area or other creature's burrows provide shelter. As for the antenna upon its head, I'll withhold speculation!
g Aftermath - Book alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. In “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” Jean Heidmann, chief astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation - all of it grounded in real science - is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? Heidmann reviews the protocols established in the SETI Declaration and then offers his own suggestion: send them the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521585635/102-7953720-3747358?n=283155.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Music’s effect on communication, 'Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known’ and trusting the government during first contact
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; Career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here’s today’s news:
g Abodes - An odd, six-sided, honeycomb-shaped feature circling the entire north pole of Saturn has captured the interest of scientists with the Cassini mission. "This is a very strange feature, lying in a precise geometric fashion with six nearly equally straight sides," says one team member. "We've never seen anything like this on any other planet. See article.
g Life - An underground den of dinosaurs now reveals the first evidence that at least one species of “terrible lizards” could burrow. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070323_digging_dino
saurs.html.
g Intelligence - Scientists have uncovered the first concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech. See http://www.
livescience.com/humanbiology/070319_music_brainstem.html.
g Message - Dan Werthimer, director of the SERENDIP SETI program and chief scientist of SETI@home at the University of California Berkeley, predicts we’ll make first contact with an alien civilization in 50-100 years. See http://www.astroseti.org/danweng.php. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - “’Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.’ – Carl Sagan.” These are the words on the back of more than 200 T-shirts the SETI Institute donated to Cosmos Education – a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to science and technology education and the role of science and technology in health, the environment and sustainable development. The model is simple – seeking to engage, empower and inspire youth in developing countries through hands-on learning activities and experiments. Students learn about the molecular structure of water by pretending to be oxygen and hydrogen atoms; they learn about how soap works by doing experiments with soap, water and oil; they learn about the HIV virus by constructing a human chain model of DNA. These and our many other activities capture the curiosity of students and get them asking questions about the world in which they live. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_cosmoseducation_050512.html.
g Imagining - Another early “Star Trek” alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don’t know what the android creators (aka “the Old Ones”) looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk (go to http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/68680.html and click on “Ruk is shot by phaser”). Their height indicates that the planet’s gravity is slightly lighter than Earth’s, and there isn’t a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn’t they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show’s creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world’s climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It’s highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth’s vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.g Aftermath - Would dutiful American citizens trust the government to handle first contact with extraterrestrials and rush to get information to the public? See http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Jun-11-Fri-1999/news/11331065.html. Note: This article is from 1999.
g Abodes - An odd, six-sided, honeycomb-shaped feature circling the entire north pole of Saturn has captured the interest of scientists with the Cassini mission. "This is a very strange feature, lying in a precise geometric fashion with six nearly equally straight sides," says one team member. "We've never seen anything like this on any other planet. See article.
g Life - An underground den of dinosaurs now reveals the first evidence that at least one species of “terrible lizards” could burrow. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070323_digging_dino
saurs.html.
g Intelligence - Scientists have uncovered the first concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech. See http://www.
livescience.com/humanbiology/070319_music_brainstem.html.
g Message - Dan Werthimer, director of the SERENDIP SETI program and chief scientist of SETI@home at the University of California Berkeley, predicts we’ll make first contact with an alien civilization in 50-100 years. See http://www.astroseti.org/danweng.php. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - “’Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.’ – Carl Sagan.” These are the words on the back of more than 200 T-shirts the SETI Institute donated to Cosmos Education – a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to science and technology education and the role of science and technology in health, the environment and sustainable development. The model is simple – seeking to engage, empower and inspire youth in developing countries through hands-on learning activities and experiments. Students learn about the molecular structure of water by pretending to be oxygen and hydrogen atoms; they learn about how soap works by doing experiments with soap, water and oil; they learn about the HIV virus by constructing a human chain model of DNA. These and our many other activities capture the curiosity of students and get them asking questions about the world in which they live. See http://space.com/searchforlife/seti_cosmoseducation_050512.html.
g Imagining - Another early “Star Trek” alien is the Exo III android makers. We really don’t know what the android creators (aka “the Old Ones”) looked like, but we can presume by the way human duplicates were created with the android-making machine that they appear like Ruk (go to http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/68680.html and click on “Ruk is shot by phaser”). Their height indicates that the planet’s gravity is slightly lighter than Earth’s, and there isn’t a discernable difference in the way humans step on this world. Possibly the savanna grass was taller than in our Africa (their hominid shape indicates a primate-oriented evolution). The whitish pallor probably is due to the lack of sunlight (though not the cold, as that also would make their bodies more compact); the aliens did go underground when a global ice age gripped their world. One interesting question is if they possessed the ability to build androids, why didn’t they just leave their planet when its habitability was lowered? Perhaps some religious or cultural belief prevented them from considering or pursuing space travel; possibly they developed the android-making machine when residing underground. While the show’s creators did a good job of making the Old Ones evolutionarily sound given the world’s climate of the past several eons, the aliens fall short on the Earth vertebrate factor: It’s highly unlikely that the exact facial arrangements as those of Earth’s vertebrates when first leaving the water for land would be so exactly duplicated.g Aftermath - Would dutiful American citizens trust the government to handle first contact with extraterrestrials and rush to get information to the public? See http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Jun-11-Fri-1999/news/11331065.html. Note: This article is from 1999.
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