Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Angelle Tanner, a post-doctoral scholar at JPL and Caltech, studies planets in distant solar systems, called extrasolar planets. The golden prize in this field is to find a planet similar to Earth - the only planet we know that harbors life. While more than 350 extrasolar planets have been detected, most are gas planets, with no solid surface. Many are located in orbits closer to their parent star than Mercury is to the sun. In other words, not very similar to Earth. Here's Tanner's short list of what she and her colleagues would love to find in another planet - the elements that might enable life on another world. See article.
g Cosmicus - There are many practical benefits to space exploration. Advances in space technology have a dramatic effect on Earth technology. Benefits range from new ergonomic solutions for people who do repetitive work to industrial medical X-ray machines. Listed below are several of these benefits. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Learning - Here’s a neat interactive Web game where you analyze a signal from space, just as would a SETI astronomer.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
How life may save the Earth and budgeting NASA’s Astrobiology Program
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - In one billion years, increasing radiation from the sun may make Earth uninhabitable. However, a new study shows that the life might help regulate temperatures by causing atmospheric changes. In fact, having a biosphere could increase the length of time that planets remain habitable. See article.
g Life - Studying extremophiles on Earth may provide helpful metrics in our search for life elsewhere in the universe. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - NASA’s Astrobiology Program is in good health for program year 2009, with a budget of $49.5 million dollars and a full slate of ongoing and new initiatives promising a continuing stream of discoveries. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - In one billion years, increasing radiation from the sun may make Earth uninhabitable. However, a new study shows that the life might help regulate temperatures by causing atmospheric changes. In fact, having a biosphere could increase the length of time that planets remain habitable. See article.
g Life - Studying extremophiles on Earth may provide helpful metrics in our search for life elsewhere in the universe. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - NASA’s Astrobiology Program is in good health for program year 2009, with a budget of $49.5 million dollars and a full slate of ongoing and new initiatives promising a continuing stream of discoveries. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Ancient shorelines on Mars and why ‘biology’ is astrobiology
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A University of Colorado at Boulder research team has discovered the first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars, an indication of a deep, ancient lake there and a finding with implications for the discovery of past life on the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - A central question of astrobiology concerns the origin and distribution of life in the universe. For this reason, astrobiology can be considered to fall within the science called transitional biology. If we accept that life originated by a process of prebiotic chemical evolution, the next question concerns the nature of the transitional pathway from inanimate chemical systems to the first forms of life on Earth. These possible transitional states are the subject matter of transitional biology as a discipline. See article.
g Cosmicus - We need to broaden our approach in the new Vision for Space Exploration to include the development of the Moon and its resources. In the end, commerce is not NASA’s job. However, NASA and the government as a whole must take into account the development imperative and its importance to humanity’s collective future. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See lesson.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A University of Colorado at Boulder research team has discovered the first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars, an indication of a deep, ancient lake there and a finding with implications for the discovery of past life on the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - A central question of astrobiology concerns the origin and distribution of life in the universe. For this reason, astrobiology can be considered to fall within the science called transitional biology. If we accept that life originated by a process of prebiotic chemical evolution, the next question concerns the nature of the transitional pathway from inanimate chemical systems to the first forms of life on Earth. These possible transitional states are the subject matter of transitional biology as a discipline. See article.
g Cosmicus - We need to broaden our approach in the new Vision for Space Exploration to include the development of the Moon and its resources. In the end, commerce is not NASA’s job. However, NASA and the government as a whole must take into account the development imperative and its importance to humanity’s collective future. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See lesson.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Stellar shrapnel and back to the moon after a decade
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - If a star located light-years away explodes, it could take out life on Earth. A group of researchers previously proposed that this might explain a mass extinction event millions of years ago. A follow-up project is now trying to beef up the case. See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers have announced the discovery of a new extrasolar planet in the constellation of Hercules. It is the largest known exoplanet and is about 70 percent bigger than Jupiter. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - For the first time in 10 years, America is shooting for the moon. NASA sent two unmanned probes into space Thursday afternoon on the back of an Atlas V rocket built in Colorado. See article.
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 article. Note: This article is from early 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - If a star located light-years away explodes, it could take out life on Earth. A group of researchers previously proposed that this might explain a mass extinction event millions of years ago. A follow-up project is now trying to beef up the case. See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers have announced the discovery of a new extrasolar planet in the constellation of Hercules. It is the largest known exoplanet and is about 70 percent bigger than Jupiter. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - For the first time in 10 years, America is shooting for the moon. NASA sent two unmanned probes into space Thursday afternoon on the back of an Atlas V rocket built in Colorado. See article.
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 article. Note: This article is from early 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, June 19, 2009
Exploding stars and planet-forming region discovered
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - When stars go pop, a murderous torrent of energy is released. Life on Earth may have been partly extinguished by just such a violent outburst, but there's little hard evidence yet to justify such a claim. A new study plans to fill in the forensic details. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers at the University of Rochester have discovered five Earth-oceans' worth of water that has recently fallen into the planet-forming region around an extremely young, developing star. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Life - You know the cliche, wherever we find water here on Earth, we find life. But what if the environment is really hostile - so hostile that any living creature would almost never see water? And even when there was water, they were constantly being blasted with radiation. Amazingly, there's a microbe out there,
g Cosmicus - We don't yet know what satellite solar power stations will look like 50 years from now. But we do know how big they'll be: they'll be hundreds of square kilometers in area - otherwise they won't generate enough power to have a significant impact on humans' growing energy needs. See article.
g Learning - Here’s something fun for the kids: An “Alien Life” word find. It’s based on a Science for Kids article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - When stars go pop, a murderous torrent of energy is released. Life on Earth may have been partly extinguished by just such a violent outburst, but there's little hard evidence yet to justify such a claim. A new study plans to fill in the forensic details. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers at the University of Rochester have discovered five Earth-oceans' worth of water that has recently fallen into the planet-forming region around an extremely young, developing star. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Life - You know the cliche, wherever we find water here on Earth, we find life. But what if the environment is really hostile - so hostile that any living creature would almost never see water? And even when there was water, they were constantly being blasted with radiation. Amazingly, there's a microbe out there,
g Cosmicus - We don't yet know what satellite solar power stations will look like 50 years from now. But we do know how big they'll be: they'll be hundreds of square kilometers in area - otherwise they won't generate enough power to have a significant impact on humans' growing energy needs. See article.
g Learning - Here’s something fun for the kids: An “Alien Life” word find. It’s based on a Science for Kids article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Changing criteria for habitable planets and life forming 12 billion years ago
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers searching for Earthlike planets often focus on the 'habitable zone' around stars – where the heat from the star is at the perfect level for liquid water to exist. New calculations indicate that planets close to their parent stars could experience tidal forces that limit the habitable zone and change the criteria habitable planets. See article.
g Life - are using models of star formation and destruction to determine when in the roughly 13.7 billion-year history of the universe the biogenic elements – those essential to life as we know it – might have been pervasive enough to allow life to form. See article.
g Cosmicus - After a gaseous hydrogen leak today forced NASA to scrub the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour for the second time, the space agency said it is now looking to try again in July. See article.
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 article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Astronomers searching for Earthlike planets often focus on the 'habitable zone' around stars – where the heat from the star is at the perfect level for liquid water to exist. New calculations indicate that planets close to their parent stars could experience tidal forces that limit the habitable zone and change the criteria habitable planets. See article.
g Life - are using models of star formation and destruction to determine when in the roughly 13.7 billion-year history of the universe the biogenic elements – those essential to life as we know it – might have been pervasive enough to allow life to form. See article.
g Cosmicus - After a gaseous hydrogen leak today forced NASA to scrub the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour for the second time, the space agency said it is now looking to try again in July. See article.
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 article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Earth’s fingerprint and newborn stars at galaxy core
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astronomers have at last uncovered newborn stars at the frenzied center of our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made using the infrared vision of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have captured a snapshot of Earth's chemical fingerprint by viewing light reflected back to Earth from the moon during a lunar eclipse. The information could be used to help identify habitable planets beyond our solar system. See article.
g Life - Deinococcus geothermalis, that can handle some of the harshest environments on the planet - favored habitats include nuclear power plants. Scientists once suspected that microbes like this might have evolved on Mars. Nope, they're homegrown. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - In the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few evening hours of regular shuteye. It may help them reach other planets, though admittedly they would have to sleep for quite a long time. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of DiscoverSchool.com: “Extraterrestrials.” In the activity, a digital radio message, intended to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth, has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico. Students must ensure the message is effective by showing that the senders (humans from Earth) are capable of advanced thinking — but it must not depend on the ability of extraterrestrials to understand any Earth language. See article.
g Imagining - 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 article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Astronomers have at last uncovered newborn stars at the frenzied center of our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made using the infrared vision of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. See article.
g Abodes - Astronomers have captured a snapshot of Earth's chemical fingerprint by viewing light reflected back to Earth from the moon during a lunar eclipse. The information could be used to help identify habitable planets beyond our solar system. See article.
g Life - Deinococcus geothermalis, that can handle some of the harshest environments on the planet - favored habitats include nuclear power plants. Scientists once suspected that microbes like this might have evolved on Mars. Nope, they're homegrown. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - In the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few evening hours of regular shuteye. It may help them reach other planets, though admittedly they would have to sleep for quite a long time. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity courtesy of DiscoverSchool.com: “Extraterrestrials.” In the activity, a digital radio message, intended to alert any intelligent life in space to the existence of intelligent life on Earth, has been electronically transmitted into space by the Arecibo radio dish in Puerto Rico. Students must ensure the message is effective by showing that the senders (humans from Earth) are capable of advanced thinking — but it must not depend on the ability of extraterrestrials to understand any Earth language. See article.
g Imagining - 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 article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tidal debris of colliding galaxies and the latest science books
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered new tidal debris stripped away from colliding galaxies. New debris images are of special interest since they show the full history of galaxy collisions and resultant starburst activities, which are important in 'growing' galaxies in the early universe. See article.
g Learning - Quantum physics is, perhaps, not the first thing that springs to mind when browsing bookshelves for light summer reading. But in recent years, a new breed of science writers has produced tomes lightweight enough to pop into a beach bag that address such weighty topics as the fate of human civilizations (Jared Diamond's “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, 2005); famous equations (Simon Singh's “Fermat's Enigma”, published in 1998, and David Bodanis's “E=mc2”, 2001); and the brain explained (“The Mind's Path” by Michael Gazzaniga, 2000). See article.
g Imagining - Ben Bova, the prolific author of science fiction novels such as "Mars" and "Jupiter," studies the science and politics of astrobiology in his book, "Faint Echoes, Distant Stars." In this exclusive interview with Astrobiology Magazine, Bova shares his thoughts about astrobiology, space travel, and the discoveries of the future. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered new tidal debris stripped away from colliding galaxies. New debris images are of special interest since they show the full history of galaxy collisions and resultant starburst activities, which are important in 'growing' galaxies in the early universe. See article.
g Learning - Quantum physics is, perhaps, not the first thing that springs to mind when browsing bookshelves for light summer reading. But in recent years, a new breed of science writers has produced tomes lightweight enough to pop into a beach bag that address such weighty topics as the fate of human civilizations (Jared Diamond's “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, 2005); famous equations (Simon Singh's “Fermat's Enigma”, published in 1998, and David Bodanis's “E=mc2”, 2001); and the brain explained (“The Mind's Path” by Michael Gazzaniga, 2000). See article.
g Imagining - Ben Bova, the prolific author of science fiction novels such as "Mars" and "Jupiter," studies the science and politics of astrobiology in his book, "Faint Echoes, Distant Stars." In this exclusive interview with Astrobiology Magazine, Bova shares his thoughts about astrobiology, space travel, and the discoveries of the future. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, June 15, 2009
Deep-sea ecosystems and ‘The Science of Aliens’
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A team of researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute conducted the first field test earlier this year of a new configuration of Deep-ESP. The device is designed to perform long-term studies of how deep-sea ecosystems respond to environmental changes. See article.
g Cosmicus - When astronauts finally find out if there really are little green men on Mars they might just be traveling across the planet in a Canadian rover. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Learning - A fossil controversy lollapalooza heads for the Big Apple later this month, exhibitors announced Monday. On display, Ida, the 47-million-year-old fossil primate made famous last month by publicity campaign, joins Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old fossil early human found four decades ago, according the the Houston Museum of Natural Science. See article.
g Imagining - Think of your favorite alien on TV or in the movies. Do you have the image in mind? I'd bet that your alien is pretty darn smart. However, despite what we see in “Star Wars” and “Star Trek,” the author of “The Science of Aliens” doesn't expect intelligence to be an inevitable result of evolution on other worlds. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A team of researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute conducted the first field test earlier this year of a new configuration of Deep-ESP. The device is designed to perform long-term studies of how deep-sea ecosystems respond to environmental changes. See article.
g Cosmicus - When astronauts finally find out if there really are little green men on Mars they might just be traveling across the planet in a Canadian rover. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Learning - A fossil controversy lollapalooza heads for the Big Apple later this month, exhibitors announced Monday. On display, Ida, the 47-million-year-old fossil primate made famous last month by publicity campaign, joins Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old fossil early human found four decades ago, according the the Houston Museum of Natural Science. See article.
g Imagining - Think of your favorite alien on TV or in the movies. Do you have the image in mind? I'd bet that your alien is pretty darn smart. However, despite what we see in “Star Wars” and “Star Trek,” the author of “The Science of Aliens” doesn't expect intelligence to be an inevitable result of evolution on other worlds. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Planetary disk found around twin stars and ‘Space Exploration for Dummies’
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a rotating disk around a young binary star system. The finding was made with a sequence of images that provide a vivid snapshot of the process behind planet formation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Regenerative life support systems that could one day be used by human explorers on the moon or Mars are now being tested in Spain. ESA's MELisSSA system is an artificial ecosystem that is able to regenerate food, water and oxygen from waste, carbon dioxide and minerals. See article.
g Learning - "Space Exploration for Dummies" is the latest addition to the yellow-covered "Dummies" series. Researched and penned by Dr. Cynthia Phillips, planetary geologist at the SETI Institute, and her partner, Shana Priwer, professional writer, this book captures the essential facts and accomplishments of the real space cadets. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a rotating disk around a young binary star system. The finding was made with a sequence of images that provide a vivid snapshot of the process behind planet formation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Regenerative life support systems that could one day be used by human explorers on the moon or Mars are now being tested in Spain. ESA's MELisSSA system is an artificial ecosystem that is able to regenerate food, water and oxygen from waste, carbon dioxide and minerals. See article.
g Learning - "Space Exploration for Dummies" is the latest addition to the yellow-covered "Dummies" series. Researched and penned by Dr. Cynthia Phillips, planetary geologist at the SETI Institute, and her partner, Shana Priwer, professional writer, this book captures the essential facts and accomplishments of the real space cadets. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Mathematics the key to astrobiology and China targets Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - By studying theories about why the universe is the way it is, mathematicians are hoping to uncover what these theories mean for the origin and future of life. Mathematics could be the key to answering some of life's biggest questions, and could help astrobiologists understand life's place in the universe. See article.
g Life - How did house cats evolve? Can dogs talk? Why do cats purr? Find out in this report on the science of our best friends. See article.
g Cosmicus - The rapidly ascending Chinese space program is setting its sights on a new target: Mars. See article.
g Learning - Twenty-three eighth graders from a Maine junior high school will have front row seats for the launch of the shuttle Endeavour. See article.
g Imagining - Book alert: Get thee to a used bookstore if you haven’t read “Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek,” by Susan and Robert Jenkins. The Jenkinses focus on the biological logic (or illogic) behind the alien ecologies in Star Trek — the original TV series and all of its sequels and movie spinoffs. The best parts are the biological bloopers, even though only a fan will truly appreciate them. For instance, how did the Klingons evolve forehead ridges between the original and the new series ... and why do all the planets look like California? The science in the book helps the authors hypothesize about how humanoid life might have evolved throughout the universe (panspermia revisited). They offer simple evolutionary theories to explain the various head shapes and behaviors of fictional alien species. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - By studying theories about why the universe is the way it is, mathematicians are hoping to uncover what these theories mean for the origin and future of life. Mathematics could be the key to answering some of life's biggest questions, and could help astrobiologists understand life's place in the universe. See article.
g Life - How did house cats evolve? Can dogs talk? Why do cats purr? Find out in this report on the science of our best friends. See article.
g Cosmicus - The rapidly ascending Chinese space program is setting its sights on a new target: Mars. See article.
g Learning - Twenty-three eighth graders from a Maine junior high school will have front row seats for the launch of the shuttle Endeavour. See article.
g Imagining - Book alert: Get thee to a used bookstore if you haven’t read “Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek,” by Susan and Robert Jenkins. The Jenkinses focus on the biological logic (or illogic) behind the alien ecologies in Star Trek — the original TV series and all of its sequels and movie spinoffs. The best parts are the biological bloopers, even though only a fan will truly appreciate them. For instance, how did the Klingons evolve forehead ridges between the original and the new series ... and why do all the planets look like California? The science in the book helps the authors hypothesize about how humanoid life might have evolved throughout the universe (panspermia revisited). They offer simple evolutionary theories to explain the various head shapes and behaviors of fictional alien species. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, June 12, 2009
Water flowed on Mars 1.25 million years ago and alien hitch-hikers
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Water may have been flowing over the surface of Mars as recently as 1.25 million years ago, according to a new study that examined gullies and fan-shaped deposits on the Martian landscape and determined that they were formed by melting ice. See article.
g Life - Beginning this week, scientists and nonscientists now have easy access to information about when living species and their ancestors originated, information that previously was difficult to find or inaccessible. See article.
g Intelligence - The feeling of being disliked, ostracized or rejected was specially designed by evolution to be particularly painful, a researcher says. Subjectively speaking, being evaluated negatively by others can feel even worse than physical trauma. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: “Almost certainly there is enough land in the sky to give every member of the human species, back to the first apeman, his own private, world-sized heaven, or hell. How many of those potential heavens and hells are now inhabited and, by what manner of creatures, we have no way of guessing; the very nearest is a million times further away than Mars or Venus, those still remote goals of the next generation. But the barriers of distance are crumbling; one day we shall meet our equals, or our masters, among the stars” – Arthur C. Clarke
g Imagining - Bad news for the NASA administrator - the space shuttle has blown up again. But this time the cause is not foam-fretted tiles, it's alien hitch-hikers. That's right: aggressive extraterrestrials have bummed a rocket ride to Earth to take over our planet. It's a familiar theme, indeed, but there's a silver lining to this interstellar cloud: the invaders are doing it for your own good. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Water may have been flowing over the surface of Mars as recently as 1.25 million years ago, according to a new study that examined gullies and fan-shaped deposits on the Martian landscape and determined that they were formed by melting ice. See article.
g Life - Beginning this week, scientists and nonscientists now have easy access to information about when living species and their ancestors originated, information that previously was difficult to find or inaccessible. See article.
g Intelligence - The feeling of being disliked, ostracized or rejected was specially designed by evolution to be particularly painful, a researcher says. Subjectively speaking, being evaluated negatively by others can feel even worse than physical trauma. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: “Almost certainly there is enough land in the sky to give every member of the human species, back to the first apeman, his own private, world-sized heaven, or hell. How many of those potential heavens and hells are now inhabited and, by what manner of creatures, we have no way of guessing; the very nearest is a million times further away than Mars or Venus, those still remote goals of the next generation. But the barriers of distance are crumbling; one day we shall meet our equals, or our masters, among the stars” – Arthur C. Clarke
g Imagining - Bad news for the NASA administrator - the space shuttle has blown up again. But this time the cause is not foam-fretted tiles, it's alien hitch-hikers. That's right: aggressive extraterrestrials have bummed a rocket ride to Earth to take over our planet. It's a familiar theme, indeed, but there's a silver lining to this interstellar cloud: the invaders are doing it for your own good. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Extrasolar planets and new doubts on dinosaur-bird link
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Book alert: “Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology”, by Caleb A. Scharf, offers an advanced introduction to the increasingly robust fields of extrasolar planets and astrobiology. No other text currently available applies this level of mathematics and physics, while also providing an extensive grounding in key issues of chemistry, biology, and geophysics.
g Life - New research is casting doubts about the connections between dinosaurs and birds. The results indicate that although birds and dinosaurs may have shared a common ancestor, birds did not directly descend from dinosaurs. The study sheds new light on the processes behind the evolution of life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Federation of Astrobiology Organizations encompasses an ever widening set of individual astrobiology networks, associations, institutes, research groups, and societies; linking them together to assist the implementation of cooperative international activities. See article.
g Imagining - Is there life on Mars? Here’s a timeline of the debate. Note: This article is from 2004.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Book alert: “Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology”, by Caleb A. Scharf, offers an advanced introduction to the increasingly robust fields of extrasolar planets and astrobiology. No other text currently available applies this level of mathematics and physics, while also providing an extensive grounding in key issues of chemistry, biology, and geophysics.
g Life - New research is casting doubts about the connections between dinosaurs and birds. The results indicate that although birds and dinosaurs may have shared a common ancestor, birds did not directly descend from dinosaurs. The study sheds new light on the processes behind the evolution of life on Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Federation of Astrobiology Organizations encompasses an ever widening set of individual astrobiology networks, associations, institutes, research groups, and societies; linking them together to assist the implementation of cooperative international activities. See article.
g Imagining - Is there life on Mars? Here’s a timeline of the debate. Note: This article is from 2004.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How to get oxygen in your atmosphere and invading aliens
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A switch from predominantly undersea volcanoes to a mix of undersea and terrestrial ones shifted the Earth's atmosphere from devoid of oxygen to one with free oxygen, according to geologists. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Life - Extraterrestrial life is life originating outside of the Earth. It is the subject of astrobiology and its existence remains hypothetical, because there is no credible evidence of extraterrestrial life which has been generally accepted by the mainstream scientific community. See article.
g Intelligence - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article. Note: This article is from 2006.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "...in our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think, how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world." — President Ronald Reagan, United Nations General Assembly, (Sept. 21, 1987)
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of afterschool activities for elementary school students: “Astrobiology.” This new resource guide from the American Museum of Natural History brings astrobiology activities to the afterschool arena. As part of an 18-month project, AMNH collected NASA materials originally developed for the formal education setting, and adapted them for use in afterschool programs for participants aged 5-12. Members of NAI's NASA Ames Research Center Lead Team served as science advisors to the guide.
g Imagining - What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is “The Science of the X-Files” by Jeanne Cavelos.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A switch from predominantly undersea volcanoes to a mix of undersea and terrestrial ones shifted the Earth's atmosphere from devoid of oxygen to one with free oxygen, according to geologists. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Life - Extraterrestrial life is life originating outside of the Earth. It is the subject of astrobiology and its existence remains hypothetical, because there is no credible evidence of extraterrestrial life which has been generally accepted by the mainstream scientific community. See article.
g Intelligence - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article. Note: This article is from 2006.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "...in our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think, how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world." — President Ronald Reagan, United Nations General Assembly, (Sept. 21, 1987)
g Learning - Here’s a neat new set of afterschool activities for elementary school students: “Astrobiology.” This new resource guide from the American Museum of Natural History brings astrobiology activities to the afterschool arena. As part of an 18-month project, AMNH collected NASA materials originally developed for the formal education setting, and adapted them for use in afterschool programs for participants aged 5-12. Members of NAI's NASA Ames Research Center Lead Team served as science advisors to the guide.
g Imagining - What about the invading aliens from the X-Files: Are they plausible? A book released a few years ago that addresses the topic is “The Science of the X-Files” by Jeanne Cavelos.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Second genesis on Earth and new cleaning protocol for ‘Search for Life’ missions
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A shower of millions of rocks from space that collided with Mars, the Earth, and the moon about four billion years ago could have warmed our planet and made it wetter, say researchers. That’s what scientists found when they heated ancient rocks like those that hit the Earth billions of years ago and measured the carbon dioxide and water that was released, according to a study published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. See article.
g Life - A great deal of money and effort have gone into searching for life on other worlds. But what a second genesis of life, a type of life unrelated to DNA-based life, is here on Earth? Paul Davies urges the scientific community to take a look. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have developed a new cleaning protocol for space hardware, such as the scoops of Mars rovers, which could be used on future "Search for Life" missions on other planets. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? There’s a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each, here. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture. In fact, here’s an essay that examines a specific detail of that notion: “An Exploration of the Relationship Between Science Fiction Film and the UFO Mythology".
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A shower of millions of rocks from space that collided with Mars, the Earth, and the moon about four billion years ago could have warmed our planet and made it wetter, say researchers. That’s what scientists found when they heated ancient rocks like those that hit the Earth billions of years ago and measured the carbon dioxide and water that was released, according to a study published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. See article.
g Life - A great deal of money and effort have gone into searching for life on other worlds. But what a second genesis of life, a type of life unrelated to DNA-based life, is here on Earth? Paul Davies urges the scientific community to take a look. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have developed a new cleaning protocol for space hardware, such as the scoops of Mars rovers, which could be used on future "Search for Life" missions on other planets. See article.
g Imagining - Looking for some classic science fiction alien movies? There’s a fairly exhaustive list, with brief explanations of each, here. Now in how each one the aliens really are just mythical monsters that play on human psychology (specifically fear or revulsion). Such films really say less about the evolution of potential extraterrestrial lifeforms and civilizations than about the evolution of human beings and our culture. In fact, here’s an essay that examines a specific detail of that notion: “An Exploration of the Relationship Between Science Fiction Film and the UFO Mythology".
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, June 08, 2009
Titan’s Earth-like clouds and pioneering Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Clouds on Saturn's moon Titan form and move much like those on Earth, only much slower. Contrary to what was expected, scientists have found that Titan's clouds don't move with the seasons. Studying Titan's weather is allowing astrobiologists to draw some unique comparisons between the tiny moon and our home planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - Space fans are excited by the prospect of manned missions to Mars some time in the next 50 years. But would these first explorers be prepared to make it a one-way trip? The Red Planet is an undoubtedly inhospitable environment. But it is also the world that is most like our own in the solar system. A leading scientist famed for thinking outside the box has put forward the idea that pioneering visitors to Mars could stay there, survive and even be "reasonably cosy". See article.
g Imagining - Why weren’t there classes like this when I was in school? In 2003, Prof. Joan Slonczewski taught “Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction” at Kenyon College. Here’s her reading list. It’s all great reading, whether you’re in the class or not. Of course, if Slonczewski taught in Dover, Pa., her class would first have to be read the statement, “The theory that human authors wrote this book is not a fact and continues to be tested. Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of these books that differs from publishers’ views."
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Clouds on Saturn's moon Titan form and move much like those on Earth, only much slower. Contrary to what was expected, scientists have found that Titan's clouds don't move with the seasons. Studying Titan's weather is allowing astrobiologists to draw some unique comparisons between the tiny moon and our home planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - Space fans are excited by the prospect of manned missions to Mars some time in the next 50 years. But would these first explorers be prepared to make it a one-way trip? The Red Planet is an undoubtedly inhospitable environment. But it is also the world that is most like our own in the solar system. A leading scientist famed for thinking outside the box has put forward the idea that pioneering visitors to Mars could stay there, survive and even be "reasonably cosy". See article.
g Imagining - Why weren’t there classes like this when I was in school? In 2003, Prof. Joan Slonczewski taught “Biology 103: Biology in Science Fiction” at Kenyon College. Here’s her reading list. It’s all great reading, whether you’re in the class or not. Of course, if Slonczewski taught in Dover, Pa., her class would first have to be read the statement, “The theory that human authors wrote this book is not a fact and continues to be tested. Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of these books that differs from publishers’ views."
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Synthetic biology and space headaches
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - For many people, the word "alien" means ET, Chewbacca or some green-headed space monster. But for a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, alien life is very different from the Hollywood version. These scientists are bringing the search for life in outer space back home to Earth. By looking at the Earth's oldest rocks and fossils they hope to help future NASA missions to Mars and beyond look for evidence of microbial life. See article.
g Life - Synthetic biology is a new field, but it's targeting an old question: How did life begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers are calling for the 'space headaches' that many astronauts experience to be defined as a new secondary disorder. Contrary to what scientists once believed, space headaches are not caused by space motion sickness. The results of the study may aid in the development of countermeasures to help keep astronauts safe and healthy while on long-duration missions. See article.
g Aftermath - I offer the following Web site entry on “exopolitics” from 2004 only as a basis for us to think about how people might react once we know an extraterrestrial civilization exists.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - For many people, the word "alien" means ET, Chewbacca or some green-headed space monster. But for a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, alien life is very different from the Hollywood version. These scientists are bringing the search for life in outer space back home to Earth. By looking at the Earth's oldest rocks and fossils they hope to help future NASA missions to Mars and beyond look for evidence of microbial life. See article.
g Life - Synthetic biology is a new field, but it's targeting an old question: How did life begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers are calling for the 'space headaches' that many astronauts experience to be defined as a new secondary disorder. Contrary to what scientists once believed, space headaches are not caused by space motion sickness. The results of the study may aid in the development of countermeasures to help keep astronauts safe and healthy while on long-duration missions. See article.
g Aftermath - I offer the following Web site entry on “exopolitics” from 2004 only as a basis for us to think about how people might react once we know an extraterrestrial civilization exists.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, June 06, 2009
How water came to Earth and high school students study astrobiology
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A new study shows that frequent meteorite impacts during an early period of the solar system known as the 'Late Heavy Bombardment' may have furnished the Earth and other planets like Mars with liquid water. By providing a source of water for the Earth's oceans, these impacts could have helped to make the early earth habitable. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "There is grandeur in this view of life, ..., from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." - Charles Darwin, closing sentence in On the Origin of Species (1859)
g Cosmicus - A British space expert believes astronauts should be sent to live on Mars for good - and asked to take part in a Big Brother-style TV show. See article.
g Learning - For 14 years, NASA has been working with Lassen Volcanic National Park administration and northern California students to study how the park's mix of snow, volcanoes and flowing water have affected the park's geology and microbiotic life. See article.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting Web site: FAQ about Star Trek aliens. Though light on evolutionary origin, it’s questions (and answers) often point toward the need for writers to consider that issue.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A new study shows that frequent meteorite impacts during an early period of the solar system known as the 'Late Heavy Bombardment' may have furnished the Earth and other planets like Mars with liquid water. By providing a source of water for the Earth's oceans, these impacts could have helped to make the early earth habitable. See article.
g Life - Quote of the Day: "There is grandeur in this view of life, ..., from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." - Charles Darwin, closing sentence in On the Origin of Species (1859)
g Cosmicus - A British space expert believes astronauts should be sent to live on Mars for good - and asked to take part in a Big Brother-style TV show. See article.
g Learning - For 14 years, NASA has been working with Lassen Volcanic National Park administration and northern California students to study how the park's mix of snow, volcanoes and flowing water have affected the park's geology and microbiotic life. See article.
g Imagining - Here’s an interesting Web site: FAQ about Star Trek aliens. Though light on evolutionary origin, it’s questions (and answers) often point toward the need for writers to consider that issue.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, June 05, 2009
Hitchhiking microbes and turning fiction into reality
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Microbes that hitch a ride on a spacecraft might make it all the way to Mars, but a recent study finds they probably won’t survive for very long there. See article.
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 article. Note: This story is from 2004.
g Aftermath - It was not suggested outside of science fiction — and there only after the 1890s — that extraterrestrials might come to Earth, except for a few believers in interplanetary spirit travel by mortals (an idea now well established among occultists). Among these was the well-known Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck, who, in what was perhaps the earliest conception of ETs as “gods from outer space,” reasoned that since no beings from other worlds have used their advanced science to abolish suffering on Earth, “Is there not reason to fear that we are forever alone in the universe, and that no other world has ever been more intelligent or better than our own?” But this, the first serious “Where are they?” argument, was not known to the general public and in any case would not have carried weight, since it depended on the concept of disembodied spirits. Physical contact between worlds was not thought possible outside of fiction. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - Microbes that hitch a ride on a spacecraft might make it all the way to Mars, but a recent study finds they probably won’t survive for very long there. See article.
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 article. Note: This story is from 2004.
g Aftermath - It was not suggested outside of science fiction — and there only after the 1890s — that extraterrestrials might come to Earth, except for a few believers in interplanetary spirit travel by mortals (an idea now well established among occultists). Among these was the well-known Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck, who, in what was perhaps the earliest conception of ETs as “gods from outer space,” reasoned that since no beings from other worlds have used their advanced science to abolish suffering on Earth, “Is there not reason to fear that we are forever alone in the universe, and that no other world has ever been more intelligent or better than our own?” But this, the first serious “Where are they?” argument, was not known to the general public and in any case would not have carried weight, since it depended on the concept of disembodied spirits. Physical contact between worlds was not thought possible outside of fiction. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Subglacial life and finding a place on Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Eric Boyd's prestigious NASA Astrobiology Institute Fellowship will allow him to explore the possibility that living organisms exist in subglacial ecosystems at very cold temperatures. The existence of these organisms in an environment that may be similar to conditions on Mars might mean that life could also exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers are adding to the features available on the popular online application, Google Earth. Now users can participate in actual Mars missions by using Google Earth to recommend places of interest to photograph with the THEMIS camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: “The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios", by astronomer Ivan Almar. Note: This article dates from 1995.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - Eric Boyd's prestigious NASA Astrobiology Institute Fellowship will allow him to explore the possibility that living organisms exist in subglacial ecosystems at very cold temperatures. The existence of these organisms in an environment that may be similar to conditions on Mars might mean that life could also exist on the Red Planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers are adding to the features available on the popular online application, Google Earth. Now users can participate in actual Mars missions by using Google Earth to recommend places of interest to photograph with the THEMIS camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing article that is frequently referenced in astrobiology papers: “The Consequences of a Discovery: Different Scenarios", by astronomer Ivan Almar. Note: This article dates from 1995.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Astrometry turns up an exoworld and new science video program begins with astrobiology
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astrometry is a method of detecting planets by precisely measuring the motion of a star as planets tug it back and forth ever so slightly. The technique was first attempted 50 years ago, but has failed to turn up any extrasolar planets until now. See article.
g Learning - Richard Hoover, winner of the 2009 SPIE Gold Medal of the Society, leads off a new series of National Science Foundation video programs called Science Nation. The feature on Hoover's team's work, released 1 June, focuses on what can be learned from "extremophiles": organisms that can live and thrive in frozen deserts or steaming-hot volcanic vents. Hoover is Astrobiology Group Leader at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Ala. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: "Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications," by Steven J. Dick (ed.), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. Paul C.W. Davies argues that if the universe turns out to be biofriendly (i.e., if given enough time and the right conditions, life will emerge as a matter of course), scientifically savvy thinkers may be compelled to reject atheism and embrace intelligent design theory. The contributors are especially interested in extraterrestrial life: philosopher Ernan McMullin, for example, argues that extraterrestrial intelligence will force Christians to do some hard thinking about original sin, the human soul, and the Incarnation. See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Astrometry is a method of detecting planets by precisely measuring the motion of a star as planets tug it back and forth ever so slightly. The technique was first attempted 50 years ago, but has failed to turn up any extrasolar planets until now. See article.
g Learning - Richard Hoover, winner of the 2009 SPIE Gold Medal of the Society, leads off a new series of National Science Foundation video programs called Science Nation. The feature on Hoover's team's work, released 1 June, focuses on what can be learned from "extremophiles": organisms that can live and thrive in frozen deserts or steaming-hot volcanic vents. Hoover is Astrobiology Group Leader at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Ala. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: "Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications," by Steven J. Dick (ed.), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. Paul C.W. Davies argues that if the universe turns out to be biofriendly (i.e., if given enough time and the right conditions, life will emerge as a matter of course), scientifically savvy thinkers may be compelled to reject atheism and embrace intelligent design theory. The contributors are especially interested in extraterrestrial life: philosopher Ernan McMullin, for example, argues that extraterrestrial intelligence will force Christians to do some hard thinking about original sin, the human soul, and the Incarnation. See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Earth life not seeded study suggests and new space missions looking for life beyond our world
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astronomers took a peek at the first X-ray image of an entire galaxy cluster, courtesy of a Japan-U.S. space observatory. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown giant volcanic eruption that caused mass extinctions around the globe 260 million years ago. The eruption increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and warmed the entire planet, resulting in global environmental change. See article.
g Life - Life on Earth is unlikely to have come from space, says a new study on viruses. If life is ever found on another planet, however, the findings could help us judge whether it arrived from space or not. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Space Telescope Science Institute recently held "The Search for Life in the Universe" symposium. Researchers in disciplines ranging from astronomy to astrobiology spoke about studies and space missions directed toward the search for life beyond Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Astronomers took a peek at the first X-ray image of an entire galaxy cluster, courtesy of a Japan-U.S. space observatory. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown giant volcanic eruption that caused mass extinctions around the globe 260 million years ago. The eruption increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and warmed the entire planet, resulting in global environmental change. See article.
g Life - Life on Earth is unlikely to have come from space, says a new study on viruses. If life is ever found on another planet, however, the findings could help us judge whether it arrived from space or not. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Space Telescope Science Institute recently held "The Search for Life in the Universe" symposium. Researchers in disciplines ranging from astronomy to astrobiology spoke about studies and space missions directed toward the search for life beyond Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, June 01, 2009
Tiny stars harbor planets and trying to find the first small exoworld
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - A Jupiter-like planet has been discovered orbiting one of the smallest stars known, suggesting that planets could be more common than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - Planets are like insurance premiums: smaller is usually better. But better worlds are in short supply. See article.
g Life - At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, scientists are trying to create artificial life. In this interview, Hans Ziock discusses the progress made so far, and the steps that still need to be taken for life to arise in the lab. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: “Human beings are explorers by nature. The descendants of curious apes, there is something in us that thrills at new vistas, new ideas.” – Ben Bova
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - A Jupiter-like planet has been discovered orbiting one of the smallest stars known, suggesting that planets could be more common than previously thought. See article.
g Abodes - Planets are like insurance premiums: smaller is usually better. But better worlds are in short supply. See article.
g Life - At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, scientists are trying to create artificial life. In this interview, Hans Ziock discusses the progress made so far, and the steps that still need to be taken for life to arise in the lab. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: “Human beings are explorers by nature. The descendants of curious apes, there is something in us that thrills at new vistas, new ideas.” – Ben Bova
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Astronomers pretending to be aliens and space storms
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A new technique for finding wet exoplanets got a field test when astronomers pretended to be aliens. See article.
g Life - A robot that slinks along the ground and winds through water like a salamander is helping scientists understand how animals walked from aquatic environments onto land millions of years ago. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's THEMIS mission has been used to pinpoint the impact epicenter of an Earth-bound space storm, providing advance warning of its arrival. Storms such as this can dump large amounts of power into the Earth's atmosphere, causing beautiful auroras. However, space storms also have the potential to harm satellites and astronauts in orbit. See article.
g Imagining - The first step in imagining what a real alien might look like is to forget you ever watched the "The X-Files." They won't be the sinister grays Fox Mulder pursues, little green men or even jolly old E.T. And most assuredly they won't look like us. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - A new technique for finding wet exoplanets got a field test when astronomers pretended to be aliens. See article.
g Life - A robot that slinks along the ground and winds through water like a salamander is helping scientists understand how animals walked from aquatic environments onto land millions of years ago. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's THEMIS mission has been used to pinpoint the impact epicenter of an Earth-bound space storm, providing advance warning of its arrival. Storms such as this can dump large amounts of power into the Earth's atmosphere, causing beautiful auroras. However, space storms also have the potential to harm satellites and astronauts in orbit. See article.
g Imagining - The first step in imagining what a real alien might look like is to forget you ever watched the "The X-Files." They won't be the sinister grays Fox Mulder pursues, little green men or even jolly old E.T. And most assuredly they won't look like us. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tossing the snowball theory and six man crew aboard ISS
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The Phoenix Mars Lander ended its mission last November, but scientists are still pondering the data. One intriguing discovery was a nightly cycle in which water vapor in the atmosphere collapsed into the Martian soil. One researcher thinks this may hint of dew-like films that could have supported life in a previous Martian climate. See article.
g Life - New fossil studies indicate that the 'Snowball Earth' glaciations may not have been responsible for a massive die-off of early life on our planet. The real culprit could be bacterial blooms similar to those seen today in coastal areas and lakes that experience high run-off from fertilizers used in farming. See article.
g Intelligence - Book alert: What will be the lasting impression made by mankind - 100 million years hence? Jan Zalasiewicz, a lecturer in geology at the University of Leicester, has published a new book looking at the lasting impression likely to be made by mankind. See article.
g Cosmicus - For the first time in its history the international space station (ISS) has taken on a full complement of six astronauts with a Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three new space travellers docking at the orbiting complex on Friday. See article.
g Learning - Why do the United States and NASA need astrobiology? An astrobiologist answers. Note: This article is from 2006.
g Imagining - What will an alien look like? If you follow the viewpoint of most television sci-fi, then all aliens will be men in rubber alien suits. The producers of “Star Trek” seem to think aliens are just like humans with little latex ridges on the noses or foreheads. The reason for this anthropomorphism on TV is that it’s cheap. The alien in the movie “Alien” was gross and ugly, and we surely would never be able to discuss our New Age feelings with such a creature. It cost the movie producers much more than a little latex on the bridge of an actor’s nose. The truth is that we are much more likely to meet Sigourney Weavers’s alien than a Bajoran. See article.
g Aftermath - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - The Phoenix Mars Lander ended its mission last November, but scientists are still pondering the data. One intriguing discovery was a nightly cycle in which water vapor in the atmosphere collapsed into the Martian soil. One researcher thinks this may hint of dew-like films that could have supported life in a previous Martian climate. See article.
g Life - New fossil studies indicate that the 'Snowball Earth' glaciations may not have been responsible for a massive die-off of early life on our planet. The real culprit could be bacterial blooms similar to those seen today in coastal areas and lakes that experience high run-off from fertilizers used in farming. See article.
g Intelligence - Book alert: What will be the lasting impression made by mankind - 100 million years hence? Jan Zalasiewicz, a lecturer in geology at the University of Leicester, has published a new book looking at the lasting impression likely to be made by mankind. See article.
g Cosmicus - For the first time in its history the international space station (ISS) has taken on a full complement of six astronauts with a Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three new space travellers docking at the orbiting complex on Friday. See article.
g Learning - Why do the United States and NASA need astrobiology? An astrobiologist answers. Note: This article is from 2006.
g Imagining - What will an alien look like? If you follow the viewpoint of most television sci-fi, then all aliens will be men in rubber alien suits. The producers of “Star Trek” seem to think aliens are just like humans with little latex ridges on the noses or foreheads. The reason for this anthropomorphism on TV is that it’s cheap. The alien in the movie “Alien” was gross and ugly, and we surely would never be able to discuss our New Age feelings with such a creature. It cost the movie producers much more than a little latex on the bridge of an actor’s nose. The truth is that we are much more likely to meet Sigourney Weavers’s alien than a Bajoran. See article.
g Aftermath - In the absence of knowledge of physical and cultural clues, communication between two species can be almost impossible — almost. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, May 29, 2009
Seeking ET’s biosignature and ‘Beyond Contact’
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - With hundreds of extrasolar planets now discovered, one pressing question is how to tell if life resides on any of this galactic real estate. Researchers have found that a possible biosignature could come from life's preference for molecules of a particular handedness. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA will launch two new satellites to the moon this June, returning a wealth of new information on our nearest celestial neighbor. The LRO and LCROSS missions will return data essential in preparing for future human exploration of the lunar surface. See article.
g Learning - Armed with a camera and zeal for adventure, Del Padre Digital’s Mark Archer will step into the clouds next month, as part of an educational project aimed at making science education more interactive and accessible for students of all ages. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: As many Earthlings already know —including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience — our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations” (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking, and McConnell has put together a methodical, nuts-and-bolts walkthrough of both the challenges involved and how binary code might be enlisted to solve them.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - With hundreds of extrasolar planets now discovered, one pressing question is how to tell if life resides on any of this galactic real estate. Researchers have found that a possible biosignature could come from life's preference for molecules of a particular handedness. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA will launch two new satellites to the moon this June, returning a wealth of new information on our nearest celestial neighbor. The LRO and LCROSS missions will return data essential in preparing for future human exploration of the lunar surface. See article.
g Learning - Armed with a camera and zeal for adventure, Del Padre Digital’s Mark Archer will step into the clouds next month, as part of an educational project aimed at making science education more interactive and accessible for students of all ages. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: As many Earthlings already know —including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience — our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that “Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations” (by Brian S. McConnell), an introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life, begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and — once some ET picks up on the other end — what we might say and how we might say it. This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought provoking, and McConnell has put together a methodical, nuts-and-bolts walkthrough of both the challenges involved and how binary code might be enlisted to solve them.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Spacecraft could determine if exoplanets harbor water and ambitious lunar reconnaissance mission
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Using instruments aboard the Deep Impact spacecraft, a team of astronomers and astrobiologists has devised a technique to tell whether such a planet harbors liquid water, which in turn could tell whether it might be able to support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Factors of time and distance have obscured from view the winners and losers that remain across one of the great battlegrounds of the Cold War - the Moon. Those interfering veils are about to be lifted by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, set for liftoff June 17 on the most ambitious lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a good primer to astrobiology that discusses what is astrobiology, lists the types of questions astrobiology seeks to answer, describes how one can become an astrobiologist, and recommends some books in the field. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book that is slated for June publication: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Using instruments aboard the Deep Impact spacecraft, a team of astronomers and astrobiologists has devised a technique to tell whether such a planet harbors liquid water, which in turn could tell whether it might be able to support life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Factors of time and distance have obscured from view the winners and losers that remain across one of the great battlegrounds of the Cold War - the Moon. Those interfering veils are about to be lifted by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, set for liftoff June 17 on the most ambitious lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a good primer to astrobiology that discusses what is astrobiology, lists the types of questions astrobiology seeks to answer, describes how one can become an astrobiologist, and recommends some books in the field. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book that is slated for June publication: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Eleven-year-old SETI scientist and ice falling from the sky
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Large chunks of ice recently dropped out of clear blue sky, but no one sure where they came from. See article.
g Message - 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 article. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Cosmicus - Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies is one of the most innovative thinkers in the field of astrobiology, a field known for attracting scientists who think outside the box. Since September 2006, Davies has been the director of Arizona State University’s BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. Below is the text of a presentation he gave at the NASA-sponsored Astrobiology Science Conference in 2008, in which he argued that the most cost-effective way to send humans to Mars would be to send them with the understanding that they wouldn’t be coming back. See article.
g Learning - The other day, in a beige cubicle at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, a scientist named Kamau Hamilton tapped some numbers into a computer. A giant radio telescope 300 miles away swiveled clockwise in response - the better to detect a possible extraterrestrial transmission. Kamau watched the telescope on a video feed for a moment. Then he pushed back from the desk, pulled up his jeans, ran over to the other side of the room and began playing with some other cool SETI stuff. Kamau is 11. See article.
g Aftermath - The spaceship comes down in your backyard, crushing a bed of petunias, and out steps the alien. This is always an awkward social moment. What, exactly, do you say to someone who may hold the secrets to the universe? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - Large chunks of ice recently dropped out of clear blue sky, but no one sure where they came from. See article.
g Message - 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 article. Note: This article is from 1983.
g Cosmicus - Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies is one of the most innovative thinkers in the field of astrobiology, a field known for attracting scientists who think outside the box. Since September 2006, Davies has been the director of Arizona State University’s BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. Below is the text of a presentation he gave at the NASA-sponsored Astrobiology Science Conference in 2008, in which he argued that the most cost-effective way to send humans to Mars would be to send them with the understanding that they wouldn’t be coming back. See article.
g Learning - The other day, in a beige cubicle at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, a scientist named Kamau Hamilton tapped some numbers into a computer. A giant radio telescope 300 miles away swiveled clockwise in response - the better to detect a possible extraterrestrial transmission. Kamau watched the telescope on a video feed for a moment. Then he pushed back from the desk, pulled up his jeans, ran over to the other side of the room and began playing with some other cool SETI stuff. Kamau is 11. See article.
g Aftermath - The spaceship comes down in your backyard, crushing a bed of petunias, and out steps the alien. This is always an awkward social moment. What, exactly, do you say to someone who may hold the secrets to the universe? See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Shuttle program’s last days and why we should be able to talk with ET
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Cosmicus - Today the 30-year-old shuttle program is in the midst of another terminal event that is neither sudden, shocking, nor being replayed relentlessly on national television. But this time there will be no rebounding. The space shuttle is scheduled to go away for good - next year. See article. For related article, see “NASA Prepares Atlantis Shuttle For $2 Million Transportation”.
g Learning - Here’s the ultimate Web site for an introduction to astrobiology. “Astrobiology: The Living Universe” is a comprehensive and educational guide to life on Earth and beyond. This site features sections on the chemical origin of life, evolution, planetary biology, the search for extraterrestrial life, supporting humans in space and exobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - When we first meet extraterrestrials, will we and they be able to converse? An MIT professor argues that we will — provided they are motivated to cooperate — because we'll both think similar ways. See article. Note: This article is from 1985.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Cosmicus - Today the 30-year-old shuttle program is in the midst of another terminal event that is neither sudden, shocking, nor being replayed relentlessly on national television. But this time there will be no rebounding. The space shuttle is scheduled to go away for good - next year. See article. For related article, see “NASA Prepares Atlantis Shuttle For $2 Million Transportation”.
g Learning - Here’s the ultimate Web site for an introduction to astrobiology. “Astrobiology: The Living Universe” is a comprehensive and educational guide to life on Earth and beyond. This site features sections on the chemical origin of life, evolution, planetary biology, the search for extraterrestrial life, supporting humans in space and exobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - When we first meet extraterrestrials, will we and they be able to converse? An MIT professor argues that we will — provided they are motivated to cooperate — because we'll both think similar ways. See article. Note: This article is from 1985.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wet Mars and societal implications of astrobiology
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - New research shows that perchlorate salts at the Phoenix landing site could allow liquid to persist under the current temperatures and pressures found at the surface of Mars. The possibility of stable liquid at Mars' surface raises interesting questions about the potential for life on the red planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - The space shuttle Atlantis brought its crew of seven astronauts safely back to Earth on Sunday, ending a 13-day mission to repair and enhance the Hubble Space Telescope. See article.
g Aftermath - What are the societal implications of astrobiology? A NASA workshop in 1999 set out to determine what they might be. Here’s their report. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - New research shows that perchlorate salts at the Phoenix landing site could allow liquid to persist under the current temperatures and pressures found at the surface of Mars. The possibility of stable liquid at Mars' surface raises interesting questions about the potential for life on the red planet. See article.
g Cosmicus - The space shuttle Atlantis brought its crew of seven astronauts safely back to Earth on Sunday, ending a 13-day mission to repair and enhance the Hubble Space Telescope. See article.
g Aftermath - What are the societal implications of astrobiology? A NASA workshop in 1999 set out to determine what they might be. Here’s their report. See article. Note: This article is from 1999.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
