Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - An amateur astronomer reported the visual detection of a fireball on Jupiter at 11:35 UT on Sept. 10, 2012. See article.
g Intelligence - Among patients with depression, the presence of many aspects of illness which may be associated with bipolar disorder does not appear to be associated with treatment resistance - evidence against the common hypothesis that some cases of difficult-to-treat depression are actually unrecognized bipolar disorder, according to a report posted online that will appear in a recent print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. See article.
g Cosmicus - By simulating cosmic rays on Earth, scientists are studying methods for using Moon and Mars regolith to protect future explorers from harmful radiation. See article.
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Pioneer 10’s message to 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 - New research indicates that extrasolar planets with eccentric orbits may still be capable of supporting life - even though the planets do not orbit entirely within the habitable zone of their host star. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study provides fascinating insight into the genetic basis of bipolar disorder, a highly heritable mood disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. The research, published online February 24 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, identifies a previously unrecognized susceptibility factor for bipolar disorder. See article.
g Message - Pioneer 10 carries a plaque with a message to any intelligent life it might encounter on its journey. The Pioneer plaque includes diagrams of Earth's location and drawings of a man and a woman. See article.
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g Abodes - New research indicates that extrasolar planets with eccentric orbits may still be capable of supporting life - even though the planets do not orbit entirely within the habitable zone of their host star. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study provides fascinating insight into the genetic basis of bipolar disorder, a highly heritable mood disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. The research, published online February 24 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, identifies a previously unrecognized susceptibility factor for bipolar disorder. See article.
g Message - Pioneer 10 carries a plaque with a message to any intelligent life it might encounter on its journey. The Pioneer plaque includes diagrams of Earth's location and drawings of a man and a woman. See article.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Life on strange exoplanetary bodies
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, published in the Astrobiology journal, reveals that life might actually be able to survive on some of the many strange exoplanetary bodies. See article.
g Life - Johns Hopkins scientists report what is believed to be the first evidence that complex, reversible behavioral patterns in bees - and presumably other animals - are linked to reversible chemical tags on genes. See article.
g Intelligence - Positive emotions like joy and compassion are good for your mental and physical health, and help foster creativity and friendship. But people with bipolar disorder seem to have too much of a good thing. In a new article to be published in the August issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologist June Gruber of Yale University considers how positive emotion may become negative in bipolar disorder. See article.
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g Abodes - New research, published in the Astrobiology journal, reveals that life might actually be able to survive on some of the many strange exoplanetary bodies. See article.
g Life - Johns Hopkins scientists report what is believed to be the first evidence that complex, reversible behavioral patterns in bees - and presumably other animals - are linked to reversible chemical tags on genes. See article.
g Intelligence - Positive emotions like joy and compassion are good for your mental and physical health, and help foster creativity and friendship. But people with bipolar disorder seem to have too much of a good thing. In a new article to be published in the August issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologist June Gruber of Yale University considers how positive emotion may become negative in bipolar disorder. See article.
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Monday, September 17, 2012
Dust devils causing methane on Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Methane on Mars has been taken as an indication that the planet could be geologically or biologically active. The origin of Mars methane is unknown, but a new theory suggests an unexpected source - dust storms and dust devils. See article.
g Life - Sixty-five million years ago, a mass extinction on Earth wiped out the dinosaurs. New research now indicates that a separate extinction event occurred shortly before that, triggered by volcanic eruptions that warmed the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - Lithium, introduced in the late 1940's, was the first "wonder drug" in psychiatry. It was the first medication treatment for the manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and it remains among one of the most effective treatments for this disorder. See article.
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g Abodes - Methane on Mars has been taken as an indication that the planet could be geologically or biologically active. The origin of Mars methane is unknown, but a new theory suggests an unexpected source - dust storms and dust devils. See article.
g Life - Sixty-five million years ago, a mass extinction on Earth wiped out the dinosaurs. New research now indicates that a separate extinction event occurred shortly before that, triggered by volcanic eruptions that warmed the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - Lithium, introduced in the late 1940's, was the first "wonder drug" in psychiatry. It was the first medication treatment for the manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and it remains among one of the most effective treatments for this disorder. See article.
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
Planets form in galaxy’s center
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 planets are able to form in the crowded region of stars, supernovas and intense radiation at the center of the Milky Way. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of over 250 researchers from more than 20 countries have discovered that common genetic variations contribute to a person's risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. See article.
g Cosmicus - An important test is coming up to see whether a heat shield made from the soil of the moon, Mars or an asteroid will stand up to the searing demands of a plunge through Earth's atmosphere. See article.
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g Abodes - New research shows that planets are able to form in the crowded region of stars, supernovas and intense radiation at the center of the Milky Way. See article.
g Intelligence - A team of over 250 researchers from more than 20 countries have discovered that common genetic variations contribute to a person's risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. See article.
g Cosmicus - An important test is coming up to see whether a heat shield made from the soil of the moon, Mars or an asteroid will stand up to the searing demands of a plunge through Earth's atmosphere. See article.
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Saturday, September 15, 2012
Turbulence and temperature in protostellar disks
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 - Simulated models are helping astronomers better understand how turbulence and temperature in protostellar disks can affect how planets are born. See article.
g Intelligence - Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Chris McKay describes how he’ll use two of Curiosity Rover’s instruments: he’ll help determine what ChemCam should focus its laser on, and then compare the organic analysis by the SAM instrument to what was measured by the Mars Viking mission, and also to what he’s found in deserts on Earth. See article.
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g Abodes - Simulated models are helping astronomers better understand how turbulence and temperature in protostellar disks can affect how planets are born. See article.
g Intelligence - Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Chris McKay describes how he’ll use two of Curiosity Rover’s instruments: he’ll help determine what ChemCam should focus its laser on, and then compare the organic analysis by the SAM instrument to what was measured by the Mars Viking mission, and also to what he’s found in deserts on Earth. See article.
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Friday, September 14, 2012
Sending a spaceship to another star
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - New research hints that some clays on Mars may have formed in a way that does not involve soil interacting with standing water, or water bubbling up from hydrothermal vents. See article.
g Life - A new study of giant viruses supports the idea that viruses are ancient living organisms and not inanimate molecular remnants run amok, as some scientists have argued. The study may reshape the universal family tree, adding a fourth major branch to the three that most scientists agree represent the fundamental domains of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Celebrities, scientists, artists and astronauts converged in Houston Thursday to discuss what it will take to send a spaceship to another star. See article.
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g Abodes - New research hints that some clays on Mars may have formed in a way that does not involve soil interacting with standing water, or water bubbling up from hydrothermal vents. See article.
g Life - A new study of giant viruses supports the idea that viruses are ancient living organisms and not inanimate molecular remnants run amok, as some scientists have argued. The study may reshape the universal family tree, adding a fourth major branch to the three that most scientists agree represent the fundamental domains of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Celebrities, scientists, artists and astronauts converged in Houston Thursday to discuss what it will take to send a spaceship to another star. See article.
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Thursday, September 13, 2012
How Curiosity will determine if building blocks of life can survive on Mars’ surface
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study shows how tiny sea creatures called rhabdopleurids have survived for more than 500 million years and outlasted more elaborate species that descended from a common ancestor. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, NASA scientist Danny Glavin describes how NASA’s Curiosity rover will be used to determine if the building blocks of life could have survived on the surface of Mars. See article.
g Aftermath - How will we react, the day we hear the news that scientists have found life on another planet? Science fiction writer Orson Scott Card has dreamed up many first contact scenarios. His classic science fiction novel, "Ender's Game" is all about the consequences of a first contact gone badly wrong. He's just published a long-awaited sequel. See article.
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g Life - A new study shows how tiny sea creatures called rhabdopleurids have survived for more than 500 million years and outlasted more elaborate species that descended from a common ancestor. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, NASA scientist Danny Glavin describes how NASA’s Curiosity rover will be used to determine if the building blocks of life could have survived on the surface of Mars. See article.
g Aftermath - How will we react, the day we hear the news that scientists have found life on another planet? Science fiction writer Orson Scott Card has dreamed up many first contact scenarios. His classic science fiction novel, "Ender's Game" is all about the consequences of a first contact gone badly wrong. He's just published a long-awaited sequel. See article.
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Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tweets into outer space
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - It's long been known that earthly metals like gold and silver were forged in supernova explosions, but the metals' exact origins have been shrouded in mystery. Now a new study has identified the unique nuclear recipe for silver in space. See article.
g Abodes - On Mars’s poles there are ice caps of ice and dust with layers that reflect to past climate variations on Mars. Researchers have related the layers in the ice cap on Mars’s north pole to variations in solar insolation on Mars, thus establishing the first dated climate history for Mars. See article.
g Message - What would you say to an alien that lived on a planet 22 light years away? Could you say it in 140 characters or less? An upcoming performance at the International Symposium on Electronic Art will collect your tweets and then send them to a specific planet far, far away. This hour, we get the details of the project and hear what YOU would tweet into outer space. See article.
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g Stars - It's long been known that earthly metals like gold and silver were forged in supernova explosions, but the metals' exact origins have been shrouded in mystery. Now a new study has identified the unique nuclear recipe for silver in space. See article.
g Abodes - On Mars’s poles there are ice caps of ice and dust with layers that reflect to past climate variations on Mars. Researchers have related the layers in the ice cap on Mars’s north pole to variations in solar insolation on Mars, thus establishing the first dated climate history for Mars. See article.
g Message - What would you say to an alien that lived on a planet 22 light years away? Could you say it in 140 characters or less? An upcoming performance at the International Symposium on Electronic Art will collect your tweets and then send them to a specific planet far, far away. This hour, we get the details of the project and hear what YOU would tweet into outer space. See article.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Bacteria as social creatures
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - New research has revealed that bacteria can have social structures similar to plants and animals. The study provides new insight into mechanisms that could affect the evolution of life on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study in Biological Psychiatry confirms that scientists may have found a better treatement for bipolar depression in a drug called ketamine. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new book details the protective clothing worn by humans at the edge of space. Pressure suits and spacesuits have allowed us to explore the edge of Earth's atmosphere and beyond, and will continue to play a major role on future missions. See article.
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g Life - New research has revealed that bacteria can have social structures similar to plants and animals. The study provides new insight into mechanisms that could affect the evolution of life on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - A new study in Biological Psychiatry confirms that scientists may have found a better treatement for bipolar depression in a drug called ketamine. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new book details the protective clothing worn by humans at the edge of space. Pressure suits and spacesuits have allowed us to explore the edge of Earth's atmosphere and beyond, and will continue to play a major role on future missions. See article.
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Monday, September 10, 2012
Examining Mars’ Hadley Crater
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 - Astrophysicists have explored a discrepancy between the amount of lithium predicted by the standard models of elemental production during the Big Bang and the amount of lithium observed in the gas of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy near to our own. See article.
g Abodes - ESA's Mars Express has returned to its primary mission after providing support for the landing of the Curiosity rover. The spacecraft has returned deep views into the Martian crust within the walls of Hadley Crater, providing insight into the history of Mars's climate. See article.
g Learning - NASA has announced an asteroid naming contest for students. The winner will name an asteroid from which the upcoming OSIRIS-REx mission will return samples to Earth. See article.
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g Stars - Astrophysicists have explored a discrepancy between the amount of lithium predicted by the standard models of elemental production during the Big Bang and the amount of lithium observed in the gas of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy near to our own. See article.
g Abodes - ESA's Mars Express has returned to its primary mission after providing support for the landing of the Curiosity rover. The spacecraft has returned deep views into the Martian crust within the walls of Hadley Crater, providing insight into the history of Mars's climate. See article.
g Learning - NASA has announced an asteroid naming contest for students. The winner will name an asteroid from which the upcoming OSIRIS-REx mission will return samples to Earth. See article.
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Sunday, September 09, 2012
Alien life may be discovered within 40 years
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Neptune’s largest moon Triton is most likely a captured Kuiper Belt Object. The capture of icy Triton and the subsequent taming of its orbit likely led to the formation of a subsurface ocean through tidal heating. New research suggests that this ocean could still exist today. See article.
g Message - Finding alien life beyond our solar system would be the most profound discovery in all of humanity, and a royal astronomer for the Queen of England believes it could happen within the next 40 years. See article.
g Cosmicus - After driving more than a football field’s length since landing, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity is spending several days preparing for full use of the tools on its arm. See article.
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g Abodes - Neptune’s largest moon Triton is most likely a captured Kuiper Belt Object. The capture of icy Triton and the subsequent taming of its orbit likely led to the formation of a subsurface ocean through tidal heating. New research suggests that this ocean could still exist today. See article.
g Message - Finding alien life beyond our solar system would be the most profound discovery in all of humanity, and a royal astronomer for the Queen of England believes it could happen within the next 40 years. See article.
g Cosmicus - After driving more than a football field’s length since landing, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity is spending several days preparing for full use of the tools on its arm. See article.
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Saturday, September 08, 2012
SETI’s first artist-in-residence
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 Kepler mission announced the discovery of a unique binary star two planet system. The Kepler 47 family consists of a binary pair, a G-type star – about 84% as massive as the Sun, and a smaller M-type red dwarf roughly 36% of the Sun’s mass, but only 1.4% as luminous. See article.
g Cosmicus - Small patches of ice could make up at most five to ten percent of material in walls of Shackleton crater on the Moon. See article.
g Imagining - SETI’s first artist-in-residence transports viewers to alien worlds. See article.
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g Abodes - The Kepler mission announced the discovery of a unique binary star two planet system. The Kepler 47 family consists of a binary pair, a G-type star – about 84% as massive as the Sun, and a smaller M-type red dwarf roughly 36% of the Sun’s mass, but only 1.4% as luminous. See article.
g Cosmicus - Small patches of ice could make up at most five to ten percent of material in walls of Shackleton crater on the Moon. See article.
g Imagining - SETI’s first artist-in-residence transports viewers to alien worlds. See article.
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Friday, September 07, 2012
Weird chemistry practiced by microbes
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Scientists have discovered "weird chemistry" practiced by the most abundant microbes on the planet, and could be responsible for up to 4 percent of the methane on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - Almost everyone reports experiencing mind-pops at some time or another, but some experience them more than others according to research conducted by the University of Hertfordshire. In the paper to be published in Psychiatry Research, findings suggest that mind-pop experiences are related to hallucinations in those people suffering from schizophrenia. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Japanese space agency is preparing for a second attempt at collecting material from an asteroid in an attempt to search for clue about how life began on Earth. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists have discovered "weird chemistry" practiced by the most abundant microbes on the planet, and could be responsible for up to 4 percent of the methane on Earth. See article.
g Intelligence - Almost everyone reports experiencing mind-pops at some time or another, but some experience them more than others according to research conducted by the University of Hertfordshire. In the paper to be published in Psychiatry Research, findings suggest that mind-pop experiences are related to hallucinations in those people suffering from schizophrenia. See article.
g Cosmicus - The Japanese space agency is preparing for a second attempt at collecting material from an asteroid in an attempt to search for clue about how life began on Earth. See article.
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Thursday, September 06, 2012
Understanding the Kuiper Belt
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 - Planetary science is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt. Since 1992, more than 1,000 objects have been discovered in this distant region of our solar system. See article.
g Intelligence - Flying high, or down in the dumps - individuals suffering from bipolar dis¬order alternate between depressive and manic episodes. Re¬searchers from the University of Bonn and the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim have now discovered, based on patient data and animal models, how the NCAN gene results in the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. See article.
g Cosmicus - Don Pettit, member of the Expedition 31 crew, discusses the laboratory that humankind has built in orbit of the Earth. The International Space Station offers many unique conditions in which to study life's adaptation to the space environment. See article.
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g Abodes - Planetary science is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt. Since 1992, more than 1,000 objects have been discovered in this distant region of our solar system. See article.
g Intelligence - Flying high, or down in the dumps - individuals suffering from bipolar dis¬order alternate between depressive and manic episodes. Re¬searchers from the University of Bonn and the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim have now discovered, based on patient data and animal models, how the NCAN gene results in the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. See article.
g Cosmicus - Don Pettit, member of the Expedition 31 crew, discusses the laboratory that humankind has built in orbit of the Earth. The International Space Station offers many unique conditions in which to study life's adaptation to the space environment. See article.
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Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Might Gliese 163 Super-Earth be habitable?
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 Super-Earth planet has been found in the stellar habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 163. The planet receives more light from its parent star than Earth from the Sun, but it still might be habitable for life as we know it. See article.
g Intelligence - You already know it's hard to balance your checkbook while simultaneously reflecting on your past. Now, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine - having done the equivalent of wire-tapping a hard-to-reach region of the brain - can tell us how this impasse arises. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission has launched from Cape Canaveral. The twin-spacecraft mission will study the radiation belts, providing important information about the connections between the Sun and the Earth. See article.
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g Abodes - A new Super-Earth planet has been found in the stellar habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 163. The planet receives more light from its parent star than Earth from the Sun, but it still might be habitable for life as we know it. See article.
g Intelligence - You already know it's hard to balance your checkbook while simultaneously reflecting on your past. Now, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine - having done the equivalent of wire-tapping a hard-to-reach region of the brain - can tell us how this impasse arises. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission has launched from Cape Canaveral. The twin-spacecraft mission will study the radiation belts, providing important information about the connections between the Sun and the Earth. See article.
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012
How do we know Martians aren’t Earthlings?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Intelligence - Scientists have created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Dawn spacecraft is preparing to leave the giant asteroid Vesta and start its two-and-a-half-year journey to the dwarf planet Ceres. See article.
g Aftermath - NASA’s roving Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity, has begun its journey to look for the evidence of life, past and present, on Mars. If we found life though, how would we know that we didn’t put it there? See article.
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g Intelligence - Scientists have created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Dawn spacecraft is preparing to leave the giant asteroid Vesta and start its two-and-a-half-year journey to the dwarf planet Ceres. See article.
g Aftermath - NASA’s roving Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity, has begun its journey to look for the evidence of life, past and present, on Mars. If we found life though, how would we know that we didn’t put it there? See article.
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Monday, September 03, 2012
From 10 to 10,000 alien civilizations, according to new estimate
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study on the number of microbes living in ocean sediments has produced a result much lower than previous estimates. Even so, the new estimate is still staggering. See article.
g Intelligence - Using computer simulations based on the age of the universe, the rate of star formation, a varying number of alien civilizations, from 10 to 10,000, that could either have evolved or still could be evolving in the Milky Way galaxy over billions of years. See article.
g Cosmicus - A team of astronauts are taking part in a caving adventure designed to prepare them for spaceflight. While working in the confined space, the they will also search for unique cave-dwelling life while testing new equipment and scientific procedures. See article.
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g Life - A new study on the number of microbes living in ocean sediments has produced a result much lower than previous estimates. Even so, the new estimate is still staggering. See article.
g Intelligence - Using computer simulations based on the age of the universe, the rate of star formation, a varying number of alien civilizations, from 10 to 10,000, that could either have evolved or still could be evolving in the Milky Way galaxy over billions of years. See article.
g Cosmicus - A team of astronauts are taking part in a caving adventure designed to prepare them for spaceflight. While working in the confined space, the they will also search for unique cave-dwelling life while testing new equipment and scientific procedures. See article.
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Sunday, September 02, 2012
Exoplanet with massive dust tail
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have found clear evidence that the exoplanet known as KIC 12557548 is slowly falling apart. The planet has a massive dust tail, similar to a comet's tail, and is the only known exoplanet of its kind. See article.
g Message - The cash-strapped SETI Institute is set to get money from a new start-up firm to aid in its search for alien life. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has set off from its landing vicinity on a trek to a science destination about a quarter-mile (400 meters) away, where it may begin using its drill. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have found clear evidence that the exoplanet known as KIC 12557548 is slowly falling apart. The planet has a massive dust tail, similar to a comet's tail, and is the only known exoplanet of its kind. See article.
g Message - The cash-strapped SETI Institute is set to get money from a new start-up firm to aid in its search for alien life. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has set off from its landing vicinity on a trek to a science destination about a quarter-mile (400 meters) away, where it may begin using its drill. See article.
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Saturday, September 01, 2012
How old are the first planets?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Heavy elements – ‘metals’ in astronomer-speak – are created within stars and then spewed out across the cosmos by supernovae. Scientists are now asking: when did the Universe have enough metals to start building planets? See article.
g Intelligence - The more that we understand the brain, the more complex it becomes. The same can be said about the genetics and neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. For "Mendelian" disorders, like Huntington disease, mutation of a single gene predictably produces a single clinical disorder, following relatively simple genetic principals. Compared to Mendelian disorders, understanding bipolar disorder has been extremely challenging. Its biology is not well understood and its genetics are complex. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has debuted the first recorded human voice that traveled from Earth to another planet and back. The voice playback was released along with new telephoto camera views of the varied Martian landscape. See article.
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g Abodes - Heavy elements – ‘metals’ in astronomer-speak – are created within stars and then spewed out across the cosmos by supernovae. Scientists are now asking: when did the Universe have enough metals to start building planets? See article.
g Intelligence - The more that we understand the brain, the more complex it becomes. The same can be said about the genetics and neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. For "Mendelian" disorders, like Huntington disease, mutation of a single gene predictably produces a single clinical disorder, following relatively simple genetic principals. Compared to Mendelian disorders, understanding bipolar disorder has been extremely challenging. Its biology is not well understood and its genetics are complex. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has debuted the first recorded human voice that traveled from Earth to another planet and back. The voice playback was released along with new telephoto camera views of the varied Martian landscape. See article.
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Friday, August 31, 2012
Did Venus once have oceans?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Aside from the attention it receives around one of its rare solar transits, Venus hardly makes headlines. But before our warming sun turned Venus into a poster child for the dangers of a runaway greenhouse, our closest planetary neighbor may have once had oceans capable of harboring complex life. See article.
g Life - Why do bigger creatures tend to have longer lifespans? A new theory suggests that this biological mystery could be explained by a physical law called the Constructal Law. See article.
g Cosmicus - XCOR Aerospace, one of a handful of U.S. firms developing suborbital spaceships, plans to build its vehicles and fly tourists, researchers and commercial payloads from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials announced. See article.
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g Abodes - Aside from the attention it receives around one of its rare solar transits, Venus hardly makes headlines. But before our warming sun turned Venus into a poster child for the dangers of a runaway greenhouse, our closest planetary neighbor may have once had oceans capable of harboring complex life. See article.
g Life - Why do bigger creatures tend to have longer lifespans? A new theory suggests that this biological mystery could be explained by a physical law called the Constructal Law. See article.
g Cosmicus - XCOR Aerospace, one of a handful of U.S. firms developing suborbital spaceships, plans to build its vehicles and fly tourists, researchers and commercial payloads from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials announced. See article.
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Thursday, August 30, 2012
Planets found in habitable zone of binary star system
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have observed multiple planets orbiting two suns. The discovery shows that planets can form and persist in the stressful realm of a binary star. One gas giant planet in the system orbits the star pair within the system's potential habitable zone. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers have revealed that chimpanzees are not only capable of learning from one another, but also use this social information to form and maintain local traditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity’s first successful drive across the martian landscape is cause for celebration. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman thinks it is also a good moment to pause and reflect on MSL’s long-term goals. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have observed multiple planets orbiting two suns. The discovery shows that planets can form and persist in the stressful realm of a binary star. One gas giant planet in the system orbits the star pair within the system's potential habitable zone. See article.
g Intelligence - Researchers have revealed that chimpanzees are not only capable of learning from one another, but also use this social information to form and maintain local traditions. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity’s first successful drive across the martian landscape is cause for celebration. Astrobiology Magazine Field Research Editor Henry Bortman thinks it is also a good moment to pause and reflect on MSL’s long-term goals. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
First group of galaxies just like ours discovered
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Astronomers have found the first group of galaxies that is just like ours. See article.
g Intelligence - The problems of living with bipolar have been well documented, but a new study by Lancaster University has captured the views of those who also report highly-valued, positive experiences of living with the condition. See article.
g Cosmicus - Thirty-five years ago, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. See article.
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g Stars - Astronomers have found the first group of galaxies that is just like ours. See article.
g Intelligence - The problems of living with bipolar have been well documented, but a new study by Lancaster University has captured the views of those who also report highly-valued, positive experiences of living with the condition. See article.
g Cosmicus - Thirty-five years ago, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Understanding ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A new study suggests that studying the cracks and crevices in ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. See article.
g Life - A paleontologist has confirmed that two nodosaurs walked through the campus of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. They left their prints sometime between 110 and 112 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - Is sleep learning possible? A new Weizmann Institute study appearing August 26 in Nature Neuroscience has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone – even when no odor is present -- both during sleep and, later, when awake. In other words, people can learn new information while they sleep, and this can unconsciously modify their waking behavior. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "…we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul...We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." – Neil Armstrong
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g Abodes - A new study suggests that studying the cracks and crevices in ice crystals could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. See article.
g Life - A paleontologist has confirmed that two nodosaurs walked through the campus of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. They left their prints sometime between 110 and 112 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - Is sleep learning possible? A new Weizmann Institute study appearing August 26 in Nature Neuroscience has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone – even when no odor is present -- both during sleep and, later, when awake. In other words, people can learn new information while they sleep, and this can unconsciously modify their waking behavior. See article.
g Cosmicus - Quote of the Day: "…we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul...We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." – Neil Armstrong
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, August 27, 2012
Evidence of planet destroyed by its aging star
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered evidence of a planet that has been destroyed by its aging star. The finding provides insight into the evolution of planetary systems, and the future of our own solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity's ChemCam zapped its first rock last weekend. Since then, the laser instrument has fired nearly 500 shots so far that have produced clear data abou the composition of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - "A lot of people couldn't figure out Armstrong." With those words Tom Wolfe introduced Neil Armstrong, the astronaut hero of his nonfiction masterpiece, "The Right Stuff." Armstrong, of course, was a masterpiece himself: the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission and the first man ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong died Saturday from complications relating to heart surgery. He was 82. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered evidence of a planet that has been destroyed by its aging star. The finding provides insight into the evolution of planetary systems, and the future of our own solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity's ChemCam zapped its first rock last weekend. Since then, the laser instrument has fired nearly 500 shots so far that have produced clear data abou the composition of the Martian surface. See article.
g Learning - "A lot of people couldn't figure out Armstrong." With those words Tom Wolfe introduced Neil Armstrong, the astronaut hero of his nonfiction masterpiece, "The Right Stuff." Armstrong, of course, was a masterpiece himself: the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission and the first man ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong died Saturday from complications relating to heart surgery. He was 82. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Phosphorus biochemistry
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - Book alert: Among all known agents of cosmic creative destruction, none are more potently menacing – and intriguing – than black holes, the subject of Caleb Scharf’s new book “Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life In The Cosmos.” See article.
g Life - Phosphorus is vital to life on Earth, even though our planet doesn't provide life very much phosphorus to work with. Scientists are now studying how phosphorus biochemistry may have originated at the dawn of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists are now conducting a simulated mission to a near-Earth asteroid at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Book alert: Among all known agents of cosmic creative destruction, none are more potently menacing – and intriguing – than black holes, the subject of Caleb Scharf’s new book “Gravity’s Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life In The Cosmos.” See article.
g Life - Phosphorus is vital to life on Earth, even though our planet doesn't provide life very much phosphorus to work with. Scientists are now studying how phosphorus biochemistry may have originated at the dawn of life. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists are now conducting a simulated mission to a near-Earth asteroid at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Is Mars’ core solid or liquid?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Scientists have observed a new and unusual form of carbon clusters. The material is helping scientists understand the properties of carbon - the fourth-most-abundant element in the universe. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has selected a new mission to Mars. InSight will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid, and will provide new information about how terrestrial planets form and evolve. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Life - Scientists have observed a new and unusual form of carbon clusters. The material is helping scientists understand the properties of carbon - the fourth-most-abundant element in the universe. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has selected a new mission to Mars. InSight will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid, and will provide new information about how terrestrial planets form and evolve. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, August 24, 2012
Why the sun is so round
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - The Sun is nearly the roundest object ever measured...but why? See article.
g Intelligence - Human and chimp brains look anatomically similar because both evolved from the same ancestor millions of years ago. But where does the chimp brain end and the human brain begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - With the incredible landing of a new rover on Mars, NASA has sparked the curiosity of Earth's public - as well as their sense of humor. See article.
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g Stars - The Sun is nearly the roundest object ever measured...but why? See article.
g Intelligence - Human and chimp brains look anatomically similar because both evolved from the same ancestor millions of years ago. But where does the chimp brain end and the human brain begin? See article.
g Cosmicus - With the incredible landing of a new rover on Mars, NASA has sparked the curiosity of Earth's public - as well as their sense of humor. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Hexamer structures that make up tiniest droplets of water
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - To unravel the nature of black holes is of utmost importance, wrote Eric Chaisson, an American astrophysicist, "lest we someday begin to worship them." Dr Chaisson was warning against the human tendency to venerate the unknown, but new data suggest that black holes, some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe, may in a sense be deserving of veneration. For they seem to have been instrumental in bringing about the conditions necessary for life ultimately to emerge. See article.
g Life - A new study has uncovered fundamental details about the hexamer structures that make up the tiniest droplets of water. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his account of the Expedition 31 mission. In this installment, he talks about how space has a certain smell, the difficulties of shaving in microgravity, and the lakes of Kyrgyszstan. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - To unravel the nature of black holes is of utmost importance, wrote Eric Chaisson, an American astrophysicist, "lest we someday begin to worship them." Dr Chaisson was warning against the human tendency to venerate the unknown, but new data suggest that black holes, some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe, may in a sense be deserving of veneration. For they seem to have been instrumental in bringing about the conditions necessary for life ultimately to emerge. See article.
g Life - A new study has uncovered fundamental details about the hexamer structures that make up the tiniest droplets of water. See article.
g Cosmicus - Astronaut Don Pettit continues his account of the Expedition 31 mission. In this installment, he talks about how space has a certain smell, the difficulties of shaving in microgravity, and the lakes of Kyrgyszstan. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Rethinking evolution of galaxy clusters
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - An extraordinary galaxy cluster may cause astronomers to rethink the evolution of such structures and the galaxies that inhabit them. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has fired its laser for the first time on Mars. The Chemistry and Camera instrument was used to study a fist-size rock called "Coronation." See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - An extraordinary galaxy cluster may cause astronomers to rethink the evolution of such structures and the galaxies that inhabit them. See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has fired its laser for the first time on Mars. The Chemistry and Camera instrument was used to study a fist-size rock called "Coronation." See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
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