Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - New research on a mineral called molybdenite is helping scientists understand how geological and biological processes have helped shaped the chemistry of planet Earth. See article.
g Life - A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs. See article.
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Pair of prebiotic chemicals discovered in space
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth. The belts are critical regions for modern society, which is dependent on many space-based technologies. See article.
g Life - Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
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g Abodes - NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth. The belts are critical regions for modern society, which is dependent on many space-based technologies. See article.
g Life - Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation.” Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation. See article.
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Monday, March 18, 2013
Gas giant planet forming around star
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. See article.
g Message - Recent discussions within the SETI community have thoroughly explored the issue of whether people with access to radio telescopes should send powerful signals to alien civilizations without some process of prior international consultation. In particular, those exchanges have focused on the question of "Active SETI." See article.
g Cosmicus - Dawn Sumner helps interpret the visual data that Curiosity rover sees with its cameras. In this interview, she reveals why Curiosity’s first images of Mount Sharp made her cry. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. See article.
g Message - Recent discussions within the SETI community have thoroughly explored the issue of whether people with access to radio telescopes should send powerful signals to alien civilizations without some process of prior international consultation. In particular, those exchanges have focused on the question of "Active SETI." See article.
g Cosmicus - Dawn Sumner helps interpret the visual data that Curiosity rover sees with its cameras. In this interview, she reveals why Curiosity’s first images of Mount Sharp made her cry. See article.
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Sunday, March 17, 2013
Mercury’s ancient magma ocean
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Scientists have partially reconstructed Mercury's history over billions of years, revealing that the planet may have harbored a large, rolling ocean of magma. See article.
g Cosmicus - A target has been selected for the proposed Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission (AIDA). AIDA will intercept Didymos as the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth in 2022. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists have partially reconstructed Mercury's history over billions of years, revealing that the planet may have harbored a large, rolling ocean of magma. See article.
g Cosmicus - A target has been selected for the proposed Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission (AIDA). AIDA will intercept Didymos as the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth in 2022. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that explains the history of the universe to kids. They can click onto a piece of a puzzle that visually shows the major steps from the Big Bang to people. See article.
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Saturday, March 16, 2013
Theological and philosophical consequences of First Contact
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The first results from a record-setting expedition into the world's deepest points, including the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, has revealed previously unexplored ecosystems in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized depths. See article.
g Life - Biologists have found that the mutation that helps an organism survive in the harshest environment is often dependent on a "relay team" of other mutations that came before, mutations that emerge only as conditions worsen at gradual and moderate rates. See article.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
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g Abodes - The first results from a record-setting expedition into the world's deepest points, including the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, has revealed previously unexplored ecosystems in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized depths. See article.
g Life - Biologists have found that the mutation that helps an organism survive in the harshest environment is often dependent on a "relay team" of other mutations that came before, mutations that emerge only as conditions worsen at gradual and moderate rates. See article.
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
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Friday, March 15, 2013
Could white dwarf stars host habitable planets?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - A white dwarf is a dead star that slowly cools down until it fades into oblivion. Yet it has been predicted that habitable planets can orbit a white dwarf. If we can somehow detect these planets, would we also be able to spot signs of life? See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists have released an initial sequence of radar images of asteroid 2012 DA14 that was obtained on the night of Feb. 15/16, 2013 using the Deep Space Network antenna. See article.
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g Stars - A white dwarf is a dead star that slowly cools down until it fades into oblivion. Yet it has been predicted that habitable planets can orbit a white dwarf. If we can somehow detect these planets, would we also be able to spot signs of life? See article.
g Message - How many technically advanced civilizations exist in our galaxy? With this essay by Steven Soter, Scientist-in-Residence in the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University, Astrobiology Magazine initiates the first in a series of "Gedanken" or thought, experiments - musings by noted scientists on scientific mysteries in a series of "what if" scenarios. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA scientists have released an initial sequence of radar images of asteroid 2012 DA14 that was obtained on the night of Feb. 15/16, 2013 using the Deep Space Network antenna. See article.
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
Designing a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image showing an object known as HH 151, a bright jet of glowing material trailed by an intricate, orange-hued plume of gas and dust. See article.
g Cosmicus - The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission, JUICE, will carry a total of 11 scientific experiments to study the gas giant planet and its large ocean-bearing moons. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
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g Stars - The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image showing an object known as HH 151, a bright jet of glowing material trailed by an intricate, orange-hued plume of gas and dust. See article.
g Cosmicus - The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission, JUICE, will carry a total of 11 scientific experiments to study the gas giant planet and its large ocean-bearing moons. See article.
g Aftermath - How might interested parties envisage the design of a human team to prepare for an encounter with aliens — and improve the operational guidelines for that eventuality? See article.
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Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Could Martian research samples carry diseases?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - After analyzing Hubble Space Telescope images of star cluster NGC 1818 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, researchers at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in Beijing found more binary star systems toward the periphery of cluster than in the center -- the opposite of what they expected. The surprising distribution of binaries is thought to result from complex interactions among stars within young clusters. See article.
g Intelligence - The balance of evidence, researchers say, suggests that human language is a grafting of two communication forms found elsewhere in the animal kingdom: first, the elaborate songs of birds, and second, the more utilitarian, information-bearing types of expression seen in a diversity of other animals. See article.
g Aftermath - Could Martian research samples carry diseases? Certainly this is an issue for the first time we make contact with extraterrestrial life, whether it is intelligent or microbial. See article.
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g Stars - After analyzing Hubble Space Telescope images of star cluster NGC 1818 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, researchers at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in Beijing found more binary star systems toward the periphery of cluster than in the center -- the opposite of what they expected. The surprising distribution of binaries is thought to result from complex interactions among stars within young clusters. See article.
g Intelligence - The balance of evidence, researchers say, suggests that human language is a grafting of two communication forms found elsewhere in the animal kingdom: first, the elaborate songs of birds, and second, the more utilitarian, information-bearing types of expression seen in a diversity of other animals. See article.
g Aftermath - Could Martian research samples carry diseases? Certainly this is an issue for the first time we make contact with extraterrestrial life, whether it is intelligent or microbial. See article.
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Exoplanet slightly larger than Moon discovered
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our Sun. The planet, Kepler-37b, is smaller than Mercury and only slightly larger than the Moon. See article.
g Intelligence - Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our Sun. The planet, Kepler-37b, is smaller than Mercury and only slightly larger than the Moon. See article.
g Intelligence - Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, March 11, 2013
Traces of water in Moon rocks
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - Scientists have detected traces of water in the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the upper crust of the Moon that were obtained during the Apollo missions. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Jeff Moersch describes the DAN instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. Donated by the Russian Federal Space Agency, this instrument will search for underground water without any need for digging. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See review.
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g Abodes - Scientists have detected traces of water in the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the upper crust of the Moon that were obtained during the Apollo missions. See article.
g Cosmicus - In this interview, Jeff Moersch describes the DAN instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. Donated by the Russian Federal Space Agency, this instrument will search for underground water without any need for digging. See article.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book: “Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials,” by Michael Michaud. This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. As necessary background, the book also included brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create. See review.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL), which maintains the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, is now joining in efforts to actually discover new exoplanets. Using new algorithms based on pattern recognition, the PHL is now searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope. See article.
g Message - Using radio signals to search for extraterrestrial life was not an original idea of Sagan and his followers. See article.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See article. This article is from 2001.
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g Abodes - The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL), which maintains the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, is now joining in efforts to actually discover new exoplanets. Using new algorithms based on pattern recognition, the PHL is now searching for Earth-like worlds in data from NASA's Kepler telescope. See article.
g Message - Using radio signals to search for extraterrestrial life was not an original idea of Sagan and his followers. See article.
g Aftermath - Even if the public seems less than awestruck by the prospect that alien life is a bunch of microscopic bugs, astrobiologists say unequivocal discovery of microbial life beyond Earth will change human society in profound ways, some unfathomable today. See article. This article is from 2001.
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Saturday, March 09, 2013
Proposed telescope might find ETI in 25 years
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Message - Astronomers have published a new study that claims it could be possible to detect signs of extraterrestrial life within the next 25 years - and without the need for a space mission. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Cassini mission is continuing its exploration of the Saturn system. Cassini has provided invaluable data for astrobiologists studying life's potential on moons of giant planets. See article.
g Learning - Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite, and William Shatner. Three men, each with a unique connection to space exploration. Three men who also play a role in Mark Showalter's tale of discovery. See article.
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g Message - Astronomers have published a new study that claims it could be possible to detect signs of extraterrestrial life within the next 25 years - and without the need for a space mission. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's Cassini mission is continuing its exploration of the Saturn system. Cassini has provided invaluable data for astrobiologists studying life's potential on moons of giant planets. See article.
g Learning - Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite, and William Shatner. Three men, each with a unique connection to space exploration. Three men who also play a role in Mark Showalter's tale of discovery. See article.
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Friday, March 08, 2013
Contacting ETI with Bracewell probes
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study could suggest that exposure to cold air may promote longevity in mammals. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - An all-in-one chemical analysis instrument - currently under development -- could potentially detect a single amino acid in a gram of Martian soil. See article.
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g Life - A new study could suggest that exposure to cold air may promote longevity in mammals. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - An all-in-one chemical analysis instrument - currently under development -- could potentially detect a single amino acid in a gram of Martian soil. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Inside Project BETA
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - A new study shows that Australia's rich plant diversity was wiped out by the ice ages. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University.
g Cosmicus - A worldwide network of sensors has been used to gather new information about the object that entered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over Siberia on February 15. The object was unrelated to the asteroid 2012 DA14, which hours later made its flyby of Earth. See article.
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g Life - A new study shows that Australia's rich plant diversity was wiped out by the ice ages. See article.
g Message - A number of searches for extraterrestrial intelligence actually have occurred, are ongoing and are planned. Here’s one of the more famous ones: Project BETA, at Harvard University.
g Cosmicus - A worldwide network of sensors has been used to gather new information about the object that entered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over Siberia on February 15. The object was unrelated to the asteroid 2012 DA14, which hours later made its flyby of Earth. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Evidence of RNA’s ability to assemble into genes?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Scientists have reported that a pair of RNA-like molecules can spontaneously assemble into gene-length chains. A similar process may have led to the evolution of RNA and life itself billions of years ago. See article.
g Message - The set of assumptions that generates progressive research programs associated with the search for extra-terrestrial life –especially intelligent life – constitute a myth-like picture of reality. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have proposed a system that could eliminate the threat of asteroids that are roughly half the size of a football field. The process would take only an hour. The system also could destroy asteroids 10 times larger in about a year. See article.
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g Life - Scientists have reported that a pair of RNA-like molecules can spontaneously assemble into gene-length chains. A similar process may have led to the evolution of RNA and life itself billions of years ago. See article.
g Message - The set of assumptions that generates progressive research programs associated with the search for extra-terrestrial life –especially intelligent life – constitute a myth-like picture of reality. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have proposed a system that could eliminate the threat of asteroids that are roughly half the size of a football field. The process would take only an hour. The system also could destroy asteroids 10 times larger in about a year. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Virus, bacterium battle for control of our planet
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - A strike from a big asteroid more than 300 million years ago left a huge impact zone buried in Australia and changed the face of the earth. See article.
g Life - Scientists have uncovered a war in the oceans that has been going on for hundreds of millions of years. The battle is between SAR11 bacterium and the Pelagiphage viruses that infect them, and the results of this microscopic war have profound effects on Earth's carbon cycle. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Learning - Watch videos, marvel at lush photos, interact with the universe, and much more courtesy of the History Channel. See article.
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g Abodes - A strike from a big asteroid more than 300 million years ago left a huge impact zone buried in Australia and changed the face of the earth. See article.
g Life - Scientists have uncovered a war in the oceans that has been going on for hundreds of millions of years. The battle is between SAR11 bacterium and the Pelagiphage viruses that infect them, and the results of this microscopic war have profound effects on Earth's carbon cycle. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Learning - Watch videos, marvel at lush photos, interact with the universe, and much more courtesy of the History Channel. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, March 04, 2013
Do ETIs use Dyson Spheres?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Message - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have explained what looks like a piece of shiny metal sticking out of a rock on Mars in a photograph from the Curiosity rover. See article.
g Aftermath - Book Alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. Jean Heidmann, Chief Astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book, “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation — all of it grounded in real science — is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? See reviews.
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g Message - Could intelligent beings in another solar system have hidden their sun by knocking their planets apart and using the pieces to build a hollow ball around their sun? See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have explained what looks like a piece of shiny metal sticking out of a rock on Mars in a photograph from the Curiosity rover. See article.
g Aftermath - Book Alert: Science fiction writers have given us many fine novels contemplating humankind's first contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. But our nonfiction world has not thought much about what to do if we are actually faced with this situation. Jean Heidmann, Chief Astronomer at the Paris Observatory (and self-styled bioastronomer), offers a book, “Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” on the subject that is at once serious and fun. Heidmann's obvious joy in raw speculation — all of it grounded in real science — is contagious. If aliens send us a message from many light years away, for example, how should we respond? See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Ethics of contacting ETI
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - The thought that alien fishes, sharks and squids could be chasing each other in the pitch black waters of Jupiter's moon Europa has astrobiologists like Steve Vance itching to get a good look below the ice. See article.
g Message - Is it even ethical for us to contact alien life? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have put out a call to the public to name two newly discovered moons of Pluto, currently dubbed P4 and P5. See article.
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g Abodes - The thought that alien fishes, sharks and squids could be chasing each other in the pitch black waters of Jupiter's moon Europa has astrobiologists like Steve Vance itching to get a good look below the ice. See article.
g Message - Is it even ethical for us to contact alien life? See article. Note: This article is a few years old.
g Cosmicus - Scientists have put out a call to the public to name two newly discovered moons of Pluto, currently dubbed P4 and P5. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Life found under 800 meters of ice
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Life - Scientists have identified microbial life in a lake trapped under the frozen ice sheet of Antarctica. For their discovery, the team drilled through 800 meters of ice covering Lake Whillans to collect samples. See article.
g Message - Professor Peter Smith, the University of Arizona expert who led NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, predicts that at least basic forms of life would be discovered within the next decade. Microbes and bacteria were, thus far, the best bet, he said. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has used its drill to bore into a flat rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. The rock could hold evidence about long-gone wet environments, providing astrobiologists with new insight into the potential for past life on the red plant. See article.
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g Life - Scientists have identified microbial life in a lake trapped under the frozen ice sheet of Antarctica. For their discovery, the team drilled through 800 meters of ice covering Lake Whillans to collect samples. See article.
g Message - Professor Peter Smith, the University of Arizona expert who led NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, predicts that at least basic forms of life would be discovered within the next decade. Microbes and bacteria were, thus far, the best bet, he said. See article.
g Cosmicus - Curiosity has used its drill to bore into a flat rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. The rock could hold evidence about long-gone wet environments, providing astrobiologists with new insight into the potential for past life on the red plant. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, March 01, 2013
What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future?
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Intelligence - Domestic dogs are much more likely to steal food when they think nobody can see them, suggesting for the first time that dogs are capable of understanding a human's point of view. See article.
g Message - What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future? Here’s a paper by University of Toronto Professor Allen Tough. Though written more than 25 years ago, the paper contains plenty of useful ideas that are fresh (and ignored) today, especially those about extraterrestrial behavior and help.
g Cosmicus - NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission will take the most precise measurements of how warmth from the Sun can ultimately push asteroids and change their orbits. The data will help astrobiologists understand the risk of an asteroid collision with Earth in the future. See article.
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g Intelligence - Domestic dogs are much more likely to steal food when they think nobody can see them, suggesting for the first time that dogs are capable of understanding a human's point of view. See article.
g Message - What role will extraterrestrials play in humanity’s future? Here’s a paper by University of Toronto Professor Allen Tough. Though written more than 25 years ago, the paper contains plenty of useful ideas that are fresh (and ignored) today, especially those about extraterrestrial behavior and help.
g Cosmicus - NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission will take the most precise measurements of how warmth from the Sun can ultimately push asteroids and change their orbits. The data will help astrobiologists understand the risk of an asteroid collision with Earth in the future. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, February 28, 2013
New study places radio-capable civilizations in galaxy at 300,000
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 - For the first time, scientists find that microbes from Earth can survive and grow even in the mix of drastically low pressure, freezing temperatures and oxygen-starved conditions seen on Mars. See article.
g Intelligence - A fossilized bone fragment found buried deep in the soil of a Serbian cave is causing scientists to reconsider what happened during a critical period in human development, when the strands of modern humanity were still coming together. See article.
g Message - Intelligent alien life is likely relatively rare throughout our Milky Way galaxy, with fewer than one in a million solar systems harboring civilizations advanced enough to send out radio signals, a new study reports. See article.
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g Life - For the first time, scientists find that microbes from Earth can survive and grow even in the mix of drastically low pressure, freezing temperatures and oxygen-starved conditions seen on Mars. See article.
g Intelligence - A fossilized bone fragment found buried deep in the soil of a Serbian cave is causing scientists to reconsider what happened during a critical period in human development, when the strands of modern humanity were still coming together. See article.
g Message - Intelligent alien life is likely relatively rare throughout our Milky Way galaxy, with fewer than one in a million solar systems harboring civilizations advanced enough to send out radio signals, a new study reports. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Radio-using ETI ‘one in a million’
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 - Two of NASA's great observatories, the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes, have teamed up to uncover a mysterious infant star that behaves like a strobe light. See article.
g Life - A new study shows that salmon may use the geomagnetic field to navigate across thousands of miles of open ocean to locate their river of origin. See article.
g Message - NASA’s Kepler mission has identified 2,740 planets orbiting other stars, but do any of them harbor intelligent life? Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have now used the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia to look for intelligent radio signals from planets around 86 of these stars. While discovering no telltale signs of life, the researchers calculate that fewer than one in a million stars in the Milky Way Galaxy have planetary civilizations advanced enough to transmit beacons we could detect. See article.
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g Stars - Two of NASA's great observatories, the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes, have teamed up to uncover a mysterious infant star that behaves like a strobe light. See article.
g Life - A new study shows that salmon may use the geomagnetic field to navigate across thousands of miles of open ocean to locate their river of origin. See article.
g Message - NASA’s Kepler mission has identified 2,740 planets orbiting other stars, but do any of them harbor intelligent life? Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have now used the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia to look for intelligent radio signals from planets around 86 of these stars. While discovering no telltale signs of life, the researchers calculate that fewer than one in a million stars in the Milky Way Galaxy have planetary civilizations advanced enough to transmit beacons we could detect. See article.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Volcanoes may hold secret of climate flips
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 is shedding light on one of Earth's enduring climate mysteries. Earth has flipped between greenhouse and icehouse states for the past 500 million years. This process may have been driven by episodic flare-ups of volcanoes at key locations around the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - Man's best friend may touch our hearts with their empathy, companionship, playfulness and loyalty, and they may also lead us to a deeper understanding of our heads. See article.
g Message - Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
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g Abodes - A new study is shedding light on one of Earth's enduring climate mysteries. Earth has flipped between greenhouse and icehouse states for the past 500 million years. This process may have been driven by episodic flare-ups of volcanoes at key locations around the planet. See article.
g Intelligence - Man's best friend may touch our hearts with their empathy, companionship, playfulness and loyalty, and they may also lead us to a deeper understanding of our heads. See article.
g Message - Messages sent into space directed at extraterrestrials may have been too boring to earn a reply, say two astrophysicists trying to improve on their previous alien chat lines. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, February 25, 2013
More evidence for dino-killing asteroid
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 find new clues that a single gigantic asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs. See article.
g Message - In 2001, California astronomers broadened the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with a new experiment to look for powerful light pulses beamed our way from other star systems. Scientists from the University of California's Lick Observatory, the SETI Institute, UC-Santa Cruz, and UC-Berkeley used the Lick Observatory's 40-inch Nickel Telescope with a new pulse-detection system capable of finding laser beacons from civilizations many light-years distant. Unlike other optical SETI searches, this new experiment is largely immune to false alarms that slow the reconnaissance of target stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - A newly discovered comet will make its first-ever journey into the inner solar system later this year. Comet ISON will appear bright in the night sky starting in November 2013. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists find new clues that a single gigantic asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs. See article.
g Message - In 2001, California astronomers broadened the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with a new experiment to look for powerful light pulses beamed our way from other star systems. Scientists from the University of California's Lick Observatory, the SETI Institute, UC-Santa Cruz, and UC-Berkeley used the Lick Observatory's 40-inch Nickel Telescope with a new pulse-detection system capable of finding laser beacons from civilizations many light-years distant. Unlike other optical SETI searches, this new experiment is largely immune to false alarms that slow the reconnaissance of target stars. See article.
g Cosmicus - A newly discovered comet will make its first-ever journey into the inner solar system later this year. Comet ISON will appear bright in the night sky starting in November 2013. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Programming organic cells to communicate and perform computations
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 - 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 Message - The search for extraterrestrial visitation is motivated not only by the writings of other authors on the subject of interstellar probes, but also by the awareness of the progression of our own probe technology. Included in this awareness are Earth's advancements in communication technology, growing understanding of exobiology and ongoing research of new possibilities to enable travel across vast distances. See article.
g Cosmicus - A team of UCSF researchers has engineered E. coli with the key molecular circuitry that will enable genetic engineers to program cells to communicate and perform computations. See article.
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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 Message - The search for extraterrestrial visitation is motivated not only by the writings of other authors on the subject of interstellar probes, but also by the awareness of the progression of our own probe technology. Included in this awareness are Earth's advancements in communication technology, growing understanding of exobiology and ongoing research of new possibilities to enable travel across vast distances. See article.
g Cosmicus - A team of UCSF researchers has engineered E. coli with the key molecular circuitry that will enable genetic engineers to program cells to communicate and perform computations. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Saturday, February 23, 2013
NASA’s efforts to plan a future mission to Europa
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 - A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the average life expectancy of men and women with schizophrenia is 15 years and 12 years shorter respectively than for those who do not suffer from the disease. The study has been carried out in collaboration with Stanford University in the United States. See article.
g Message - Book alert: In response to Enrico Fermi's famous 1950 question concerning the existence of advanced civilizations elsewhere, physicist Stephen Webb in “If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens... Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to Fermi's Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life” critically examines 50 resolutions to explain the total absence of empirical evidence for probes, starships, and communications from extraterrestrials. He focuses on our Milky Way Galaxy, which to date has yielded no objects or signals that indicate the existence of alien beings with intelligence and technology. His comprehensive analysis covers topics ranging from the Drake equation and Dyson spheres to the panspermia hypothesis and anthropic arguments. Of special interest are the discussions on the DNA molecule, the origin of life on Earth, and the threats to organic evolution on this planet (including mass extinctions). Webb himself concludes that the "great silence" in nature probably results from humankind's being the only civilization now in this galaxy, if not in the entire universe. This richly informative and very engaging book is recommended for most academic and public library science collections. See article.
g Cosmicus - Here’s a series that follows an oceanographic expedition to the Mid-Cayman Rise and NASA’s efforts to plan a future mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. In part five, scientists use high-tech submersibles to explore the seafloor and bring intriguing samples up to the surface. See article.
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g Intelligence - A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the average life expectancy of men and women with schizophrenia is 15 years and 12 years shorter respectively than for those who do not suffer from the disease. The study has been carried out in collaboration with Stanford University in the United States. See article.
g Message - Book alert: In response to Enrico Fermi's famous 1950 question concerning the existence of advanced civilizations elsewhere, physicist Stephen Webb in “If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens... Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to Fermi's Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life” critically examines 50 resolutions to explain the total absence of empirical evidence for probes, starships, and communications from extraterrestrials. He focuses on our Milky Way Galaxy, which to date has yielded no objects or signals that indicate the existence of alien beings with intelligence and technology. His comprehensive analysis covers topics ranging from the Drake equation and Dyson spheres to the panspermia hypothesis and anthropic arguments. Of special interest are the discussions on the DNA molecule, the origin of life on Earth, and the threats to organic evolution on this planet (including mass extinctions). Webb himself concludes that the "great silence" in nature probably results from humankind's being the only civilization now in this galaxy, if not in the entire universe. This richly informative and very engaging book is recommended for most academic and public library science collections. See article.
g Cosmicus - Here’s a series that follows an oceanographic expedition to the Mid-Cayman Rise and NASA’s efforts to plan a future mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. In part five, scientists use high-tech submersibles to explore the seafloor and bring intriguing samples up to the surface. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Friday, February 22, 2013
Piloting spacecraft by thought
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 scientists believe that they may have identified a meteorite from Mercury based on its composition and data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists at the University of Essex have been working with NASA on a project where they controlled a virtual spacecraft by thought alone. See article.
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g Abodes - A team of scientists believe that they may have identified a meteorite from Mercury based on its composition and data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. See article.
g Message - To contact an alien civilization, humanity might want to consider a Bracewell probe — a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with (an) alien civilization(s). It was proposed by Ronald N. Bracewell in a 1960 paper, as an alternative to interstellar radio communication between widely separated civilizations. See article.
g Cosmicus - Scientists at the University of Essex have been working with NASA on a project where they controlled a virtual spacecraft by thought alone. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Earth-like planets in red dwarf habitable zones
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 - Using publicly available data from NASA's Kepler space telescope, astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) estimate that six percent of red dwarf stars in the galaxy have Earth-size planets in the "habitable zone," the range of distances from a star where the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might be suitable for liquid water. See article.
g Abodes - A new study using data from Cassini is helping scientists understand the behavior of smoggy aerosol layers in the atmospheres of Titan and Earth. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article. Note: This article is from 1996.
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g Stars - Using publicly available data from NASA's Kepler space telescope, astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) estimate that six percent of red dwarf stars in the galaxy have Earth-size planets in the "habitable zone," the range of distances from a star where the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might be suitable for liquid water. See article.
g Abodes - A new study using data from Cassini is helping scientists understand the behavior of smoggy aerosol layers in the atmospheres of Titan and Earth. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article. Note: This article is from 1996.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Super Earths or Mini-Neptunes?
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 super-Earth planets might be unlikely to ever become truly Earth-like. These worlds may be more like mini-Neptunes See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have simulated 25,000 generations of evolution within computers, providing new insight into the evolution of complexity. The study could also have implications for the future of artificial intelligence. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: In “Cosmic Company,” Seth Shostak and Alex Barnett ponder the possibility of aliens visiting the Earth, as well as the consequences of receiving a signal from the cosmos proving we're neither alone, nor the most intelligent life forms. They explain why scientists think life might exist on other worlds, and how we might contact it. Shostak and Barnett, experienced writers of popular astronomy, provide an accessible overview of the science and technology behind the search for life in the universe. See reviews.
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g Abodes - A new study suggests that super-Earth planets might be unlikely to ever become truly Earth-like. These worlds may be more like mini-Neptunes See article.
g Intelligence - Scientists have simulated 25,000 generations of evolution within computers, providing new insight into the evolution of complexity. The study could also have implications for the future of artificial intelligence. See article.
g Aftermath - Book alert: In “Cosmic Company,” Seth Shostak and Alex Barnett ponder the possibility of aliens visiting the Earth, as well as the consequences of receiving a signal from the cosmos proving we're neither alone, nor the most intelligent life forms. They explain why scientists think life might exist on other worlds, and how we might contact it. Shostak and Barnett, experienced writers of popular astronomy, provide an accessible overview of the science and technology behind the search for life in the universe. See reviews.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Purple rather than green life
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 - Researchers searching the galaxy for planets that could pass the litmus test of sustaining water-based life must find whether those planets fall in what's known as a habitable zone. New work, led by a team of Penn State researchers, will help scientists in that search. See article.
g Life - The earliest life on Earth might have been just as purple as it is green today, a scientist claims. See article.
g Cosmicus - The technology behind 3D printing has allowed users to craft musical instruments and prosthetic limbs, and now European scientists are taking a serious look at printing their own moon base. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Stars - Researchers searching the galaxy for planets that could pass the litmus test of sustaining water-based life must find whether those planets fall in what's known as a habitable zone. New work, led by a team of Penn State researchers, will help scientists in that search. See article.
g Life - The earliest life on Earth might have been just as purple as it is green today, a scientist claims. See article.
g Cosmicus - The technology behind 3D printing has allowed users to craft musical instruments and prosthetic limbs, and now European scientists are taking a serious look at printing their own moon base. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
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