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 causing scientists to re-think the events that led to the end of a Snowball Earth ice age some 600 million years ago. See article.
g Life - New research shows that mobile animals may have evolved much earlier than previously thought. See article.
g Message - Communicating with Aliens, Part I: The SETI debates have included cautionary arguments about the possibility that aliens might be hostile. But this perspective, most easily dealt with by military attitudes, tends to be set aside in favor of an assumption that aliens would necessarily be intelligent and motivated to communicate in a way that fits comfortably into Western assumptions — to the point of commercializing the dispatch of personal messages into deep space at a charge of $14.95 each. Unfortunately the assumptions associated with this process do not seem to have been explored. Reliance on number theory as a basis for developing communication could easily be interpreted as a convenient projection by a psycho-socially unchallenged scientific milieu — which has its own internal communication problems between disciplines for which no common language has yet been developed. The nature of the challenge can perhaps best be scoped out by exploring the difficulties of communicating with the "aliens" that are frequently encountered in the daily life of a global society. See article.
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
More water on Moon than thought and false claims of ETI 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 - Scientists have discovered that the Moon has much more water than previously thought. The research could change concepts about how the Moon formed. Water on the Moon could also be an important resource for future explorers. See article.
g Message - Non-professional involvement in SETI science, which is encouraged by the nonprofit SETI League, Inc., increases the opportunity for the perpetration of hoaxes. The SETI League has already been peripherally involved in three separate false claims of ETI contact. Two were simple cases of mistaken identity, easily rectified. But the third was an elaborate hoax perpetrated by an Internet hacker who broke into a closed signal verification e-mail list. Such claims call for a prompt but measured response, so as not to subject the SETI community to charges of complicity in conspiracy or cover-up activities. In this presentation SETI League Executive Director H. Paul Shuch explores the dilemma of encouraging grass-roots participation, while avoiding association with fraudulent and pseudo-scientific claims See article.
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists have discovered that the Moon has much more water than previously thought. The research could change concepts about how the Moon formed. Water on the Moon could also be an important resource for future explorers. See article.
g Message - Non-professional involvement in SETI science, which is encouraged by the nonprofit SETI League, Inc., increases the opportunity for the perpetration of hoaxes. The SETI League has already been peripherally involved in three separate false claims of ETI contact. Two were simple cases of mistaken identity, easily rectified. But the third was an elaborate hoax perpetrated by an Internet hacker who broke into a closed signal verification e-mail list. Such claims call for a prompt but measured response, so as not to subject the SETI community to charges of complicity in conspiracy or cover-up activities. In this presentation SETI League Executive Director H. Paul Shuch explores the dilemma of encouraging grass-roots participation, while avoiding association with fraudulent and pseudo-scientific claims See article.
g Aftermath - The scientific discussion of the evolution of life in the universe raises some key philosophical and theological issues Will life and intelligence be found throughout the universe, or will it turn out to be exceedingly rare? Will intelligent life be capable of both rationality and moral agency? Will evolutionary biology determine its moral content or will it merely bequeath intelligent life with moral capacity, leaving moral content to be determined independently of biology? If moral agency evolves, will these species inevitably exhibit moral failure, or is our generic human experience of moral failure strictly the result of our particular evolution, leaving us to expect there to be other civilizations that are entirely benign? The discussion of these issues, though largely hypothetical, can offer insight into the theological and cultural implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as well into a better understanding of the human condition. See article.
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Second planet orbits star Kepler-10 and mission to carry asteroid samples back to Earth
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 - New research is providing a better understanding of unidentified matter in deep space. See article.
g Abodes - The Kepler Telescope team has confirmed a second planet orbiting the star Kepler-10. The existence of this planet was suspected previously, but new analytical techniques were needed to confirm its existence. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new NASA mission to launch in 2016 will be the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth. The samples from the OSIRIS-REx mission will help astrobiologists better understand our solar system and the role of asteroids in the origins of life on Earth. See article.
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g Stars - New research is providing a better understanding of unidentified matter in deep space. See article.
g Abodes - The Kepler Telescope team has confirmed a second planet orbiting the star Kepler-10. The existence of this planet was suspected previously, but new analytical techniques were needed to confirm its existence. See article.
g Cosmicus - A new NASA mission to launch in 2016 will be the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth. The samples from the OSIRIS-REx mission will help astrobiologists better understand our solar system and the role of asteroids in the origins of life on Earth. See article.
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Thursday, May 26, 2011
Multiple planet star systems and solutions to the Fermi Paradox
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 - Within just four months of data from NASA's Kepler mission, astronomers have found evidence for more than 1,200 planetary candidates. Of those, 408 reside in systems with two or more planets. 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 reviews.
g Aftermath - Book alert: For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. See reviews.
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g Abodes - Within just four months of data from NASA's Kepler mission, astronomers have found evidence for more than 1,200 planetary candidates. Of those, 408 reside in systems with two or more planets. 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 reviews.
g Aftermath - Book alert: For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. See reviews.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Better determining age of stars and how Earth changed over 750 million 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 Stars - As a star grows older, its rotation slows down steadily. Now, astronomers have discovered how to use this principle to determine the age of stars. The research could ultimately help astrobiologists understand the nature of planets and the stars they orbit. See article.
g Abodes - New visualizations of the Earth from space provide a unique image of how the Earth has changed over the past 750 million years. See article.
g Life - A new study shows that random introduction of errors into proteins may have boosted the evolution of biological complexity. See article.
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g Stars - As a star grows older, its rotation slows down steadily. Now, astronomers have discovered how to use this principle to determine the age of stars. The research could ultimately help astrobiologists understand the nature of planets and the stars they orbit. See article.
g Abodes - New visualizations of the Earth from space provide a unique image of how the Earth has changed over the past 750 million years. See article.
g Life - A new study shows that random introduction of errors into proteins may have boosted the evolution of biological complexity. See article.
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Tuesday, May 24, 2011
New class of Jupiter-sized planet discovered and clues left by extinct 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 - Astronomers have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The finding adds to the catalog of the potential types of planets that exist in the universe. See article.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in “Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds,” an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind’s attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind’s attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See reviews.
g Aftermath - How might explorers determine what happened to an extinct alien race based on the clues they left behind on their home planet? See article.
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g Abodes - Astronomers have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The finding adds to the catalog of the potential types of planets that exist in the universe. See article.
g Message - Book alert: The father-son team of David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher brings the study of extraterrestrial life down to earth in “Strangers in the Night: Brief History of Life on Other Worlds,” an informative and entertaining book. In the anecdotal style that is their hallmark, the Fishers trace humankind’s attempts to discover life on other worlds. This informative and entertaining book tells the story of humankind’s attempts throughout history to discover extraterrestrial life. See reviews.
g Aftermath - How might explorers determine what happened to an extinct alien race based on the clues they left behind on their home planet? See article.
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Mars’ vs. Earth’s development and seti@home
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, following the birth of the Solar System, Mars developed much more quickly than the Earth. See article.
g Message - Here’s a nice primer on the seti@home project plus some information about how to download the program. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has ended operational planning activities for the Mars rover Spirit and transitioned the Mars Exploration Rover Project to a single-rover operation focused on Spirit´s still-active twin, Opportunity. See article.
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g Abodes - New research shows that, following the birth of the Solar System, Mars developed much more quickly than the Earth. See article.
g Message - Here’s a nice primer on the seti@home project plus some information about how to download the program. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA has ended operational planning activities for the Mars rover Spirit and transitioned the Mars Exploration Rover Project to a single-rover operation focused on Spirit´s still-active twin, Opportunity. See article.
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Sunday, May 22, 2011
Arecibo Observatory’s search of artificial radio signals and how comets may have aided life’s start
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - For the first time, astronomers have observed a tumbling comet nucleus with a changing rotational rate. The study combined with results from NASA's EPOXI mission are providing new insight about these objects that may have played a role in life's origin on Earth, and could also play a role in future exploration. See article.
g Life - A new fossil recovered in China indicates that bird and crocodile family trees split earlier than previously thought. See article.
g Message - Here’s a prerecorded Web cast at Aricebo Radio Observatory in March 2003 when scientists listened to the most promising transmissions from UC Berkeley’s SETI@home search. Join the Exploratorium’s Ron Hipschman and special guest Dan Werthimer, chief scientist and principal investigator for the SETI Institute’s efforts, as they also discuss Arecibo Observatory’s search of artificial radio signals coming from other stars here; scroll to “What about Intelligent Life?”
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g Abodes - For the first time, astronomers have observed a tumbling comet nucleus with a changing rotational rate. The study combined with results from NASA's EPOXI mission are providing new insight about these objects that may have played a role in life's origin on Earth, and could also play a role in future exploration. See article.
g Life - A new fossil recovered in China indicates that bird and crocodile family trees split earlier than previously thought. See article.
g Message - Here’s a prerecorded Web cast at Aricebo Radio Observatory in March 2003 when scientists listened to the most promising transmissions from UC Berkeley’s SETI@home search. Join the Exploratorium’s Ron Hipschman and special guest Dan Werthimer, chief scientist and principal investigator for the SETI Institute’s efforts, as they also discuss Arecibo Observatory’s search of artificial radio signals coming from other stars here; scroll to “What about Intelligent Life?”
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Saturday, May 21, 2011
Detecting forests on extrasolar planets and timeline for life's emergence on Earth
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 recent study says that a particular mathematical technique could be used to detect forests on extrasolar planets. See article.
g Life - Ancient rocks are shedding new light on the timeline for life's emergence on Earth. The rocks contain carbon-based minerals that may be much younger than the rocks they inhabit, indicating that the carbon was mixed with the rock later than the rock's actual formation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Research shows that antibodies used to fight off disease might be compromised during long duration space flight. See article.
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g Abodes - A recent study says that a particular mathematical technique could be used to detect forests on extrasolar planets. See article.
g Life - Ancient rocks are shedding new light on the timeline for life's emergence on Earth. The rocks contain carbon-based minerals that may be much younger than the rocks they inhabit, indicating that the carbon was mixed with the rock later than the rock's actual formation. See article.
g Cosmicus - Research shows that antibodies used to fight off disease might be compromised during long duration space flight. See article.
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Friday, May 20, 2011
Mass mortality in Earth’s oceans and searching for extraterrestrial technologies within our solar 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 - New research points to mass mortality in the oceans at a time in history when the Earth was experiencing a greenhouse effect. The study shows that the oceans are in a much more delicate balance than previously thought, and could be a warning of things to come. See article.
g Message - Humanity might want to consider searching for extraterrestrial technologies within our solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Data from NASA's EPOXI mission and ground-based telescopes indicates that the comet Hartley-2 could be the first of a new breed of comet. See article.
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g Abodes - New research points to mass mortality in the oceans at a time in history when the Earth was experiencing a greenhouse effect. The study shows that the oceans are in a much more delicate balance than previously thought, and could be a warning of things to come. See article.
g Message - Humanity might want to consider searching for extraterrestrial technologies within our solar system. See article.
g Cosmicus - Data from NASA's EPOXI mission and ground-based telescopes indicates that the comet Hartley-2 could be the first of a new breed of comet. See article.
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Thursday, May 19, 2011
Potential habitability of Gliese 628 and the “Wow” signal
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 - What is the potential habitability of Gliese 628, a M-type star less than 14 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have put together the first comprehensive maps of the Moon's surface. Studying the Moon's surface can provide clues about the processes that shaped the Moon and, ultimately, the early Earth. See article.
g Message - In August 1977, a sky survey conducted with Ohio State University's "Big Ear" radio telescope found what has become known as the 'Wow” signal. Registering an enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72 second lifetime. See article.
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g Abodes - Scientists have put together the first comprehensive maps of the Moon's surface. Studying the Moon's surface can provide clues about the processes that shaped the Moon and, ultimately, the early Earth. See article.
g Message - In August 1977, a sky survey conducted with Ohio State University's "Big Ear" radio telescope found what has become known as the 'Wow” signal. Registering an enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72 second lifetime. See article.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Subsurface ocean of magma beneath Io’s surface and new thinking in the search for 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 Stars - What is the potential habitability of DENIS 1048-3956, an M-type star about 13 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - New data analysis from NASA's Galileo spacecraft has revealed a subsurface ocean of magma beneath the surface of Jupiter's moon Io. See article.
g Message - Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence are about to expand into new realms, thanks to new advances in technology — and new thinking. See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of DENIS 1048-3956, an M-type star about 13 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - New data analysis from NASA's Galileo spacecraft has revealed a subsurface ocean of magma beneath the surface of Jupiter's moon Io. See article.
g Message - Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence are about to expand into new realms, thanks to new advances in technology — and new thinking. See article.
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Dwarf planet covered in water ice and aiming radio telescope at Kepler’s found 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 - How does the G-type star Gliese 314 A compare to our own sun? See article.
g Abodes - A new study shows that the dwarf planet Haumea and one of its satellites are covered in water-ice due to tidal forces between them and the heat of radiogenic elements. See article.
g Life - A new study is helping scientists understand how certain yeasts developed their ability to ferment sugar. This process of ethanol production is a key step in making products like wine. The work is providing new information about the mechanisms that link evolution and environment. See article.
g Message - So far, NASA's Kepler space telescope has identified 1,235 possible extrasolar planets. Now, astronomers are aiming a radio telescope at the most Earth-like ones to see if they can detect advanced civilizations that might call these planets home. See article.
g Cosmicus - r the first time, scientists have demonstrated a version of the Doppler effect at an extremely small level - the rotation of an individual molecule. Rotational Doppler effect is used to determine the rotational velocity of planets and could now help study the properties of molecules. See article.
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g Abodes - A new study shows that the dwarf planet Haumea and one of its satellites are covered in water-ice due to tidal forces between them and the heat of radiogenic elements. See article.
g Life - A new study is helping scientists understand how certain yeasts developed their ability to ferment sugar. This process of ethanol production is a key step in making products like wine. The work is providing new information about the mechanisms that link evolution and environment. See article.
g Message - So far, NASA's Kepler space telescope has identified 1,235 possible extrasolar planets. Now, astronomers are aiming a radio telescope at the most Earth-like ones to see if they can detect advanced civilizations that might call these planets home. See article.
g Cosmicus - r the first time, scientists have demonstrated a version of the Doppler effect at an extremely small level - the rotation of an individual molecule. Rotational Doppler effect is used to determine the rotational velocity of planets and could now help study the properties of molecules. See article.
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Monday, May 16, 2011
How hot Jupiters flipped their orbits and exploring Canadian lakes to prepare for Mars
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Kapteyn’s Star, a M-type star less than 13 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A rare number of hot Jupiter planets orbit their stars in a direction opposite to the star's rotation. This violates basic ideas of planet and star formation. Now, new research may explain how these planets flipped their orbits. See article.
g Message - In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote the equation that put the search for alien civilizations on a scientific footing and launched the modern SETI movement. How do the numbers look today? See article. This article is from 2002.
g Cosmicus - How can the exploration of a Canadian lake, using deep-water submersibles, help NASA plan for the human exploration of Mars? See article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Kapteyn’s Star, a M-type star less than 13 light years from Earth? See article.
g Abodes - A rare number of hot Jupiter planets orbit their stars in a direction opposite to the star's rotation. This violates basic ideas of planet and star formation. Now, new research may explain how these planets flipped their orbits. See article.
g Message - In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake wrote the equation that put the search for alien civilizations on a scientific footing and launched the modern SETI movement. How do the numbers look today? See article. This article is from 2002.
g Cosmicus - How can the exploration of a Canadian lake, using deep-water submersibles, help NASA plan for the human exploration of Mars? See article.
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Sunday, May 15, 2011
New ways of finding rogue worlds and visualizing microbial interactions
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 - Some planets that roam the galaxy without a star to call home still may be able to host life. Finding such rogue planets is difficult, but new research suggests these wandering worlds could be detected by their atmospheric auroras. See article.
g Life - Scientists have developed a new method to visualize microbial interactions. The research could have numerous implications in studying microbial life on Earth and beyond. See article.
g Aftermath - Could humanity ever relate to an alien species? Consider the questioning context of these online speculations about why "Star Trek is human centered?" The latter is an interesting question, possibly creating a situation dealing with a prejudice on the behalf of the writers and producers. However, would a series completely dedicated to another species, such as the Romulans, be successful in a television market? Is it possible that the reasons it wouldn’t be might indicate humanity may care little about an alien species other than as a potential threat? See article.
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g Abodes - Some planets that roam the galaxy without a star to call home still may be able to host life. Finding such rogue planets is difficult, but new research suggests these wandering worlds could be detected by their atmospheric auroras. See article.
g Life - Scientists have developed a new method to visualize microbial interactions. The research could have numerous implications in studying microbial life on Earth and beyond. See article.
g Aftermath - Could humanity ever relate to an alien species? Consider the questioning context of these online speculations about why "Star Trek is human centered?" The latter is an interesting question, possibly creating a situation dealing with a prejudice on the behalf of the writers and producers. However, would a series completely dedicated to another species, such as the Romulans, be successful in a television market? Is it possible that the reasons it wouldn’t be might indicate humanity may care little about an alien species other than as a potential threat? See article.
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Methane sources on Mars and creating a believable alien species
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 images of the Nili Fossae region are helping scientists understand unique geological features in the area. Methane in Mars' atmosphere is enhanced over Nili Fossae, leading some scientists to believe that the gas is produced there. The origins of the Mars methane could be geological or perhaps even biological. See article.
g Life - A new book outlines the history, origin and evolution of the nematode, or roundworm. Nematodes have been around for at least 400 million years, play a key role in soil biology and help support much of the planet and animal life on Earth. See article.
g Imagining - No longer can a science fiction writer create a goo-dripping alien just because a story line requires an adversary from another planet to drop in on our unsuspecting world. The average reader is not going to buy into the B-rated movies of old; it takes more than an actor in a rubber mask for them to suspend their disbelief and enjoy a story or novel. Bringing an alien species into a novel requires a bit of planning and thought on the part of the writer. See column.
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g Abodes - New images of the Nili Fossae region are helping scientists understand unique geological features in the area. Methane in Mars' atmosphere is enhanced over Nili Fossae, leading some scientists to believe that the gas is produced there. The origins of the Mars methane could be geological or perhaps even biological. See article.
g Life - A new book outlines the history, origin and evolution of the nematode, or roundworm. Nematodes have been around for at least 400 million years, play a key role in soil biology and help support much of the planet and animal life on Earth. See article.
g Imagining - No longer can a science fiction writer create a goo-dripping alien just because a story line requires an adversary from another planet to drop in on our unsuspecting world. The average reader is not going to buy into the B-rated movies of old; it takes more than an actor in a rubber mask for them to suspend their disbelief and enjoy a story or novel. Bringing an alien species into a novel requires a bit of planning and thought on the part of the writer. See column.
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Friday, May 13, 2011
Nanoparticle food sources and potential habitability of Teegarden’s 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 Stars - What is the potential habitability of Teegarden’s Star, an M-type star a little more than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Life - New research has helped locate the source of iron that bacteria and tiny plants on the ocean floor use to survive. Deep sea hydrothermal vents release pyrite nanoparticles that are so small they become dispersed in the ocean to form a potential food source for life in the deep sea. See article.
g Message - When the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977, they each included a gold-plated phonograph record (a "golden record") of natural sounds, greetings in human voices, and a variety of music. The record cover has symbolic instructions that show how to use and understand the record, though scientists still debate whether other civilizations will be able to decipher them. For info on Voyager’s golden record, see article.
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g Stars - What is the potential habitability of Teegarden’s Star, an M-type star a little more than 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Life - New research has helped locate the source of iron that bacteria and tiny plants on the ocean floor use to survive. Deep sea hydrothermal vents release pyrite nanoparticles that are so small they become dispersed in the ocean to form a potential food source for life in the deep sea. See article.
g Message - When the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977, they each included a gold-plated phonograph record (a "golden record") of natural sounds, greetings in human voices, and a variety of music. The record cover has symbolic instructions that show how to use and understand the record, though scientists still debate whether other civilizations will be able to decipher them. For info on Voyager’s golden record, see article.
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Thursday, May 12, 2011
Deeper understanding of a diverse range of organisms and how SETI works
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 - What is the potential habitability of YZ Ceti, a M-type star about 12 light years from Earth? See article.
g Life - By analyzing seawater, scientists have unlocked information that may lead to a deeper understanding of a diverse range of organisms. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer.
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g Life - By analyzing seawater, scientists have unlocked information that may lead to a deeper understanding of a diverse range of organisms. See article.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer.
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
One of the earliest minerals formed in solar system discovered and calculating the Hoyle state
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 decades without success, scientists have now calculated the Hoyle state. The Hoyle state is an energy-rich form of the carbon nucleus and is the key to understanding the fusion reaction that leads from helium gas to carbon. Without this type of carbon nucleus, life might not exist. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have discovered a new mineral, krotite, which is one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. The finding could help astrobiologists understand how the Solar System formed and evolved, leading to conditions for a habitable Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - India is moving towards formally joining a me¬ga global initiative aimed at co¬nstructing the world’s lar¬ge¬st and most sensitive radio telescope that will help expl¬ore unknown territories in science. See article.
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g Stars - After decades without success, scientists have now calculated the Hoyle state. The Hoyle state is an energy-rich form of the carbon nucleus and is the key to understanding the fusion reaction that leads from helium gas to carbon. Without this type of carbon nucleus, life might not exist. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have discovered a new mineral, krotite, which is one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. The finding could help astrobiologists understand how the Solar System formed and evolved, leading to conditions for a habitable Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - India is moving towards formally joining a me¬ga global initiative aimed at co¬nstructing the world’s lar¬ge¬st and most sensitive radio telescope that will help expl¬ore unknown territories in science. See article.
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Calculating the Hoyle state and 2016 astrobiology mission options
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 - El Niño and its partner La Niña, the warm and cold phases in the eastern half of the tropical Pacific, play havoc with climate worldwide. Predicting El Niño events more than several months ahead is now routine, but predicting how it will change in a warming world has been hampered by the short instrumental record. An international team of climate scientists has now shown that annually resolved tree-ring records from North America, particularly from the Southwest, give a continuous representation of the intensity of El Niño events over the past 1100 years and can be used to improve El Niño prediction in climate models. See article.
g Life - After decades without success, scientists have now calculated the Hoyle state. The Hoyle state is an energy-rich form of the carbon nucleus and is the key to understanding the fusion reaction that leads from helium gas to carbon. Without this type of carbon nucleus, life might not exist. See article.
g Intelligence - Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have found. See article.
g Cosmicus - Three science investigations of interest to astrobiology are being considered for a 2016 NASA mission: to look at Mars' interior; study an extraterrestrial sea on Titan; or study a comet's nucleus in detail. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
g Abodes - El Niño and its partner La Niña, the warm and cold phases in the eastern half of the tropical Pacific, play havoc with climate worldwide. Predicting El Niño events more than several months ahead is now routine, but predicting how it will change in a warming world has been hampered by the short instrumental record. An international team of climate scientists has now shown that annually resolved tree-ring records from North America, particularly from the Southwest, give a continuous representation of the intensity of El Niño events over the past 1100 years and can be used to improve El Niño prediction in climate models. See article.
g Life - After decades without success, scientists have now calculated the Hoyle state. The Hoyle state is an energy-rich form of the carbon nucleus and is the key to understanding the fusion reaction that leads from helium gas to carbon. Without this type of carbon nucleus, life might not exist. See article.
g Intelligence - Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have found. See article.
g Cosmicus - Three science investigations of interest to astrobiology are being considered for a 2016 NASA mission: to look at Mars' interior; study an extraterrestrial sea on Titan; or study a comet's nucleus in detail. See article.
Get your SF book manuscript edited
Monday, May 09, 2011
Mars’ deep fractures and tourist trips around the Moon
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 - Newly released images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express show Nili Fossae, a system of deep fractures around the giant Isidis impact basin. Some of these incisions into the Martian crust are up to 500 m deep and probably formed at the same time as the basin. See article.
g Life - In 250 million years of insect evolution, the appearance of new wings is unprecedented. Transformations and losses of wings, yes, but additions, never. A team has shattered this belief by providing proof that the exuberant helmet of Membracidae, a group of insects related to cicadas, is in fact a third pair of profoundly modified wings. See article.
g Intelligence - Sleeping worms have much to teach people, a notion famously applied by the children's show "Sesame Street," in which Oscar the Grouch often reads bedtime stories to his pet worm Slimy. Based on research with their own worms, a team of neurobiologists at Brown University and several other institutions has now found that "Notch," a fundamental signaling pathway found in all animals, is directly involved in sleep in the nematode C. elegans. See article.
g Message - From the archives: Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See article.
g Cosmicus - Fifty years after the first American astronaut rocketed into space, one commercial spaceflight company is hoping to push the envelope even further, with tourist trips around the moon. And now they plan to use a bigger spaceship. See article.
g Learning - The second issue of the Astrobiology Graphic Novel is now available! Download the pdf or the mobile app! Issue #2 maintains the look and feel of the first issue, but this time the novel chronicles the history of our exploration of Mars. See article.
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g Abodes - Newly released images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express show Nili Fossae, a system of deep fractures around the giant Isidis impact basin. Some of these incisions into the Martian crust are up to 500 m deep and probably formed at the same time as the basin. See article.
g Life - In 250 million years of insect evolution, the appearance of new wings is unprecedented. Transformations and losses of wings, yes, but additions, never. A team has shattered this belief by providing proof that the exuberant helmet of Membracidae, a group of insects related to cicadas, is in fact a third pair of profoundly modified wings. See article.
g Intelligence - Sleeping worms have much to teach people, a notion famously applied by the children's show "Sesame Street," in which Oscar the Grouch often reads bedtime stories to his pet worm Slimy. Based on research with their own worms, a team of neurobiologists at Brown University and several other institutions has now found that "Notch," a fundamental signaling pathway found in all animals, is directly involved in sleep in the nematode C. elegans. See article.
g Message - From the archives: Should we modify the Drake Equation to account for civilizations which actually engage in deliberate interstellar transmission? See article.
g Cosmicus - Fifty years after the first American astronaut rocketed into space, one commercial spaceflight company is hoping to push the envelope even further, with tourist trips around the moon. And now they plan to use a bigger spaceship. See article.
g Learning - The second issue of the Astrobiology Graphic Novel is now available! Download the pdf or the mobile app! Issue #2 maintains the look and feel of the first issue, but this time the novel chronicles the history of our exploration of Mars. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Solar system’s oldest minerals and microbes on the Moon
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Abodes - In the May-June issue of the journal American Mineralogist, a team of scientists announced the discovery of the new mineral krotite, one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. It is the main component of an unusual inclusion embedded in a meteorite (NWA 1934), found in northwest Africa. These objects, known as refractory inclusions, are thought to be the first planetary materials formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets. See article.
g Life - New research is helping astrobiologists understand the end-Permian extinction, a dramatic biological crisis that profoundly affected the history of life on Earth. However, the new data indicates that this major extinction event may not have been catastrophic for some organisms. 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 - There has been a long-lived bit of Apollo Moon landing folklore that now appears to be a dead-end affair: microbes on the Moon. See article.
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g Abodes - In the May-June issue of the journal American Mineralogist, a team of scientists announced the discovery of the new mineral krotite, one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. It is the main component of an unusual inclusion embedded in a meteorite (NWA 1934), found in northwest Africa. These objects, known as refractory inclusions, are thought to be the first planetary materials formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets. See article.
g Life - New research is helping astrobiologists understand the end-Permian extinction, a dramatic biological crisis that profoundly affected the history of life on Earth. However, the new data indicates that this major extinction event may not have been catastrophic for some organisms. 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 - There has been a long-lived bit of Apollo Moon landing folklore that now appears to be a dead-end affair: microbes on the Moon. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Titan’s underground ocean and what we’ll learn about ourselves by finding 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 - Oddities in the rotation of Saturn's largest moon Titan might add to growing evidence that it harbors an underground ocean, researchers suggest. See article.
g Life - Over 100 million years ago, the understory of forests was dominated by plants from the class Equisetopsida. Now, only one genus from this once-diverse group survives. Now, scientists believe that the horsetail may be the oldest genus of land plant on Earth today. See article.
g Intelligence - Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers have found. See article.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See article. This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - China's state-run news outlets report that preparations of the country's first space station module, called Tiangong-1, are in full swing for a launch in the second half of this year and will be followed by an unpiloted spacecraft. See article.
g Aftermath - Are we alone? Aliens on Earth from the Epicurean Greek philosophers more than 2000 years ago to fiction writers of the late 19th century, people have speculated about the possibility that there might be other worlds which are home to alien life. Yet it is only with the gigantic telescopes and interplanetary probes of the space age that we finally have a realistic hope of answering the question. As we learn more about our own planet and the evolutionary history of terrestrial life we feel a stronger urge than ever to put it into context. Embarking on the search for extraterrestrial life pushes our technology and scientific understanding to the limits, but the quest is one we should not shirk. Finding life beyond our own planet would teach us things about ourselves we might never otherwise learn. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Abodes - Oddities in the rotation of Saturn's largest moon Titan might add to growing evidence that it harbors an underground ocean, researchers suggest. See article.
g Life - Over 100 million years ago, the understory of forests was dominated by plants from the class Equisetopsida. Now, only one genus from this once-diverse group survives. Now, scientists believe that the horsetail may be the oldest genus of land plant on Earth today. See article.
g Intelligence - Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers have found. See article.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See article. This article is from 2007.
g Cosmicus - China's state-run news outlets report that preparations of the country's first space station module, called Tiangong-1, are in full swing for a launch in the second half of this year and will be followed by an unpiloted spacecraft. See article.
g Aftermath - Are we alone? Aliens on Earth from the Epicurean Greek philosophers more than 2000 years ago to fiction writers of the late 19th century, people have speculated about the possibility that there might be other worlds which are home to alien life. Yet it is only with the gigantic telescopes and interplanetary probes of the space age that we finally have a realistic hope of answering the question. As we learn more about our own planet and the evolutionary history of terrestrial life we feel a stronger urge than ever to put it into context. Embarking on the search for extraterrestrial life pushes our technology and scientific understanding to the limits, but the quest is one we should not shirk. Finding life beyond our own planet would teach us things about ourselves we might never otherwise learn. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, May 06, 2011
How much SETI really costs and space-time vortex around Earth proven
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 - On Nov. 8, 2011, the asteroid 2005 YU55 will be making a relatively close flyby of Earth. There is no threat of a collision between the asteroid and our planet, but its approach will provide scientists with a close-up view of a 400-meter-wide space rock. See article.
g Life - The cactus is teaching scientists about the evolution of plant communities all over the world. See article.
g Message - SETI, the international organization which handles the search for electromagnetic transmissions from civilizations on distant planets, will shut down soon due to lack of funding. Sure, more pragmatic objectives have to be taken into consideration when budgeting, but heck a measly $2.5 million? If you’re not really sure what $2.5 million really means for SETI, then here’s a really well put together infographic by microcosmologist, which puts into perspective the sum across other sectors of the U.S. budget and other corporations. See article.
g Cosmicus - Results of the NASA's Gravity Probe B indicate that there is a space-time vortex around Earth and that its shape precisely matches the predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Two summer graduate courses from Montana State University will help teachers learn about the organisms and ecology of Yellowstone National Park's extreme environments, including the Park's connection to current research in astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the United States and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound. See article. This article is from 2004.
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g Abodes - On Nov. 8, 2011, the asteroid 2005 YU55 will be making a relatively close flyby of Earth. There is no threat of a collision between the asteroid and our planet, but its approach will provide scientists with a close-up view of a 400-meter-wide space rock. See article.
g Life - The cactus is teaching scientists about the evolution of plant communities all over the world. See article.
g Message - SETI, the international organization which handles the search for electromagnetic transmissions from civilizations on distant planets, will shut down soon due to lack of funding. Sure, more pragmatic objectives have to be taken into consideration when budgeting, but heck a measly $2.5 million? If you’re not really sure what $2.5 million really means for SETI, then here’s a really well put together infographic by microcosmologist, which puts into perspective the sum across other sectors of the U.S. budget and other corporations. See article.
g Cosmicus - Results of the NASA's Gravity Probe B indicate that there is a space-time vortex around Earth and that its shape precisely matches the predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Two summer graduate courses from Montana State University will help teachers learn about the organisms and ecology of Yellowstone National Park's extreme environments, including the Park's connection to current research in astrobiology. See article.
g Aftermath - Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether extraterrestrial life exists, but if ET is smart enough to do long division — and the United States and other world governments already have detailed secret plans for first contact. My apologies in advanced for Popular Mechanic’s lurid title, but the reporting is sound. See article. This article is from 2004.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Mourning SETI’s shut down and commercial spaceflight craft passes key test
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 spiral galaxy with a dramatic lopsided shape is featured in contrasting views from two telescopes. See article.
g Abodes - Pumice, the rock used remove dry skin from feet, could have been responsible for the birth of life on Earth, scientists have claimed. See article.
g Life - Rice originated in China, a team of genome researchers has concluded in a study tracing back thousands of years of evolutionary history through large-scale gene re-sequencing. Their findings, which appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), indicate that domesticated rice may have first appeared as far back as approximately 9,000 years ago in the Yangtze Valley of China. Previous research suggested domesticated rice may have two points of origin -- India as well as China. See article.
g Message - I understand priorities must be set and all spending must be looked at with a critical eye. Still, it is a bit sad that the giant array of radio telescopes in California that are used to search for extraterrestrial life have been closed due to lack of funding. It’s like we’re saying, “ET, we’ve been disconnected. Don’t bother to phone.” See article.
g Cosmicus - A private spaceship built to carry space tourists on suborbital flights for the company Virgin Galactic passed a major glide test flight while flying over California's Mojave Desert on May 4: The spacecraft tested out the novel system it will use when re-entering Earth's atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Book alert: You may have to really scour used book stores for this one: 1976’s “ETI: The First Encounter” considers the consequences to man's view of himself and his world of the first proven contact — when it comes — with beings from another planet. Edited by James L. Christian, this book led the way in reflecting on the next stage in man's gradual self-discovery. See the table of contents and ISBN number.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - A spiral galaxy with a dramatic lopsided shape is featured in contrasting views from two telescopes. See article.
g Abodes - Pumice, the rock used remove dry skin from feet, could have been responsible for the birth of life on Earth, scientists have claimed. See article.
g Life - Rice originated in China, a team of genome researchers has concluded in a study tracing back thousands of years of evolutionary history through large-scale gene re-sequencing. Their findings, which appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), indicate that domesticated rice may have first appeared as far back as approximately 9,000 years ago in the Yangtze Valley of China. Previous research suggested domesticated rice may have two points of origin -- India as well as China. See article.
g Message - I understand priorities must be set and all spending must be looked at with a critical eye. Still, it is a bit sad that the giant array of radio telescopes in California that are used to search for extraterrestrial life have been closed due to lack of funding. It’s like we’re saying, “ET, we’ve been disconnected. Don’t bother to phone.” See article.
g Cosmicus - A private spaceship built to carry space tourists on suborbital flights for the company Virgin Galactic passed a major glide test flight while flying over California's Mojave Desert on May 4: The spacecraft tested out the novel system it will use when re-entering Earth's atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Book alert: You may have to really scour used book stores for this one: 1976’s “ETI: The First Encounter” considers the consequences to man's view of himself and his world of the first proven contact — when it comes — with beings from another planet. Edited by James L. Christian, this book led the way in reflecting on the next stage in man's gradual self-discovery. See the table of contents and ISBN number.
g Aftermath - As SETI's scientists plan for their first contact with other worlds, who better to consult with than anthropologists, who specialize in encounters with exotic cultures? And thus, over the past several years the SETI Institute has repeatedly brought together anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines, in an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and extraterrestrials. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Looking for aliens in all the exotic places and convergent evolution in lichens
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 phenomenon known as “magnetic reconnection” is responsible for much of the space weather that affects Earth. NASA is now preparing a new mission dedicated to studying this dynamic magnetic system and its influence on our planet. See article.
g Life - New research has outlined a case of convergent evolution in two lichen species from separate continents. The study is helping scientists understand mechanisms behind the evolution of life. See article.
g Intelligence - The human eye long ago solved a problem common to both digital and film cameras: how to get good contrast in an image while also capturing faint detail. See article.
g Message - The sad shut down of SETI due to lack of funding brings a major halt to the search for aliens, unplugging the voice and ears which have been doing the search until now. But perhaps we should start thinking outside the box, and start looking for aliens in more exotic places. See article.
g Learning - NASA has made available for the public a new online collection of images of our solar system and locations on Earth where astrobiology researchers travel to conduct field research.
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g Abodes - A phenomenon known as “magnetic reconnection” is responsible for much of the space weather that affects Earth. NASA is now preparing a new mission dedicated to studying this dynamic magnetic system and its influence on our planet. See article.
g Life - New research has outlined a case of convergent evolution in two lichen species from separate continents. The study is helping scientists understand mechanisms behind the evolution of life. See article.
g Intelligence - The human eye long ago solved a problem common to both digital and film cameras: how to get good contrast in an image while also capturing faint detail. See article.
g Message - The sad shut down of SETI due to lack of funding brings a major halt to the search for aliens, unplugging the voice and ears which have been doing the search until now. But perhaps we should start thinking outside the box, and start looking for aliens in more exotic places. See article.
g Learning - NASA has made available for the public a new online collection of images of our solar system and locations on Earth where astrobiology researchers travel to conduct field research.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Finding Mars in Morocco and what aliens would find of they ran into the Voyager 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 Abodes - From the deepest past to the present day, the deserts of Morocco provide a panorama of life’s history on Earth and give us insight for our investigations of Mars. See article.
g Life - Box jellyfish may seem like rather simple creatures, but in fact their visual system is anything but. They've got no fewer than 24 eyes of four different kinds. Now, researchers reporting online on April 28 in Current Biology, have evidence revealing that four of those eyes always peer up out of the water, regardless of the way the rest of the animal is oriented. What's more, it appears that those eyes allow the jellies to navigate their way around the mangrove swamps in which they live. See article.
g Intelligence - It's one thing to recognize your childhood home when you see it in a photograph and quite another to accurately describe or draw a picture of it based on your recollection of how it looked. A new report published online in Current Biology, offers some of the first clear evidence that monkeys, like humans, have the capacity for both forms of memory. See article.
g Message - The chances of aliens finding Voyager 1 and 2 in the emptiness of space are small. If they do, the two spacecraft could speak volumes about their planet of origin - Earth. See article.
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g Abodes - From the deepest past to the present day, the deserts of Morocco provide a panorama of life’s history on Earth and give us insight for our investigations of Mars. See article.
g Life - Box jellyfish may seem like rather simple creatures, but in fact their visual system is anything but. They've got no fewer than 24 eyes of four different kinds. Now, researchers reporting online on April 28 in Current Biology, have evidence revealing that four of those eyes always peer up out of the water, regardless of the way the rest of the animal is oriented. What's more, it appears that those eyes allow the jellies to navigate their way around the mangrove swamps in which they live. See article.
g Intelligence - It's one thing to recognize your childhood home when you see it in a photograph and quite another to accurately describe or draw a picture of it based on your recollection of how it looked. A new report published online in Current Biology, offers some of the first clear evidence that monkeys, like humans, have the capacity for both forms of memory. See article.
g Message - The chances of aliens finding Voyager 1 and 2 in the emptiness of space are small. If they do, the two spacecraft could speak volumes about their planet of origin - Earth. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, May 02, 2011
Voyager probes set to leave solar system and Star Trek’s Kaylar
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 from Wales and the Netherlands, in collaboration with five schools, have used eight telescopes simultaneously to study the strange behaviour of an X-ray binary star system. See article.
g Life - Two groups of small fish, one from a Caribbean island and one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, exhibit some of the fastest rates of evolution known in any organism, according to a new study. See article.
g Intelligence - Changes in brain anatomy and the resulting ability to fully exploit electric signal space did indeed lead to rapid speciation, according to a new study. See article.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial life need not be limited to the government or scientists. Don’t believe it? Then check out this Web site, “Amateur SETI: Project BAMBI (Bob and Mike’s Big Investment),” which describes the design and construction of a 4 GHz amateur radio telescope dedicated to SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are the longest continuously-operating spacecraft in deep space. They have provided invaluable information about the nature of our solar system and the planets it contains. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Kaylar, a Star Trek alien from “The Original Series’ pilot episode, “The Cage,” exist? Like the Gorn, this alien appears to be drawn from our nightmares and hence serves a more dramatic effect than offering any speculation on exobiology. A tall humanoid with intriguing jaw features, skinny legs and broad shoulders, the Kaylar on Rigel VII is reminiscent of a barbarian warrior or an ogre. Brushing aside the nearly impossible parallel evolution between Earth and the Kaylar’s home world for such a creature to come about, there are a couple of possible ways that it could have gained its great height and skinny legs. Its planet might have lighter gravity, which means an indigent alien wouldn’t fall as hard as we do on Earth; hence the supporting legs would not need to be as strong to hold up a little more weight than the typical human. In addition, we might speculate that as a humanoid, the Kaylar shared a similar primate evolution as humans, so possibly the savannah grass of its continental cradle simply was taller than on the African plain during the past few million years; that would have given taller proto-Kaylar an evolutionary advantage. Still, the Kaylar appears to be an unlikely alien.
g Aftermath - From the archives: There’s a neat transcription of a video conference interview with Dr. Frank Drake (whose famous equation this site is organized after), conducted by the class members of Penn State’s "Space Colonization” class. Drake touches on a variety of SETI topics, including the philosophical implication of extraterrestrial contact. The interview took place in 2001.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers from Wales and the Netherlands, in collaboration with five schools, have used eight telescopes simultaneously to study the strange behaviour of an X-ray binary star system. See article.
g Life - Two groups of small fish, one from a Caribbean island and one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, exhibit some of the fastest rates of evolution known in any organism, according to a new study. See article.
g Intelligence - Changes in brain anatomy and the resulting ability to fully exploit electric signal space did indeed lead to rapid speciation, according to a new study. See article.
g Message - The search for extraterrestrial life need not be limited to the government or scientists. Don’t believe it? Then check out this Web site, “Amateur SETI: Project BAMBI (Bob and Mike’s Big Investment),” which describes the design and construction of a 4 GHz amateur radio telescope dedicated to SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are the longest continuously-operating spacecraft in deep space. They have provided invaluable information about the nature of our solar system and the planets it contains. See article.
g Imagining - Could the Kaylar, a Star Trek alien from “The Original Series’ pilot episode, “The Cage,” exist? Like the Gorn, this alien appears to be drawn from our nightmares and hence serves a more dramatic effect than offering any speculation on exobiology. A tall humanoid with intriguing jaw features, skinny legs and broad shoulders, the Kaylar on Rigel VII is reminiscent of a barbarian warrior or an ogre. Brushing aside the nearly impossible parallel evolution between Earth and the Kaylar’s home world for such a creature to come about, there are a couple of possible ways that it could have gained its great height and skinny legs. Its planet might have lighter gravity, which means an indigent alien wouldn’t fall as hard as we do on Earth; hence the supporting legs would not need to be as strong to hold up a little more weight than the typical human. In addition, we might speculate that as a humanoid, the Kaylar shared a similar primate evolution as humans, so possibly the savannah grass of its continental cradle simply was taller than on the African plain during the past few million years; that would have given taller proto-Kaylar an evolutionary advantage. Still, the Kaylar appears to be an unlikely alien.
g Aftermath - From the archives: There’s a neat transcription of a video conference interview with Dr. Frank Drake (whose famous equation this site is organized after), conducted by the class members of Penn State’s "Space Colonization” class. Drake touches on a variety of SETI topics, including the philosophical implication of extraterrestrial contact. The interview took place in 2001.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Earth-sized planet dense as lead and the search for ETI down under
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 - Were spinstars the universe's first polluters? The imprints of fast rotating massive stars have been found in the Milky Way's bulge. See article.
g Abodes - New observations of '55 Cancri e' indicate that the planet is 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth, but eight times more massive. The data also indicates that 55 Cancri e orbits so close to its star that it is baked to a temperature of 4,900 degrees F. See article.
g Life - Amphibian declines around the world have forced many species to the brink of extinction, are much more complex than realized and have multiple causes that are still not fully understood, researchers conclude in a new report. See article.
g Intelligence - Could veterans of war, rape victims and other people who have seen horrific crimes someday have the traumatic memories that haunt them weakened in their brains? In a new study, UCLA life scientists report a discovery that may make the reduction of such memories a reality. See article.
g Message - What are our friends south of the equator doing in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence? After all, the Northern Hemisphere only covers half of the galaxy. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Were spinstars the universe's first polluters? The imprints of fast rotating massive stars have been found in the Milky Way's bulge. See article.
g Abodes - New observations of '55 Cancri e' indicate that the planet is 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth, but eight times more massive. The data also indicates that 55 Cancri e orbits so close to its star that it is baked to a temperature of 4,900 degrees F. See article.
g Life - Amphibian declines around the world have forced many species to the brink of extinction, are much more complex than realized and have multiple causes that are still not fully understood, researchers conclude in a new report. See article.
g Intelligence - Could veterans of war, rape victims and other people who have seen horrific crimes someday have the traumatic memories that haunt them weakened in their brains? In a new study, UCLA life scientists report a discovery that may make the reduction of such memories a reality. See article.
g Message - What are our friends south of the equator doing in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence? After all, the Northern Hemisphere only covers half of the galaxy. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
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