Luyten 726-8 AB, exploring Europa via the Arctic and “Perfect Planet”

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Luyten 726-8 AB is the sixth closest system to Sol. Might it support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/luy726-8.htm.
g Abodes - If you're looking for life beyond Earth, Jupiter's ice-encased moon, Europa, beckons as one of the solar system's most promising destinations. If you're looking for a possible analog to Europa on Earth, then head for frigid Ellesmere Island above the Arctic Circle. See http://www.astrobiology.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=20169.
g Life - Book alert: “Perfect Planet, Clever Species: How Unique Are We?” by William C. Burger, is a sweeping, fascinating look at the history of life on what might be the rarest of planetary jewels. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591020166/10405941167186310?v=glance&n=283155.
g Intelligence - The complexity of the brain and, more specifically, how nerve cells form billions of contacts when there are fewer than 30,000 human genes is still a scientific mystery. A research team appears to have answered that question. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050425204640.htm.
g Message - In late 1997, after almost 40 years of operation, the Ohio State University Radio Observatory and its "Big Ear" radio telescope — which picked up the famous “Wow!” signal — ceased operation. The land on which the observatory was sitting (owned by the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio) was sold in 1983 to land developers who later claimed their rights to develop the property. The telescope was destroyed in early 1998. For a Web page memorial to Big Ear, see http://www.bigear.org/.
g Cosmicus - Plenty of books have been written about living in space, but they tend to concentrate on the past experience of people who have stayed in orbit. These people have nearly all been in the unusual situation of doing scientific research. And they have all undergone extensive selection and training, because going to orbit is so expensive today that it would be very wasteful if they were ill or failed to do some of their planned work. And so they've mostly been very busy all the time. So most books don't say much about how it will be for people to live in space for fun, for example in an orbiting hotel. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/living.shtml.
g Learning - The research scientists aren’t the only ones getting excited about astrobiology. This new discipline has tremendous potential for revolutionizing science education. It is rich with exciting content to engage those who generally don’t consider themselves scientifically oriented, and also for opening the ears and minds of adults who may want a new reason to visit their local science center. See http://www.terc.edu/handsonIssues/f00/asbellclarke.html. Note: This article is from 2000.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "Propagandist," published in the Aug. 1947 issue of Astounding.
g Aftermath - If SETI is successful in detecting an extraterrestrial civilization, it will raise the question of whether and how humanity should attempt to communicate with the other civilization. How should that decision be made? What should be the content of such a message? Who should decide? The same questions would apply to proposals that signals be sent in the absence of detection, in the hope that they might be detected by an extraterrestrial civilization. See http://www.iaanet.org/p_papers/seti.html. Note: This paper was presented in October 1995.

Alpha Canis Majoris, trawling for planets and “Planetary Dreams”

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Also known as Alpha Canis Majoris, Sirius is the fifth closest system to Sol, at 8.6 light-years away. Might it support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/sirius2.htm.
g Abodes - An international team of professional and amateur astronomers, using simple off-the-shelf equipment to trawl the skies for planets outside our solar system, has hauled in its first "catch." See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1968&mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Book alert: Are we alone, literally freaks of nature, just one planet of living, breathing things amidst a seemingly infinite, lifeless desert? This is one of the big questions posed by human nature, one that we have traditionally looked to religion to answer, but that is now coming within the grasp of science. Despite - or perhaps because - of this, we find increasing opposition to allocating resources to space exploration. Biochemist Robert Shapiro is an unabashed supporter of this research, and his book “Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth” is both a compelling response to the stay-at-homes and a pleasantly readable overview of what we know and don't know about the origin of life here and elsewhere. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471179361/104059411671863
10v=glance&n=283155.
g Intelligence - A group of monkeys have shown a similar ability to humans in telling the difference between large and small groups of dots, according to a recent study by Duke University researchers. See http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051102_monkey_math.html.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: James Gunn’s novel “The Listeners,” published by Signet in 1972. This offers a good early portrayal of a scientifically reasonable search.
g Cosmicus - Thousands of tiny fruit flies soon will journey into space to help NASA scientists better understand changes in the human immune system caused by space flight. See http://www.
astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=
article&sid=2001&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - Looking for an overview of the astrobiological field? Try "Introduction to Exobiology", which explores the field from a lay perspective and includes a self-test. It's part of the Cruising Chemistry project at Duke.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Arthur C. Clarke’s short story "Loophole," appearing in the April 1946 issue of Astounding.
g Aftermath - Humans live and die by approximations. We are seldom as perfect or as accurate as we would like to be. And as we contemplate what we might say to an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, maybe that's a point we should emphasize. See http://seti.astrobio.net/news/article10.html.

Get your SF book manuscript edited

Lalande 21185, measuring planet rotation and astrobiology smörgåsbord

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Lalande 21185 is the fourth system closest to Sol after Alpha Centauri 3, Barnard's Star and Wolf 359. Might it support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/la21185.htm.
g Abodes - Measuring the rotation period of a rocky planet like the Earth is easy, but similar measurements for planets made of gas, such as Saturn, pose problems. Researchers present new results in this week's Nature that may solve the mystery. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0605/03saturn/.
g Life - In early May, astrobiologists gathered in Sweden to sample smörgåsbord and to discuss planetary, space and life sciences. While there is already an astrobiology network for Europeans – the European Astrobiology Network Association – the shared culture and geography of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark, and also the Baltic States and Russia, make a Nordic astrobiology community necessary as well. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1974&amp
mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - A new study of 8,000 people age 2 to 90 found females handle timed tasks more quickly than males. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060425_boys_girls.html.
g Message - Here’s a famous 1960 article from Freeman John Dyson: “Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation.” See http://www.islandone.org/LEOBiblio/SETI1.HTM.
g Cosmicus - NASA has teamed up with two universities to study ways to reduce the adverse effects of space travel has on astronauts' physical heath. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.ph
pop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1933mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Learning - Americans love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? See http://www.astrobio.net
/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=1032.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s short story "Victory Unintentional," published in the Aug. 1942 edition of Super Science Stories.
g Aftermath - If we hear from ET, not only can we expect his civilization to be an old one with a great time lag in correspondence, a SETI astronomer says. Could this limit the impact of extraterrestrial contact upon humanity? See http://www.space.com
/searchforlife/seti_long_distance_011227.html. Note: This article is from December 2001.

Wolfe 359, human-chimp evolutionary split and reusing old spacecraft parts

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The extremely faint star Wolfe 359 is the third closest to Sol after Alpha Centauri 3 and Barnard's Star. Might it support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/wolf359.htm.
g Abodes - The explosive force of a large asteroid impact would kill anyone unlucky enough to be nearby, and the craters they leave behind can serve as a reminder for the dangers that still lurk in our solar system. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1947mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - NASA is spending billions of dollars to search for life on Mars, the most Earth-like of our sister planets. But we may not need to go all the way to Mars to find another sample of life, says one astrobiologist. It could be lurking under our very noses. See http://www.justpacific.com/bits.
g Intelligence - Genome comparisons reveal that the evolutionary split between humans and chimpanzees may have been more recent and more convoluted than expected. See http://www.astrobio.net/
news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid
=1967&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Message - Contrary to a SETI astronomer’s prediction a few weeks ago that we’re about 25 years from receiving an extraterrestrial signal, during an August 2004 symposium at Harvard searchers for life in the universe concluded that we've got a long, long way to go. See http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1322_1.asp.
g Cosmicus - Engineers at NASA's Independent Verification and Validation facility are examining the feasibility of reusing portions of old NASA spacecraft systems software for new missions. One of the goals of the effort is to determine whether using that old software would actually save the agency time and money. See http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060417.html.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Jellyplants on Mars.” Scientists are creating a new breed of glowing plants - part mustard and part jellyfish - to help humans explore Mars. In this lesson, students learn about the plants and bioregeneration. See http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/01jun01/corner.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Harry Turtledove’s novel “Worldwar: In the Balance,” published by Del Rey in 1992.
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0E-D59B-4CD0-9E79-113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.

Barnard’s Star, hot Jupiters and BabyBot

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Barnard's Star, an old and very dim red dwarf, was once thought to have two Jupiter-class planets. Might this star support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/barnards.htm.
g Abodes - Habitable, Earth-like planets can form even after giant planets have barrelled through their birthplace on epic migrations towards their host stars, new computer simulations suggest. The finding contradicts early ideas of how planets behave and suggests future space missions should search for terrestrial planets near known "hot Jupiters." See http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8928-hot-jupiters-do-not-rule-out-alien-earths.html.
g Life - Comfortable living is not why so many different life forms seem to converge at the warmer areas of the planet. See http://
www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&
file=article&sid=1978&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - BabyBot, a robot modeled on the torso of a two year-old child, is helping researchers take the first, tottering steps towards understanding human perception, and could lead to the development of machines that can perceive and interact with their environment. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop
=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1946mode=thread&order
=0&thold=0.
g Message - Here’s an intriguing hypothesis concerning the nature of extraterrestrial messages to Earth. It is based on the assumptions that aliens exist in abundance in the galaxy, that they are benevolent toward Earth-based life forms and that the lack of any human detection of extraterrestrials is due to an embargo designed to prevent any premature disclosure of their existence. It is argued that any embargo not involving alien force must be a leaky one designed to allow a gradual disclosure of the alien message and its gradual acceptance on the part of the general public over a very long time-scale. The communication may take the form of what is now considered magic, and may therefore be misinterpreted as “magic” or a hoax by contemporary governments and scientists. See http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgibin/nphbib_querybibcode=1986QJR
AS..27...94D&db_key=AST.
g Cosmicus - Podcast: In Part II of Radio Astrobiology’s in-depth interview with the director of science for the European Space Agency, host Simon Mitton discusses astrobiology and its exploration frontiers. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload
&name=News&file=article&sid=1926mode=thread&order=0
&thold=0.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity that examines if yeast, a common yet tenacious microbe, can survive boiling water, salt, UV radiation and citric acid? Students find out for themselves by creating "Planets in a Bottle" which illustrate extreme conditions on other worlds. See http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad16mar99_1a.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story "To Marry Medusa," appearing in the Aug. 1958 issue of Galaxy.
g Aftermath - Book alert: “Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications, by Steven J. Dick (editor), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail//1890151424/qid
=/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/1039154374-8730217v=glance.

Dark energy, habitable planet sizes and ‘Vital Dust’

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - For centuries, humans have looked to the heavens for their gods and goddesses and clues for finding the nature of the universe. Now, the largest ever-produced map of the universe gives those lost in the dark some direction, but is also confirms that the universe is full of dark energy, a strange force pushing galaxies apart at ever faster speeds. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060515_map_heavens.html.
g Abodes - A moon or planet with about 10 percent the Earth's mass has enough gravity to retain water vapor and other gases in a temperate atmosphere (As a counterexample, Venus has enough gravity but is much too hot to retain water - the speed of water molecules in the atmosphere exceeds the escape velocity of the planet.). Mars-sized or larger moons may therefore be able to sustain both atmosphere and liquid water, if their host planet is not too far from the star. See http://www.physorg.com/news65376545.html.
g Life - Book Alert: “Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative,” by C. De Duve is about the history of life on Earth -- from its birth, shrouded in the depths of the past, to the variegated pageantry of living beings that cover our planet today. It is the most extraordinary adventure in the known universe, an adventure that has produced a species capable of influencing in decisive fashion the future unfolding of the natural process by which it was born. See http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=6991411.
g Intelligence - Several scientific studies have determined that light on the eye’s retina is the primary synchronizer of human circadian rhythms, the biological cycles that repeat approximately every 24 hours. Both the visual system and the circadian system respond to light as it is processed through photoreceptors in the retina. Similar light sources can have similar effects on each system, but recent research demonstrates that similar light sources can also affect each system very differently. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060425015333.htm.
g Cosmicus - To get a feel for why using solar energy delivered from space is a good idea it helps if you use a little imagination and envisage where it will lead - the world humans will live in when solar power satellites are a major energy source. Then it's easier to understand why it would obviously be a good direction for technological development to aim at today - instead of being almost completely ignored! See http://www.spacefuture.com/power/business.shtml.
g Learning - There are some great teacher resources on space biology at http://www.spacebio.net/modules/index.html. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s short story "Nobody Saw The Ship," anthologized in “The Big Book of Science Fiction,” edited by Groff Conklin and published by Crown in 1950.
g Aftermath - Add one more worry to the computerized world of the 21st century. Could a signal from the stars broadcast by an alien intelligence also carry harmful information, in the spirit of a computer virus? Could star folk launch a "disinformation" campaign -- one that covers up aspects of their culture? Perhaps they might even mask the "real" intent of dispatching a message to other civilizations scattered throughout the Cosmos. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/space_hackers_031111.html. Note: This article is from 2003.

Sol’s nearest neighbor, water on Mars, promise of space tourism

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - What is the closest star system to Earth, and might it support habitable planets? See http://www.solstation.com/stars/alp-cent3.htm.
g Abodes - Layered terrains on Mars discovered by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft bear a striking resemblance to sedimentary deposits here on Earth that form under water. Liquid water is scarce on Mars nowadays, but it might have been common four billion years ago. If these Martian layers turn out to have a watery origin, as some scientists suspect, they could hold the key to the mysterious history of water (and maybe even life) on the Red Planet. See http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23
jan_1.htm. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - If "E.T." is out there, whether in the form of intelligent beings or much simpler organisms, we may soon be hot on its trail. For the first time in history, the dream of searching for signs of life in other solar systems belongs not only on the philosopher's wish list but also on the list of doable and planned human endeavors. See http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/10jan_exo-atmospheres.htm?list505529. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - Dartmouth researchers are learning more about the effects of alcohol on the brain. They've discovered more about how the brain works to mask or suppress the impact that alcohol has on motor skills, like reaching for and manipulating objects. In other words, the researchers are learning how people process visual information in concert with motor performance while under the influence of alcohol. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060426000314.htm.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: Robert Sawyer’s “Factoring Humanity,” published in 1998 by Tor. In this novel, a radio message from the direction of the nearby star Alpha Centauri helps humanity get in touch with both another civilization and itself.
g Cosmicus - Until space tourism becomes a substantial business space activities, including particularly all crewed space activities, will remain a burden on taxpayers. But some argue that no activity other than tourism offers similar promise of turning space activities into profitable commercial activities in the foreseeable future. See http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/taxes.shtml.
g Learning - In this interview, David Grinspoon talks about his job as the first-ever curator of astrobiology for a museum. While there are no alien artifacts yet available for display, there are many ways a museum can feature the various facets of astrobiology. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1966&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “Expedition to Earth,” published by Ballantine in 1953.
g Aftermath - How to predict reactions to receipt of evidence for an otherworldly intelligence? Some scientists argue that any unpredictable outcomes can only be judged against our own history. See http://seti.astrobio.net/news/article118.html.

How Super Earths form, searching for life in Jovian satellites and science fiction’s treatment of astrobiology

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A new explanation for forming super-Earths suggests that they are more likely to be found orbiting red dwarf stars — the most abundant type of star - than gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. The theory, by Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, describes a mechanism whereby UV radiation from a nearby massive star strips off a planet's gaseous envelope, exposing a super-Earth. See http://www.astrobio.net
/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=
1990&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - One of the primary goals of astrobiology is to determine how common habitable planets are. Most astrobiologists expect that habitable planets would likely be terrestrial planets—small, rocky planets like Earth, Mars, or Venus—rather than gas giants such as Jupiter. Now scientist Charley Lineweaver and student Daniel Grether, both of the University of New South Wales in Australia, have estimated the number of terrestrial planets in our Milky Way galaxy: Up to 30 billion. See http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/news/expand
news.cfmid=1227.
g Life - Mars and the ice-covered satellites of Jupiter are currently the most favorable sites for the search of extraterrestrial life. The motivation for the search for life in the Solar System is the evidence of liquid water in the early history of Mars and, at present, in the interior of at least two of the galilean satellites (Callisto and Europa). Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without direct solar energy. Similar possible geologic activity on Europa, caused by tidal heating and decay of radioactive elements, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the distribution of life in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's likely degree of evolution, and discuss a possible experimental test. The total lack of understanding of the distribution of extraterrestrial life is particularly troublesome. Nevertheless, technical ability to search for extraterrestrial intelligence, by means of radioastronomy, has led to remarkable technological advances. In spite of this success, the theoretical bases for the distribution of life in the universe are still missing. The search for life in the Jovian satellites can provide a first step towards the still missing theoretical insight. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss2.html.
g Intelligence - A forensic anthropologist at Middle Tennessee State University is one of a select number of scientists to participate in the examination of a skeleton that could force historians to rewrite the story of the entire North American continent. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060425183740.htm.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: Carl Sagan’s “Contact,” published by Simon & Schuster in 1985. In this story, the discovery of radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence leads humanity to re-evaluate its self-image. The heroine is loosely based on Jill Tarter, the scientist who leads one of the major scientific searches for signals today.
g Cosmicus - The idea of tourism in space is the central story line in a number of well-known and not-so-well-known science fiction stories. It also plays a significant part in a number of other stories, and gets some sort of mention in even more. See http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/sciencefiction.shtml.
g Learning - How are key concepts of astrobiology treated in science fiction? See http://www.ibiblio.org/astrobiology/index.phppage=lesson05. Note: This article is from 2001 and intended to be used as part of a classroom lesson.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s short story "Nothing for Nothing," published in the Feb. 1979 issue of IASFM.
g Aftermath - Would dutiful American citizens trust the government to handle first contact with extraterrestrials and rush to get information to the public? See http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Jun-11-Fri-1999/news/11331065.html. Note: This article is from 1999.

Supernova-hiding star, potentially habitable planets and water on Mars

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A star once hidden by a stellar death shroud is the source of odd behavior of its companion supernova, a new study has found. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060504_super
nova_companion.html.
g Abodes - Chances are you haven't spent a whole lot of time wondering how many Jupiter-like planets exist in our galaxy. But Charley Lineweaver has, because it bears on a more important question: How many potentially habitable planets are there? See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/jupiter_
typical_020128.html. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas has measured water evaporation rates under Mars-like conditions, and their findings favor the presence of surface water on the planet. Water on the planet's surface makes the existence of past or present life on Mars a little more likely. See http://www.spacedaily.com/
news/mars-water-science-03o.html.
g Intelligence - The shapes of letters in all languages are derived from common forms in nature, according to a new hypothesis. The idea, in some ways seemingly obvious and innately human, arose however from a study of how robots see the world. See http://www.
livescience.com/othernews/060425_letter_shapes.html.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: C. Zerwick’s and H. Brown’s “The Cassiopeia Affair,” published in 1968 by Curtis. In this novel, an exploration of the effects that an alien radio message might have on Earth. One of the authors is a geochemist.
g Cosmicus - A lot of people think you need to be a superman to survive the trip to orbit, or to live there. But it's not true. This is just a myth - largely based on fictional stories and movies from before the first space flight was made. (Remember Tintin and friends blacking out? Or the strained expressions on people's faces in old space movies?) The fact is that acceleration of even several Gs is no problem at all so long as you're lying on your back. It doesn't hurt. It's not even hard to breathe. It's like having a baby lying on your chest. But it's not uncomfortable so long as you're lying on something soft. And there's no need for an individually contoured couch! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/healthfitness.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity that examines if yeast, a common yet tenacious microbe, can survive boiling water, salt, UV radiation and citric acid? Students find out for themselves by creating "Planets in a Bottle" which illustrate extreme conditions on other worlds. See http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad16mar99_1a.htm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story "Killdozer," published in the November 1944 edition of Astounding.
g Aftermath - What would an intelligent signal from another planet change about human destiny? This large question is the topic of the book “The SETI Factor,” by Frank White, who also analyzes how to announce such an historic finding and whether it would unite or divide nations. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article646.html. Note: This article is from 2003.

Monstrous stars, exploring Europa and evolutionary biomarkers

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists have secured their first look at the birth of monstrous stars that shine 100,000 times more brightly than the Sun, thanks to the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0605/02monstrous/.
g Abodes - Europa remains a tantalizing target for astrobiologists - but what would be the best way to investigate the mysterious moon? In this interview, Karl Hibbitts describes a proposed hyper-velocity impactor that would smack right into Europa’s outer ice shell. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1944mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - In view of the substantial challenges ahead in instrumentation and trials on Earth analogs, we must now begin to plan a second generation of feasible evolutionary experiments with whole microorganisms. In those new experiments universal evolutionary biomarkers should be searched for. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss5.html.
g Intelligence - Humans have an uncanny ability to skim through text, instantly recognizing words by their shape--even though writing developed only about 6000 years ago - long after humans evolved. Thus, neuroscientists have hotly debated whether an area of the cortex called the Visual Word Form Area is truly a specific and necessary area for recognizing words. See http://www.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422122127.htm.
g Message - A lot of science fiction doesn’t offer a particularly accurate description of SETI. Here’s one piece that does: Norman Spinrad’s short story "The Helping Hand," anthologized in “Full Spectrum 3,” (edited by Lou Aronica, et al., 1991, Bantam). In this story, an alien message unites humanity, but turns out to be a benevolent lie.
g Cosmicus - The first accommodation in orbit available to the public won't be a real "hotel" - it's more likely just to be rooms in pre-fabricated cylindrical modules connected together, because this is the easiest way to start. However, it will gradually grow in quantity and quality to include more elaborate facilities constructed in orbit - eventually including full-scale hotels and even apartment blocks. Starting at thousands of dollars per night, costs will fall continually as the volume grows, and it's likely that guests will choose to stay for longer and longer. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/accommodation.shtml.
g Learning - Are you thinking of a career in SETI? Get the low-down at http://www.setileague.org/articles/getinto.htm. Note: This article is from 1998.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye’s “Treaty at Doona,” published by Ace in 1994.
g Aftermath - What affect would the discovery of alien life have on the story-telling genre that inspires the search for it — science fiction? See http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue388/cassutt.html.

Star spinning out of control, carbon-based life and how SETI works

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A team of astronomers have been baffled by a star spinning out of control. See http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/
display.var.746544.0.mystery_over_star_thats_out_of_control.
php.
g Abodes - Astronomers on alien planets almost certainly have the Earth listed as a world teeming with life, a leading scientist says. See http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/02/19/alien.communica
tion/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Life - It’s a question as common as brown dogs: Will alien life be carbon-based? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti
_carbon_040415.html. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Intelligence - Men and women are actually from the same planet, but scientists now have the first strong evidence that the emotional wiring of the sexes is fundamentally different. See http://www.live
science.com/humanbiology/060419_brain_wiring.html.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview: http://www.howstuffworks.
com/seti.htm.
g Cosmicus - The design of hotels in orbit is a feast for the imagination of architects and interior designers. The basic ideas have been well understood since people lived safely in the U.S. space station Skylab in 1973-74. But the cost of getting to and from orbit has remained so high that tourism hasn't got started yet, and so there's been little incentive for anyone to make the effort required to design true orbital hotels. However, remembering that the hotel industry (or "hospitality industry") is a huge, highly competitive, global industry, we can foresee that once accommodation in orbit gets started as a business, it will grow and grow as companies compete to provide more interesting services for their guests. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/hoteldesign.shtml.
g Learning - There’s a neat set of online activities, primarily for older teens or young adults, about communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence at http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~collins/astro/subjects/ceti.html. It helps students learn about SETI while they send one another messages then decode them, as if they were alien civilizations on distant worlds.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Murray Leinster’s novel “The Greks Bring Gifts,” published by MacFadden in 1964.
g Aftermath - For some provocative reading, pick up “Sharing the Universe,” by Seth Shostak, at your local bookstore. SETI scientist Shostak almost single-handedly is outlining social and political issues that will arise once we make contact with extraterrestrials. For reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/09653
77431/10232743405947363.

Earth-like Mars, silence on scientific interests and an orbiting hotel

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Molecules spewed outward from a dying star are confined into narrow jets by a tightly-wound magnetic field, according to astronomers who used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope to study an old star about 8,500 light-years from Earth. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.
htmlpid=19746.
g Abodes - A salty sea once washed over the plains of Mars at the Opportunity rover's landing site, creating a life-friendly environment more earthlike than any known on another world. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/opportunity_sea_040323.html. Note: This article is from 2004. For related story, see “Just in Time” at http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&
file=article&sid=1945mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
g Life - Theorizing and model building are one thing; it is another to go out and get data that will support science and the acquisition of new knowledge. For this purpose, NASA has instituted its Astrobiology Program to study the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe. Existing programs and new endeavors will be brought together in a multidisciplinary fashion to tackle the questions surrounding life's place in the organization of the universe. In so doing, NASA has adopted six canonical questions to use as guideposts as its programs are developed. See http://www.
astrobiology.com/asc2002/. Note: This article is from 2002.
g Intelligence - More Americans are interested in science news and information than is commonly thought, a new study suggests. But not everyone wears the intrigue on his or her sleeves. In fact some people are downright silent about their scientific interests, perhaps not wanting to be perceived as nerds. See http://www.livescience
.com/othernews/060419_omd_study.html.
g Message - What are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? If the extraterrestrials beam their broadcasts to the whole galaxy (or at least a big chunk of it), the chances are 100 percent. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060112_shostak_transmit.html.
g Cosmicus - From the economic point of view, building orbital accommodation has the great attraction that it will provide a large-scale commercial outlet for the know-how developed with the U.S. space station Skylab that operated from 1973-74, the two Russian stations Salyut and Mir, and the International Space Station being developed in the late 1990s. Many tens of billions of dollars have been and are being spent on these - but only one of each is ever built! So none of the manufacturers can make any money, and taxpayers have to pay for it all - but they never get to go! A truly crazy "lose-lose" situation! See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/businesscase.shtml.
g Learning - Are you a future SETI scientist? See http://www.
space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_sleuths_010228.html. Note: This article is from Feb. 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Heinlein’s novel “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel,” published by Scribners in 1958.
g Aftermath - If we hear from ET, not only can we expect his civilization to be an old one with a great time lag in correspondence, a SETI astronomer says. Could this limit the impact of extraterrestrial contact upon humanity? See http://www.space.
com/searchforlife/seti_long_distance_011227.html. Note: This article is from December 2001.

Supermassive black hole son collision course, planet hunting and brain-skull relationship

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers have detected a pair of supermassive black holes that are closer together than any previously discovered. The two giants are dancing around each other with only about 24-light-years between them and are expected to collide in the very distant future. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060501_bh_neighbors.html.
g Abodes - More than 100 planets have been found outside the solar system. Some astronomers think there may be planets around up to half the stars in our galaxy alone — that's 50 billion possible planetary systems. For a series of BBC reports on planet hunting, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/looking/planethunting.shtml.
g Life - Paleontologists at the Duke Lemur Center have assembled a new picture of a 35-million-year-old fossil mammal - and they even have added a hint of sound. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060426173925.htm.
g Intelligence - People usually think of the skull as packaging for the brain and researchers usually investigate them separately, but a team of researchers now thinks that developmentally and evolutionarily that the two are incontrovertibly linked. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415115217.htm.
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 - Unfortunately existing space law consists mostly of some inter-governmental treaties negotiated during the cold war, which are quite inappropriate for business. As an example, under existing law, governments are liable for damage caused by any launches from their territory. This is quite different from other transport industries, such as shipping and air transport, which are governed mainly by commercial law, and liability for any damage caused by an accident is borne by commercial insurance companies. There's no reason why flights to and from orbit should be different. In the worst case, a passenger launch vehicle carrying 50 people that crashed on a city would cause less damage than an airliner carrying 500 people. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/law.shtml.
g Learning - Although exobiology is of widespread interest to high school science students, it is not generally dealt with comprehensively in most textbooks. In addition, teachers often have inadequate resources available to prepare classroom presentations on how life may have begun on Earth and whether these processes might take place elsewhere in the solar system and the universe. Here’s a classroom teaching module suitable for use in both general and advanced high school biology courses: See http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/astro/html/Exobiology.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Gordon R. Dickson’s short story, "In The Bone," published in the October 1966 edition of Worlds of IF.
g Aftermath - If SETI is successful in detecting an extraterrestrial civilization, it will raise the question of whether and how humanity should attempt to communicate with the other civilization. How should that decision be made? What should be the content of such a message? Who should decide? The same questions would apply to proposals that signals be sent in the absence of detection, in the hope that they might be detected by an extraterrestrial civilization. See http://www.iaanet.org/p_papers/seti.html. Note: This paper was presented in October 1995.

Solar superstorm, Norway’s first dinosaur and chimpanzee taste buds

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The relative void between Sun and Earth is loaded with electrically charged particles, radiation, magnetic field, and electromagnetic energy. The effects from this space weather can range from damage to satellites to disruption of power grids on Earth. Space weather can wreak havoc on a planet-wide basis. And a look back more than 145 years ago may offer clues as to how harmful a space superstorm might be given our dependence on technological systems. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060502_
solar_storm.html.
g Abodes - The chance of detecting life outside our own solar system probably is greater than discovering it on neighboring planets and moons like Mars or Europa, a moon of Jupiter, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. See http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htmlpid=7453.
g Life - While most nations excavate their skeletons using a toothbrush, the Norwegians found one using a drill. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060425091449.htm.
g Intelligence - Gene variants determine which humans and which chimpanzees can taste bitter substances. For humans, this taste sensitivity may influence nutritional choices and ultimately their health, as well as behaviors, such as smoking. For chimpanzees, it provides a way to live safely in their environments by avoiding toxic plants and other harmful compounds. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060415120824.htm.
g Message - Here’s a neat interactive Web game where you analyze a signal from space, just as would a SETI astronomer: http://mystery.sonoma.edu/alien_bandstand/.
g Cosmicus - Many people think that weightlessness is a strange and even dangerous condition, but there's nothing particularly weird about it. Anyone can experience it (briefly!) by just jumping into the air, or for up to about a second by jumping off a wall. While you're airborne your body is in weightlessness. Trampolinists and high divers experience weightlessness for up to a few seconds. See http://www.spacefuture.com/habitat/zerog.shtml.
g Learning - There are some great teacher resources on space biology at http://www.spacebio.net/modules/index.html. The modules cover such topics as “Life in the Universe,” “Radiation Biology” and “Life in Space Environments.” Each module includes an introduction, readings and references, teaching resources and research and applications.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hal Clement’s novel, “Needle,” published by Doubleday in 1951.
g Aftermath - Book alert: “Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life, and the Theological Implications, by Steven J. Dick (editor), is a provocative collection examining science's impact on theology. Based on a 1998 conference sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, this collection of essays opens with the observation that the Copernican revolution looks insignificant when compared to the discoveries made about the earth and the universe in the last century: we now know, for example, that the universe is billions (not thousands) of light-years big; that it is expanding, not static; that our galaxy is just one of many, not the entirety of the universe. But from looking at modern theology, you wouldn't think anything had changed. The contributors (who include physicists, philosophers, historians of science, and theologians) suggest that cosmological advances might reshape the very fundamentals of theology. See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail//1890151424/qid=
/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/1039154374-8730217v=glance.

Europa lander, joy of zero G and “The Psychology of Interstellar Communication”

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Most stardust is made of tiny silicate grains, much like dust from rocks on earth. Away from city lights, you can see the dust as a dark band across the Milky Way. This dust comes from dying and exploded stars. Scientists think stars form when these dust clouds collapse and that some of this dust became trapped inside asteroids and comets when our own sun formed. See http://www.astrobio.net/
news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=
385.
g Abodes - Europa, the ice-covered satellite of Jupiter, is currently the most favorable site for the search of extraterrestrial life. Hydrothermal vents on the Earth's sea floor have been found to sustain life forms that can live without solar energy. Similar possible volcanic activity on Europa, caused by its interaction with Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites, makes this Jovian moon the best target for identifying a separate evolutionary line. This search addresses the main problem remaining in astrobiology, namely, the quest for discrete, or 'parallel' evolutionary lines in the universe. We explore ideas related to Europa's possible biological activity, particularly its likely degree of evolution. We have conjectured that evolution may have occurred in Europa and that the experimental test of such a conjecture is feasible 1-3: A lander spacecraft capable of penetrating the European surface ice-layer does not seem beyond present technological capabilities. Although difficult instrumentation issues are involved, we have initiated the discussion of what would seem to be a reasonable biological experiment.The possibility of detecting biomolecules on the ice surface of Europa has recently been made by others. See http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~chelaf/ss4.html.
g Life - In the frantic world of fruitfly courtship, the difference between attracting a mate and going home alone may depend on having the right wing spots. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have learned which elements of fly DNA make these spots come and go in different species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2006/04/060422121625.htm.
g Intelligence - Book alert: In a universe infinitely large, what is the probability of intelligent life on another planet? Sounds like a trick question, but for anyone versed in cosmology and statistics, the answer is 1; that is, there must be life on at least one other planet in the universe. This is Amir Aczel's theorem I his book “Probablity 1.” But, as physicist Enrico Fermi once asked, if that's true, where is everyone? Aczel tackles that paradox after he goes through the statistical calculations for the probability of intelligent life, considering factors such as how many stars are in a galaxy, how many of those stars might be hospitable, how many might have planets, and how many planets might have environments suitable to support life as we know it (or as we don't). See http://www.amazon.
com/gp/product/0156010801/10296734647416116v=glance
&n=283155.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than 50 years. Our earliest TV broadcasts have reached several thousand nearby stars, although any alien viewers would have to build a very large antenna (thousands of acres in size) to detect them. See http://www.seti.org/site/pp.aspc=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=
179534.
g Cosmicus - The joy of zero G? I don't really need to discuss details that people can imagine for themselves, but basically, floating has got to be fun! Anything that makes you giggle in such a situation surely has to be a good thing! Among other effects, being weightless will mean that you and your partner can maneuver round each other without danger of either of you - or any parts of you - getting squashed! No more arms or legs going numb! See http://www.
spacefuture.com/habitat/joyofzerog.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a good introduction to learning about the characteristics of living things is to get the kids brainstorming as to what makes a living thing living: “Glue Critters.” See http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/168.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “Childhood's End,” published by Ballantine in 1953.
g Aftermath - If we establish communication with a civilization even as close as 100 light years from Earth, the round-trip time for a message and its reply is 200 years. What will be the psychology of a civilization that can engage in a meaningful conversation with this sort of delay? How is such a conversation to be established? What should the content of such a conversation be? These are the questions which motivate this article’s title: "Minds and Millennia: The Psychology of Interstellar Communication." See http://web.
archive./org/web/20010217051450/204.240.36.10/radobs/
vol1no3/minds.htm

Solar physics, snakes with legs and analog-digital brains

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - In understanding our own star, solar physicists have one giant question: why is the outside hotter than the inside? See http://
www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News&file=
article&sid=532. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Abodes - The weather and surface conditions of planets outside our Solar System could be detected by constellations of telescopes sent to space, and then used to predict which are most Earthly and likely to harbor life, according to recent research. See http://www.
space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/extrasolar_weather_
010829.html. Note: This article is from 2001.
g Life - Once upon a time, snakes had legs. A new discovery reveals at least one had hips, too. See http://www.livescience.com/ani
malworld/060419_snake_hips.html.
g Intelligence - Contrary to popular belief, brain cells use a mix of analog and digital coding at the same time to communicate efficiently, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
04/060412223937.htm.
g Message - Most SETI programs scan the sky looking for strong radio signals. Any signals that are deemed interesting are put on a list for follow-up observations weeks, months — even years later. Long delays in verification of potential ET signals sometimes generate tantalizing, but ultimately frustrating, stories. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_backus_rhythm_030320.
html. Note: This article is from March 2003.
g Cosmicus - As rockets will be for life in orbit as cars are on Earth, the rocket business is going to grow to have all the infrastructure that the car industry has on Earth: sales operations, hire firms, lease firms, orbital propellant bases, specialized repair shops, licensing, standard maintenance procedures, spare parts suppliers, second-hand stores, innumerable accessories, and scrap dealers. There'll even a whole range of leisure-related activities: races, rallies, collectors, antique dealers and restorers. There'll also be a corresponding range of new careers - pilots and stewardesses, mechanics, parts suppliers, and numerous business roles such as freight-forwarders, traffic-controllers, lease-financiers and insurance. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/intro
duction.shtml.
g Learning - Are we alone? Are humans unique in the universe, or is our existence the natural outcome of universal processes that produced complex life on Earth and elsewhere? As we observe the universe beyond Earth, we find that we are fundamentally a part of it. To understand the relationship of humanity to stardust requires understanding evolution in its broadest sense. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/devore_seti_010130.html. Note: This article on teaching evolution in schools is from January 2001.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Isaac Asimov’s short story "Not Final!" published in the Oct. 1941 edition of Astounding.
g Aftermath - Could religions survive contact with extraterrestrials? The Medieval Church didn't think so, as the discovery would challenge mankind's central role in the cosmos. Today such ideas are considered old fashioned, and many theologians welcome the discovery of life — even intelligent life — among the stars. But if scientists were to find microscopic Martians or a signal from another world, would established religions really take it in stride? For a discussion, check out this past program of SETI’s "Are We Alone?" at http://www.seti.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=289154. Note: An mp3 player is required to play the audio files; you can download one at the site for free.

Planet formation, shear waves and social structures to aid survival

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - For scientists who spend time thinking about how planets form, life would be simpler if gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn didn’t exist. See http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060328_
gas_giant.html.
g Abodes - To truly understand some of the movement we see at the Earth's surface, scientists have to probe deep into the interior. A region near the planet's core, about 1,800 miles down called the core-mantle boundary, is particularly intriguing. Through novel experiments mimicking high-pressures and temperatures there, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory may have solved a longstanding mystery about why certain seismic waves called shear waves move so sluggishly through clumpy patches (ultralow velocity zones) at these incredible depths. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060428152124.htm.
g Life - A rare Patagonian rodent known as the colonial tuco-tuco fascinates biologists because it seems to defy all odds. This threatened species has so little genetic diversity that the slightest whiff of climate change or disease should have wiped it off the face of the earth long ago. Yet the hearty gopher-like creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands, it has evolved a complex social structure that's unique among the more than 50 closely related tuco-tuco species. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060421110553.htm.
g Intelligence - Newfound fossils from Ethiopia are giving scientists a clearer glimpse into the murky origins of a hominid species that was an important link in the evolution of ape to man. See http://
www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060412_anamensis_evo.html.
g Message - SETI research isn’t limited to a single facility listening to radio signals. Another dimension of the program is The Mega-Channel Extraterrestrial Assay, which searched the Southern Hemisphere's skies briefly during the 1990s. To learn more about it, see http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/seti/META2/META-story.html.
g Cosmicus - Contrary to what many people who make expendable rockets will tell you, it isn't difficult to design a "single stage to orbit" rocket. In fact it's very easy - it can be done with rocket engines and propellant tanks designed, manufactured and operated 20 years ago! It's important to know this, because a lot of people will try to tell you otherwise. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/building.shtml.
g Learning - "Teacher, why do I need to learn this?" "What’s it good for?" Students ask these questions when faced with content that seems unrelated to their lives. Motivating students is fundamental to promoting achievement in any classroom, even in science, which encompasses the entire natural world, the whole universe. Good questions and quality experiences support science learning for all students, not just those who are already science-friendly. The relatively new discipline of astrobiology asks great questions that intrigue students. See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_devore_why_040408.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian Watson’s short story, "Peace," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - While formal principles have been adopted for the eventuality of detecting intelligent life in our galaxy, no such guidelines exist for the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life within the solar system. Current scientifically based planetary protection policies for solar system exploration address how to undertake exploration, but do not provide clear guidance on what to do if and when life is detected. Considering that Martian life could be detected under several different robotic and human exploration scenarios in the coming decades, it is appropriate to anticipate how detection of non-intelligent, microbial life could impact future exploration missions and activities, especially on Mars. See http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0ED59B4CD09E79113953A58644}/m_race_guidelines.pdf.

Constants of nature, brainy development and reusable space vehicles

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Physicists at JILA have performed the first-ever precision measurements using ultracold molecules, in work that may help solve a long-standing scientific mystery — whether so-called constants of nature have changed since the dawn of the universe. See http://
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060429124748.htm.
g Abodes - The discovery of an olive branch buried in volcanic ash for centuries is helping scientists pinpoint the date of one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years. See http://www.livescience.com/history/060427_olive_volcano.html.
g Life - Book alert: How did life begin on Earth? Is it confined to our planet? Will humans one day be able to travel long distances in space in search of other life forms? Written by three experts in the space arena, “Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System,” by Paul Clancy, aims to answer these and other intriguing questions. Beginning with what we understand of life on Earth, it describes the latest ideas about the chemical basis of life as we know it, and how they are influencing strategies to search for life elsewhere. It considers the ability of life, from microbes to humans, to survive in space, on the surface of other planets, and be transported from one planet to another. It looks at the latest plans for missions to search for life in the Solar System, and how these are being influenced by new technologies, and current thinking about life on Earth. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521824508/1049524058871
1941v=glance&n=283155.
g Intelligence - Kids with high IQs have a distinct pattern of brain development, according to a 20-year study of more than 300 young minds. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/0604
11_bad_IQ.html.
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. See http://seti.harvard.edu/seti/beta.html.
g Cosmicus - Everyone's seen pictures of rockets taking off - both real ones and imaginary ones. And everyone's seen pictures of spaceplanes taking off - but they're all imaginary - because they're impossible (or at least, be prepared for a long wait). The basic problem for designers of reusable space vehicles is achieving the velocity needed to reach orbit without carrying so much fuel that the vehicle is either too heavy to get there or unable to carry anything other than fuel. So the answer is either to make the vehicle very light, or to find a way around having to carry all that fuel. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/rocketsvsplanes.shtml.
g Learning - NASA’s free Astrobiology Education Poster illustrates in words and pictures the fundamental questions addressed by astrobiology: What is life? Where is it? How do you find it? Three activities have been developed to explore these themes. It’s great for teachers — or parents looking to spend some quality time with their children. See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/poster/index.cfm.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Harry Turtledove’s short story, "The Road Not Taken," published in the Nov. 1985 Analog.
g Aftermath - Here’s an interesting book for some astrobiological reading: “After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life” by Albert A. Harrison. See http://www.amazon.com/gp/prod
uct/customerreviews/0306456214/10426166182449525_en
coding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=books for some reviews.

Merging galaxies, honeybee decision-making and ‘Consequences of Success in SETI’

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - A pair of dancing galaxies appears dressed for a cosmic masquerade in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The infrared picture shows what looks like two icy blue eyes staring through an elaborate, swirling red mask. These "eyes" are actually the cores of two merging galaxies, which recently met and began to twirl around each other. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
news/n0604/26spitzer/.
g Abodes - It's becoming harder to find the right snow to build an igloo, and melting permafrost is turning land into mud. With climate change the nature of the Arctic is changing, too, in ways that worry the people who live there. See http://www.livescience.com/environ
ment/ap_060412_igloo.html.
g Life - When 10,000 honeybees fly the coop to hunt for a new home, usually a tree cavity, they have a unique method of deciding which site is right: With great efficiency they narrow down the options and minimize bad decisions. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1935mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Intelligence - Given the chance, most people will punish moochers with "freeloader fines," even if it means taking a financial hit themselves, a new study finds. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/060406_punish_moochers.html.
g Message - Would anyone deliberately beam high-powered signals into space? Can we assume that extraterrestrial societies would broadcast in ways that would mark their location as plainly as a flag on a golf green? See http://www.space.com/searchforlife/shostak_quantum_030522.html.
g Cosmicus - In order for people to be able to travel economically to space, for space tourism and for other purposes, we need reusable launch vehicles. All commercial transport industries use reusable vehicles - and so will the commercial space transport industry. Luckily research aimed at developing low-cost reusable launch vehicles has increased recently - though total funding is still barely 2 percent (!) of government funding for space activities. See http://www.spacefuture.com/vehicles/designs.shtml.
g Learning - Here’s a cool set of classroom lessons courtesy of NASA: Astroventure, in which students search for and design a habitable planet. See http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s short story, "The Hurkle is a Happy Beast," published in the Fall 1949 F&SF magazine.
g Aftermath - Here’s another “old” piece worth reading: “Consequences of Success in SETI: Lessons from the History of Science,” given during a Bioastronomy Symposium in 1993. See http://www.nidsci.org/articles/steve_dick.php.

Fossil galaxy clusters, Antarctica turning to ice and moons of Jupiter

Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of ESA's XMM-Newton and the sharp vision of NASA's Chandra X-Ray space observatories, astronomers have studied the behavior of massive fossil galaxy clusters, trying to find out how they find the time to form. See http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0604/27
fossilgalaxy/.
g Abodes - Ancient fish teeth are yielding clues about when Antarctica became the icy continent it is today, highlighting how ocean currents affect climate change. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060420233450.htm. For related story, see “Satellite Helps Detect Massive Rivers Under Antarctica” at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060422120954.htm.
g Life - The octopus arm is extremely flexible. Thanks to this flexibility - the arm is said to possess a virtually infinite number of "degrees of freedom" - the octopus is able to generate a vast repertoire of movements that is unmatched by the human arm. Nonetheless, despite the huge evolutionary gap and morphological differences between the octopus and vertebrates, the octopus arm acts much like a three-jointed vertebrate limb when the octopus performs precise point-to-point movements. See http://www.sci
encedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060417125118.htm.
g Intelligence - Although the human brain is skilled at facial recognition and discrimination, new research from Georgetown University Medical Center suggests that the brain may not have developed a specific ability for “understanding faces” but instead uses the same kind of pattern recognition techniques to distinguish between people as it uses to search for differences between other groups of objects, such as plants, animals and cars. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406231623.htm.
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 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obid
os/ASIN/1887178872/boggysgeologylin/20292899029087057.
g Cosmicus - The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example at many public exhibitions about Energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little funding has been spent on SPS research to date - about 1/1000 of 1 percent of the about $1 trillion that governments have spent subsidizing the development of nuclear power over the past 50 years. See http://www.spacefuture.com/power/introduction.shtml. For related story, see “SPS 2000” at http://www.spacefuture.com/power/sps2000.shtml (Note: this latter article is from the mid-1990s).
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Moons of Jupiter.” In this lesson plan, students build model rovers to learn about engineering and evidence of alien life. See http://www.adlerplanet/
arium.org/education/teachers/plans/alien/Lesson_Plan.pdf.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Silverberg’s novel “Tower of Glass,” published by Scribner's in 1970.
g Aftermath - The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence is accelerating its pace and adopting fresh strategies. This increases the likelihood of successful detection in the near future. Humanity's first contact with alien intelligence will trigger extraordinary attention from the media, from government authorities, and from the general public. By improving our readiness for contact, especially for security during the first 30 days, we can avoid the most negative scenarios — and also enhance humanity's benefits from this first contact with an alien intelligence. Six potential problem areas include communicating with the media and the public, communicating with scientific colleagues, government control, an assassin or saboteur, well-meaning officials and lawsuits. See http://ieti.org/articles/security.htm.