Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Almost 40 years have passed since top secret nuclear weapon warning satellites accidentally discovered bursts of high energy gamma rays coming from space. Although many thousands of gamma ray bursts have since been detected, the origin and nature of these bursts is still not well understood. See article.
g Abodes - Nathalie Cabrol will never get to Mars, but the 42-year-old NASA planetary scientist is doing the next best thing. She's climbed almost 20,000 feet into the thin air of an Andes mountain peak, dived into some of the world's highest lakes and sent a robot across a windswept Chilean desert -all to learn how life once might have existed, or may still exist, on the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Much of what scientists learn about the evolution of Earth's first animals will have to be gleaned from spherical embryos fossilized under very specific conditions, according to a new study by Indiana University Bloomington and University of Bristol researchers in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. See article.
g Intelligence - Through a clever experimental design, Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists have validated decades of experiments to show how learning and memory may be encoded in a living animal. The research, published in the March issue of Neuron, identifies for the first time the specific neural connections that strengthen as an animal's brain responds to new experiences. See article. For related story, see “Conscious And Unconscious Memory Linked In Storing New Information”.
g Message - Just how does SETI work? Here’s a good primer for those looking to get a basic overview.
g Cosmicus - A robotic space plane was dropped today at high altitude, touching down under autonomous control, but encountered difficulties on landing and rolled off the end of a runway. See article.
g Learning - There may be numerous intelligent civilizations on planets throughout our galaxy. That's the hypothesis driving SETI research. We seek evidence of extraterrestrial technology using optical and radio telescopes to search for signals that emanate from other civilized worlds. These places are far, far away. But, when discussing the search with school children, they often simply ask, "Why don't we just go there?" This can be a teachable moment. See article. Note: This article is from Dec. 2003.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Dorothy Guin Tompkins’s short story "Gift," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - Clearly, if we are not alone in the universe, there are some unavoidable theological and philosophical consequences. We should reflect on the consequences of a positive result of either finding extraterrestrial microorganisms, or receiving a radio message form an extraterrestrial source: When such discovery occurs, the implications are likely to have an impact on our culture requiring adjustments possibly more radical than those arising form the evidence that humans descend from microorganisms. See article.
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Sunday, April 09, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Searching for life in the solar system, modern humans evolving and
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers based at Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a giant bridge of methyl alcohol, spanning approximately 288 billion miles, wrapped around a stellar nursery. The gas cloud could help our understanding of how the most massive stars in our galaxy are formed. See article.
g Abodes - Ice sheets across both the Arctic and Antarctic could melt more quickly than expected this century, according to two studies that blend computer modeling with paleoclimate records. See article.
g Life - Cancer in dinosaurs and illnesses in other animals are being studied in a groundbreaking new program that combines medical school with the study of natural history. See article.
g Intelligence - A comprehensive scan of the human genome finds that hundreds of our genes have undergone positive natural selection during the past 10,000 years of human evolution. See article.
g Message - Should we be looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, rather than just listening for them, as we do in the SETI project? That is the suggestion of a French astronomer, Luc Arnold, in his paper “Transit Lightcurve Signatures of Artificial Objects.” He believes that the transit of large artificial objects in front of a sun could be a used for the emission of attention-getting signals. See article.
g Cosmicus - Here’s a great personal essay from an astronomer: “Why the United States and NASA need astrobiology”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for young kids, courtesy of NASA: Space Place. It offers games, animations, projects, and fun facts about Earth, space and technology.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s "Affair With A Green Monkey,” anthologized in “A Touch of Strange” (edited by Sturgeon, published by Doubleday in 1958).
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers based at Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a giant bridge of methyl alcohol, spanning approximately 288 billion miles, wrapped around a stellar nursery. The gas cloud could help our understanding of how the most massive stars in our galaxy are formed. See article.
g Abodes - Ice sheets across both the Arctic and Antarctic could melt more quickly than expected this century, according to two studies that blend computer modeling with paleoclimate records. See article.
g Life - Cancer in dinosaurs and illnesses in other animals are being studied in a groundbreaking new program that combines medical school with the study of natural history. See article.
g Intelligence - A comprehensive scan of the human genome finds that hundreds of our genes have undergone positive natural selection during the past 10,000 years of human evolution. See article.
g Message - Should we be looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, rather than just listening for them, as we do in the SETI project? That is the suggestion of a French astronomer, Luc Arnold, in his paper “Transit Lightcurve Signatures of Artificial Objects.” He believes that the transit of large artificial objects in front of a sun could be a used for the emission of attention-getting signals. See article.
g Cosmicus - Here’s a great personal essay from an astronomer: “Why the United States and NASA need astrobiology”.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for young kids, courtesy of NASA: Space Place. It offers games, animations, projects, and fun facts about Earth, space and technology.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Theodore Sturgeon’s "Affair With A Green Monkey,” anthologized in “A Touch of Strange” (edited by Sturgeon, published by Doubleday in 1958).
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, April 07, 2006
Habitable planets for man, experiencing microgravity
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The solar system's up-and-down motion across our galaxy's disc periodically exposes it to higher doses of dangerous cosmic rays, new calculations suggest. The effect could explain a mysterious dip in the Earth's biodiversity every 62 million years. See article.
g Abodes - New computer simulations of Mercury's formation show the fate of material blasted out into space when a large proto-planet collided with a giant asteroid 4.5 billion years ago. The simulations, which track the material over several million years, shed light on why Mercury is denser than expected and show that some of the ejected material would have found its way to the Earth and Venus. See article.
g Life - How many genes does life need? By removing or ‘knocking out’ genes in bacteria, scientists hope to determine the minimal number of genes that are essential for survival. But according to a new study in the journal Nature, this knock out approach is the wrong strategy. See article.
g Intelligence - Distinct regions of the human brain are activated when people are faced with ambiguous choices versus choices involving only risk, Duke University Medical Center researchers have discovered. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Cosmicus - On this type of flight, cocktail peanuts would fly right out of passengers' hands. As would everything else. But transportation – and snacking – isn't the purpose of this microgravity flight or the reason four University of Illinois students made a spring break trip to Houston to hop onboard. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Samples of the Future.” In this exercise, which reinforces creative thinking and the scientific method, kids build their own toy spacecraft from assorted household materials. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Marti Steussy’s novel, “Forest of the Night,” published by Del Rey in 1987.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
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g Stars - The solar system's up-and-down motion across our galaxy's disc periodically exposes it to higher doses of dangerous cosmic rays, new calculations suggest. The effect could explain a mysterious dip in the Earth's biodiversity every 62 million years. See article.
g Abodes - New computer simulations of Mercury's formation show the fate of material blasted out into space when a large proto-planet collided with a giant asteroid 4.5 billion years ago. The simulations, which track the material over several million years, shed light on why Mercury is denser than expected and show that some of the ejected material would have found its way to the Earth and Venus. See article.
g Life - How many genes does life need? By removing or ‘knocking out’ genes in bacteria, scientists hope to determine the minimal number of genes that are essential for survival. But according to a new study in the journal Nature, this knock out approach is the wrong strategy. See article.
g Intelligence - Distinct regions of the human brain are activated when people are faced with ambiguous choices versus choices involving only risk, Duke University Medical Center researchers have discovered. See article.
g Message - We’ve all heard of SETI, bit what about METI — “Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” or sending both scientific and artistic messages to the stars? See article.
g Cosmicus - On this type of flight, cocktail peanuts would fly right out of passengers' hands. As would everything else. But transportation – and snacking – isn't the purpose of this microgravity flight or the reason four University of Illinois students made a spring break trip to Houston to hop onboard. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Samples of the Future.” In this exercise, which reinforces creative thinking and the scientific method, kids build their own toy spacecraft from assorted household materials. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Marti Steussy’s novel, “Forest of the Night,” published by Del Rey in 1987.
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Saturn’s rings, altruistic chimps and Optical SETI
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The Swift satellite observations show that the Tempel 1 comet grew brighter and brighter in X-ray light after last year’s NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft impact, with the X-ray outburst lasting a total of 12 days. See article.
g Abodes - New observations of propeller-shaped disturbances in Saturn's A ring indicate the presence of four small, embedded moons - and most likely millions more. The discovery could lead to a better understanding of the origin and formation of Saturn's rings and the solar system as a whole. See article.
g Life - Infinitesimal clumps of bacteria cells gently falling into our atmosphere from 25 miles above the surface of the Earth could be the first recorded instance of a life form from outer space having arrived on our planet. See article.
g Intelligence - A new experiment indicates chimps can be altruistic, a quality many scientists thought only humans possessed. See article.
g Message - After 20 years of listening for signs of life elsewhere in the universe, The Planetary Society is now ready to watch the skies. On April 11, 2006, the Society will dedicate a brand new optical telescope at an observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts, designed solely to search for light signals from alien civilizations - a search known as Optical SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - With Crew Exploration Vehicle proposals finally in hand, NASA is expected to decide by early fall whether it will be Lockheed Martin or the team of Northrop Grumman and Boeing that helps the U.S. space agency design and build the key element of its next human space transportation system. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Chores on the International Space Station”. Students discover what astronauts do to keep the station running – and who has to take out the trash.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Dean Wesley Smith’s short story "Ambassador to the Promised Land," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff and published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
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g Stars - The Swift satellite observations show that the Tempel 1 comet grew brighter and brighter in X-ray light after last year’s NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft impact, with the X-ray outburst lasting a total of 12 days. See article.
g Abodes - New observations of propeller-shaped disturbances in Saturn's A ring indicate the presence of four small, embedded moons - and most likely millions more. The discovery could lead to a better understanding of the origin and formation of Saturn's rings and the solar system as a whole. See article.
g Life - Infinitesimal clumps of bacteria cells gently falling into our atmosphere from 25 miles above the surface of the Earth could be the first recorded instance of a life form from outer space having arrived on our planet. See article.
g Intelligence - A new experiment indicates chimps can be altruistic, a quality many scientists thought only humans possessed. See article.
g Message - After 20 years of listening for signs of life elsewhere in the universe, The Planetary Society is now ready to watch the skies. On April 11, 2006, the Society will dedicate a brand new optical telescope at an observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts, designed solely to search for light signals from alien civilizations - a search known as Optical SETI. See article.
g Cosmicus - With Crew Exploration Vehicle proposals finally in hand, NASA is expected to decide by early fall whether it will be Lockheed Martin or the team of Northrop Grumman and Boeing that helps the U.S. space agency design and build the key element of its next human space transportation system. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity: “Chores on the International Space Station”. Students discover what astronauts do to keep the station running – and who has to take out the trash.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Dean Wesley Smith’s short story "Ambassador to the Promised Land," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff and published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Among scientists involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, it’s quite common to be focused on the future, ever mindful that it could take years, or even decades, to find a signal from otherworldly intelligence. But if historian Steve Dick has his way, astronomers will also turn their attention toward the past as they search for life beyond Earth — to discover the aftereffects of contact between two intelligent cultures. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Read this blogger’s books
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Giant star factories, bleach-blonde planets and astrobiology budget cutbacks
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 produced the clearest map to date of giant star factories in our Milky Way. See article.
g Abodes - Some may be surprised to learn that bleach-blondes and the enabler of life elsewhere in our solar system have something in common. It is, in fact, hydrogen peroxide. See article.
g Life - Blowing bubbles is child's play, showing how easily soap molecules can assemble into a sheet and curl around to form a bubble. To David Deamer, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and acting chair of biomolecular engineering at UCSC, the formation of a soap bubble is no mere curiosity - it illustrates an essential property of the kinds of molecules that compose the membranes of all living cells. See article.
g Intelligence - Fighting with the one you love can leave you broken-hearted, a feeling that now appears to be more than just figurative. Marital spats and dominating behavior are related to hardening of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Clogged arteries raise the risk of a heart attack. 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 - Sunrise may never come for some of NASA's most important space missions. Budget cutbacks are shelving some major projects and programs. See article.
g Learning - Stargazing is an exciting hobby. If you have the right aptitude, you could even make it your career. The universe would then be your playground. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Clifford D. Simak’s novel “Way Station,” published by Doubleday in 1963.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers have produced the clearest map to date of giant star factories in our Milky Way. See article.
g Abodes - Some may be surprised to learn that bleach-blondes and the enabler of life elsewhere in our solar system have something in common. It is, in fact, hydrogen peroxide. See article.
g Life - Blowing bubbles is child's play, showing how easily soap molecules can assemble into a sheet and curl around to form a bubble. To David Deamer, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and acting chair of biomolecular engineering at UCSC, the formation of a soap bubble is no mere curiosity - it illustrates an essential property of the kinds of molecules that compose the membranes of all living cells. See article.
g Intelligence - Fighting with the one you love can leave you broken-hearted, a feeling that now appears to be more than just figurative. Marital spats and dominating behavior are related to hardening of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Clogged arteries raise the risk of a heart attack. 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 - Sunrise may never come for some of NASA's most important space missions. Budget cutbacks are shelving some major projects and programs. See article.
g Learning - Stargazing is an exciting hobby. If you have the right aptitude, you could even make it your career. The universe would then be your playground. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Clifford D. Simak’s novel “Way Station,” published by Doubleday in 1963.
g Aftermath - Here’s a fascinating idea: A group of serious scientists, writers, military leaders and others discussing how to establish a constructive dialogue between humanity and ETI, once contact is made. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Cannibal stars, planet formation and losing an unacknowledged space race
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory has seen vast clouds of superheated gas, whirling around miniature stars and escaping from being devoured by the stars' enormous gravitational fields - giving a new insight into the eating habits of the galaxy's "cannibal" stars. See article.
g Abodes - 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 article.
g Life - The microbes that inhabit deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments may be relics of the earliest life on Earth. Yet very little is known about these organisms, because it is so technically challenging to study them. Chris Scholin of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute plans to take on that challenge, in a project that may some day help scientists search for life on Mars or Europa. See article.
g Intelligence - A study from the April issue of Current Anthropology explores the evolution of handedness, one of few firm behavioral boundaries separating humans from other animals. As researchers find new cultural behaviors among chimpanzees and other primates, language is the only other characteristic accepted to be unique to humans, and both language and handedness appear to relate to the separation of functions between the two halves of the human brain, also known as lateralization. See article.
g Message - Since the invention of the radio, humans have been broadcasting signals into outer space. Other civilizations in our galaxy might be doing the same. They might even be deliberately sending out signals to find other civilizations. Someone out there may even be beaming a signal directly at the Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - Some congressmen believe the United States and China are in an unacknowledged space race that this country could lose if it doesn't spend more money on the civilian space program. See article.
g Learning - Scientists and a select group of teachers are coming to Fairbanks this summer to prepare for a mission to Mars. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Silverberg’s novel “Collision Course,” published by Avalon in 1961.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing paper published just last month and translated from German for Astrosociology.com: “Futurological Reflections on the Confrontation of Mankind with an Extraterrestrial Civilization”.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory has seen vast clouds of superheated gas, whirling around miniature stars and escaping from being devoured by the stars' enormous gravitational fields - giving a new insight into the eating habits of the galaxy's "cannibal" stars. See article.
g Abodes - 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 article.
g Life - The microbes that inhabit deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments may be relics of the earliest life on Earth. Yet very little is known about these organisms, because it is so technically challenging to study them. Chris Scholin of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute plans to take on that challenge, in a project that may some day help scientists search for life on Mars or Europa. See article.
g Intelligence - A study from the April issue of Current Anthropology explores the evolution of handedness, one of few firm behavioral boundaries separating humans from other animals. As researchers find new cultural behaviors among chimpanzees and other primates, language is the only other characteristic accepted to be unique to humans, and both language and handedness appear to relate to the separation of functions between the two halves of the human brain, also known as lateralization. See article.
g Message - Since the invention of the radio, humans have been broadcasting signals into outer space. Other civilizations in our galaxy might be doing the same. They might even be deliberately sending out signals to find other civilizations. Someone out there may even be beaming a signal directly at the Earth. See article.
g Cosmicus - Some congressmen believe the United States and China are in an unacknowledged space race that this country could lose if it doesn't spend more money on the civilian space program. See article.
g Learning - Scientists and a select group of teachers are coming to Fairbanks this summer to prepare for a mission to Mars. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Robert Silverberg’s novel “Collision Course,” published by Avalon in 1961.
g Aftermath - Here’s an intriguing paper published just last month and translated from German for Astrosociology.com: “Futurological Reflections on the Confrontation of Mankind with an Extraterrestrial Civilization”.
Read this blogger’s books
Monday, April 03, 2006
Cosmic safari, oxygen’s gift and what killed the dinosaurs
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have conducted a cosmic safari to seek out a rare galactic species. Their specimens - clusters of galaxies in the very distant universe - are few and far between, and have hardly ever been detected beyond a distance of 7 billion light-years from Earth. See article.
g Abodes - It's common knowledge that humans and other animals couldn't survive without oxygen. But scientists are now learning a good deal more about the extent of our evolutionary debt to a substance that was once a deadly poison. See article.
gLife - The ancient asteroid that slammed into the Gulf of Mexico and purportedly ended the reign of the dinosaurs occurred 300,000 years too early, according to a controversial new analysis of melted rock ejected from the impact site. See article.
g Intelligence - Among chimpanzees and most human populations that subsist on wild resources, hunting is a predominantly male activity, and researchers have long tried to locate the advantage that hunting, a dangerous and tiring activity, brings to men. Though some have argued that good hunters have longer-lasting ties to mates and better-fed offspring, other research suggests that hunting provides an opportunity to garner social attention and increase one's mating prospects, also known as the "showoff hypothesis." See article.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See article.
g Cosmicus - Several of the internet's pioneers have recently become space exploration pioneers as well. Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft, funded the company that created SpaceShipOne and is financing the construction of the Allen Telescope Array, which will provide dedicated radio telescopes to SETI researchers. Elon Musk, cofounder of PayPal, started SpaceX to develop a series of low-cost expendable rockets. Amazon's Jeff Bezos and id Software's John Carmack are both working on vehicles for space tourism at Blue Origin and Armadillo Aerospace. Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Thawte and the Ubuntu Foundation, also became the first African in space and the second space tourist when he visited the International Space Station in 2002. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site in which Monica Grady, head of petrology and meteoritics in the department of mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, presents a comprehensive introduction to astrobiology.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Josepha Sherman’s "A Game of Mehen," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have conducted a cosmic safari to seek out a rare galactic species. Their specimens - clusters of galaxies in the very distant universe - are few and far between, and have hardly ever been detected beyond a distance of 7 billion light-years from Earth. See article.
g Abodes - It's common knowledge that humans and other animals couldn't survive without oxygen. But scientists are now learning a good deal more about the extent of our evolutionary debt to a substance that was once a deadly poison. See article.
gLife - The ancient asteroid that slammed into the Gulf of Mexico and purportedly ended the reign of the dinosaurs occurred 300,000 years too early, according to a controversial new analysis of melted rock ejected from the impact site. See article.
g Intelligence - Among chimpanzees and most human populations that subsist on wild resources, hunting is a predominantly male activity, and researchers have long tried to locate the advantage that hunting, a dangerous and tiring activity, brings to men. Though some have argued that good hunters have longer-lasting ties to mates and better-fed offspring, other research suggests that hunting provides an opportunity to garner social attention and increase one's mating prospects, also known as the "showoff hypothesis." See article.
g Message - Whenever the director of SETI research presents a public lecture, she can almost guarantee that “What If everybody is listening and nobody is transmitting?” will be one of the questions the audience asks. See article.
g Cosmicus - Several of the internet's pioneers have recently become space exploration pioneers as well. Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft, funded the company that created SpaceShipOne and is financing the construction of the Allen Telescope Array, which will provide dedicated radio telescopes to SETI researchers. Elon Musk, cofounder of PayPal, started SpaceX to develop a series of low-cost expendable rockets. Amazon's Jeff Bezos and id Software's John Carmack are both working on vehicles for space tourism at Blue Origin and Armadillo Aerospace. Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Thawte and the Ubuntu Foundation, also became the first African in space and the second space tourist when he visited the International Space Station in 2002. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site in which Monica Grady, head of petrology and meteoritics in the department of mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, presents a comprehensive introduction to astrobiology.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Josepha Sherman’s "A Game of Mehen," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Neighboring brown dwarf, testing for extraterrestrial life and cultured apes
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 discovered a unique "brown dwarf" right in our solar neighborhood. See article.
g Abodes - Book alert:” Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System,” by Paul Clancy, André Brack and Gerda Horneck examines how astrobiology is being done right here in our own galactic backyard. See article.
g Life - Researchers have identified a new test case that could be used for evaluating extraterrestrial samples for evidence of life. The new test could ultimately allow the use of simpler analytical instrumentation on future space missions. See article.
g Intelligence - They may not take in the opera or sip fine wines, but the verdict is in: Apes are cultured. See article.
g Message - Book alert: During a lunchtime conversation at Los Alamos more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling questions: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, "Where is everybody?" In "Where Is Everybody?: Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life," Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermi's famous question. See article.
g Cosmicus - Yet another experimental spaceplane may soon fly the skies over the Mojave, Calif., inland spaceport. See article.
g Learning - What textbooks are college students reading in “Astrobiology 101” courses around the nation? See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Carl Sagan’s novel “Contact,” published by in 1985.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life — even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a unique "brown dwarf" right in our solar neighborhood. See article.
g Abodes - Book alert:” Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System,” by Paul Clancy, André Brack and Gerda Horneck examines how astrobiology is being done right here in our own galactic backyard. See article.
g Life - Researchers have identified a new test case that could be used for evaluating extraterrestrial samples for evidence of life. The new test could ultimately allow the use of simpler analytical instrumentation on future space missions. See article.
g Intelligence - They may not take in the opera or sip fine wines, but the verdict is in: Apes are cultured. See article.
g Message - Book alert: During a lunchtime conversation at Los Alamos more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling questions: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, "Where is everybody?" In "Where Is Everybody?: Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life," Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermi's famous question. See article.
g Cosmicus - Yet another experimental spaceplane may soon fly the skies over the Mojave, Calif., inland spaceport. See article.
g Learning - What textbooks are college students reading in “Astrobiology 101” courses around the nation? See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Carl Sagan’s novel “Contact,” published by in 1985.
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life — even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Quasar ignition switch, bottom of the ocean habitats and balanced NASA space exploration
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 spotted what they think is evidence for the ignition switch that turns on super-bright galaxies called quasars. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060323_quasars.html.
g Abodes - Most plants do their growing during the rainy season and stall out when it's dry. But in much of the Amazon rainforest, dry spells bring on growth spurts. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/060321_green_growth.
html.
g Life - The largest habitats on Earth are located in the vast, dark plains at the bottom of the ocean. Yet because of their remoteness, many aspects of this mostly unexplored world remain mysterious. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060328225208.htm.
g Intelligence - Psychologists have recently handed the keys to happiness to the public, but many people cling to gloomy ways out of habit, experts say. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
060227_happiness_keys.html.
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 - NASA and Congress need to develop a balanced program of space exploration that has adequate funding to achieve the Vision of Space Exploration. When the Apollo Missions went to the Moon, we were amazed. Today, if we are to achieve more than simply getting to the Moon before the Chinese, NASA's science programs need to be as valued as human space exploration. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060330_seti_thursday.html.
g Learning - Once relegated to the quacks and hacks of astronomy, the search for alien life has become a legitimate area of study. See http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.htmlid=deaf722
d9f8f4696bc91de6de1cb1f46&k=95733.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mary Doria Russell’s novel, “The Sparrow,” published by Villard in 1996.
g Aftermath - Reactions to the announcement that scientists had found evidence for primitive life in a meteorite from Mars have been intense. Some concerned the scientific evidence, some the implications of extraterrestrial life, especially if intelligent. Underlying these reactions are assumptions, or beliefs, which often have a religious grounding. The two divergent beliefs, for and against the plurality of life in the universe, are examined historically and through religious traditions, particularly the Judeo-Christian. This examination guides the formulation of the right relation between science and religion as one that respects the autonomy of each discipline, yet allows for each to be open to the discoveries of the other. Based on this relationship, perspectives from scientific exploration are developed that can help individuals to respect and cope with the new phenomena that science brings, whether these imply that we might be alone in the universe or co-creatures of God with the ancient Martians. See http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/cos
mos/perspectives/corbally.shtml.
g Stars - Astronomers have spotted what they think is evidence for the ignition switch that turns on super-bright galaxies called quasars. See http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060323_quasars.html.
g Abodes - Most plants do their growing during the rainy season and stall out when it's dry. But in much of the Amazon rainforest, dry spells bring on growth spurts. See http://www.livescience.com/environment/060321_green_growth.
html.
g Life - The largest habitats on Earth are located in the vast, dark plains at the bottom of the ocean. Yet because of their remoteness, many aspects of this mostly unexplored world remain mysterious. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060328225208.htm.
g Intelligence - Psychologists have recently handed the keys to happiness to the public, but many people cling to gloomy ways out of habit, experts say. See http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/
060227_happiness_keys.html.
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 - NASA and Congress need to develop a balanced program of space exploration that has adequate funding to achieve the Vision of Space Exploration. When the Apollo Missions went to the Moon, we were amazed. Today, if we are to achieve more than simply getting to the Moon before the Chinese, NASA's science programs need to be as valued as human space exploration. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060330_seti_thursday.html.
g Learning - Once relegated to the quacks and hacks of astronomy, the search for alien life has become a legitimate area of study. See http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.htmlid=deaf722
d9f8f4696bc91de6de1cb1f46&k=95733.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mary Doria Russell’s novel, “The Sparrow,” published by Villard in 1996.
g Aftermath - Reactions to the announcement that scientists had found evidence for primitive life in a meteorite from Mars have been intense. Some concerned the scientific evidence, some the implications of extraterrestrial life, especially if intelligent. Underlying these reactions are assumptions, or beliefs, which often have a religious grounding. The two divergent beliefs, for and against the plurality of life in the universe, are examined historically and through religious traditions, particularly the Judeo-Christian. This examination guides the formulation of the right relation between science and religion as one that respects the autonomy of each discipline, yet allows for each to be open to the discoveries of the other. Based on this relationship, perspectives from scientific exploration are developed that can help individuals to respect and cope with the new phenomena that science brings, whether these imply that we might be alone in the universe or co-creatures of God with the ancient Martians. See http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/cos
mos/perspectives/corbally.shtml.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Smoke from distant galaxy, how gas giants form and building a new moonship
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 infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a burning hot galaxy whose fiery stars appear to be blowing out giant billows of smoky dust. See article.
g Abodes - Rocky planets such as Earth and Mars are born when small particles smash together to form larger, planet-sized clusters in a planet-forming disk, but researchers are less sure about how gas-giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn form. See article.
g Life - New research reveals that songbirds add style to their songs using the same mechanism as humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Too old to learn new skills? By golly, think again. New research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsetting some age-related declines and boosting performance. See article.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's investment in enabling technologies for space exploration has been scaled back dramatically in the past year and focused on areas deemed critical to fielding the Crew Exploration Vehicle and conducting the first human lunar sorties since the Apollo program. See article.
g Learning - What are university students learning about astrobiology? Check out "An Introduction to Astrobiology." Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for elementary university courses in astrobiology. It begins with an examination of how life may have arisen on Earth and then reviews the evidence for possible life on Mars, Europa and Titan. The potential for life in exoplanetary systems and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are also discussed. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a Web site hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a Website hosting further teaching materials. See reviews.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Kristine Katherine Rusch’s "Fit to Print," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life — even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - A new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a burning hot galaxy whose fiery stars appear to be blowing out giant billows of smoky dust. See article.
g Abodes - Rocky planets such as Earth and Mars are born when small particles smash together to form larger, planet-sized clusters in a planet-forming disk, but researchers are less sure about how gas-giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn form. See article.
g Life - New research reveals that songbirds add style to their songs using the same mechanism as humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Too old to learn new skills? By golly, think again. New research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsetting some age-related declines and boosting performance. See article.
g Message - Looking for life elsewhere is a tough task for human or robot. The good news is that the scientific skill and tools to search for, detect and inspect extraterrestrial life are advancing rapidly. See article.
g Cosmicus - NASA's investment in enabling technologies for space exploration has been scaled back dramatically in the past year and focused on areas deemed critical to fielding the Crew Exploration Vehicle and conducting the first human lunar sorties since the Apollo program. See article.
g Learning - What are university students learning about astrobiology? Check out "An Introduction to Astrobiology." Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for elementary university courses in astrobiology. It begins with an examination of how life may have arisen on Earth and then reviews the evidence for possible life on Mars, Europa and Titan. The potential for life in exoplanetary systems and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are also discussed. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a Web site hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a Website hosting further teaching materials. See reviews.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Kristine Katherine Rusch’s "Fit to Print," anthologized in “First Contact” (edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff, published by DAW in 1997).
g Aftermath - Scientists should pay greater attention to discussing the social implications of discovering extraterrestrial life — even though many researchers shy away from the subject because they don't consider it "hard" science. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Giant protoplanets, hunt for life in our solar system and weightlessness’ effect
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - In an article to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, two British astronomers present new numerical simulations of how planetary systems form. They find that, in the early stages of planetary formation, giant protoplanets migrate inward in lockstep into the central star. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1903mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - Today, many of our efforts to find DNA’s alien equivalents focus on distant locales; for example, the use of space-borne telescopes to sort through the spectra of extrasolar worlds, looking for atmospheric gases that would be evidence of biology. But there’s also a backyard effort: the hunt for life nearby, in the solar system. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060323_seti_bi
omes.html.
g Life - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2006/03/060327083737.htm.
g Intelligence - Memory enhancement, IQ boosters and drugs designed to attack genetic weaknesses may increase competition in the future and create a playing field that is far from equal, scientists at the World Economic Forum said. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/ap_060125_super_humans.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty 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 - With President Bush talking up trips to the moon and Mars, and a new satellite circling the red planet, ever wonder what it feels like in space? The expensive way to find out is to hitch a ride on a parabolic aircraft trip, where you may get up to 90 "weightless" sessions of about 20 seconds each. But if you want to find out how space flight actually affects the body, just lie down and recline your head at a 6-degree angle below your feet for a few days. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060327150844.htm.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan for middle school astronomy: “The Life Cycle of Stars.” See http://www.ioncmaste.ca/homepage/
resources/web_resources/CSA_Astro9/files/html/module2/
lessons/lesson2/starLifecycle.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nigel Robinson’s novel “First Contact,” published by Scholastic UK in 1994.
g Aftermath - What if, one day, Earth was contacted by an extraterrestrial civilization? How, as a planet, would we respond to their offer to interact? What if they asked, “Do you have a method in place, or even a policy that outlines how Earth will proceed now that contact has happened?” Here’s an organization that we believes we need in place legal protocol and has proposed the “Extraterrestrial Contact Act.” See http://www.contactact.org/index.htm.
g Stars - In an article to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, two British astronomers present new numerical simulations of how planetary systems form. They find that, in the early stages of planetary formation, giant protoplanets migrate inward in lockstep into the central star. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.
phpop=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1903mode=thread
&order=0&thold=0.
g Abodes - Today, many of our efforts to find DNA’s alien equivalents focus on distant locales; for example, the use of space-borne telescopes to sort through the spectra of extrasolar worlds, looking for atmospheric gases that would be evidence of biology. But there’s also a backyard effort: the hunt for life nearby, in the solar system. See http://space.com/searchforlife/060323_seti_bi
omes.html.
g Life - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have successfully converted an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) into a DNA enzyme (deoxyribozyme) through a process of accelerated in vitro evolution. The molecular conversion or transfer of both genetic information and catalytic function between these two different genetic systems, which are both based on nucleic acid-like molecules, is exactly what many scientists believe occurred during the very earliest period of earth's existence. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2006/03/060327083737.htm.
g Intelligence - Memory enhancement, IQ boosters and drugs designed to attack genetic weaknesses may increase competition in the future and create a playing field that is far from equal, scientists at the World Economic Forum said. See http://www.livescience.com/
humanbiology/ap_060125_super_humans.html.
g Message - Humankind has been unintentionally transmitting signals into space - primarily high-frequency radio, television, and radar - for more than fifty 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 - With President Bush talking up trips to the moon and Mars, and a new satellite circling the red planet, ever wonder what it feels like in space? The expensive way to find out is to hitch a ride on a parabolic aircraft trip, where you may get up to 90 "weightless" sessions of about 20 seconds each. But if you want to find out how space flight actually affects the body, just lie down and recline your head at a 6-degree angle below your feet for a few days. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060327150844.htm.
g Learning - Here’s a neat lesson plan for middle school astronomy: “The Life Cycle of Stars.” See http://www.ioncmaste.ca/homepage/
resources/web_resources/CSA_Astro9/files/html/module2/
lessons/lesson2/starLifecycle.html.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nigel Robinson’s novel “First Contact,” published by Scholastic UK in 1994.
g Aftermath - What if, one day, Earth was contacted by an extraterrestrial civilization? How, as a planet, would we respond to their offer to interact? What if they asked, “Do you have a method in place, or even a policy that outlines how Earth will proceed now that contact has happened?” Here’s an organization that we believes we need in place legal protocol and has proposed the “Extraterrestrial Contact Act.” See http://www.contactact.org/index.htm.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Helix-shaped nebula, ultraviolet vision and hunting old spacecraft on the Moon
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Magnetic forces at the center of the galaxy have twisted a nebula into the shape of DNA, a new study reveals. See article.
g Abodes - A study of a meteorite that fell in Egypt nearly 95 years ago may offer clues as to the search for possible life on Mars. Researchers studying the meteorite that originated from Mars found a series of microscopic tunnels within the object that mimic the size, shape and distribution to tracks left on Earth rocks by the feeding frenzy of bacteria. See article. For related stories, see “Mars meteorite similar to bacteria-etched Earth rocks”; and “MRO Test Snaps”.
g Life - Work reported this week provides new evidence that marsupials, like primates, have functional color vision based on three different types of color photoreceptor cones - but unlike primates, a component of marsupial color vision includes sensitivity to ultraviolet wavelengths. See article.
g Intelligence - The human brain to mitigate foul taste through a ruse of anticipation. Work conducted at the UW-Madison Waisman Center using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques and distasteful concoctions of quinine on a cohort of college students reveals in detail how the brain responds to a manipulation intended to mitigate an unpleasant experience. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - Pinpointing old spacecraft and artificial impact craters on the Moon is not only a curatorial courtesy, but also can generate important science. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for budding astronomers: StarChild.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hayford Pierce’s short story "Mail Supremacy", anthologized in March 1975’s Analog.
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Magnetic forces at the center of the galaxy have twisted a nebula into the shape of DNA, a new study reveals. See article.
g Abodes - A study of a meteorite that fell in Egypt nearly 95 years ago may offer clues as to the search for possible life on Mars. Researchers studying the meteorite that originated from Mars found a series of microscopic tunnels within the object that mimic the size, shape and distribution to tracks left on Earth rocks by the feeding frenzy of bacteria. See article. For related stories, see “Mars meteorite similar to bacteria-etched Earth rocks”; and “MRO Test Snaps”.
g Life - Work reported this week provides new evidence that marsupials, like primates, have functional color vision based on three different types of color photoreceptor cones - but unlike primates, a component of marsupial color vision includes sensitivity to ultraviolet wavelengths. See article.
g Intelligence - The human brain to mitigate foul taste through a ruse of anticipation. Work conducted at the UW-Madison Waisman Center using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques and distasteful concoctions of quinine on a cohort of college students reveals in detail how the brain responds to a manipulation intended to mitigate an unpleasant experience. See article.
g Message - While advanced civilizations might be tempted to use optical means such as lasers to send information between the stars, there are some good reasons that nearly all the major Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence experiments are looking for radio waves instead. See article.
g Cosmicus - Pinpointing old spacecraft and artificial impact craters on the Moon is not only a curatorial courtesy, but also can generate important science. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site for budding astronomers: StarChild.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Hayford Pierce’s short story "Mail Supremacy", anthologized in March 1975’s Analog.
g Aftermath - Scientists such as the SETI Institute’s John Billingham and Jill Tarter have taken the lead in planning for the day we might receive a signal from life beyond Earth. Working with diplomats and space lawyers, they have helped develop protocols that guide the activities of SETI scientists who think they may have detected extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This story is a couple of years old.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Star cocoons, ocean-creating comets and outcompeted Neanderthals
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists looking at three rare and radiant pulsating stars have found they each are surrounded by a fairly bright layer of matter, a “cocoon,” that has never before been detected around stars of this kind. See article.
g Abodes - Three icy comets orbiting among the rocky asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may hold clues to the origin of Earth's oceans. See article.
g Life - Choosing a mate is a big decision. And, at least for mice, it's one that is best made with input from one's peers. See article.
g Intelligence - Neanderthals in Europe were killed off by the advance of modern humans thousands of years earlier than previously believed, losing a competition for food and shelter, according to a new study. See article. For related story, see “Ice Age star map discovered” (Note: This article is from 2000).
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 enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72-second lifetime. But a hitch remains: The signal has not been retrieved from other sky surveys, making it more anomaly than confirmable cosmic source. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - Scientists funded by the European Space Agency have measured the gravitational equivalent of a magnetic field for the first time in a laboratory. Under certain special conditions the effect is much larger than expected from general relativity and could help physicists to make a significant step towards the long-sought-after quantum theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new podcast program, “Radio Astrobiology.” In the first show, host Simon Mitton unveils the science behind astrobiology in Part I of an in-depth interview with David Southwood, Director of Science for the European Space Agency. In this segment of the interview, Southwood reveals Europe's plans for exploring the universe and expanding our knowledge of astrobiology. (Clicking on this link will launch you directly into the podcast program [9 MB, mp3]). See article for more.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio’s novel “Illegal Alien,” published by TSR in 1988.
g Aftermath - While no one can guarantee SETI’s success (the discovery of an alien civilization), that may not matter. At its deeper levels, SETI stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society. See article.
g Stars - Scientists looking at three rare and radiant pulsating stars have found they each are surrounded by a fairly bright layer of matter, a “cocoon,” that has never before been detected around stars of this kind. See article.
g Abodes - Three icy comets orbiting among the rocky asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may hold clues to the origin of Earth's oceans. See article.
g Life - Choosing a mate is a big decision. And, at least for mice, it's one that is best made with input from one's peers. See article.
g Intelligence - Neanderthals in Europe were killed off by the advance of modern humans thousands of years earlier than previously believed, losing a competition for food and shelter, according to a new study. See article. For related story, see “Ice Age star map discovered” (Note: This article is from 2000).
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 enormous signal strength, the shape of the signal had the characteristic rise and fall expected for its short 72-second lifetime. But a hitch remains: The signal has not been retrieved from other sky surveys, making it more anomaly than confirmable cosmic source. See article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Cosmicus - Scientists funded by the European Space Agency have measured the gravitational equivalent of a magnetic field for the first time in a laboratory. Under certain special conditions the effect is much larger than expected from general relativity and could help physicists to make a significant step towards the long-sought-after quantum theory of gravity. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat new podcast program, “Radio Astrobiology.” In the first show, host Simon Mitton unveils the science behind astrobiology in Part I of an in-depth interview with David Southwood, Director of Science for the European Space Agency. In this segment of the interview, Southwood reveals Europe's plans for exploring the universe and expanding our knowledge of astrobiology. (Clicking on this link will launch you directly into the podcast program [9 MB, mp3]). See article for more.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio’s novel “Illegal Alien,” published by TSR in 1988.
g Aftermath - While no one can guarantee SETI’s success (the discovery of an alien civilization), that may not matter. At its deeper levels, SETI stimulates and influences our thoughts and transforms our society. See article.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Star stream, blame frogs for human language and 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 - Astronomers have discovered a narrow stream of stars extending at least 45 degrees across the northern sky. The stream is about 76,000 light-years distant from Earth and forms a giant arc over the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Evidence never dies in the popular TV show “Cold Case.” Nor do some traces of life disappear on Earth, Mars, or elsewhere. An international team of scientists, including researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, has developed techniques to detect miniscule amounts of biological remains, dubbed biosignatures, in the frozen Mars-like terrain of Svalbard, a island north of Norway. This technology will be used on future life-search missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Changes to Earth's biodiversity have occurred more rapidly in the past 50 years than at any time in human history, creating a species loss greater than anything since a major asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget the textbook story about tool use and language sparking the dramatic evolutionary growth of the human brain. Instead, imagine ancient hominid children chasing frogs. Not for fun, but for food. See article.
g Message - Where would you look for extraterrestrial life? Here’s a paper that helps guide SETI’s efforts. Note: This piece is a decade old.
g Cosmicus - Two years after the first privately financed space flight jump-started a sleepy industry, more than a dozen companies are developing rocket planes to ferry ordinary rich people out of the atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lessons, designed for at-risk students: “The Plausibility of Interstellar Communication and Related Phenomena Depicted in Science Fiction Literature and the Movies.” The curriculum has four major objectives: first, to educate students to develop concepts about the proximity of our solar system in relation to other probable solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy; second, to give students the opportunity to use these concepts to evaluate the plausibility of interstellar communication depicted in science fiction literature and movies; third, to create an opportunity for students not only to look out on the universe but to turn it inward to look at the world, their own society, and themselves as individuals; and fourth, an objective that will be integrated with all of the others is to give students to opportunity to learn and/or sharpen skills in: using the scientific method, research, reading, writing, collaboration, discussion and in critical thinking. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Derryl Murphy’s short story "Lost Jenny" published in Fall 1999’s “On Spec.”
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Astronomers have discovered a narrow stream of stars extending at least 45 degrees across the northern sky. The stream is about 76,000 light-years distant from Earth and forms a giant arc over the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. See article.
g Abodes - Evidence never dies in the popular TV show “Cold Case.” Nor do some traces of life disappear on Earth, Mars, or elsewhere. An international team of scientists, including researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, has developed techniques to detect miniscule amounts of biological remains, dubbed biosignatures, in the frozen Mars-like terrain of Svalbard, a island north of Norway. This technology will be used on future life-search missions to the Red Planet. See article.
g Life - Changes to Earth's biodiversity have occurred more rapidly in the past 50 years than at any time in human history, creating a species loss greater than anything since a major asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. See article.
g Intelligence - Forget the textbook story about tool use and language sparking the dramatic evolutionary growth of the human brain. Instead, imagine ancient hominid children chasing frogs. Not for fun, but for food. See article.
g Message - Where would you look for extraterrestrial life? Here’s a paper that helps guide SETI’s efforts. Note: This piece is a decade old.
g Cosmicus - Two years after the first privately financed space flight jump-started a sleepy industry, more than a dozen companies are developing rocket planes to ferry ordinary rich people out of the atmosphere. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat set of lessons, designed for at-risk students: “The Plausibility of Interstellar Communication and Related Phenomena Depicted in Science Fiction Literature and the Movies.” The curriculum has four major objectives: first, to educate students to develop concepts about the proximity of our solar system in relation to other probable solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy; second, to give students the opportunity to use these concepts to evaluate the plausibility of interstellar communication depicted in science fiction literature and movies; third, to create an opportunity for students not only to look out on the universe but to turn it inward to look at the world, their own society, and themselves as individuals; and fourth, an objective that will be integrated with all of the others is to give students to opportunity to learn and/or sharpen skills in: using the scientific method, research, reading, writing, collaboration, discussion and in critical thinking. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Derryl Murphy’s short story "Lost Jenny" published in Fall 1999’s “On Spec.”
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Extreme helium stars, targeting Titan for exploration and thank fish for our brains
Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - An international group of astronomers has used Hubble Space Telescope to determine the origin of a very unusual and rare type of star. The group's studies indicate that the so-called "extreme helium stars" are formed by the merger of two white dwarf stars. See article.
g Abodes - A leading planetary scientist said that Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, should be targeted for a new round of outer planet exploration. See article.
g Life - Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species that had one of the longest necks relative to body length ever measured. See article.
g Intelligence - Human brains are bigger and better than any of our closest living or dead non-human relatives in relation to body weight. Scientists say we have fish and frogs to thank for this. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? See paper. Note: This paper was written in 1992.
g Cosmicus - Work is underway in preparing for the inaugural rocket blastoff from the New Mexico spaceport grounds. See article.
g Learning - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ron Montana’s "Loosely Translated", anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - An international group of astronomers has used Hubble Space Telescope to determine the origin of a very unusual and rare type of star. The group's studies indicate that the so-called "extreme helium stars" are formed by the merger of two white dwarf stars. See article.
g Abodes - A leading planetary scientist said that Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, should be targeted for a new round of outer planet exploration. See article.
g Life - Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species that had one of the longest necks relative to body length ever measured. See article.
g Intelligence - Human brains are bigger and better than any of our closest living or dead non-human relatives in relation to body weight. Scientists say we have fish and frogs to thank for this. See article.
g Message - What technological manifestations would make an advanced extraterrestrial civilization detectable? See paper. Note: This paper was written in 1992.
g Cosmicus - Work is underway in preparing for the inaugural rocket blastoff from the New Mexico spaceport grounds. See article.
g Learning - A research team has discovered a part of the brain crucial for counting and performing arithmetic. The new finding could lead to a better understanding of dyscalculia, a psychological disorder that makes it nearly impossible to deal with numbers, much less complicated math. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ron Montana’s "Loosely Translated", anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
g Aftermath - If we find other civilizations, what will we say to them? Crafting a message that represents Earth and humanity and can be understood by another life form is no minor endeavor. SETI Institute psychologist Douglas Vakoch has been charged with this formidable task, and has enlisted the help of mathematicians, artists, astronomers and anthropologists. Hear the messages he helped compose and learn about the thinking behind them.
Read this blogger’s books
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Universe’s first trillionth of a second, Yellowstone caldera and rocket disaster
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence for what happened within its first trillionth of a second, when the universe suddenly grew from submicroscopic to astronomical size in far less than a wink of the eye. See article.
g Abodes - Satellite images acquired by ESA’s ERS-2 revealed the recently discovered changes in Yellowstone’s caldera are the result of molten rock movement 15 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, according to a recent study published in Nature. See article.
gLife - Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs. Their studies may lead to a new understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another — information that could be helpful in assessing how much of a threat avian influenza is to humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Most surveys about sex find impossibly that men have had far more partners than women, typically two to four times as many. Either there are a bunch of phantom females out there, or somebody is lying. See article. For related story, see “Men In Their 50s Have More Satisfying Sex Lives Than Men In Their 30s”.
g Message - Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can join a worldwide search for intelligent life in space. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/345465.stm.
g Cosmicus - The maiden flight for a new breed of low-cost rockets designed to revolutionize the space launch industry met a disastrous fate Friday, tumbling out of control and slamming into the Pacific Ocean moments after liftoff. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of National Geographic, that offers detailed sky charts for all sections of the sky. It’s a great way for kids to learn about the night sky. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Elizabeth Moon’s novel “Remnant Population,” published by Baen in 1996.
g Aftermath - Director, writer, and one of the most memorable fictional explorers of space - William Shatner's Captain Kirk - explains how to go where few have gone before: how extreme explorers might confront the limits of life both terrestrial or beyond. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence for what happened within its first trillionth of a second, when the universe suddenly grew from submicroscopic to astronomical size in far less than a wink of the eye. See article.
g Abodes - Satellite images acquired by ESA’s ERS-2 revealed the recently discovered changes in Yellowstone’s caldera are the result of molten rock movement 15 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, according to a recent study published in Nature. See article.
gLife - Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs. Their studies may lead to a new understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another — information that could be helpful in assessing how much of a threat avian influenza is to humans. See article.
g Intelligence - Most surveys about sex find impossibly that men have had far more partners than women, typically two to four times as many. Either there are a bunch of phantom females out there, or somebody is lying. See article. For related story, see “Men In Their 50s Have More Satisfying Sex Lives Than Men In Their 30s”.
g Message - Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can join a worldwide search for intelligent life in space. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/345465.stm.
g Cosmicus - The maiden flight for a new breed of low-cost rockets designed to revolutionize the space launch industry met a disastrous fate Friday, tumbling out of control and slamming into the Pacific Ocean moments after liftoff. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site, courtesy of National Geographic, that offers detailed sky charts for all sections of the sky. It’s a great way for kids to learn about the night sky. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Elizabeth Moon’s novel “Remnant Population,” published by Baen in 1996.
g Aftermath - Director, writer, and one of the most memorable fictional explorers of space - William Shatner's Captain Kirk - explains how to go where few have gone before: how extreme explorers might confront the limits of life both terrestrial or beyond. See article.
Read this blogger’s books
Friday, March 24, 2006
Most distant explosion ever, computer simulation of a life form and quake-proof moon base
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The most distant explosion ever recorded, signaling the birth of a black hole near the beginning of time, was more chaotic and lasted longer than astronomers would have expected. See article.
g Abodes - When Boeing and Airbus developed their latest aircraft, the companies' engineers designed and tested them on a computer long before the planes were built. Biologists are catching on. They've just completed the first computer simulation of an entire life form - a virus. See article.
g Life - A rare frog that lives in rushing streams and waterfalls of east-central China is able to make itself heard above the roar of flowing water by communicating ultrasonically, says new research funded in part by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. According to the study, attributes that enable the frog to hear ultrasounds are made possible by the presence of an ear canal, which most other frogs don't have. The research may provide a clue into why humans and other animals also have ear canals: to hear high-frequency sounds.
g Intelligence - Ancient humans from Asia may have entered the Americas following an ocean highway made of dense kelp. See article. For related stories, see “First Americans May Have Been European” and “Early Americans Faced Rapid Late Pleistocene Climate Change And Chaotic Environments”.
g Message - Forget waiting for ET to call — the most likely place to find an alien message is in our DNA, according to an expert in Australia. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Moonquake-proof Moon bases? Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, believes that special construction might be necessary if we persist in our goal to return to the Moon. See article.
g Learning - The constellations we’re generally familiar with generally comes from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Here’s a neat Web site that teaches kids about alternate constellations – those in the Lakota Sioux tradition.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard F. Monteleone and David F. Bischoff’s novel, “Day of the Dragonstar,” published in 1983.
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - The most distant explosion ever recorded, signaling the birth of a black hole near the beginning of time, was more chaotic and lasted longer than astronomers would have expected. See article.
g Abodes - When Boeing and Airbus developed their latest aircraft, the companies' engineers designed and tested them on a computer long before the planes were built. Biologists are catching on. They've just completed the first computer simulation of an entire life form - a virus. See article.
g Life - A rare frog that lives in rushing streams and waterfalls of east-central China is able to make itself heard above the roar of flowing water by communicating ultrasonically, says new research funded in part by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. According to the study, attributes that enable the frog to hear ultrasounds are made possible by the presence of an ear canal, which most other frogs don't have. The research may provide a clue into why humans and other animals also have ear canals: to hear high-frequency sounds.
g Intelligence - Ancient humans from Asia may have entered the Americas following an ocean highway made of dense kelp. See article. For related stories, see “First Americans May Have Been European” and “Early Americans Faced Rapid Late Pleistocene Climate Change And Chaotic Environments”.
g Message - Forget waiting for ET to call — the most likely place to find an alien message is in our DNA, according to an expert in Australia. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.
g Cosmicus - Moonquake-proof Moon bases? Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, believes that special construction might be necessary if we persist in our goal to return to the Moon. See article.
g Learning - The constellations we’re generally familiar with generally comes from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Here’s a neat Web site that teaches kids about alternate constellations – those in the Lakota Sioux tradition.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard F. Monteleone and David F. Bischoff’s novel, “Day of the Dragonstar,” published in 1983.
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 article.
Read this blogger’s books
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Optical vortex mask, fossilized spiders and language processing
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences is developing devices that block out starlight, allowing astronomers to study planets in nearby solar systems. The core of this technology is an "optical vortex mask" that spins light like wind in a hurricane. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1889.html.
g Abodes - The retreat of a massive ice sheet that once covered much of northern Europe has been described for the first time, and researchers believe it may provide a sneak preview of how present-day ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will act in the face of global warming. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060314232724.htm.
g Life - The study of fossilized spiders from the Baltic (Poland) and the Dominican (Caribbean) regions has revealed new insights into the ecologies of spiders dating back to the Cenozoic period. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
03/060301085815.htm.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that two areas in the human brain are responsible for different types of language processing requirements. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060216233042.htm.
g Message - Here’s an article in which Dave DeBoer, project engineer for the Allen Telescope Array, discusses what the unique telescope will offer. The development of the Allen Telescope Array is marked by many innovations crafted with the express purpose of building a world-class state-of-the-art astronomical facility at a fraction of the price of existing radio telescopes. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article623.html. Note: This article is from October 2003.
g Cosmicus - To travel among the stars, we must figure out how to survive the harsh radiation of outer space. Studies of radiation-resistant microbes on Earth provide some illuminating insights. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1901mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
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 Donald Moffitt’s novel “The Jupiter Theft,” published by Del Rey in 1977.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
g Stars - The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences is developing devices that block out starlight, allowing astronomers to study planets in nearby solar systems. The core of this technology is an "optical vortex mask" that spins light like wind in a hurricane. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1889.html.
g Abodes - The retreat of a massive ice sheet that once covered much of northern Europe has been described for the first time, and researchers believe it may provide a sneak preview of how present-day ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will act in the face of global warming. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060314232724.htm.
g Life - The study of fossilized spiders from the Baltic (Poland) and the Dominican (Caribbean) regions has revealed new insights into the ecologies of spiders dating back to the Cenozoic period. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/
03/060301085815.htm.
g Intelligence - Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that two areas in the human brain are responsible for different types of language processing requirements. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060216233042.htm.
g Message - Here’s an article in which Dave DeBoer, project engineer for the Allen Telescope Array, discusses what the unique telescope will offer. The development of the Allen Telescope Array is marked by many innovations crafted with the express purpose of building a world-class state-of-the-art astronomical facility at a fraction of the price of existing radio telescopes. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/article623.html. Note: This article is from October 2003.
g Cosmicus - To travel among the stars, we must figure out how to survive the harsh radiation of outer space. Studies of radiation-resistant microbes on Earth provide some illuminating insights. See http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.phpop=modload&name=News
&file=article&sid=1901mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.
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 Donald Moffitt’s novel “The Jupiter Theft,” published by Del Rey in 1977.
g Aftermath - Donald E. Tarter, a consultant in space policy and technology assessment, makes a persuasive case for developing the protocols and technology to reply to an extraterrestrial signal before news of the discovery is made public, in his article, “Advocating an Immediate Response.” Delay could be costly as technologically advanced fringe groups or ambitious nations could attempt to score a propaganda victory by being the first to reply, creating a mixed and perhaps embarrassing first message. This could be avoided by settling on a quick and simple message to let the extraterrestrial source know that we had received their message. See http://seti.planetary.org/Contact/ImmediateResponse.html. Note: This report is from 1996.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Stellar corpses, how dinosaurs walked and power of a rhesus monkey call
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Tiny stellar 'corpses' have been caught blasting surprisingly powerful X-rays and gamma rays across our galaxy by the European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory Integral. This discovery links these objects to the most magnetically active bodies in the universe and forces scientists to reconsider just how dead such stellar corpses really are. See article.
g Abodes - It'll be a snap to identify gemstones once Robert Downs finishes his library of spectral fingerprints for all the Earth's minerals. See article.
g Life - When the American Museum of Natural History wanted to create a digital walking Tyrannosaurus rex for a new dinosaur exhibit, it turned to dinosaur locomotion experts John Hutchinson and Stephen Gatesy for guidance. See article.
g Intelligence - Straight out of the womb, infants may be just as aroused by a rhesus monkey call as by human speech. See article.
g Message - The tent looked so big when it was first installed. The vaulted top stands 35 feet above the ground. It is 40 feet wide. The door is almost 30 feet high. It’s gleaming white. In short, it’s a perfect place within which to build the antennas for the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - MIT researchers have developed a tiny light detector that may allow for super-fast broadband communications over interplanetary distances. Currently, even still images from other planets are difficult to retrieve. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that allows you to make a custom map of your favorite patch of sky; it’s a great teaching tool for kids.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard McKenna’s short story, "Mine Own Ways”, anthologized in “Casey Agonistes” (edited by Richard McKenna and published in 1960).
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Tiny stellar 'corpses' have been caught blasting surprisingly powerful X-rays and gamma rays across our galaxy by the European Space Agency's gamma-ray observatory Integral. This discovery links these objects to the most magnetically active bodies in the universe and forces scientists to reconsider just how dead such stellar corpses really are. See article.
g Abodes - It'll be a snap to identify gemstones once Robert Downs finishes his library of spectral fingerprints for all the Earth's minerals. See article.
g Life - When the American Museum of Natural History wanted to create a digital walking Tyrannosaurus rex for a new dinosaur exhibit, it turned to dinosaur locomotion experts John Hutchinson and Stephen Gatesy for guidance. See article.
g Intelligence - Straight out of the womb, infants may be just as aroused by a rhesus monkey call as by human speech. See article.
g Message - The tent looked so big when it was first installed. The vaulted top stands 35 feet above the ground. It is 40 feet wide. The door is almost 30 feet high. It’s gleaming white. In short, it’s a perfect place within which to build the antennas for the Allen Telescope Array. See article.
g Cosmicus - MIT researchers have developed a tiny light detector that may allow for super-fast broadband communications over interplanetary distances. Currently, even still images from other planets are difficult to retrieve. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat Web site that allows you to make a custom map of your favorite patch of sky; it’s a great teaching tool for kids.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Richard McKenna’s short story, "Mine Own Ways”, anthologized in “Casey Agonistes” (edited by Richard McKenna and published in 1960).
g Aftermath - In a cross-cultural study conducted several years ago, to scientists looked at the attitudes of college students towards the possibility that extraterrestrial life might exist, and if it does, what it might be like for people to learn that it exists. See article. Note: This article is from 2002.
Read this blogger’s books
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Cosmic clocks, super-Earth and knock-kneed early humans
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 using the 76-m Lovell radio telescope at the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a very strange pulsar that helps explain how pulsars act as 'cosmic clocks' and confirms theories put forward 37 years ago to explain the way in which pulsars emit their regular beams of radio waves - considered to be one of the hardest problems in astrophysics. Their research, now published in Science Express, reveals a pulsar that is only “on” for part of the time. The strange pulsar is spinning about its own axis and slows down 50% faster when it is “on” compared to when it is “off.” See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers has discovered a "super-Earth" orbiting in the outer region of a solar system 9,000 light-years away. Weighing 13 times as much as Earth, with a temperature of minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the planet is one of the coldest ever discovered outside our solar system. See article.
g Life - Hunger for protein and salt, and a fear of cannibalism, drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America. See article.
g Intelligence - A re-examination of anklebones from ancient human ancestors indicates their gait was not as stable as previous research indicated. They were knock-kneed. See article.
g Message - "If you're sending a message to extraterrestrials, what you want to send is what's special about us and our planet — what is unusual," according to SETI astronomer Frank Drake. Read his latest essay.
g Cosmicus - After a grueling day climbing the mountains of the moon, astronauts will need a place to kick back and relax. Larry Toups of the Johnson Space Center talks with Astrobiology Magazine about the challenges of designing a dwelling for the future moonwalkers. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a wonderful Web site for kids: “Mysteries of Space and Time.” By the time a student finishes navigating this site, space should no longer be a mystery. Using clever graphics and offering games and other interactive features, this resource thoroughly covers black holes, the planets, and many anomalies of space. The lab section will be particularly helpful to astronomy students. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mark J. McGarry’s "Harmony," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
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 article. Note: This article is from 2003.
g Stars - Astronomers using the 76-m Lovell radio telescope at the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a very strange pulsar that helps explain how pulsars act as 'cosmic clocks' and confirms theories put forward 37 years ago to explain the way in which pulsars emit their regular beams of radio waves - considered to be one of the hardest problems in astrophysics. Their research, now published in Science Express, reveals a pulsar that is only “on” for part of the time. The strange pulsar is spinning about its own axis and slows down 50% faster when it is “on” compared to when it is “off.” See article.
g Abodes - An international team of astronomers has discovered a "super-Earth" orbiting in the outer region of a solar system 9,000 light-years away. Weighing 13 times as much as Earth, with a temperature of minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the planet is one of the coldest ever discovered outside our solar system. See article.
g Life - Hunger for protein and salt, and a fear of cannibalism, drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America. See article.
g Intelligence - A re-examination of anklebones from ancient human ancestors indicates their gait was not as stable as previous research indicated. They were knock-kneed. See article.
g Message - "If you're sending a message to extraterrestrials, what you want to send is what's special about us and our planet — what is unusual," according to SETI astronomer Frank Drake. Read his latest essay.
g Cosmicus - After a grueling day climbing the mountains of the moon, astronauts will need a place to kick back and relax. Larry Toups of the Johnson Space Center talks with Astrobiology Magazine about the challenges of designing a dwelling for the future moonwalkers. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a wonderful Web site for kids: “Mysteries of Space and Time.” By the time a student finishes navigating this site, space should no longer be a mystery. Using clever graphics and offering games and other interactive features, this resource thoroughly covers black holes, the planets, and many anomalies of space. The lab section will be particularly helpful to astronomy students. See article.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Mark J. McGarry’s "Harmony," anthologized in “Alien Encounters” (edited by Jan Finder).
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 article. Note: This article is from 2003.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Cepheid envelopes, Stardust findings and music therapy
Welcome! “Alien Life” tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Today’s news:
g Stars - Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Cerro Paranal, Chile, and the CHARA Interferometer at Mount Wilson, Calif., a team of French and North American astronomers has discovered envelopes around three Cepheids, including the Pole Star. This is the first time that matter is found surrounding members of this important class of rare and very luminous stars whose luminosity varies in a very regular way. Cepheids play a crucial role in cosmology, being one of the first "steps" on the cosmic distance ladder. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have analyzed some of the particles captured by NASA's Stardust mission and returned to Earth earlier this year. And they've found a big surprise. Although the particles come from a comet that formed in the deep-frozen outer reaches of the solar system, they contain minerals that could only have been created near the sun. See article. For related story, see “Broken Comet On Its Way”.
g Life - In the first study to link social evolution to climate change, Cornell's Bryan Danforth and colleagues show that the social behavior of many sweat bees evolved simultaneously during a period of recent global warming, only 20 million to 22 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - A project led by a researcher from the University of Western Sydney has found that music therapy can help sick babies in intensive care maintain normal behavioral development, making them less irritable, upset and less likely to cry. See article.
g Message - What would be a sign of alien intelligence? Forget mathematics — try a simple, pure-tone radio signal. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humanity has the power to fill outer space with life. Today our solar system is filled with plasma, gas, dust, rock, and radiation - but very little life; just a thin film around the third rock from the Sun. It's time to change that. In the 1970's Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill with the help of NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University showed that we can build giant orbiting spaceships and live in them. These orbital space colonies can be wonderful places to live; about the size of a California beach town and endowed with weightless recreation, fantastic views, freedom, elbow-room in spades, great wealth and true independence. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation”. Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian McDonald’s “Chaga” (a.k.a. “Evolution's Shore”), published by Gollancz, 1995.
g Aftermath - If we do make contact with extraterrestrials, they’ll probably be a Type II or III Kardashev civilization. What’s a Kardashev civilization? See article. For related story on the Kardashev scale, see this article.
Read this blogger’s books
g Stars - Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Cerro Paranal, Chile, and the CHARA Interferometer at Mount Wilson, Calif., a team of French and North American astronomers has discovered envelopes around three Cepheids, including the Pole Star. This is the first time that matter is found surrounding members of this important class of rare and very luminous stars whose luminosity varies in a very regular way. Cepheids play a crucial role in cosmology, being one of the first "steps" on the cosmic distance ladder. See article.
g Abodes - Scientists have analyzed some of the particles captured by NASA's Stardust mission and returned to Earth earlier this year. And they've found a big surprise. Although the particles come from a comet that formed in the deep-frozen outer reaches of the solar system, they contain minerals that could only have been created near the sun. See article. For related story, see “Broken Comet On Its Way”.
g Life - In the first study to link social evolution to climate change, Cornell's Bryan Danforth and colleagues show that the social behavior of many sweat bees evolved simultaneously during a period of recent global warming, only 20 million to 22 million years ago. See article.
g Intelligence - A project led by a researcher from the University of Western Sydney has found that music therapy can help sick babies in intensive care maintain normal behavioral development, making them less irritable, upset and less likely to cry. See article.
g Message - What would be a sign of alien intelligence? Forget mathematics — try a simple, pure-tone radio signal. See article.
g Cosmicus - Humanity has the power to fill outer space with life. Today our solar system is filled with plasma, gas, dust, rock, and radiation - but very little life; just a thin film around the third rock from the Sun. It's time to change that. In the 1970's Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill with the help of NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University showed that we can build giant orbiting spaceships and live in them. These orbital space colonies can be wonderful places to live; about the size of a California beach town and endowed with weightless recreation, fantastic views, freedom, elbow-room in spades, great wealth and true independence. See article.
g Learning - Here’s a neat classroom activity, courtesy of NASA: “The Drake Equation”. Students estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy by first estimating the number of craters on the Moon and then by performing estimates of multiple-variable systems culminating in the use of the Drake Equation.
g Imagining - Like first contact stories? Then be sure to read Ian McDonald’s “Chaga” (a.k.a. “Evolution's Shore”), published by Gollancz, 1995.
g Aftermath - If we do make contact with extraterrestrials, they’ll probably be a Type II or III Kardashev civilization. What’s a Kardashev civilization? See article. For related story on the Kardashev scale, see this article.
Read this blogger’s books
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