Monthly Archives: May 2022

Blog Post 8: The Golden Record

Posted on May 1, 2022 by isaachuggins

The golden record is a collection of songs, messages, and symbols placed on a golden disk that was sent out on the voyager spacecrafts. The record also has imprinted on it a small encoded map about where Earth is or how far away it is, as well as messages telling whatever species that obtains this […] Continue reading →

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Blog Post 7: Drake Equation Odds

Posted on May 1, 2022 by isaachuggins

The Drake Equation is an equation used to determine the odds of communicating with another alien civilization. Created by Frank Drake in the 1961, it was a product of all of the odds of life forming, planets having suitable habitats, and how successful the life was on the planet. The first value was R, or […] Continue reading →

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Throwing Rockets Into Space Using A Skyhook

Posted on May 1, 2022 by josephmaquino9

One of the biggest issues with rocket launches today is the inefficiency of converting fuel into thrust. Because of this, rocket payloads have to be small compared to the amount of space required for fuel. For instance, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carries a total weight of fuel of ~411 tonnes (the equivalent weight of […] Continue reading →

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Asteroids and nucleotides | blog VIII

Posted on May 1, 2022 by clviggiano

Just five days ago, researchers identified the last two nucleotide bases in asteroid samples that had previously been unrecognized. Professor and researcher Yasuhiro Oba at Hokkaido University in Japan, alongside a team of scientists, successfully identified the missing cytosine and thymine nucleases. Unlike the other bases, Cyt. and Thy. have very delicate structures, making them […] Continue reading →

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Bracewell “Messanger” Probes

Posted on May 1, 2022 by josephmaquino9

In 1960, Ronald Bracewell made public his idea of a “Bracewell probe” that was capable of both identifying and exchanging information with intelligent alien civilizations. These probes would be sent toward different star systems and place themselves within a near-circular orbit in a star’s habitable zone. Using solar energy from the star, the probe would […] Continue reading →

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Acidophiles, pH, and life on Venus | blog VII

Posted on May 1, 2022 by clviggiano

The pH scale is used to gauge the acidity and ranges from 0-14, with lower values being more acidic and higher values being more alkali. 7 is the neutral level between the two. Substances like battery or stomach acids have pHs around 0 or 1; water and blood are around 7, with drain cleaner or […] Continue reading →

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