Category Archives: Aliens

The Drake Equation

Posted on April 29, 2014 by kaswat

The Drake Equation by XKCD The Drake Equation allows us to predict the amount of communicative extraterrestrial civilizations.  In 1961, Frank Drake proposed this equation to “guestimate” the possibility of life.  The equation includes factors such as the number of planets that could support life, the fraction of those with the ability to create intelligent… Continue reading →

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Arctic Lake Extremophiles

Posted on April 29, 2014 by hughavanheesewijk

We have been learning a lot about extremophiles and whether they would be able to survive on other worlds, specifically within out solar system. I found an article on Wired that pointed to a discovery of microbes in a brine lake located beneath 65 feet of ice in Antarctica. This extremophile had to survive in […] Continue reading →

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Tardigrades

Posted on April 29, 2014 by karapetros

This video discusses what the toughest animal on Earth is. It as interesting to me that while I imagined a big animal like a lion, they determined that the toughest animal is a tardigrade, a type of extremophile. These animals are able to withstand the greatest temperatures and pressures on Earth as well as the … Continue reading Tardigrades → Continue reading →

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Where are they?

Posted on April 29, 2014 by bsturge93

Ever since human beings have been aware of our place in the universe, we have been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life, specifically intelligent life. However, despite our best efforts and certainty that it is unlikely that we are alone in the galaxy, we still find ourselves asking: “Where are they?” With modern scientific knowledge, … Continue reading Where are they? → Continue reading →

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Are We Alone?

Posted on April 28, 2014 by jblubin

The famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke was quoted as saying, “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” A truer statement is hard to come by. Yet quote also sparks tremendous debate and intrigue among those whose ears come across it for the … Continue reading Are We Alone? → Continue reading →

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My Changing Perspective of the Universe

Posted on April 27, 2014 by joshkphilips

Image Source Prior to my enrollment in this class, I rarely thought about the Universe around me. Furthermore, I never truly comprehended the vastness of the Universe. In fact, although I do have a better understanding about the immense size of the cosmos, I feel as though I still cannot fathom the true size of […] Continue reading →

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SETI Institute

Posted on April 27, 2014 by katiew

The existence of life outside of planet Earth is one of the greatest mysteries, but the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute is trying to solve it. Given our understanding about life and the vastness of the universe, it is not unreasonable to believe that there is life out there somewhere. So far, scientists have […] Continue reading →

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Ammonia Aliens

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Chad F

When we look for planets that harbor alien life, we usually are searching for planets within the habitability zone around their stars.  This habitability zone really is just where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist.  All life on Earth uses water as the solvent for the reactions of life, so it […] Continue reading →

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Extremophiles Aiding the Search For Extraterrestrial Life

Posted on April 26, 2014 by joshkphilips

Image Source About six months ago, scientists retrieved samples of water that are nearly two billion years old from the depths of a mine in Timmins, Ontario. They are now attempting to determine whether or not any life exists within the liquid. If in fact lifeforms are present within the water, this would be yet […] Continue reading →

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Extremophiles Under the Sea and in Space

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hollyreichert

Life can be found everywhere on Earth, even in extreme environments.  The organisms that live here are called extremophiles and rely on things other than oxygen for survival.  Hydrothermal events are an example of extreme environments in which extremophiles have been found.  At the bottom of the ocean, temperatures and pressures are so high that […] Continue reading →

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