Category Archives: Aliens

Extraterrestrial Existence

Posted on May 4, 2021 by allyworthington

Shouldn’t Earth have been visited by extraterrestrials already? Enrico Fermi, a physicist from Italy, asked the same question in 1950 and sparked a wonderful conversation in the field of astronomy and astrobiology. In 1975, Michael Hart published “An Explanation for the Absence of Extraterrestrials on Earth,” noting that the lack of intelligent life from the … Continue reading Extraterrestrial Existence → Continue reading →

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Life on Europa?

Posted on May 4, 2021 by connorrobbwilcox

There is life in all forms throughout the world. Even in the most remote places with the most extreme conditions we have seen life not only survive but thrive. This makes us wonder, could there be life on possible habitable worlds? NASA put this to the test by conducting an infrared (IR) signature of oneContinue reading “Life on Europa?” Continue reading →

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May the 4th be with you: the Twin Suns of Tatooine

Posted on May 4, 2021 by brandonlipper

One of my recent blogs crushed the dreams of many Star Wars fans by debunking the close proximity of asteroids within an asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back. That is why, in the spirit of Star Wars Day, I will be sharing an aspect of the films that Star Wars ended up getting correct:Continue reading “May the 4th be with you: the Twin Suns of Tatooine” Continue reading →

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The Fermi Paradox

Posted on May 4, 2021 by mwdobson3

The age-old question of whether life exists on other planets in the Solar System is one that may not be solved for centuries. Frank Drake and Sara Seager spent years developing their respective equations (shown below) that can be used to predict the probability of aliens existence, but the concept of life outside of EarthContinue reading “The Fermi Paradox” Continue reading →

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Extremophiles

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Mykayla

Extremophiles are organisms that not only can survive, but thrive in extreme environments. These are organisms that love the freezing or boiling temperatures, very acidic or very basic conditions, or super high-pressure, salty, or dry environments. There are even extremophiles that hate oxygen and thrive when there is none present. Extremophiles live in places thatContinue reading “Extremophiles” Continue reading →

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Blog 8—A fictional explanation to the Fermi paradox

Posted on May 4, 2021 by zvrec

As we learned from our class, there are several possible explanations to the Fermi paradox. One of them is that the aliens are hiding from us. For this blog, I would like to share a fictional theory in the novel “The Three-Body Problem.” In this book, the author expands the idea that aliens are hidingContinue reading “Blog 8—A fictional explanation to the Fermi paradox” Continue reading →

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Our Neighbor the Space Octopus

Posted on May 4, 2021 by brandonlipper

While the potential of finding microorganisms on Mars has intrigued us here on Earth for a while now, more advanced life may live on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon: Europa. In fact, Professor Monica Grady has proposed that, not only is life on Europa likely, but said life may include organisms with intelligence similar to thatContinue reading “Our Neighbor the Space Octopus” Continue reading →

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Dear Aliens – a retrospect

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Peter Taylor

Well, that’s a wrap. With the inevitability of Earth’s annual progression around the writhing sphere of fire and fusion that sustains our life, another semester comes to a close and another class comes to an end. However, just as all things must end, all things must begin. Days, summers, worlds, perspectives, you name it. SoContinue reading “Dear Aliens – a retrospect” Continue reading →

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solar system superlatives: Earth

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Peter Taylor

Welcome to the last episode of solar system superlatives. I know it’s hard to believe, but, alas, all good things must end. In an effort to dry the tears brimming in all our eyes, I wanted to end this blog series on a happy note and on a celebration of vitality – by looking atContinue reading “solar system superlatives: Earth” Continue reading →

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hoping for a good (tardi)grade on this blog

Posted on May 3, 2021 by wendyyb

At first glance, tardigrades don’t look like much. Affectionately nicknamed “water bears” and “moss piglets”, it’s hard to believe that this millimeter long creature is one of Earth’s most durable extremophiles. According to BCC, tardigrades are found all over the planet from the bottom of the ocean, to Antarctica, to the tops of the Himalayas.Continue reading “hoping for a good (tardi)grade on this blog” Continue reading →

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