The Real Search for ET

Talk about searching for ET and you might get a few giggles. We have this strange duality when it concerns aliens. Usually when anyone speaks of finding ET it concerns UFO's or groups like SETI. There is still a curtain of laughter surrounding the issue for a number of reasons. But one look at a galaxy dotted Hubble image and the laughter begins to wane and a sobering question lingers. Out of the billions and billions (think Sagan) of galaxies and suitable stars is there anything else?? AnyONE else?? AnyTHING else??

I happen to think that undoubtedly there is. And with newer and more advanced techniques we come closer to finding out. We are in an era where we can utilize the vast amount of data collection to analyze the potential for life. And a this new search method should help. Keep your eyes on the skies and you bookmarks on scientists like these because before you know it, the world as we know it may change. What happens next is anyones guess.

The Search for ET just got Easier

Invisibility Cloak

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501154143.htm

Science or magic??

The Virus Battery

I missed this story awhile back but it may turn out to be an important one. Scientists at MIT have developed a battery where the anodes and cathodes are built by specially engineered viruses. There is currently more research being done on the technology to develop higher voltages.

It may be early to say that this could cause a battery revolution, but the potential may be there. The production of these batteries uses no toxic or harmful materials. The process takes place at room temperature. And no, we can't be infected by the viruses. Did I mention they are cheaper to produce??

The only down side is that the number of times they can be charged is less than the lithium batteries. But to compensate for that they have longer charges. We'll have to wait and see but it is ideas like these that we need to cure our increasing energy needs.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/virus-battery-0402.html

Majenta is not a color.

Did you Learn about Him in School??

More information about the guy you never learned about in school than you could imagine.

Encyclopedia of Life

I can't believe I hadn't come by this site by now. Talk about a wealth of scientific knowledge.

http://www.eol.org/

"The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The entry-point for each site is a species page suitable for the general public, but with several linked pages aimed at more specialized users. The sites sparkle with text and images that are enticing to everyone, as well as providing deep links to specific data.

The EOL dynamically synthesizes biodiversity knowledge about all known species, including their taxonomy, geographic distribution, collections, genetics, evolutionary history, morphology, behavior, ecological relationships, and importance for human well being, and distribute this information through the Internet. It serves as a primary resource for a wide audience that includes scientists, natural resource managers, conservationists, teachers, and students around the world. We believe that the EOL's encompassing scope and innovation will have a major global impact in facilitating biodiversity research, conservation, and education.

The EOL staff is made up of scientists and non-scientists working from museums and research institutions around the world. We currently have 20 full time employees, but as this project grows, so will the EOL family."

ADAM- The Robot Scientist

We rely on machines to collect data. We rely on them to interpret the data and to construct models. We rely on machines heavily in the course of scientific advancement. But on more rung has been added to the ladder. In fact, perhaps it is altogether another ladder. For the first time, and certainly not the last, a hunk of machinery, called ADAM, has developed scientific hypotheses and tested them, ... by itself. And this methodology has lead to new scientific knowledge.

And so it goes. Enter the robot scientists. Complex pathways of wires and metal and instruments that results in new knowledge. And all this with no human input, other than the building and encoding of AI within it's circuits. This advancement may prove considerably beneficial to the scientific world.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090402-robot-scientists.html