astrobiology

Astronomy Magazine: A new funding method for SETI?

Astronomy Magazine’s blog features a story about the SETI Lottery Bond devised by BMSIS research scientist Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra. Although this idea may be a long way from implementation, novel sources of funding will ultimately be needed if SETI is to conduct the long-term search required for its success. Written by Suzanne Jacobs, a graduate student in the MIT science writing program, the article examines the SETI Lottery Bond idea from a variety of perspectives in hopes that SETI will […]

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NAI Seminar with Dr. Jim Cleaves

Our own Dr. Jim Cleaves will be featured Feb. 10th @ 11 AM (Pacific) on the NASA Astrobiology Institute’s director’s seminar. Dr. Cleaves will discuss his ongoing research in his talk titled, “Amino Acid Analysis of Titan Tholins and Comparison With Other Prebiotic Reaction Systems”, where he explores the various pathways that abiotic chemistry might ultimately lead to organic living processes. NAI Director’s Seminar with Dr. Jim Cleaves February 10th @ 11:00 AM (Pacific) Join via Adobe Connect: http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/nai_directors_seminar

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Podcast: Finding life at the driest place on Earth

Our “Beer with BMSIS” podcast for November features a conversation with BMSIS research scientist Armando Azua-Bustos about his research goal of Finding life at the driest place on Earth. The “astrobiologist from the desert”, Dr. Azua-Bustos leads a conversation about the various forms of exotic life that exist–and might yet be found–in the dry deserts of the world. Focusing his research on the environment of the Atacama desert in Chile, Dr. Azua-Bustos explains the strategies he uses to search for […]

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Pubs: Quantum Non-Barking Dogs

A new paper led by Dr. Sara Imari Walker explores some novel concepts in quantum mechanics using conceptual models for the decay of an excited atom and the tunneling of a particle through a barrier. The paper is titled “Quantum Non-Barking Dogs” and is available as a pre-print on arXiv.org. In a new episode of our podcast series “Pubs with BMSIS”, join Brendan Mullan in a conversation with Dr. Walker about quantum mechanics and the implications of her new ideas. […]

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Pubs: Funding SETI with a Lottery Bond

A new paper led by Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra proposes lottery bonds as a mechanism for funding science research by appealing to investors, rather than donors. The paper is titled “Funding the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with a Lottery Bond” and has been submitted for publication to Journal of the British Interplanetary Society. In a new episode of our podcast series “Pubs with BMSIS”, join Brendan Mullen in a conversation with Dr. Haqq-Misra about this new proposed method of funding SETI. […]

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Search for the Origin of Life – The Movie

Search for the Origin of Life is a new documentary movie made in collaboration with the NASA Astrobiology Institute and Montana State University and distributed by PBS International. Featuring 8 astrobiologists, including BMSIS scientist Dr. Betül Kacar, the show takes a personal look at individual researchers who, through their experiments and field work, seek to understand the very beginnings of life on Earth. [Watch the full video at Montana PBS]

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Podcast: Is the Earth Rare?

This month, our “Beer with BMSIS” podcast features a conversation with Penn State Professor Jim Kasting about the question, Is the Earth Rare?. One of the pioneers of the field of planetary habitability, and author of the book How to Find a Habitable Planet, Dr. Kasting leads a discussion on some of the factors that have been suggested to be necessary for the development of life, complexity, and intelligence. Drawing from his own research, Kasting describes how many of the […]

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Dr. Rika Anderson Awarded NAI Fellowship

Our own Dr. Rika Anderson was selected for the prestigious NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program for her proposal titled, “Unraveling the impact of ecological selection pressures on the archaeal pangenome”. In her research, Dr. Anderson seeks to understand the evolution of microorganisms and how they adapt to fill new ecological niches. She will compare the genomics of organisms adapted to extreme environments by studying several species collected from Yellowstone National Park. The goal of this research is to understand the factors […]

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