Posted inMars NASA Single Scoops
The Mars’ magnetic shield would not work
Contrary to the popular belief, the magnetic shield would have a negligible effect on regeneration of Martian atmosphere.
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars
New project to find existing life on Mars before humans arrive
ALFA Mars (Agnostic Life Finding Association – Mars) is a group of scientists, engineers, science communicators, and volunteers with a goal to determine whether indigenous life is present on Martian surface before the first crewed mission arrives there.
Posted inAstrobiology Life Origin of Life Single Scoops
Science, Hype, and Prebiotic Chemistry
Commenting on our report that basalt glass catalyzes formation of polyribonucleic acid, Jack Szostak found it "very frustrating that the authors have made an interesting initial findings but then decided to go with the hype rather than the science". This offers an opportunity to discuss classical chemical structure proof, and the timing of scientific publications.
Posted inLife on Mars Origin of Life Single Scoops
Ribonucleic acid is formed by percolating ribonucleoside triphosphates through basalt glass
This simple reaction is the last step in a modeled "discontinuous" process that moves from sulfite- and borate-stabilized carbohydrates, a post-impact atmosphere, and rock species delivered from basalt glass, all of the way to what might be the process forming what might have been the first genetic molecules on Earth ... and Mars.
Posted inAstrobiology Life Philosophy Venus
Are Venusians ‘life’?
Apology for beating the dead horse yet again, …but why should we assume that ‘life’ is useful for astrobiologists now, when it was useless for virologists for over a century?
Posted inSingle Scoops
Why the term ‘life’ is important to research in astrobiology
A continuation of a discussion about usefulness of the term 'life' for researchers. Carol Cleland wants to keep 'life' to keep researchers open minded.
Posted inAstrobiology Life Philosophy
Why the term ‘life’ is useless in astrobiology
A post to make you laugh and then perhaps think about the meaninglessness of ‘life’ as a scientific term.
Posted inSingle Scoops
Synthesis has explored the universe of possible Darwinian informational biopolymers
Carol Cleland and David Grinspoon argue that synthetic biologists explore only narrowly outside of the structures that they know from natural biology. Not so.
Posted inAstrobiology Single Scoops
NASA’s “Standards” White Paper. Does NASA’s drive for consensus make young scientists susceptible to being trampled by mastodons?
Survival in the Ice Age required youth who were able to balance instruction from their elders with a rebellious streak sufficient to reject their instructions when survival required adaptation. Does NASA's need for consensus upset this balance?
Posted inAstrobiology Life Philosophy
Why astrobiologists should NOT get rid of the term ‘life’
Carol Cleland rebuts Spacek's argument about uselessness of the term 'life' to astrobiologists. According to her 'life' is useful despite our inability to define it.
Posted inAstrobiology Life
Cleland & Grinspoon response to Benner: Do synthetic microbes provide another example of life?
The NfoLD's White Paper on Standards of Evidence in Life Detection opened a discussion on this blog. In this piece Carol Cleland and David Grinspoon tear down Benner's "second example" of life.
Posted inAstrobiology Life Origin of Life
Finding Life, the Universal Way
Lee Cronin's contribution to our ongoing discussion about the universal agnostic biosignatures: The assembly theory is the key.