New Astrobiology website from NASA
The New NASA #Astrobiology site features NZ Astrobiology Initiative under the Organizations’ Map.
Mars once had an atmosphere, what happened to it?
Join Professor Kathy Campbell in discussing the latest NASA data received from MAVEN about the atmosphere on Mars.
Comets or aliens may explain odd flicker of starlight
Scientists look for pattern recognition when exploring how the natural world or universe work. Something looks to be astray in KIC 8462852 one of 150,000 stars watched by the Kepler space telescope, which is giving off an odd flickering light. It may be a string of comets. Some think perhaps alien megastructures are at work. Or maybe it is a new natural pattern that we simply haven’t seen before.
Life on the Edge: A Journey of Discovery in Earth Science – Inaugural Lecture by Professor Kathy Campbell
Rocks and minerals are vital for unlocking the mysteries of life’s origin and for guiding the search for life on other worlds. ‘Extreme environments’, places too hot, cold, dry, salty, noxious or otherwise inhospitable to most things alive on our planet today are studied to help deepen understanding of where we came from and whether we are alone in the Universe. This talk explores life’s limits and its record in the rocks. It will also delve into one of the most exciting aspects of being a scientist, the art and wonder of scientific discovery, based on my own exploration of extreme environments on land and in the sea.
Citizen scientists at work: Live long and prosper
The scientists, after looking for more than four years with Kepler to a patch in the sky located in between Cygnus and Lyra (we, stargazing nerds know where that is – see featured pic), have discovered an anomaly… a star (KIC 8462852) that exhibits a weird light pattern, or more correctly no pattern at all. Kepler’s team looks for stars that have regular drops in the intensity of the light emitted – that’s normally because a planet, or a few, orbit that star. Bingo!
Not this time!
In fact, it was not the ‘classical’ scientists but the volunteer citizen scientists who figured out something was not quite right… But what is it, really?
On Air – Haritina Mogosanu versus Jack Tame on the Mike Hosking Breakfast to talk aliens.
Anthropocene. What’s in the future for Earth’s creatures?
An interview with Professor Kathleen Campbell – University of Auckland, about a recent study undertaken around Chernobyl, which highlighted a surprisingly ‘normal’ resuming of (wild) life in the area after the nuclear catastrophe in the 80’s. Find out more from the NZ Herald, click here.
Space Travel: the next step?
To go or not to go; that is the question. Me, I vote yes, but since we cannot go right now, what should we do right now?
Water on Mars: why is important for astrobiology
Haritina Mogosanu and Jesse Mulligan from Radio New Zealand are discussing the importance of the discovery of liquid water on Mars. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201772535/mars-water-haritina-mogosanu https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars
Liquid water found on Mars. What does it mean for the search for life efforts?
Where there is water, there is life.
NASA to announce major Martian mystery solved: liquid water flows on Mars
For the last two days the scientific world is bubbling at the announcement of NASA that something of a major importance has been solved on Mars. NASA Confirms Evidence That Liquid Water Flows on Today’s Mars Hear what Professor Kathleen Campbell from University of Auckland commented on this: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-announce-mars-mystery-solved