Hacker News<p>Avi Loeb: Is 3I/Atlas Our Turing Test by a Superior Alien Intelligence?</p><p><a href="https://avi-loeb.medium.com/is-3i-atlas-our-turing-test-by-a-superior-alien-intelligence-32bfd838a9f2" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">avi-loeb.medium.com/is-3i-atla</span><span class="invisible">s-our-turing-test-by-a-superior-alien-intelligence-32bfd838a9f2</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/HackerNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HackerNews</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AviLoeb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AviLoeb</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AlienIntelligence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AlienIntelligence</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TuringTest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TuringTest</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/3IAtlas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>3IAtlas</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SpaceExploration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceExploration</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a></p>
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#extraterrestriallife
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In the Dark<p><strong>Harvard Astronomer Latest!</strong></p><p>I couldn’t resist sharing the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17790" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">first abstract</a> on today’s astro-ph announcement, one of the authors of which is <a href="https://astronomy.fas.harvard.edu/people/avi-loeb" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Avi Loeb</a> (the pseudonym of “Harvard Astronomer”). Here it is:</p><blockquote><p>We examine the funding disparity in astronomical research priorities: the Habitable Worlds Observatory is planned to receive over $10 billion over the next two decades whereas extraterrestrial intelligence research receives nearly zero federal funding. This imbalance is in contrast to both scientific value and public interest, as 65% of Americans and 58.2% of surveyed astrobiologists believe extraterrestrial intelligence exists. Empirical psychological research demonstrates that humanity possesses greater resilience toward extraterrestrial contact than historically recognized. Contemporary studies reveal adaptive responses rather than mass panic, conflicting with the rationale for excluding extraterrestrial intelligence research from federal funding since 1993. The response to the recent interstellar object 3I/ATLAS exemplifies consequences of this underinvestment: despite discovery forecasts of a new interstellar object every few months for the coming decade, no funded missions exist to intercept or closely study these visitors from outside the Solar System. We propose establishing a comprehensive research program to explore both biosignatures and technosignatures on interstellar objects. This program would address profound public interest while advancing detection capabilities and enabling potentially transformative discoveries in the search for extraterrestrial life. The systematic exclusion of extraterrestrial intelligence research represents institutional bias rather than scientific limitation, requiring immediate reconsideration of funding priorities.</p><p>arXiv:2507.17790</p></blockquote><p>You probably don’t need an AI summary (whether the A stands for “Artificial” or “Alien”), but it the gist of this new article is “Shut everything down and give me the money!”…</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://telescoper.blog/tag/aliens/" target="_blank">#Aliens</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://telescoper.blog/tag/arxiv2507-17790/" target="_blank">#arXiv250717790</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://telescoper.blog/tag/avi-loeb/" target="_blank">#AviLoeb</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://telescoper.blog/tag/extraterrestrial-life/" target="_blank">#ExtraterrestrialLife</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://telescoper.blog/tag/harvard-astronomer/" target="_blank">#HarvardAstronomer</a></p>
Flipboard Science Desk<p>Is there anybody out there? The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is trying to answer the perennial question of if we're alone in the universe, using the world's largest digital camera to scan the southern sky every three to four nights for at least a decade. "In the first month of the survey alone, it could double the number of known small bodies in our Solar System, spotting asteroids much farther out than ever before," Big Think reports. As to extra terrestrial life and technology, it may get us closer to finding if they exist — unless they happen to be hanging out above the northern hemisphere.</p><p><a href="https://flip.it/1WRqfT" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">flip.it/1WRqfT</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Technology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Technology</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Chile" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Chile</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/VeraCRubinObservatory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VeraCRubinObservatory</span></a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a></p>
rexi<p><a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/strongest-hints-of-biological-activity" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">cam.ac.uk/stories/strongest-hi</span><span class="invisible">nts-of-biological-activity</span></a></p><p>"On Earth, DMS and DMDS are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton. While an unknown chemical process may be the source of these molecules in <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> 's atmosphere, the results are the strongest evidence yet that life may exist on a planet outside our solar system."</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a></p>
IT News<p>Life on K2-18b? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Just Yet - Last week, the mainstream news was filled with headlines about K2-18b — an exoplan... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/04/28/life-on-k2-18b-dont-get-your-hopes-up-just-yet/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hackaday.com/2025/04/28/life-o</span><span class="invisible">n-k2-18b-dont-get-your-hopes-up-just-yet/</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/jameswebbspacetelescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>jameswebbspacetelescope</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/currentevents" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>currentevents</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/featured" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>featured</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/k2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>k2</span></a>-18b <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>space</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/seti" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>seti</span></a></p>
Pyrzout :vm:<p>Life on K2-18b? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Just Yet <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/04/28/life-on-k2-18b-dont-get-your-hopes-up-just-yet/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hackaday.com/2025/04/28/life-o</span><span class="invisible">n-k2-18b-dont-get-your-hopes-up-just-yet/</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/jameswebbspacetelescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>jameswebbspacetelescope</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/CurrentEvents" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CurrentEvents</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/Featured" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Featured</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/K2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K2</span></a>-18b <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://social.skynetcloud.site/tags/SETI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SETI</span></a></p>
Victoria Stuart 🇨🇦 🏳️⚧️<p>Alien planet’s atmosphere bears chemical hints of life, astronomers claim<br><a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/alien-planet-s-atmosphere-bears-chemical-hints-life-astronomers-claim" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">science.org/content/article/al</span><span class="invisible">ien-planet-s-atmosphere-bears-chemical-hints-life-astronomers-claim</span></a><br>A study suggests a distant world has gases linked on Earth to algae, but others urge caution before invoking alien slime</p><p>New evidence finds Mars may have had conditions that could have supported life<br><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/mars-carbon-cycle-1.7511554" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">cbc.ca/news/science/mars-carbo</span><span class="invisible">n-cycle-1.7511554</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SETI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SETI</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/microbes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>microbes</span></a></p>
Victoria Stuart 🇨🇦 🏳️⚧️<p>K2-18b & detection of biosignature dimethyl sulfide<br><a href="https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/k2-18b-dimethyl-sulfide" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">skyatnightmagazine.com/news/k2</span><span class="invisible">-18b-dimethyl-sulfide</span></a><br>“Most promising signs yet” of alien life on a planet beyond our Solar System<br><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43714203" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4</span><span class="invisible">3714203</span></a></p><p>New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18 b from JWST MIRI<br><a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adc1c8" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">iopscience.iop.org/article/10.</span><span class="invisible">3847/2041-8213/adc1c8</span></a></p><p>screenshot: abiotic sources of DMS | tentative result | poss/probably not ETLife??</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SETI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SETI</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/microbes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>microbes</span></a></p>
The Bright Side<p>Fascinating discovery! 🌌 Astronomers believe they've found signs of life on K2-18b, a planet 124 light years away.</p><p>Specific organic molecules were found, hinting at an ocean teeming with life.</p><p>Are we alone? <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a></p>
Andy<p><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Astronomy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Life" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Life</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Earth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Earth</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/ExtraTerrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraTerrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/JWST" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JWST</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Telescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Telescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTelescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTelescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/CambridgeUniversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CambridgeUniversity</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/NASA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NASA</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTravel</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a> <br>I always tend to read multiple articles on different websites if a topic like this comes up. Sky News has a take on it too…<br><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/strongest-evidence-of-life-yet-found-on-planet-beyond-solar-system-scientists-say-13350295" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">news.sky.com/story/strongest-e</span><span class="invisible">vidence-of-life-yet-found-on-planet-beyond-solar-system-scientists-say-13350295</span></a></p>
Andy<p><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Astronomy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Life" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Life</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Earth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Earth</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/ExtraTerrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraTerrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/JWST" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JWST</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Telescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Telescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTelescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTelescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/CambridgeUniversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CambridgeUniversity</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/NASA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NASA</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTravel</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a><br>Just a follow up on the article from the BBC I posted earlier today. It contains a few small updates regarding current and imminent space missions, and our ongoing search for extraterrestrial life. “Dragonfly” sounds very interesting, as do the missions to Europa…<br><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8jwj90ejno" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8jwj</span><span class="invisible">90ejno</span></a></p>
Andy<p><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Astronomy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Life" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Life</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Earth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Earth</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/ExtraTerrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraTerrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/JWST" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JWST</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Telescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Telescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTelescope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTelescope</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/CambridgeUniversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CambridgeUniversity</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/NASA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NASA</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Planets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Planets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/SpaceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SpaceTravel</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a> <br>Very interesting, but don’t build your hopes up we’ll ever get there. The fastest thing we’ve currently built is the Parker Solar Probe, which travels around 430,000mph. To travel 700 trillion miles at the same speed, we’re talking around 186,000 years…</p><p>Telescope finds promising hints of life on distant planet <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39jj9vkr34o" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">bbc.com/news/articles/c39jj9vk</span><span class="invisible">r34o</span></a></p>
Victoria Stuart 🇨🇦 🏳️⚧️<p>[tentative!] Is this a hint of life on another world, or just a lot of hot air?<br><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5364805/signs-life-alien-planet-biosignatures-exoplanet" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-53648</span><span class="invisible">05/signs-life-alien-planet-biosignatures-exoplanet</span></a></p><p>Strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system<br><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416204034.htm" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">sciencedaily.com/releases/2025</span><span class="invisible">/04/250416204034.htm</span></a></p><p>*astronomers detect most promising sign yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system<br>* on Earth DMS, DMDS only produced by life<br>* primarily microbial life: marine phytoplankton<br>* they remain cautious</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/K218b" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>K218b</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SETI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SETI</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/microbes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>microbes</span></a></p>
SelfAwarePatterns<p><strong>Alien Clay</strong></p><p>What would aliens look like? Not just another intelligent species, but alien animals, or entire ecosystems? It’s very hard for us to imagine them without falling back on variations of Earth animals. So aliens in sci-fi often look like insects, octopuses, or other species we’re familiar with.</p><p>To be sure, aliens would have evolved in the same universe we’re in, with the same laws of physics. So it seems reasonable to expect some convergence, much as we see with evolution on Earth. A fish shape, for instance, turns out to be ideal for moving quickly in a liquid environment. Which is why mammals that move back into the sea, such as whales and dolphins, eventually evolve back into that fish-like shape. And camera-like eyes reportedly evolved independently at least thirty times. </p><p>On the other hand, the diversity of solutions evolution comes up with on our planet is striking. And we should expect differences in the environment on other planets to cause subtle, and not so subtle changes in evolutionary pressures. And that a large part of the environment is provided by life itself (oxygen, soil, trees, etc.). So even on a planet relatively similar to Earth, we might see radically different biospheres.</p><p>These alternate ecosystems are very hard to imagine. Sci-fi sometimes gets there, but it seems relatively rare. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Clay-Adrian-Tchaikovsky-ebook/dp/B0CL4FVXH9/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Alien Clay</a> is Adrian Tchaikovsky’s shot at an attempt. He describes a world where life works very differently.</p> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Clay-Adrian-Tchaikovsky-ebook/dp/B0CL4FVXH9/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <p>Arton Daghdev is a biologist who bristles under the ideologies of the Mandate, the authoritarian regime that runs human society. This leads him to join the revolution against that regime, which eventually results in his arrest and exile to one of the labor camps the regime maintains on exoplanets. Since there is no FTL in this universe, with interstellar travel taking decades in some kind of suspended animation, the sentence essentially removes political prisoners from Mandate society.</p><p>When Daghdev arrives on Kiln, the world he’s been sentenced to, he discovers a vibrant and seemingly aggressive alien ecosystem, with the human labor camp in an isolated dome, and a constant risk of alien infection of some type, which apparently alters people and drives them mad. </p><p>It turns out that the Mandate is keeping a secret here. Ancient ruins have been found, with writing that a team of archaeologists are attempting to decipher. But there are no signs of an intelligent civilization level species, at least none that the team of biologists studying the life on Kiln have been able to find. </p><p>As a distinguished biologist, Daghdev is interviewed by the camp commandant, who is very interested in solving the puzzle of the ruin builders. He is assigned to Dig Support, the team that assists the scientists. The scientists have to walk a tightrope. They must show progress in frequent presentations to the commandant, but must carefully present their results in a way that doesn’t violate Mandate ideology, which expects them to find something human-like behind the ruins. However, it quickly becomes evident to Daghdev that Kiln operates by its own rules, which don’t fit human preconceptions. </p><p>At the same time, Daghdev ends up joining the local revolution in the camp, with a goal of overthrowing the commandant and his security team, and gaining access to the ship in orbit around the planet in order to return to human civilization, dystopian as it is. We get a picture of a society back on Earth that has had a revolutionary undercurrent for a long time, with entire generations growing up under the secret committees and sub-committees of the revolution. Most of the characters have eastern European names, evoking imagery of the long history of struggles against authoritarianism in that region.</p><p>So it’s not a happy tale, at least not at the beginning. Without getting into spoilers, things become increasingly dire, until we get a perspective shift toward the end, one that redefines the relationship between the humans and the alien biosphere. </p><p>I enjoyed this book, primarily due to the ideas about biology that Tchaikovsky explores. But as usual I have to caveat this by noting that his writing often remains a struggle for me, although obviously not an insurmountable one. In this case, he has long stretches with no dialogue, either because Daghdev is ruminating on the biology or political situation, or because Tchaikovsky is telling us about conversations rather than showing them. It made the story feel slow, and many of the characters distant. </p><p>But as with his other books, it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading. And of course many will find his writing the best part. So if exploring the idea of a completely different way for intelligence to work in an alien ecology sounds appealing, with some revolutionary dynamics thrown, then I recommend checking this one out.</p><p>Have you read it? If so, what did you think? Reading anything else interesting lately?</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://selfawarepatterns.com/tag/evolution/" target="_blank">#Evolution</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://selfawarepatterns.com/tag/extraterrestrial-life/" target="_blank">#ExtraterrestrialLife</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://selfawarepatterns.com/tag/sci-fi/" target="_blank">#sciFi</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://selfawarepatterns.com/tag/science-fiction/" target="_blank">#ScienceFiction</a></p>
Cosmic Librarian<p>Could life in our Universe be more rare than we think?</p><p>In the Search for Extraterrestrial Life, This Surprising Result May Bring us Closer to a Groundbreaking Discovery</p><p>“A single positive detection would change everything,... but even if we don’t find life, we’ll be able to quantify how rare – or common – planets with detectable biosignatures really might be.”</p><p><a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/life" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>life</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/biosignatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>biosignatures</span></a> <br><a href="https://thedebrief.org/in-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-life-this-surprising-result-may-bring-us-closer-to-a-groundbreaking-discovery/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">thedebrief.org/in-the-search-f</span><span class="invisible">or-extraterrestrial-life-this-surprising-result-may-bring-us-closer-to-a-groundbreaking-discovery/</span></a></p>
Egbert<p>"This work serves as a reminder that science isn’t just about finding answers—it’s also about asking the right questions and embracing uncertainty as part of the journey."</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>science</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/seti" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>seti</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.seti.org/press-release/what-if-we-find-nothing-our-search-life-beyond-earth" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">seti.org/press-release/what-if</span><span class="invisible">-we-find-nothing-our-search-life-beyond-earth</span></a></p>
rexi<p><a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-rover-detects-largest-organic-molecules-found-on-mars/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curios</span><span class="invisible">ity-rover-detects-largest-organic-molecules-found-on-mars/</span></a></p><p>Scientists probed an existing rock sample inside Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) mini-lab and found the molecules decane, undecane, and dodecane. These compounds, which are made up of 10, 11, and 12 carbons, respectively, are thought to be the fragments of fatty acids that were preserved in the sample. Fatty acids are among the organic molecules that on Earth are chemical building blocks of life.</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a></p>
Cole Haddon<p>In 5AM STORYTALK’s latest podcast, Kevin Peter Hand – director of the NASA JPL’s Ocean Worlds Lab and real-life adventurer – discusses the search for life in our outer solar system, the intersection of art and science, and why he's optimistic about our future (no, really). </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NASA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NASA</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/JPL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JPL</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/OceanWorlds" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OceanWorlds</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Europa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Europa</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/extraterrestriallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extraterrestriallife</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/exploration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>exploration</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/podcastepisode" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>podcastepisode</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/podcast" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>podcast</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/arttalk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>arttalk</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/art" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>art</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/writingcommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writingcommunity</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/podcast-q-and-a-kevin-peter-hand" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">colehaddon.substack.com/p/podc</span><span class="invisible">ast-q-and-a-kevin-peter-hand</span></a></p>
Julian D 🏳️🌈 #FBPE #RejoinEU<p>Life must extend beyond Earth 🌍🚀. A leading scientist makes the case for space exploration. <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a><br /><a href="https://champ.ly/Q6opQjW3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">champ.ly/Q6opQjW3</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
PAICTEST<p>👽✨ The Cosmic Question: Are We Alone? 🌌🛸<br>Greetings, fellow stargazers! 🌠<br>Have you ever gazed up at the night sky, wondering if somewhere out there, beneath the same blanket of stars, other beings are doing the same? The universe is vast, mysterious, and teeming with possibilities. 🤔<br><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Aliens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Aliens</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Space</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/CosmicMystery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CosmicMystery</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AreWeAlone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AreWeAlone</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Stargazing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Stargazing</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/UFO" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UFO</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExtraterrestrialLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExtraterrestrialLife</span></a></p>
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