The SETI Observer

April 18, 2002

	Meeting of Minds
	Amino Acids From Interstellar Space
	SETI Institute Challenge
	To Mars and Back
	Tune-in to Chris Chyba
Artist rendering of a single 6-meter dish from the Allen Telescope Array (scheduled for completion in 2005)

Dear SETI Enthusiasts,

All science moves forward through collaboration. In projects ranging from the creation of amino acids in simulated interstellar space to using the harsh arctic landscape to replicate Mars exploration, our 17-year research collaboration with NASA has yielded important scientific discoveries key to understanding our place in the universe.

In pursuit of this wonderful mission, our partnership with NASA has never been stronger. And that is why I was so excited to hear the new vision statement unveiled by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe last week.

To improve life here; To extend life there; and To find life beyond.

This statement marks an important shift. For the first time NASA, at its uppermost level, has explicitly embraced the search for life as a core mission, and I hope you join me in saluting this vision for the future; a vision shared by the SETI Institute and our supporters.

Sincerely,
Thomas Pierson
CEO, SETI Institute

MEETING OF MINDS

Is there life on Mars? Europa? Beyond? This April, acclaimed physicists, geologists, chemists, biologists and astronomers gathered just down the road from the SETI Institute, at NASA Ames, for the second biannual Astrobiology Conference to discuss developments in what we at the Institute like to call "Life in the Universe" science. Get the scoop on the hottest topics of the conference from the SETI Institute's own Edna DeVore.

AMINO ACIDS FROM INTERSTELLAR SPACE

Could some of life's building blocks come from interstellar space? A team of SETI Institute and NASA scientists successfully created amino acids in a laboratory simulation of conditions found in deep space. This new discovery could hold the key to the mystery of how life began on earth, SETI Institute scientist Dr. Jason Dworkin explains, "The infall of these materials on the early Earth may have facilitated the origin of life on our planet. Furthermore, since new stars and planets are formed within the same clouds in which new amino acids are being created, this probably increases the odds that life has evolved elsewhere." Find out more

SETI INSTITUTE CHALLENGE

Be one of the first five to answer the following question correctly and get a cool SETI Institute t-shirt. We'll post the answer in next month's e-newsletter.
Send your answer to newsletter@seti.org

What are left handed amino acids?

The compound on which married proteins wear their wedding ring
The kind of amino acids in living systems
Only in left handed people
Nonexistent

TO MARS AND BACK

Ever wanted to visit Mars? SETI Principal Investigator Pascal Lee is doing the next best thing, braving icy Devon Island in the high Canadian Arctic, possibly the terrestrial environment closest to that of Mars. We are currently making preparations for the 6th field season of the Haughton Mars Project, which will run through August. In a joint NASA / SETI Institute effort, Lee will lead a team to investigate the rocky polar desert setting for better understanding of the evolution of Mars and the possibilities of life in extreme environments. This explorative research will be used to develop potential technologies, strategies, and hardware designs in preparation for future Martian exploration. Learn more

TUNE-IN TO CHRIS CHYBA

Did you miss Center of Life in the Universe director Chris Chyba on KQED (a local bay-area radio station) last week? Listen-in as Chris and NASA's Scott Hubbard discussed the latest developments in the search for the origins of life on Mars with radio-host Michael Krasny.

Email:newsletter@seti.org