The SETI Observer
May 23, 2002
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Dear SETI Enthusiasts:
SETI Institute scientists and Board members gathered one evening earlier this month on Mount Hamilton, high above San Jose at historic Lick Observatory, where Dr. Frank Drake conducts an on-going optical SETI experiment. As the sun dipped low, astronomer Remington Stone aimed the 36-inch Great Refractor telescope at Jupiter.
"You can see the red spot!" Frank exclaimed. "I've never seen Jupiter so clearly." When I took my turn at the eyepiece, I could see Jupiter's cloud bands clearly, and off to the lower left, Io and Europa twinkled in the field of view.
At the Institute, our minds are constantly engaged with our science; not so often, our senses. To actually see the objects of our study, to appreciate first hand the sheer beauty of the Universe, is a thrill like no other. Although we cannot always have such a direct experience with the objects and phenomena we study, a consistent thrill of exploration underlies all of our work at the SETI Institute.
Whether straining to understand the potential for life on Europa, or focusing the eyepiece of the Lick refractor for a better glimpse into the far reaches of our solar system, the curiosity behind the investigation is the same. Every project at the SETI Institute moves the search for life in the Universe forward, and improves our understanding of our own place in the universe.
I invite you now to enjoy following the links below to learn more about our work.
Sincerely,
Thomas Pierson
CEO, SETI Institute
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WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Seth Shostak on the Fermi Paradox |
In 1950 physicist Enrico Fermi asked a simple question that set off over a half a century of debate in the SETI community. He reasoned that if it was likely that there were other advanced civilizations in the universe then it would be natural that they would eventually spread out to other parts of the galaxy. Why is there no evidence of other civilizations? SETI Institute Senior Astronomer, Dr. Seth Shostak explores the Fermi Paradox in a three-part series. Read parts one and two now, and watch a short clip (3 Megs) of the author discussing the apparent absence of visitors from the cosmos.
Quicktime player required to view movie
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WHY EUROPA? |
Jupiter's moon Europa is an attractive target for scientists seeking life in distant regions of our solar system. There is compelling evidence for a liquid ocean beneath the Jovian moon's icy crust, but does Europa have enough of the "right stuff," the basic chemicals necessary to support life? The SETI Institute's Dr. Christopher Chyba and Dr. Elisabetta Pierazzo of the Planetary Science Institute take a look at the role comets may have played in supplying "biogenic" or life-essential materials to this moon of Jupiter. More
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SPEAKING OF JUPITER … |
Check out the current SETI Thursday on Space.com and learn about the biggest neighbor in the solar 'hood from Dr. Cynthia Phillips, of the Institute's Center for the Study of Life in the Universe. more (note this takes you to the Space.com website)
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TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE … |
There are few skills more important than being able to write and speak with clarity and precision. The late SETI pioneer Barney Oliver was a stickler for using the right word in the right way, and proved it by writing a witty and useful book that is a first-rate splint for fractured English.
"The English language is beautiful ... let's do it justice!" was a lifelong belief of Oliver. A pioneer in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and a tireless supporter of the SETI Institute, his many contributions to SETI science and to the SETI Institute are legendary. Today, Jill Tarter, Director of the Center for SETI Research, holds an endowed chair named for this remarkable man whose grammar book is yet another of many legacies.
Now available in the SETI Institute Gift Shop, check out Modern English Misusage, by Barney Oliver.
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SETI INSTITUTE CHALLENGE: Did you answer correctly? |
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In the last SETI Observer, we asked: 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
The correct answer is "B."
As Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak explained recently:
Every reader who's slogged his way through high school biology knows that the proteins of life are constructed from 20 different amino acids; a set of rather simple organic molecules. If you made it to college biology, then you might also be aware that the amino acids found in bacteria, your dog, and you are all left-handed. What does that mean? Well, just like catchers' mitts, amino acids come in two styles: left-handed, and right-handed. Both styles function identically, and are simply mirror images of one another.
("The Interstellar Amino Acid Test," SPACE.com, April 4, 2002)
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Watch for another thought provoking question in next month's e-newsletter.
Copyright © 2002, SETI Institute
2035 Landings Drive - Mountain View, California 94043
Tel: (650) 961-6633 - Fax: (650) 961-7099
Email:newsletter@seti.org
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