6 month ago
nelson : Choosing BOINC projects - Very thoughtful collection of distributed computing projects
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23 month ago
jkottke : "Extra-terrestrials have yet to find us because they haven't had enough time to look" - "Extra-terrestrials have yet to find us because they haven't had enough time to look."
plasticbag : Rasmus Bjork has been exploring why aliens haven't found us - his conclusion is that it's because it would take them billions of years to do so - Rather spuriously, he seems to have decided that said aliens would send eight probes which would each subsequently break into an additional eight probes. My guess is that if they did it with more probes it might take less time...
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46 month ago
plasticbag : seti@home style distributed software is being planned to look for extra-solar planets - And if you're one of the people whose computer finds one, you get to name the little bugger. Sweet...
# copy46 month ago
plasticbag : 'Fifty planets' could have life - Half the planetary systems so far discovered could harbour life, and we might be able to see if they do within fifteen years...
jkottke : "Astronomers estimate about half the planetary systems so far discovered in our galaxy could contain Earth-like worlds" - And space telescopes will be good enough to check in about 15 years.
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46 month ago
jkottke : NASA has found "strong evidence" that life currently exists on Mars - Fluctuating methane levels and the presence of sulfate jarosite may indicate that life is present.
plasticbag : NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars - It's all to do with methane emissions from subterranean caves. Very hopeful about this one. Life on another planet - however trivial and basic - would blow the world open...
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