Life on Earth isn’t limited to the surface: the biosphere has deep roots. In a new scientific paper in FEMS Microbiology Ecology, my PhD supervisor and I put deep continental biomass on the weighing scales. What’s beneath our feet? Beneath mine: the soles of my slippers; then a thin carpet and some insulated plywood … Continue reading The forests beneath our feet
Because starlight takes many years to reach us, the stars in the night sky are images of the past. This curious fact has inspired the following two poems, which like starlight have outlived their originators. . For the Star by Mihai Eminscu (1850 – 1889) Translated from Romanian by A. Z. Foreman It’s been a … Continue reading The slowness of starlight
For the first time in history, new planets are regularly discovered around other stars. Could they support life? In a new paper in Planetary and Space Science, my colleagues and I show that life may exist far outside the traditional “habitable zone”. Life on Earth requires liquid water, an accessible source of energy and … Continue reading Habitable zones for deep biospheres
Oh how grassy is this hopper, How this berry ripely rasps. I would never have conceived it If I weren’t conceived myself! —Wisława Szymborska (1923-2012) Astrobiology is sometimes and with some justice disparaged as a science with only one data point. This is not to deny the wealth of geological, astronomical and biological knowledge that … Continue reading “As to what they may be”
I was pleased to help the excellent UK-based charity Sense about Science by designing their annual Celebrities and Science leaflet again this Christmas. Celebrities and Science 2012, compiled by volunteers, expertly rebuts the silly health fads and other ill-informed enthusiasms of the rich and famous. It is a grimly funny document. Most celebrities are distinguished in only one … Continue reading Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck…
