Astrobiologists aim to work out how life fits into the wider universe, uniting biology with the planetary and space sciences to draw a unified picture of the cosmos and our place in it. This ambition is, of course, far older than the discipline itself. A 1748 engraving of an astronomy lecture. [Source] The atomist philosopher … Continue reading Astrobiology before “astrobiologists”: a potted history
The forests beneath our feet
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
The slowness of starlight
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
