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
“As to what they may be”
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 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 can … Continue reading “As to what they may be”
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck…
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…