This past summer, NAI participated in organizing a special weekend workshop held at NASA Ames Research Center entitled "The Future of Intelligence in the Cosmos." The workshop brought together internationally renown scientists and thinkers to explore potential scenarios for the evolution of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. The talks were organized into sessions including The Fermi Paradox, Cultural Evolution, The Nature of Intelligence, and Technological Evolution, followed by several breakout sessions. The proceedings are now available for download at: http://event.arc.nasa.gov/main/home/reports/CP2007-214567_Langhoff.pdf

[Source: NAI newsletter]

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Chris Impey from the University of Arizona is the author of the new book "The Living Cosmos: Our Search for Life in the Universe." Published by Random House in December, the book has been met with critical acclaim, especially in this review from the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-et-book28dec28,1,1847735.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Source: NAI newsletter]

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The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI website and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive - http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

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Committee on the Review of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, National Research Council

Full report

Executive Summary: Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe--its origin, evolution, distribution, and future. It brings together the physical and biological sciences to address some of the most fundamental questions of the natural world: How do living systems emerge? How do habitable worlds form and how do they evolve? Does life exist on worlds other than Earth? The tremendous breadth and depth of this endeavor requires interdisciplinary investigation in order to be fully appreciated and examined.

Continue reading "NRC Report: Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute" »

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The Royal Society announces the availability of a special themed issue - Towards the Artificial Cell, organized and edited by Ricard V. Sole, Steen Rasmussen and Mark Bedau. The special issue, available at http://www.publishing.royalsoc.ac.uk/artificial-cell, provides entirely new approaches to the problem of protocell reproduction. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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Lerner Publishing Group has just released a new "Cool Science" title for 4-8th grade readers called "Astrobiology." From early imaginings about life on the Moon to modern observations of Mars, Europa, and Titan, this book gives an easy to follow, historical context for the search for life elsewhere. http://tinyurl.com/38ase7 The book's author, "Dr. Fred" Bortz, engages students directly through school visits and other events. Learn more at his website: http://www.fredbortz.com/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive – http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

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The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive - http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

If you have an upcoming or recent publication, please tell us about it as soon as possible. We will work with your institution to produce press releases, publicize the paper on the NAI website, and pre-populate your team's annual report with your publication. Please send any information to Daniella Scalice dscalice@mail.arc.nasa.gov [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive – http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them. If you have an upcoming or recent publication, please tell us about it as soon as possible. We will work with your institution to produce press releases, publicize the paper on the NAI website, and pre-populate your team's annual report with your publication. Please send any information to Daniella Scalice dscalice@mail.arc.nasa.gov [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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Search for Habitable Planets Outside Earth's Solar System in Astrobiology

"Which planets outside of Earth's Solar System are most likely to be capable of supporting life is a question that will be the focus of both a NASA-sponsored workshop later this year and a special collection of papers in the Spring 2007 (Volume 7, Number 1) issue of Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc."

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The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive – http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

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The special issue devoted to papers from the Astrobiology Society of Britain Conference 2006:

Continue reading "International Journal of Astrobiology Vol. 5 Issue 03 Now Online" »

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Astrobiology December 2006 Issue - Portable Analyzer Is Powerful Tool for Detecting Biomarkers of Life on Mars, Astrobiology

The Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA) can detect a much broader spectrum of organic compounds than was previously possible, and these could serve as key biomarkers of extinct or existing life on Mars.

Astrobiology is the leading peer-reviewed journal in its field. To promote this developing field, the Journal has teamed up with The Astrobiology Web to highlight one outstanding paper per issue of Astrobiology. This paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ast and to visitors of The Astrobiology Web.

Continue reading "December 2006 Issue of Astrobiology (Journal) Online" »

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The NAI is excited to announce the release of this year's NAI Annual Report. It can be viewed on the NAI website by navigating to the "Teams" section and selecting any team.

Continue reading "2006 Annual Report Goes Live" »

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With this amendment to ROSES-2006, NASA establishes a new program element in Appendix E.5 entitled "History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space." The primary objective of the History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space (HSEES) program element is to engage, inform, and inspire diverse public audiences by sharing historical knowledge about NASA's scientific exploration of the Earth and space and by communicating NASA's unique contributions to the advancement of Earth and space science during the past 50 years. An essential component of communicating to the public is accurate, complete, well-written histories about the scientific exploration of space.

Continue reading "ROSES-06 Amendment 19: New proposal opportunity for History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space" »

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Astrobiology August 2006 issue: Seasonal Changes and Ice Melt on Mars Explain Spider Formations on Martian Surface

"Dark spiders" on the surface of Mars might be explained by seasonal temperature changes that melt surface ice and salt, causing erosion, according to a provocative new theory presented in the August 2006 issue (Volume 6, Number 4) issue of Astrobiology"

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Haughton-Mars Project Expedition 2005: Interplanetary Supply Chain Management & Logistics Architectures: Final NASA/MIT Report

"From an exploration perspective we found that HMP– despite the identified differences with a Lunar or Martian base – is an ideal research environment for interplanetary logistics, because it: ..."

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All ASGSB (American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology) members are encouraged to ask their university/institution libraries to include Gravitational and Space Biology on their list of online journals. Former iterations of the journal are also available online, i.e., ASGSB Bulletin and Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin. Use the following URL when making this request: http://asgsb.org/publications.html [Source: ASGSB Newsletter]

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Reviewed this week in Science, Robert Hazen's new work, "Genesis: The Search for Life's Origin" was published recently with Joseph Henry Press. Hazen, from NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington Team, has woven together a look at life in the Geophysical Laboratory and the history of origin of life theory and debate for an "...engaging, sometimes dramatic tale." To read the review, go here. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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The NAI sponsored workshop of the Europa Focus Group at NASA Ames Research Center, from February 27 - 28, 2006, involvied 115 participants. Presentations from this successful meeting are now available at: http://astrobiology.asu.edu/focus/europa/discuss/discuss.html

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"Review of the Next Decade Mars Architecture" is tentatively scheduled for release during June. However, release dates of National Academies reports depend on successful completion of the review process and on printing schedules.

This report evaluates NASA's Mars exploration program for the next 10 years, and looks at whether it optimizes scientific returns, given the agency's current funding limitations. The report also discusses whether the program incorporates findings from current missions and follows guidelines outlined in a previous report from the Research Council.

Continue reading "NRC Report on Next Decade Mars Architecture" »

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Toward an Integrated Arctic Observing Network, Committee on Designing an Arctic Observing Network, National Research Council

ISBN: 0-309-10052-6, 128 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, paperback (2006)

This report outlines the potential scope, composition, and implementation strategy for an arctic observing network (AON). Such an integrated, complete, dynamic, and multidisciplinary environmental observing network will improve society’s understanding of and ability to respond to ongoing systemic changes in the Arctic and its capability to anticipate, predict, and respond to future change both in the Arctic and around the globe.

Continue reading "NRC Integrated Arctic Observing Network Report" »

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Continue reading "International Journal of Astrobiology Vol. 5 Issue 02 Now Online" »

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Continue reading "International Journal of Astrobiology Vol. 5 Issue 01 Now Online" »

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