Keith’s note: according to this notice: “Don DeVincenzi passed away peacefully on February 14, 2025 surrounded by his family.” Where do I start? Don was a fixture at NASA Ames […]
exobiology
Posted inAstrobiology
NASA's Big Arsenic-Based Life Claim Was Wrong (Update)
‘Arsenic-life’ bacterium prefers phosphorous after all, Nature “Tawfik says that he was shocked by how good the proteins were at discriminating between the essential phosphate and the deadly arsenate. This […]
Posted inAstrobiology
Practicing On Earth How To Find Life Elsewhere
Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Field Reports: Lake Untersee, Antarctica (Gigapixel panorama) “Those early ecosystems resulted in the formation of luxuriant microbial mats with a variety of morphologies which are seen today […]
Posted inSpace & Planetary Science
Kepler Finds Two Candidate SETI Signals – Or Not?
First Look at Kepler SETI Candidate Signals “The signals below are undoubtedly examples of terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). … These signals look similar to what we think might be […]
Posted inSpace & Planetary Science
How Congressional Budget Uncertainties Affect Science
Exobiology 2010 Update #4 “As you know, federal spending is under intense scrutiny. In addition, the timing of the federal budget review and approval process has been less than ideal. […]
Posted inAstrobiology
Cuts To NASA's Exobiology Program
NASA Exobiology 2010 Update #3, NASA SMD “I had hoped by now to have selection recommendations complete. However, as I was working through the reviews, a budget reduction to Exobiology […]
Posted inAstrobiology
Arsenic, Astrobiology, NASA, and the Media
Exclusive Interview: Discoverer of Arsenic Bacteria, in the Eye of the Storm, Science Now “Q: So, NASA approached you about doing a press conference, and you thought that was a […]
Posted inAstrobiology
NASA Researchers Start To Backtrack on Earlier Claims
Study on arsenic-based life takes a beating on the Web, Washington Post “Linda Billings, a George Washington University research scientist and NASA consultant on media issues, said that based on […]
Posted inAstrobiology
"Life As We Know It", Redefined
Keith’s note: Multiple, reliable sources within the Astrobiology community tell me that NASA’s Astrobiology announcement tomorrow concerns Arsenic-based biochemistry and the implications for the origin of life on Earth, how […]
Posted inAstrobiology
NASA's Astrobiology News: Arsenic Biochemistry Anyone? (Update)
Keith’s 30 Nov note: As has happened before, NASA puts out advance notice of a provocative major discovery, media advisory and speculation goes into overdrive with titles of articles such […]