The Science of Astrobiology
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The Mystery of Methane on Mars and Titan
The Mystery of Methane on Mars & Titan By Sushil K. Atreya MARS has long been thought of as a possible abode of life. The discovery of methane in its atmosphere has rekindled those visions. The visible face of Mars looks nearly static, apart from a few wispy clouds (white). But the methane hints at a beehive of biological or geochemical activity underground. Of all the planets in the solar system other than Earth, own way, revealing either that we are not alone in the universe Mars has arguably the greatest potential for life, either extinct or that both Mars and Titan harbor large underground bodies or extant. It resembles Earth in so many ways: its formation of water together with unexpected levels of geochemical activ- process, its early climate history, its reservoirs of water, its vol- ity. Understanding the origin and fate of methane on these bod- canoes and other geologic processes. Microorganisms would fit ies will provide crucial clues to the processes that shape the right in. Another planetary body, Saturn’s largest moon Titan, formation, evolution and habitability of terrestrial worlds in also routinely comes up in discussions of extraterrestrial biology. this solar system and possibly in others. In its primordial past, Titan possessed conditions conducive to Methane (CH4) is abundant on the giant planets—Jupiter, the formation of molecular precursors of life, and some scientists Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—where it was the product of chem- believe it may have been alive then and might even be alive now. ical processing of primordial solar nebula material. On Earth, To add intrigue to these possibilities, astronomers studying though, methane is special. -
Submission from Jerry Cuttler
CMD 21-H4.22 File / dossier : 6.01.07 Date: 2021-05-03 Edocs: 6553919 Oral Presentation Exposé oral Written submission from Mémoire de Jerry Cuttler Jerry Cuttler In the Matter of the À l’égard de Darlington New Nuclear Project Projet de nouvelle centrale nucléaire de Darlington Application to renew the nuclear power Demande de renouvellement du permis de reactor site preparation licence for the préparation de l’emplacement d’une centrale Darlington New Nuclear Project nucléaire pour le projet de nouvelle centrale nucléaire de Darlington Commission Public Hearing Audience publique de la Commission June 10, 2021 10 juin 2021 Intervenor Report for CNSC Public Hearing by Dr. Jerry M. Cuttler, D.Sc., P.Eng. Vaughan, Ontario, Canada regarding Ontario Power Generation’s Application for renewal of its site preparation licence for the Darlington New Nuclear Project to be held June 10, 2021 Part A: Review of the licence renewal documents Part B: Evidence of beneficial effects of radiation and thresholds for detriment Intervenor written report Objective PFP contribution agreement PFP 2020 DNNP01 Cuttler, Section 2.2 requires: 1) participation in the proceedings of the Public Hearing on the OPG application to renew its site licence for the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP), 2) review of the OPG licence renewal application and related documentation, including OPG and CNSC CMDs, and comment in its feasibility and safety aspects. The analysis must focus on OPG’s proposed site preparation licence. 3) submission of a written report summarizing comments from the review, 4) a presentation at the June 10, 2021 virtual Public Hearing. -
The Space Race
The Space Race Aims: To arrange the key events of the “Space Race” in chronological order. To decide which country won the Space Race. Space – the Final Frontier “Space” is everything Atmosphere that exists outside of our planet’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is the layer of Earth gas which surrounds our planet. Without it, none of us would be able to breathe! Space The sun is a star which is orbited (circled) by a system of planets. Earth is the third planet from the sun. There are nine planets in our solar system. How many of the other eight can you name? Neptune Saturn Mars Venus SUN Pluto Uranus Jupiter EARTH Mercury What has this got to do with the COLD WAR? Another element of the Cold War was the race to control the final frontier – outer space! Why do you think this would be so important? The Space Race was considered important because it showed the world which country had the best science, technology, and economic system. It would prove which country was the greatest of the superpowers, the USSR or the USA, and which political system was the best – communism or capitalism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEvCNZymo The Space Race – key events Discuss the following slides in your groups. For each slide, try to agree on: • which of the three options is correct • whether this was an achievement of the Soviet Union (USSR) or the Americans (USA). When did humans first send a satellite into orbit around the Earth? 1940s, 1950s or 1960s? Sputnik 1 was launched in October 1957. -
Giving Alexander Oparin's Origin of Life Postulates a Future
Giving Alexander Oparin’s Origin of Life Postulates a Future Jeffrey J. Wolynski [email protected] April 17, 2016 Cocoa, FL 32922 Abstract: Alexander Oparin was a Soviet scientist working behind the Iron Curtain. Many of his ideas are true and can be further developed by utilizing the General Theory of Stellar Metamorphosis. Explanation is with author’s writing in dark green. Although Oparin's started out reviewing various panspermia theories, including those of Hermann von Helmholtz and William Thomson Kelvin,[3] he was primarily interested in how life began. As early as 1922, he asserted that: 1. There is no fundamental difference between a living organism and lifeless matter. The complex combination of manifestations and properties characteristic of life must have arisen as a part of the process of the evolution of matter. The complex combination of manifestations and properties characteristic of life arise as a part of the evolution of a single star as it evolves, cools and dies becoming an “exoplanet/planet”, as stellar evolution is planet formation itself. 2. Taking into account the recent discovery of methane in the atmospheres of Jupiter and the other giant planets, Oparin suggested that the infant Earth had possessed a strongly reducing atmosphere, containing methane, ammonia, hydrogen and water vapor. In his opinion, these were the raw materials for the evolution of life. Earth had a very violent hot past before it even possessed a reducing atmosphere, it was big, hot and bright like the Sun before it was cool enough to allow for the formation of ammonia, methane, hydrogen gas and water vapor. -
Is It the First Use of the Word Astrobiology ? Author
Title : Is it the first use of the word Astrobiology ? Author : Danielle Briot Adress : Observatoire de Paris 61 avenue de l’Observatoire 75014 Paris France tel : 33(0)1 40 51 22 39 and 33(0)1 45 07 78 57 [email protected] running title : First use of the word Astrobiology ? 1 Abstract The research of life in Universe is a ancient quest that has taken different forms over the centuries. It has given rise to a new science, which is normally referred as Astrobiology. It is interesting to research when this word was used for the first time and when this science developed to represent the search for life in Universe as is done today. There are records of the usage of the word "Astrobiology" as early as 1935, in an article published in a French popular science magazine. Moreover this article is quite remarkable because its portrayal of the concept of the subject is very similar to that considered today. The author of this paper was Ary J. Sternfeld (1905 - 1980), who was ortherwise known as a poorly respected great pioneer of astronautics. We provide a brief description of his life, which was heavily influenced by the tragic events of the 20th century history, from Poland and France to Russia. He was a prolific scientific writer who wrote a number of very successful scientific books and papers. Keywords : History – Pioneers 2 1. Introduction The question of the life in the Universe, in relation with the question of the multiplicity of worlds, is very ancient and probably dates back to Greek philosophers. -
The Ethics of Animal Research – Teacher Notes
The Ethics of Animal Research – Teacher Notes The previous lesson showed the extensive use of animals in the early days of space research and even today to further our understanding of the space environment. This raises important questions about the ethics of using animals in research. The use of animals in scientific experimentation has always been, and will always be a controversial subject. It is however an unavoidable fact that without animal research we would know far less about biology, diseases and medical conditions that affect humans and other animals. While researchers agree that animals should only be used when there is no known alternative and they should be treated with humane respect to avoid suffering, the scientific community continue to agree that the historical use of animals in research has allowed the development of medical treatment, surgical techniques, vaccines and the advancement of science in other areas. As we know animals were used extensively to serve as surrogates for human beings in the early days of spaceflight to learn vital information about the environment. In recent times, although animals continue to be used in space research, valid arguments about animal suffering have led to great improvements in their treatment. It is estimated that between 50 and 100 million animals are used in research experiments every year. Animals used in testing come from a variety of sources. While many animals, particularly worms and rats, may be purpose bred for testing other animals are still caught in the wild. Opponents to animal testing argue that it is cruel and unnecessary, that the results never reliably predict the reaction of human physiology and that animals have the same right as humans not to be used for experimentation. -
Astrobiology for a General Reader
Astrobiology for a General Reader Astrobiology for a General Reader: A Questions and Answers Approach By Vera M. Kolb and Benton C. Clark III Astrobiology for a General Reader: A Questions and Answers Approach By Vera M. Kolb and Benton C. Clark III This book first published 2020 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2020 by Vera M. Kolb and Benton C. Clark III All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-5502-X ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-5502-0 V. M. K. dedicates this book to the memory of her dear brother, Vladimir Kolb. B. C. C. dedicates this book to the memory of his beloved wife, Johanna. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ....................................................................................................... ix Acknowledgments ..................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 .................................................................................................... 1 What is astrobiology? Chapter 2 .................................................................................................... 5 Understanding the concept of life within the astrobiology framework: -
Scientific and Related Works of Chen Ning Yang
Scientific and Related Works of Chen Ning Yang [42a] C. N. Yang. Group Theory and the Vibration of Polyatomic Molecules. B.Sc. thesis, National Southwest Associated University (1942). [44a] C. N. Yang. On the Uniqueness of Young's Differentials. Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 50, 373 (1944). [44b] C. N. Yang. Variation of Interaction Energy with Change of Lattice Constants and Change of Degree of Order. Chinese J. of Phys. 5, 138 (1944). [44c] C. N. Yang. Investigations in the Statistical Theory of Superlattices. M.Sc. thesis, National Tsing Hua University (1944). [45a] C. N. Yang. A Generalization of the Quasi-Chemical Method in the Statistical Theory of Superlattices. J. Chem. Phys. 13, 66 (1945). [45b] C. N. Yang. The Critical Temperature and Discontinuity of Specific Heat of a Superlattice. Chinese J. Phys. 6, 59 (1945). [46a] James Alexander, Geoffrey Chew, Walter Salove, Chen Yang. Translation of the 1933 Pauli article in Handbuch der Physik, volume 14, Part II; Chapter 2, Section B. [47a] C. N. Yang. On Quantized Space-Time. Phys. Rev. 72, 874 (1947). [47b] C. N. Yang and Y. Y. Li. General Theory of the Quasi-Chemical Method in the Statistical Theory of Superlattices. Chinese J. Phys. 7, 59 (1947). [48a] C. N. Yang. On the Angular Distribution in Nuclear Reactions and Coincidence Measurements. Phys. Rev. 74, 764 (1948). 2 [48b] S. K. Allison, H. V. Argo, W. R. Arnold, L. del Rosario, H. A. Wilcox and C. N. Yang. Measurement of Short Range Nuclear Recoils from Disintegrations of the Light Elements. Phys. Rev. 74, 1233 (1948). [48c] C. -
1 National Press Club Headliners Luncheon with Ellen Stofan, Director, National Air and Space Museum Subject: the Future of T
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB HEADLINERS LUNCHEON WITH ELLEN STOFAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM SUBJECT: THE FUTURE OF THE MUSEUM MODERATOR: DONNA LEINWAND OF THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB LOCATION: NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, HOLEMAN LOUNGE, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 1:00 P.M. DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2018 (c) COPYRIGHT 2018, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, 529 14TH STREET, WASHINGTON, DC - 20045, USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION CONSTITUTES A MISAPPROPRIATION UNDER APPLICABLE UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW, AND THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PURSUE ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO IT IN RESPECT TO SUCH MISAPPROPRIATION. FOR INFORMATION ON BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, PLEASE CALL 202-662-7505. ANDREA EDNEY: –Andrea Edney. A couple of really important announcements. The first one is, this is your device. This is your device on mute, vibrate, silence, et cetera. If your phone rings, I'm going to point at you on live television. So please take this opportunity to silence your cell phone now. Also, if you are on Twitter, we do encourage you to tweet during the program. Our hashtag today is #NPCLive. That's #NPCLive. And then also, you have on your table these fabulous cards. If you have questions for our speaker today, please write your questions on these cards. Please print or write as legibly as you can. If you write in cursive, your chance of my reading your question on TV is about the same as the Mega Millions lottery. [laughter] So please print. And then when you've written your question, you can pass it up to the head table, however you want to do it. -
George Lakoff and Mark Johnsen (2003) Metaphors We Live By
George Lakoff and Mark Johnsen (2003) Metaphors we live by. London: The university of Chicago press. Noter om layout: - Sidetall øverst - Et par figurer slettet - Referanser til slutt Innholdsfortegnelse i Word: George Lakoff and Mark Johnsen (2003) Metaphors we live by. London: The university of Chicago press. ......................................................................................................................1 Noter om layout:...................................................................................................................1 Innholdsfortegnelse i Word:.................................................................................................1 Contents................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................6 1. Concepts We Live By .....................................................................................................8 2. The Systematicity of Metaphorical Concepts ...............................................................11 3. Metaphorical Systematicity: Highlighting and Hiding.................................................13 4. Orientational Metaphors.................................................................................................16 5. Metaphor and Cultural Coherence .................................................................................21 6 Ontological -
Arxiv:1910.06396V4 [Physics.Pop-Ph] 12 Jun 2021 ∗ Rmtv Ieeitdi H R-Oa Eua(Vni H C System)
Nebula-Relay Hypothesis: Primitive Life in Nebula and Origin of Life on Earth Lei Feng1,2, ∗ 1Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210023 2Joint Center for Particle, Nuclear Physics and Cosmology, Nanjing University – Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanjing 210093, China Abstract A modified version of panspermia theory, named Nebula-Relay hypothesis or local panspermia, is introduced to explain the origin of life on Earth. Primitive life, acting as the seeds of life on Earth, originated at pre-solar epoch through physicochemical processes and then filled in the pre- solar nebula after the death of pre-solar star. Then the history of life on the Earth can be divided into three epochs: the formation of primitive life in the pre-solar epoch; pre-solar nebula epoch; the formation of solar system and the Earth age of life. The main prediction of our model is that primitive life existed in the pre-solar nebula (even in the current nebulas) and the celestial body formed therein (i.e. solar system). arXiv:1910.06396v4 [physics.pop-ph] 12 Jun 2021 ∗Electronic address: [email protected] 1 I. INTRODUCTION Generally speaking, there are several types of models to interpret the origin of life on Earth. The two most persuasive and popular models are the abiogenesis [1, 2] and pansper- mia theory [3]. The modern version of abiogenesis is also known as chemical origin theory introduced by Oparin in the 1920s [1], and Haldane proposed a similar theory independently [2] at almost the same time. In this theory, the organic compounds are naturally produced from inorganic matters through physicochemical processes and then reassembled into much more complex living creatures. -
History and Effectiveness of CHEMRAWN Conferences, 1978–2006
History and Effectiveness of CHEMRAWN Conferences, 1978–2006 John M. Malin Chair, CHEMRAWN Committee Introduction The 28-year history of CHEMRAWN (CHEMical Research Applied to World Needs) has produced 14 full-fledged CHEMRAWN conferences. The meetings have varied in subject, location, size, and budget, but they have all addressed a single goal—to catalyze the use of chemistry and related sciences and engineering to meet world needs. This article summarizes those conferences to form an understanding of how the CHEMRAWN process has fostered new ideas and supported solutions to world problems. Bryant Rossiter, the first Chair of the CHEMRAWN Committee, described the beginnings of IUPAC’s CHEMRAWN conferences and their purposes as follows: “138 years ago at Cambridge, England, the 18-year-old William Perkin undertook an independent research study that resulted in the discovery of aniline dyes. Against the advice of his teacher, Professor Hoffman, Perkin applied his research to world needs—and launched the coal-tar-dye industry. Therefore, in reality, the concept of CHEMRAWN, “CHemical Research Applied to World Needs,” is not new. What is new is the increasingly complex, interdependent world, with a burgeoning population, limited resources, rising middle class expectations, vastly improved communications, the possibility of nuclear war, and the new spectre of global terrorism. These and other major world problems are not unique to chemists, but afflict the whole of humankind. Solutions to many of the world’s material, economic, social, and even political problems rest in our ability to: transform basic elements of raw materials into new means to increase food production; provide alternative sources of energy and chemical feedstocks; deliver new drugs for the alleviation of human disease; supply less costly and corrosion-free substances for building and fabrication; and innovate new materials for communications.