The resiliency and adaptive ability of microbial life in real time on Earth relies heavily upon horizontal gene transfer. Based on that knowledge, how likely is earth based microbial life to colonize extraterrestrial targets such as Mars? To address this question, we consider manned and unmanned space exploration, the resident microbiota that is likely to inhabit those vehicles, the adaptive po...

Background: Extraterrestrial Encounter While humanity has not yet encountered an extraterrestrial civilization, this possibility cannot be ruled out. Some evidence suggests that an encounter may be likely. If an encounter occurs, it would be of profound significance for humanity. There thus has been much debate on the outcome of an encounter. Opinions are sharply divided on whether extraterrest...

The human species is now able to communicate with other civilizations in space, if such exist. Using current radioastronomical technology, it is possible for us to receive signals from civilizations no more advanced than we are over a distance of at least many thousands of light years. The cost of a systematic international research effort, using existing radio telescopes, is as low as a few mi...

DA-YONG JIANG, RYOSUKE MOTANI, WEI-CHENG HAO, OLIVIER RIEPPEL, YUAN-LIN SUN, LARS SCHMITZ, and ZUO-YU SUN Department of Geology and Geological Museum, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China, [email protected]; Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, California 95616-8605, U.S.A; Department of Geology, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496, U.S.A., rieppel@fieldm...

Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Postojna, Slovenia b Scott Polar Research Institute, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Geology, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Austin, TX, USA Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA Department of Geology an...