Science
Are we alone in the universe? "Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying" (Arthur C. Clarke, Wikiquote) (https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alien_life) "Our sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of billions of galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living things in that enormous immensity" (Wernher von Braun, Wikiquote) (https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alien_life) The Fermi Paradox: Where are all the aliens? (Kurzgesagt, YouTube) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhhvQGsMEc) The Fermi Paradox II: Solutions & ideas - Where are all the aliens? (Kurzgesagt, YouTube) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQkVqno-uI) The Fermi Paradox (Wait But Why) (http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html) The difference between UK & US billions & trillions (Oxford Living Dictionaries) (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/how-many-is-a-billion) What does 'life as we know it' mean? (SETI) (https://www.seti.org/faq#csc24) World's oldest fossils found in Canada, say scientists (The Guardian) (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/mar/01/worlds-oldest-fossils-found-canada-say-scientists-quebec-haematite-377bn-428bn-years) We’ve been wrong about the origins of life for 90 years (The Conversation) (http://theconversation.com/weve-been-wrong-about-the-origins-of-life-for-90-years-63744) Life's working definition: Does it work? (NASA) (https://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/life%27s_working_definition.html) Life (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life) Extraterrestrial life (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life#Extraterrestrial) NASA finds evidence of a vast ancient ocean on Mars (The Guardian) (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/05/nasa-finds-evidence-of-a-vast-ancient-ocean-on-mars) What did Mars looks like when it had water? (IFL Science) (http://www.iflscience.com/space/what-did-mars-look-when-it-had-water/) The secret of how life on Earth began (BBC) (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161026-the-secret-of-how-life-on-earth-began) How did life arise on Earth? (LiveScience) (http://www.livescience.com/1804-greatest-mysteries-life-arise-earth.html) Where did life originate? There's new thinking that hydrothermal vents were important (University of California) (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/origsoflife_03) Has life only started once on Earth? (The Naked Scientists) (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/has-life-only-started-once-earth) "The Moon is thought to have formed about 4.51 billion years ago, not long after Earth" (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon) Where did the moon come from? (NASA) (https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question38.html) Origin of the moon (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_Moon) Religion for the non-religious: An article about consciousness, among other things; kinda related to thinking about aliens operating on a much higher level than us (Wait But Why) (http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/10/religion-for-the-nonreligious.html) Plasma aliens could live inside “Black Clouds”: Extraterrestrial life can be stranger than we even dare to imagine (Message To Eagle) (http://www.messagetoeagle.com/plasma-aliens-could-live-inside-black-clouds-extraterrestrial-life-can-be-stranger-than-we-even-dare-to-imagine/) Your lifetime by the numbers (Big Think) (http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-many-days-of-your-life-do-you-have-sex-your-lifetime-by-the-numbers) 100 blocks a day: An article that gets you thinking about how many times you have left to do certain things (Wait But Why) (http://waitbutwhy.com/2016/10/100-blocks-day.html) Q (Star Trek) (http://www.startrek.com/database_article/q) NASA confirms evidence that liquid water flows on today’s Mars (NASA) (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars) What kind of life would we find on Titan? (Phys.org) (https://phys.org/news/2015-10-kind-life-titan.html) Stephen Hawking on non-carbon-based alien life (The Daily Galaxy) (http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/05/stephen-hawking-on-non-carbon-based-alien-life.html) Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses how the laws of physics hold across the universe (Neil deGrasse Tyson) (http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/2000/11/01/on-earth-as-in-the-heavens) Is Stephen Hawking right about aliens? (The Guardian) (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/apr/30/stephen-hawking-right-aliens) Humanity only has around 1,000 years left on Earth, Stephen Hawking predicts (Science Alert) (http://www.sciencealert.com/humanity-only-has-around-1-000-years-left-on-earth-stephen-hawking-predicts) Prof. Stephen Hawking says alien life is real, warns humans not to make contact (Anonymous) (http://anonhq.com/professor-stephen-hawking-says-alien-life-real-warns-humans-not-make-contact/) Elon Musk announces his plan to colonise Mars & save humanity (Wired) (https://www.wired.com/2016/09/elon-musk-colonize-mars/) The billion-year technology gap: Could one exist? (The Daily Galaxy) (http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/11/the-billionyear-technology-gap-could-one-exist-the-weekend-feature.html) Dark energy, dark matter (NASA) (https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy) Dark matter & dark energy (National Geographic) (http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/dark-matter/) Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI Institute) (http://www.seti.org) SETI@home: The project where SETI uses your computer when you're not (SETI) (https://setiathome.berkeley.edu) Folding@home: The project where the protein folding people use your computer when you're not (Stanford University) (https://folding.stanford.edu) SKA telescope to generate more data than entire internet in 2020 (Computer World) (http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/392735/ska_telescope_generate_more_data_than_entire_internet_2020/) Broadcasting messages into space (SETI) (https://www.seti.org/seti-institute/project/details/broadcasting-message) Why do you think an extraterrestrial civilisation will broadcast in the microwave part of the radio spectrum? (SETI) (https://www.seti.org/faq#obs8) SETI has tried to see if any radio signals are coming from TRAPPIST-1 (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST-1#Radio_signal_search) Where is the search for extraterrestrial life up to? (ABC, Australia) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2016-10-10/extraterrestrial-life-where-is-the-search-up-to/7885364) Advanced alien civilisations rare or absent in the local universe (Phys.org) (https://phys.org/news/2015-09-advanced-alien-civilizations-rare-absent.html) How far has the first radio signal/data transmission to space travelled? (Quora) (https://www.quora.com/How-far-has-the-first-radio-signal-data-transmission-to-space-traveled-to-date) This date in science: First intentional radio message to space (EarthSky) (http://earthsky.org/space/this-date-in-science-first-radio-signal-beamed-to-space) What are gravitational waves? (LIGO) (https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/what-are-gw) What is a Dyson sphere? (EarthSky) (http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-dyson-sphere) 7 types of advanced cosmic civilisations (Big Think) (http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/this-mind-bending-scale-predicts-the-power-of-advanced-civilizations) Arrival: The Movie (IMDb) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/) If we ever came across aliens, would we be able to understand them? (Phys.org) (https://phys.org/news/2016-07-aliens.html) If aliens contact us, we won't understand (Astronomy) (http://www.astronomy.com/bonus/alien-contact) V: The TV show (IMDb) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086822/) Philosophical concepts in Star Trek: Using Star Trek as a curriculum guide introducing fans to the subject of philosophy (James Gunn's Ad Astra) (http://www.adastrasf.com/philosophical-concepts-in-star-trek/) The economic lessons of Star Trek’s money-free society (Wired) (https://www.wired.com/2016/05/geeks-guide-star-trek-economics/) The 'no dickheads' policy (Golden Plains) (http://aunty.goldenplains.com.au/what-goes-on/dickhead-policy/) Where are Voyagers 1 & 2 right now? (NASA, JPL) (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/where/) Enceladus, moon of Saturn (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus) Tidal friction: How the moon stretches Earth & causes tides (HyperPhysics) (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Astro/tidfrict.html) Where are you from? Send us a postcard! Strange Attractor, c/ PO Box 9, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia Corrections We were kind of vague about how cells might have evolved...here's a little more detail (University of California) (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0/endosymbiosis_03) How life made the leap from single cells to multicellular animals (Wired) (https://www.wired.com/2014/08/where-animals-come-from/) Endosymbiotic theory of evolution of eukaryotic cells (University of Sydney) (http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/learning/resources/CAL/Microconcepts/Evolution/theory.html) Check out our new Fireside home Find aaaaall the great episodes & show notes & handy instructions should you feel like leaving us a cheeky iTunes review...go on...we know you want to! (http://strangeattractor.random.productions) Image credit: NASA