Review of "Finding Life Beyond Earth," PBS Nova DVD

 Review of

Finding Life Beyond Earth, PBS Nova DVD

Five out of five stars

May be the most interesting video ever

 This video is the most interesting scientific video that I have ever seen. I have a background in science and once worked writing software to analyze space probes. The topic is one of the two or three greatest unanswered questions, “Is there life on other planets?” While that question is still unresolved, the latest investigative results clearly state that it is appearing to be more and more likely. 

 The search moves between what the latest space and planetary probes have demonstrated to some of most environmentally hostile places on Earth. Human probes have returned samples from comets and asteroids and some of the more simpler organic compounds were found. One of the more interesting points were on Earth. In one of the driest, most forbidding deserts, microbes were found on the undersides of rocks. The rocks were translucent enough to allow light to pass through so that the microbes could photosynthesize. In Antarctica during the summer, there was a very thin range where there was enough warmth for the water to be in liquid form. This allowed the native microbes to come alive and flourish for a short time. 

 One thing is very clear, once it is established, it is almost impossible to extinguish life on a planet. Changes can be very drastic, but as long as they take some time to occur, life is capable of adapting to them. Therefore, the two key questions about life on other planets are, “Was life able to form?” and “Were the drastic environmental changes slow enough to allow the life to adapt?” The second seems certain while the first is questionable. Only the most pessimistic scientists will totally discount life on even the most inhospitable planets of Mercury and Venus. 

 This video should be mandatory for viewing in science classes. No person can view it and not be excited about the latest scientific discoveries in the exploration of the planets and the prospects of life outside Earth. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review of "Donner Dinner Party," by Nathan Hale

  Review of Donner Dinner Party , by Nathan Hale, ISBN 9781419708565 Four out of five stars Horrible title, good historical rendition   Given that the Donner Party was trapped in the snow on their journey to the west coast and resorted to cannibalism to survive, the title of the book is appalling. Yet, the story is rendered in a historically accurate manner. The original members of the group left Springfield, Illinois with a destination of the area of California near San Francisco. They started on their journey in April of 1846 with high expectations, a large team of oxen and what they thought were more than enough provisions for the journey.   Like many of the people that executed their dreams to go to the west coast, the people of the Donner party underestimated the difficulty of the journey. Unfamiliar with deserts and mountainous terrain, they did not appreciate how hard it was to traverse areas of what was still largely wilderness.   Their fatal mist...
Read more

Review of "The Forty-Minute War," by Janet and Chris Morris

  Review of The Forty-Minute War , by Janet and Chris Morris, ISBN 0671559869 Three out of five stars Absurd initial premise and bad ending   This book begins with an absurd premise, not the event, but the context. A group of committed terrorists manage to acquire a nuclear weapon and a plane. The manage to fly it from Saudi Arabia to Washington D. C. where they detonate it. Distraught over the knowledge that his wife and family have been killed, the American President orders a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union. They retaliate and it is all over in 40 minutes. After ordering the strike, the American President takes a gun and kills himself.   There are two reasons why this premise is absurd, one major and the other minor. The major one is that the intelligence services of the United States were aware of the nuclear weapon and had an elite anti-terrorist team on the ground ready to take out the terrorists. However, the team was given a stand-down order. Whil...
Read more

Review of "The Impossibly True Story of Tricky Vic, the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower," by Greg Pizzoli

  Review of The Impossibly True Story of Tricky Vic, the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, by Greg Pizzoli, ISBN 9780670016525 Five out of five stars Chronicle of an amazing life   Born in 1890 in what is now the Czech Republic, the man originally called Robert Miller went under forty-five different aliases and once actually sold the Eiffel Tower using the name Count Victor Lustig. Hence the name “Tricky Vic” in the title.   His list of other scams is considerable, he was also a counterfeiter and played a scam called the Romanian money box. It was a simple device loaded with a couple of valid bills that supposedly printed out $100 bills.   This account of the life and times of one of history’s most well-traveled and experienced con men is a joy to read. It also contains a very serious lesson, Robert Miller ended up in Alcatraz prison after being convicted of counterfeiting. He left the prison due to serious illness and died shortly afterward..   Robert...
Read more