DailyDirt: Staring Off Into Space

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Telescopes have taught us a lot about the universe around us. As we collect more data from other stars and satellites, we might figure out the mysteries of Dark Matter and the probability of other lifeforms existing. Here are just a few cool telescope projects out there.

• SETI's Allen Telescope Array is going to be turned back on, thanks to donations from viewers like you. The SETIStars program raised over $200,000 and exceeded its funding goal. (But next year, they'll have to interrupt their broadcasts with another pledge drive...) [url]
• Nanosatellites could help look for Earth-like planets in other star systems. Pretty soon, there'll be femtosatellites, too. [url]
• The RadioAstron mission is creating a radio telescope that's larger that the Earth. But the project still needs to tackle a problem of collecting data at 144 megabits per second from multiple receivers on the ground. [url]
• To discover more links on space exploration, check out what's floating around in StumbleUpon universe. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

Filed Under: allen telescope array, astronomy, nanosatellites, radioastron, telescopes
Companies: seti

DailyDirt: Universal Translators Would Be Nice

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Just about every science fiction story that involves aliens has to come up with some way for different languages to be translated and understood. Babel Fish, C3PO and Star Trek's "universal translator" all served this purpose. But, it would be revolutionary for technology just to translate between different human languages. Here are some quick links on the topic of communication research.

• A database of metaphors from a wide variety of languages could help develop software that's better at understanding human language. Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra, Captain Picard! [url]
• Dolphins have been known to keep track of about a hundred different "words" -- and using some waterproof computers we might be able to decipher some dolphins talking. So long and thanks for all the fish... [url]
• SETI is betting that mathematics is the universal language to begin an alien-human conversation. 0101001000100001 or ELSE! [url]
• To discover more interesting tech-related content, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

Filed Under: aliens, dolphins, language, translation
Companies: seti

DailyDirt: ET Could Phone Home... But Would We Know It?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The search for intelligent life somewhere else in the universe hasn't turned up any positive results so far. But the universe is a big place -- and we haven't really been looking for that long. Here are some quick links on some projects that could help identify ETs.

• Funding for the Allen Telescope Array has been cut -- so its ability to help search for signs of extraterrestrial life is coming to an end -- unless more funding is raised. The telescope array could potentially be saved by a combination of donations and money from the US Air Force, but it could also just go into hibernation and never wake up again. [url]
• The Green Bank Telescope is trying to pick up the slack by looking for signs of life on 86 specific planetary systems. NASA's Kepler space telescope identified these 86 systems as being possibly Earth-like. [url]
• Mass spectrometry could detect life on Mars more reliably using lasers. Lasers, is there nothing you can't improve? [url]
• To discover more links on space exploration, check out what's floating around in StumbleUpon universe. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

Filed Under: aliens, et, habitable planet, mars, telescopes
Companies: seti