{"id":3515,"date":"2009-09-23T14:57:06","date_gmt":"2009-09-23T20:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thespacewriter.com\/wp\/?p=3515"},"modified":"2009-09-23T14:57:06","modified_gmt":"2009-09-23T20:57:06","slug":"exoplanets-and-life-out-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thespacewriter.com\/wp\/2009\/09\/23\/exoplanets-and-life-out-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Exoplanets and Life “Out There”"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re Learning More all the Time<\/h2>\n

The Kepler and COROT missions are on the hunt for extrasolar planets, and so are a host of ground-based observers. There’s no doubt in my mind that sometime in the next few years, scientists will find a planet that has signs of life — whether that life is currently extant or long gone.\u00a0 When that happens, our cosmic view will be changed forever.<\/p>\n

The search for those planets and the life they may contain is fraught with questions: what will that life be like? Will the planets be like Earth, or different?\u00a0 Will that life be intelligent?\u00a0 How do scientists know what the signs of life are?<\/p>\n

They’re all good questions and people in the general public are as interested in finding out as are the scientists. If you want to learn more, you have to search out websites like SETI.org<\/a> and NASA’s astrobiology site. <\/a><\/p>\n

I got an email recently from the American Museum of Natural History<\/a> in New York City. As many other museums are doing around the country, they are having a series of social evenings where attendees can meet and mingle (and hear talks from) scientists about various topics. The AMNH series is called Science Cafe.\u00a0 One of their talks — coming up on October 7 — focuses on exoplanets and the search for life in the universe,\u00a0 featuring a talk by Dr. Ben Oppenheimer. If you are near NYC and want to learn more, check it out and have a cocktail while you’re at it!\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Oppenheimer will discuss exoplanets, as well as his search for a hypothetical Earth-twin and signs of habitability in nearby planetary systems. Oppenheimer will also explain his role as principal investigator on the Lyot Project, which aims to reveal how planets and solar systems are formed.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW! SCICAFE<\/p>\n

Exoplanets and the Search for Life in the Universe<\/p>\n

FEATURING AMNH astrophysicist BEN OPPENHEIMER<\/p>\n

WHAT NEW! SciCafe presents Exoplanets and the Search for Life in the Universe, featuring AMNH astrophysicist Ben Oppenheimer. <\/p>\n

Science enthusiasts are invited to enjoy the Museum after hours with music, drinks, and thought-provoking conversation at the kick-off of the new monthly series SciCafe. Surrounded by magnificent rock and mineral specimens in the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth, guests will have a chance to mingle as AMNH astrophysicist Ben Oppenheimer discusses exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, as well as his search for a hypothetical Earth-twin and signs of habitability in nearby planetary systems. Oppenheimer will also explain his role as principal investigator on the Lyot Project, which aims to reveal how planets and solar systems are formed.<\/p>\n

The American Museum of Natural History\u2019s new after-hours series SciCafe features cutting-edge science, cocktails, and conversation. SciCafe takes place on the first Wednesday of every month.<\/p>\n

WHEN Wednesday, October 7, 7 pm<\/p>\n

WHERE Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth<\/p>\n

American Museum of Natural History<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}},"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nExoplanets and Life "Out There" - The Spacewriter's Ramblings<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thespacewriter.com\/wp\/2009\/09\/23\/exoplanets-and-life-out-there\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exoplanets and Life "Out There" - The Spacewriter's Ramblings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NEW! 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