Charles Darwin was born on February 4th of 1809. That would make him 200 years old this year if here were still alive!
But that isn’t the only Darwin related anniversary we get to celebrate in 2009. He also published his “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, making 2009 also the 150 year anniversary of that important book on the theory of evolution.
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Microbe Finds Arsenic Tasty; Redefines Life
NASA scientists have discovered an amazing new life-form that redefines what we consider to be the basic building blocks of life. A microbe found at the bottom of Mono Lake in California seems able to live in a solution of arsenic which is poisonous to most other life. Phosphorus, which used to be considered one of the essential building blocks of life, is replaced by arsenic in this organism. Dr. Sasselov, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and director of an institute on the origins of life there said, “I would like to know, when designing experiments and instruments to look for life [on other planets], whether I should be looking for same stuff as here on Earth, or whether there are other options. Are we going to look for same molecules we love and know here, or broaden our search?” Seems like we have aliens right here on earth!!! |
| Dec 10 | |
