Gliese 581 C is a temperate planet like Earth, according to recent findings from the Eso 3.6m Telescope in Chile. With temperatures ranging from 0 to 40 C, if it has water, the water would be liquid, making it habitable for us, and probably other life forms as well. Future missions will analyze the planet for signs of biological activity such as chlorophyll and methane. Gliese 581 C is 20 light years away, so it’ll be a while before we can actually go there – unless we have a breakthrough, in which case, party at Marklar’s place.

The Department of Defense's Iris project goal is to put a genuine router in genuine space by early 2009. While there are plenty of internet-boosting satellites right now, they all work through ground stations or via radio signals to…

Planet HD 209458b is a Jupiter-like gas giant located 150 light-years away, in the constellation Pegasus. Astronomer Travis Barman, from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, US, just published in the Astrophysical Journal that HD 209458b has water in its…

Prestin, a protein in ear hair – a substance you likely hitherto thought of as a cosmetic annoyance, if at all – converts tiny electrical charges into sound amplification in the ear, and also can convert vibration into tiny…