Protect my beloved Lucy!

Lucy is set to be on the public display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Ethiopia has agreed to lend Lucy to the United States for 6 years so that Lucy can go on an 11-city tour.

Lucy is an australopithecus that lived 3.2 million years ago. She had longer arms than us. That species has become extinct after Homo species emerged.

I agree with some scientists that Lucy's remains are too fragile to go on a tour. It's so rare to have fossils like australopithecus and other early hominids that are closely related to us, chimpanzees, and other apes. They should be preserved at one location so that they can be analyzed by researchers coming from different backgrounds such as paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologists, etc.

Lucy is one of my favorite species.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Texas museum to show Lucy fossil amid criticism

What are ancient bacteria capable of?

I just read an article about ancient bacteria surviving nearly a million years in harsh, frozen conditions. The arguments have suggested that Mars could have some sort of life. Unlike us, they can stay alive in a very long run. If it can survive for a long time on our planet, there is a probability that it could survive on Mars. The bacteria survived by eating nutrients like nitrogen and phosphate that are found in the permafrost. Do the bacteria enjoy living in the environment that is much colder with more stable temperatures like Mars? For further reading, click on the link below.

Ancient bacteria could point to life on Mars: study

Salute to Ray Bradbury

I have read one book written by Ray Bradbury many years ago. Also, I probably read a few short stories as well. I just read a fascinating article in The New York Times about Ray Bradbury's current lifestyle. As you may know, he was one of the most respected science fiction writer during his early time. I think I will add Fahrenheit 451 to my reading list. I am amazed that a stroke in 1999 didn't stop him from writing. Of course, he got a generous daughter who helped him to complete his projects. For further reading, click on the link below.

Vintage Bradbury, Packaged Anew

A marvelous photo of a fossil fish

Above is an image of Priscacara, a fossil fish. It was well preserved. I really love this image so I decided to include it in my post. I got it from a website.

Life on Mars? I'm Doubtful for now.

I doubt that there is any life on Mars, even microbes. Mars has a very thin atmosphere. I don't think that this can support life at any form. NASA's Phoenix lander will arrive Mars this coming May. If the robotic digger doesn't malfunction and lands safely then it will be able to do many fascinating things. It could analyze the soil and the bacteria. If it discovers any microbial life then it would become a huge headline. It will eventually change my opinion at one point. However, I know that it has failed to advance beyond its own level.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Claim of Martian Life Called 'Bogus'

Obituary : Ralph Alpher, 86, Expert in Work on the Big Bang, Dies

Last night, I read an obituary article in the New York Times about a physicist who supported the Bang Bang theory for the origin of the universe. Ralph Alpher passed away last Sunday in Austin, Texas. He was 86. His early calculations and theoretical predictions were largely ignored until two radio astronomers accidentally detected the hiss of background radiation in 1964. Unfortunately, Mr. Alpher was never awarded a Nobel Prize for his work. For further reading, click on the link below.

Ralph Alpher, 86, Expert in Work on the Big Bang, Dies

Chasing Kangaroos

Last night, I read the New York Times article about a zoologist studying kangaroos. All so sudden, I become fascinated. As you know, kangaroos can be found in Australia. It's one of the most extraordinary species. Some 70 species make up the kangaroo family, which includes wallabies and rat kangaroos. The way kangaroo family evolved from another species is mysterious. I assume that one species migrated to Australia before the continental broke off from another. After the species became isolated, it evolved to kangaroos based on the climate, geography, and survival.

No need to fear, rat kangaroos and giant kangaroos have become extinct a long time ago. I'd love to see some kangaroos one day.

I'll add this book to my future reading list.

For further reading, click on the link below.

A Zoologist With a Pouch of Stories