"ok NASA i jus want to knw the main puporse for building a south pole telescope? if u are building it in south then why not in north pole?"
Welcome to the NAI Newsletter! The Newsletter is a compendium of announcements, events, updates, and news items related to the NAI and its research. If you have news items or suggestions you can send them to the editor, Marco Boldt at: Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov.
Newsletter for April 21, 2006
- Microbial Biodiversity in Cuatro Cienegas
- Timelines for the Evolution of Cyanobacteria
- Imaging the Unseen
Director's Seminar: The Stardust Discovery Mission - Returning Unique Samples of Early Solar System Organics
For those of you who missed Scott Sandford's Stardust talk at AbSciCon, we are fortunate to have Sandford, Don Brownlee (Stardust PI) and other researchers from Stardust present at the next Director's seminar on Monday, April 24th at 11:00am PDT.
Sandford's presentation will be approximately 40 minutes followed by a short presentation by Don Brownlee of the University of Washington and researchers from the Carnegie Institution of Washington and Goddard Space Flight Center.
For more information: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=89
Recently Published Research from the NAI
Microbial Biodiversity in Cuatro Cienegas
A new study published by former NAI Team Arizona State University members documents the extensive microbial biodiversity of one Earth's rare ecosystems. "An endangered oasis of aquatic microbioal biodiversity in the Chihuahuan desert" is available in PNAS .
Timelines for the Evolution of Cyanobacteria
Former NAI Principal Investigator, Andy Knoll of Harvard University, and colleagues discuss the evolution of cyanobacteria in their new paper, "The evolutionary diversification of cyanobacteria: Molecular-phylogenetic and paleontological perspectives" in the April 4th issue of PNAS. The evolutionary timeline has implications for the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth.
Image courtesy of http://mbl.edu/microscope">Micro*scope
Imaging the Unseen
Researchers from NAI's University of California, Los Angeles Team have pioneered a new imaging technique which allows them to non-destructively produce 3D images of ancient fossils. The technique, combining confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, could be used on samples returned from Mars by future NASA missions. Their work on 650 million year old fossils from Kazakhstan is published in the February, 2006 issue of Astrobiology.
Astrobiology EPO, Undergrads, Grads, Postdocs
New Study Looks at Minority Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
The American Council on Education has published "Increasing the Success of Minority Students in Science and Technology," the fourth publication in a series on minority students. From the press release: "African American and Hispanic students begin college interested in majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at rates similar to those of white and Asian-American students, and persist in these fields through their third year of study, but do not earn their bachelor's degrees at the same rate as their peers, according to a new analysis conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE)."
For the full press release and information about how to acquire the publication, visit: http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releases2&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=15602
GRC Origin of Life
Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 Gordon Research Conference on
the Origin of Life, at Bates College, Maine, July 23-28. Please visit
http://www.grc.org/programs/2006/origin.htm for more information.
Due to the the first Origin of Life Graduate Research Seminar being held in conjunction with the regular
GRC OOL, a significant response is anticipated. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.
From Stars to Brains: Pathways to Consciousness in the Natural World
20 - 21 June, 2006
Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science
Gordon Street, Acton, ACT
This conference is convened to pay tribute to the work of Paul Davies, following the occasion of his 60th birthday (4.22.2006). Davies' publications explore pathways starting from the Big Bang, subatomic particles, atoms and molecules, through to the origin of life and intelligence, realms of human consciousness and spiritual dimensions, and leading to the motto "We were meant to be here." (Davies, 1998).
For more information: http://www.manningclark.org.au/events/stars/index.html
