Death by Neutrino

In the field of scientific endeavor there are numerous scenarios that suggest an end to the world as we know it. Global warming, nuclear war, death by asteroid impact, etc.

However, there is one menace the scientific world has chosen to over look; It is so insidious that it can be beside you and you would not know it. For it has no mass[sometimes], can be in different forms[or maybe not], and although stellar objects like our sun produce vast numbers of these critters[as theories propose], there has yet to be such detected!

It seems that, every 100 million years or so, a massive star collapses "silently"[Ah…the plot thickens]within a dozen or so light years from earth, meaning that the star collapses without a visible supernova.

These ‘silent’[though potentially deadly]machinations are what produce the large quantities of hyperactive neutrinos[the most dangerous variety]; For it is these potential assassins that could ricochet off atoms within organic tissue, causing mutations that may have been responsible for the extinction of any number of species.

It has been suggested[but not confirmed, of course]that this 100 million year period of collapsing stellar objects, is consistent with known extinction’s of certain earth species.

If one considers the many ‘dooms day’ scenarios that are rampant in the world, the one glimmer of hope concerning each is that they can be avoided. With death by neutrinos, there is no hope, for they cannot be seen, nor avoided.

Should it come, be aware that there would be no where to hide, no place that would be safe, an no hope of salvation! For death by neutrino is silent, and perhaps….just around the corner….

The ongoing search for class M planets

an update by:

Comm. R.M. Wey

The belief in life on other worlds, that we are not alone in a vast[and perhaps unfriendly] universe, is a concept that has captivated people for centuries. In our reports we have shown that life[as we know it]is dependent on certain ‘axioms’ to exist.

There must be sufficient water and air, certain trace gases must exist as well, the planet must be of sufficient distance from its sun. In our solar system, these necessary elements exist in quantities above what is the minimum, and our world seems to be at just the right position in the heavens.

But looking at the other worlds within our solar system we have found only lifelessness. So our attentions have been turn outward, but to really ‘observe’ planets beyond our solar system, would require a telescope larger than the continental United States.

There have been some findings[51 Pegasi, 47 Ursae Majoris, and 70 Virginis]but these are without real benefit as close examination of their surfaces is impossible.

There is a ‘Goldilocks orbit’[the area in distance from a star where conditions are ‘just right’ for the generation and sustainment of life as it exists on earth. This orbit is determined by the size and type of star the planet would orbit.

Consider a hot star some 25 times as bright as our own. A planet of earth like properties would require an orbit equal to what the planet Jupiter occupies. For one that is small and only one tenth the brightness of our sun, an orbit equal that that of Mercury would be ideal.

Yet, distance from a stellar body is not the only thing required for life. A planet must have sufficient gravity to hold on to any atmosphere it may have, else it could be as barren as earth's moon.

Currently Spectroscopy is the means by which cosmologists and astronomers view the distance stars in the heavens. Interferometers are used, but their size for such a task would be 60 meters or more in diameter.

But only cost and the desire to do so prevent us now from building such devices. The technology is there, to place a platform in orbit of Jupiter[beyond the interference of zodiacal light]. Perhaps there will soon come a day when we will know: ’If there is life out there?’