The Arsenic Chronicles
A humble arsenic-friendly microbe from Mono Lake, Calif., has recently stirred a tempest in the science world's teapot. Here's the story as it played out over the last two weeks in tweets, blogs and news conferences, of course.
- Nov. 29, 2010. NASA announces a news conference "to discuss an
astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of
extraterrestrial life." - Follow this link to skip to the main contentGrow Text SizeShrink Text Size Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 [email protected] Cathy Weselby Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 650-604-2791 [email protected] NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery; Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EST On Dec. 2 WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. The news conference...
- This gets some attention.
Curiosity Grows as NASA Sets Extraterrestrial Search Update - Tech Talk - CBS NewsPress Conference Slated for Thursday Triggers Speculative Frenzy Regarding Space Agency's Search for Life Beyond Earth Read more by CBSNews.com staff on CBS News' Tech Talk.- [News] NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery: NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST ... go.nasa.gov/gihgV4
- Close Encounters of the Media Kind—NASA press release leads to wild speculation about alien discovery: bit.ly/et8NMy
- Tune into our press briefing on a new astrobiology discovery: Thursday, 2pm EST. Live on NASA TV & online. nasa.gov/ntv
- Meanwhile, reporters are calling researchers and space fans are looking forward to the event. Some grumble over Science magazine and NASA keeping the study embargoed from public release.
- NASA’s Hyped-Up Alien Life Press Conference Likely Just About Arsenic Biology bit.ly/gW6c8T
- Dec. 2, 2010. After several days of complaints, Science magazine releases reporters bound by its embargoes -- where they receive early copies of studies to review with outside researchers in preparation for new stories, in return for promising not to publish the results ahead of a set time -- a little over an hour ahead of NASA's press conference.
- Now with shortening! The secret's out: Scientists cultivate life as we don't know it - arsenic-munching microbes: on.msnbc.com/fZaUjZ
Arsenic-munching microbe excites astrobiologists - Science Fair: Science and Space News - USATODAY.comArsenic-munching microbe excites astrobiologists - Science Fair: Science and Space News - USATODAY.com- The electronic version of the paper is released by Science and early news reports emerge ahead of NASA's 2 p.m. ET news conference.
A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus | Science/AAAS
Subscribe DOI: NASA Astrobiology Institute, USA. U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, USA. School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA. Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Menlo Park, CA, USA. BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: felisawolfesimon{at}gmail.com Life is mostly composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Although these six elements make...- Science gets it (mostly) wrong again: My take on the NASA astrobiology paper bit.ly/hYIZnB
- The news conference begins with presentations from the researcher Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA officials, and a skeptical outside researcher, Steve Benner.
- New NASA finding changes the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. go.nasa.gov/eB8Ep8 [LINK FIXED]








