Hopes of finding life on Mars have been consistently dashed by data clearly showing that the planet's surface would be extraordinarily hostile to anything resembling a living cell. Scientific studies have demonstrated that conditions there would quickly put an end to any incipient life form.

How fast can a disaster zone bounce back? Apparently, faster than previously thought. Yale University ecologists conducted a meta-analysis of 240 studies of devastated ecosystems. They found that ecosystems damaged by pollution can be restored in as few as 10 years. Why then was it believed they would take so much longer to recover?

A recent issue of New Scientist contained a series of articles that explored “The Six Biggest Mysteries of Our Solar System.” One article posed the question, “How was the solar system built?”¹ “Built” is a good word, considering the solar system contains an array of features that appear precisely orchestrated.

On January 15, 2009, NASA scientists announced what they believed could be evidence of life on the planet Mars. What they had actually found was methane in the atmosphere, a gas that can be produced by either living organisms or non-living geological processes. The origin of the methane is currently unknown, so speculation that Mars is a “living” planet is somewhat premature.

New research is shedding surprising light on the uniqueness of our solar system. Over 250 planet-like objects (mostly gas giants) have been observed in distant space, and researchers are curious about how they formed and how they compare with earth and its neighboring planets.