17.5 C
Pakistan
type here...
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Home Blog Page 74

Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Four

Scientia
-
0
Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Four

Following the theme of our Astrobiology edition, we asked some renowned personalities of Pakistan to share their views on man’s search for life. In this part, we have Syed Muneeb Ali, science writer and blogger, answer our questions.

Questions on Astrobiology

  • 1.     How do you view astrobiology? What will be your definition of it?
  • 2.     How many chances are there for the existence of ExtraTerrestrial life and has it made any contact with us yet?
  • 3.     What do you think about the “WOW Signal” and other theories about regarding aliens?
  • 4.     What can life look like on other planets? Can it be like what we see in popular culture or not?
  • 5.     Should we able to unravel the mysteries about our origin on this planet after learning about ExtraTerrestrial life? How can it be so?

Also Read: Dr. Farrukh Shahzad on Astrobiology

Syed Muneeb Ali is an award-winning science writer, blogger and science communicator. He’s the general secretary of Astrobiology Network of Pakistan (ABNP) and is very much interested in spreading awareness regarding Astronomy and Science in Pakistan. Here is what he had to say:

1. To me, Astrobiology is the name of the process to analyze your favorite candy in the jar full of different types of candies. We don’t know which candy is up next to be discovered but currently, the main focus of Astrobiologists is to find the carbon-based candy in the jar because their home is the most accessible laboratory to test it.

2. I think there is extraterrestrial life exist everywhere in the Universe but why they haven’t made contact us? There are two reasons for it:

– First, we have vast cosmic distances due to which we can’t view that “real-time picture” of the Universe and if there are some humans on some habitable planet of a Star orbiting in the galactic habitable zone around the black hole of the galaxy “CLASS B1152+199” (A galaxy 5 billion light-years away from the Earth) watching the region where our solar system lies, they’ll have no idea of our G2V Star (Sun) and our home planet – The Earth! They’ll only be seeing some gas cloud in its condensing phase. So, due to the limit which nature has put on us – “speed of light”, we’ll or they’ll not be able to contact each other.

Alpha Centauri is the nearest star and can help us in unlocking the mysteries of Astrobiology
Alpha Centauri

– Second, there is a possibility that we might have life on the planets around the nearest star “Alpha Centauri” BUT based on some element other than carbon. So, there will be a difference in their contact-making and our contact-making ability.

3. When I read about the WOW signal for the very first time, it surprised me really! But after some time, I was also started to think that it might not be from some alien source instead it can be a reflected signal from space of some Earth-based source. If that radio telescope was placed in the vastness of space, then we can think of some alien thing in that unaltered environment.

4. We often hear the life “extraterrestrial life” on the web but I think it should be Extraterrestrial “microbial” life because, although we haven’t discovered in our solar system, life signatures which we’ve found give us the direction of simpler life form which was the case with our planet about 4.3 billion years ago. So, yes, if there are earth conditions on some planet and that planet has spent about 4 billion years, then we might think of some complex multicellular life forms like us.

5. To me, the answer is yes. The Universe is the laboratory for testing everything to the limit of violation of laws which are made by the Universe, with time, to stabilize itself. For example, take Enceladus, the moon of planet Saturn. We can suspect what would be happening on Earth about 4.3 billion years ago. On Venus, we can see what will happen to the planet earth due to extreme global warming conditions in the future. So, can study Origin (on Enceladus, Europa or in similar condition today on Earth), development (on Earth), and future of life on this planet! I’d like to share the quote by Carl Sagan which inspires me a lot: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting for you to be known”.

Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Three

Scientia
-
0
Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Three

Following the theme of our Astrobiology edition, we asked some renowned personalities of Pakistan to share their views on man’s search for life. In this part, we have Dr. Farrukh Shahzad, Founder of Pakistan Astronomers, answer our questions.

Questions on Astrobiology

  • 1.     How do you view astrobiology? What will be your definition of it?
  • 2.     How many chances are there for the existence of ExtraTerrestrial life and has it made any contact with us yet?
  • 3.     What do you think about the “WOW Signal” and other theories about regarding aliens?
  • 4.     What can life look like on other planets? Can it be like what we see in popular culture or not?
  • 5.     Should we able to unravel the mysteries about our origin on this planet after learning about ExtraTerrestrial life? How can it be so?

Also Read: Mansoor Ahmed on Astrobiology

A medical doctor by profession, Dr. Shahzad had a passion for Astronomy since childhood and now he is the President of PakAstronomers, Islamabad. He is also an astrophotographer and regularly holds Astronomy events in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in public places and different institutions like Comsats, NUST, and IST. Here is what he had to say:

1. Astrobiology is a branch of science that probes into the origin of life, its evolution and spread in the universe and its future. It is specifically concerned with extra-terrestrial life and the factors responsible for its development. But to answer these questions we must first know how life developed on Earth. 

2. In my opinion, there is a high likelihood of finding Extraterrestrial life, but there is less chance that it would be intelligent life. Billions of years are required for life to reach the stage of technically advanced civilization, for which a very stable and safe star system is required. For example, a simple Gamma-Ray Burst from a nearby Neutron Star can wipe out life on an entire planet. Detection of Carbon dioxide in a planet’s atmosphere is a sign that life may exist on it. Earliest signs of life on Earth date back to 3.7 to 4.1 billion years. Likewise, I don’t think that any Extraterrestrial life has made contact with us.

'WOW' Signal is a mystery in astrobiology
‘WOW’ Signal

3. The “WOW Signal” is a mystery. Received on August 15, 1977, by the Big Ear Radio Telescope in Ohio and later on discovered by Astronomer Jerry R. Ehman. It was a narrow band signal (10 kHz) that lasted only 72 seconds, corresponding to a natural oscillation of Hydrogen at 1420 MHz, coming from the region around constellation Sagittarius. The most probable explanation is that it came from hydrogen clouds surrounding two comets, 266P/Christensen and 335P/Gibbs that were roughly at the same spot the signal seemed to emanate.  Due to lack of its repetition despite several attempts and the fact that it was an unmodulated wave-like signal with no encoded information, it is unlikely that it was sent by aliens.

4. Life can take any form from simple unicellular organism to advanced species capable of changing its environment. Likewise, life on other planets may range from a simple organism to advanced civilization. Yes, it can look like what we see in popular culture or it can be completely different. But one thing the scientists agree that the basic building blocks of all life forms must be based on six main elements: Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. The carbon atom is unique as it can make four strong bonds with other elements and is building block for all the organic compounds and all living things on Earth. It is therefore presumed that Extraterrestrial life would also be carbon-based.

5. Origin of life on Earth, the mysteries are just unraveling, and we may never know all the answers, but there are a few basic things the scientists agree upon:

  • Our Sun, medium-sized yellow star with a stable lifespan of 8 to 9 billion years.
  • Our position in the Solar system, the habitable zone or the Goldilocks zone, where liquid water can exist.
  • The Outer Giant planets Jupiter and Saturn protect Earth by deflecting giant objects and asteroids, thus helping life take hold on our planet.
  • Our Moon, formed around 4.5 billion years ago when a Mars-sized object hit Earth. Face-locked Moon helped stabilize Earth’s rotation, thus 24 hours day-night cycle, a stable climate and ocean tides that bring nutrients from deep in the oceans to the land and helped life getting a hold on dry land.
  • Plate Tectonics that helped form Volcanoes and giant mountain ranges and emission of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.
  • Active Outer Core made of liquid Iron and Nickel that rotates to from Giant Magnetic field around Earth protecting life on Earth from deadly Cosmic radiation and Solar wind.
  • The volume of Oceans or Water on Earth which constitute 71% of the surface of Earth.
  • Earth’s Atmosphere and its composition, about 480 km thick; 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen. But the early Earth atmosphere consisted mainly of Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide.
  • Diversity of species and Ecosystem ensure the sustainability of life on Earth. Plants are vital for converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. Bacteria and carnivores regulate the carbon cycle. All the living things on Earth are dependent on each other for survival.

The Historic Mission of India to the Moon ended up?

Muhammad Abdullah Khan
-
0
The Historic Mission of India to the Moon ended up?

Indian space agency ISRO lost its lunar moment, earlier today when the ground communications with the Vikram lander were lost just 2.1 km above the lunar surface. ISRO was looking forward to this moment with anticipation since 22nd July when it had launched its Chandrayaan 2, aiming to do a soft landing on the lunar South Pole. The live launch was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of around 7000, apart from millions of online viewers, at the Sriharikota Space Station, an island at the eastern coast of India.

From the mission control center, ISRO India.
Live courage of Chndrayaan landing on Moon

The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) said: “The Vikram Lander followed the planned descent trajectory from its orbit of 35 km to just below 2 km above the surface. All the systems and sensors of the Lander functioned excellently until this point and proved many new technologies such as variable thrust propulsion technology used in the Lander.”

Kailasavadivoo Sivan, Chairman ISRO had repeatedly referred to the last, long-awaited crucial moments as the “15 minutes of terror”. Sivan also said that the “Data is being analyzed”

The landing was observed live by millions of science enthusiasts across the globe. ISRO also invited 87 students, who had won ISRO Space quiz competition, to observe the historic moment live from Mission Control center at Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. 

Sivan said that they should “hope for the best” and that this is just a temporary setback and that “Our journey will carry on”.

The United States, Russia, and China are the only nations to have successfully carried out soft landings on the moon. India’s maiden attempt got failed but it made history.

Read Chdrayaan Launch details: https://scientiamag.org/indias-giant-leap-chndryan-2/

Chandrayaan 2: A Historic Attempt of India for Lunar Landing

Scientia
-
2
Chandrayaan 2: A Historic Attempt of India for Lunar Landing

At the advent of our NewSpace Age or commercialization of Space, the final frontier has become the new frontier for peace and diplomacy on Earth.

India's lunar mission Chandrayaan
Chndrayaan 2 launching

“I congratulate India and ISRO on its historic attempt to make a successful soft landing of the Vikram Lander at the South Pole of the Moon,” said Namira Salim, who is renowned as the First Pakistani to go to space aboard Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the First Space-line of the world.  “The Chandaryaan 2 lunar mission is indeed a giant leap for South Asia which not only makes the region but the entire global space industry proud.” Vikram Lander exhibited normal performance up to an altitude of 2.1 kilometers from the moon until ISRO lost signals. 

“Regional developments in the Space sector in South Asia are remarkable and no matter which nation leads—in space, all political boundaries dissolve and in space—what unites us, overrides, what divides us on Earth,” said Namira Salim.


Namira Salim greets India for attempting lunar landing
Namira Salim

What was once the club of a select few elite space nations, is now open to all nations at the dawn of our NewSpace age.  India is the first country to attempt a historic landing on the South Pole of the Moon and would have been the fourth nation to touch down on the lunar surface after space agencies of the USSR, the USA‎ ‎and China, and the third country to have operated a rover on the Moon.

Namira is a thought leader in making Space the New Frontier for Peace on Earth via her non-profit, Space Trust and advocates world leaders and governments to utilize space as a sustainable tool for peace on Earth toward Space 2030, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda of 2030.  This role has carved her into a thought leader for a novel form of Space Diplomacy on Earth. 

“As Spacefaring and new space nations come to play an equally integral part in contributing to and bringing space and peaceful uses of space technologies on Earth, world leaders must join hands to understand that Space can actually help craft a novel form of Diplomacy on Earth and for which, they don’t need to be rocket scientists.  Accordingly, the best place to begin is in our very own sub-region to foster peace,” said Namira Salim.  ‎

With this year marking the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, China’s Change 4 achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon, on 3 January 2019. Moreover, through NASA’s newly announced Artemis program, it will create a base on the moon by 2024 with a coalition of nations, to not only return the next man but also, to land the first woman on the moon. India was the first nation in the world to successfully launch a mission to Mars, the Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission, in a maiden attempt, a Space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014. 

Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Two

Scientia
-
0
Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk, Part Two
Mansoor Ahmad of NASA speaks about astrobiology
Mansoor Ahmad

Following the theme of our Astrobiology edition, we asked some renowned personalities of Pakistan to share their views on man’s search for life. In this part, we have Mr. Mansoor Ahmad, who is an astrophysicist at NASA, answer our questions.

Questions

  • 1.     How do you view astrobiology? What will be your definition of it?
  • 2.     How many chances are there for the existence of ExtraTerrestrial life and has it made any contact with us yet?
  • 3.     What do you think about the “WOW Signal” and other theories about regarding aliens?
  • 4.     What can life look like on other planets? Can it be like what we see in popular culture or not?
  • 5.     Should we able to unravel the mysteries about our origin on this planet after learning about ExtraTerrestrial life? How can it be so?

Part One: Namira Salim on Astrobiology

Mansoor Ahmad

Mansoor Ahmed is a Pakistani astrophysicist, who has been associated with NASA for almost 35 years and is currently serving as the associate director of the Astrophysics Projects Division, as well as the program manager for the Physics of the Cosmos program and the Cosmic Origins program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland. Here is what he had to say.

1.Astrobiology is the science of understanding the creation of organic molecules from the primordial elements/conditions that existed on earth before life began. It is also the search for such organics in exoplanets.

2. The famous Drake’s equation predicts that there should be millions of intelligent life forms just within our own galaxy, even with the most conservative assumptions of probability for the parameters necessary to evolve intelligent life. These parameters include:

  • The rate of formation of stars suitable for the development of intelligent life.
  • The fraction of those stars with planetary systems.
  • The number of planets, per solar system, with an environment suitable for life.
  • The fraction of suitable planets on which life actually appears.
  • The fraction of life-bearing planets on which intelligent life emerges.
  • The fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space.
  • The length of time such civilizations release detectable signals into space.
  • Even if we assume 0.01-0.02 % probability of each of the parameters above, with the sheer numbers of stars in our galaxy, the Drake equation predicts millions of intelligent civilizations.
  • Unfortunately, we have been unable to detect any of them so far with our limited technological capabilities. And there has been no contact made by them, as far as I know. The fact that they haven’t made any contact with us either, says a lot about the restrictions imposed by the laws of nature, such as huge distance between us and any other possible civilization as well as the limit of traveling speed to the speed of light.  It will take thousands of years for someone to visit us. They either have to be able to live for thousands of years or have discovered how to travel faster than light.

3. I’m not too familiar with the “WOW” signal so I cannot comment.

4. Just by looking at so many life forms existing on earth, under extremely hostile environments, it is easy to assume that life forms completely different than what we can imagine might exist elsewhere. Detecting this different lifeform is however another matter. Unless such lifeform physically visits us and introduces themselves to us, we can only detect them remotely. If we are to detect an extraterrestrial lifeform with remote sensing, then we can only look for the signature of life as we understand it. Let’s say there is a lifeform that is entirely Hydrogen based. We will have no idea what their biological signature will look like and what gaseous emission will be present in their atmosphere. Therefore, we can only search for life as we understand it to exist on earth because those signatures we can detect through remote sensing.

5. I believe that will be the case. So far, we have only one example of the evolution of life. The earth. Having more data points will by definition increase our knowledge base and increase the probability of solving the mystery of the origin of life. NASA is planning a mission to visit Titan, one of Saturn’s moons that has a high probability of the processes that convert chemistry into biology. The mission is named “Dragonfly”, consisting of a drone capable of flying around Titan’s surface, landing at different locations and study the organic material underneath the surface. We hope this mission will help our understanding of how life could have evolved on earth.

For the lovers of Astronomy: https://scientiamag.org/mansoor-ahmad-a-peek-into-the-life-and-work-of-pakistani-astrophysicists-working-at-nasa/

NASA’s James Webb Telescope is slated to be launched by 2021

Aniqa Mazhar
-
0
NASA’s James Webb Telescope is slated to be launched by 2021

This splendid piece of apparatus took almost 20 years to be designed and completed now ready for use to observe space. It was built to overthrow NASA’s Hubble and promises to elevate the level of space exploration steeply with its powerful resolution.

An aerial view of James webb telescope.
The magnificent James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope is all set to receive the stardom of being the most magnificent and multifarious orbital observatory to be launched into space. It has seven times the capability of collecting light as Hubble, along with modern infrared imaging technology. With it, scientists mean to find out about distant celestial masses from an unmarred perspective.

The idea of placing such an advanced setup was first proposed in the mid-1990s. There followed a lengthy trial-and-error journey, by the end of which the launch was supposed to be in 2007.

Due to so many staggering years of uncertainty, the final launch is a moment of celebration for all the engineers and staff members who toiled around the clock for this moment. The team worked cleverly, combining two halves of the telescope with a crane in California, adjusting and amending here and there all the while.

“ The assembly of the telescope and its scientific instruments, sun shield and the spacecraft into one observatory represents an incredible achievement by the entire Webb team,” says Bill Ochs, Webb project manager for NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland.”This milestone symbolizes the efforts of over more than 20 years across NASA, the European Space Agency, Northrop Grumman, and the rest of our industrial and academic partners.”

There is still a lot of work to do before the final launch, though. Continuous testing hasn’t ceased yet, so as to avoid technical issues 930000 miles away from Earth. The definitive launch is slated for 2021.

For Astrophotography Lovers:

visit: https://scientiamag.org/steve-a-new-wonder-in-the-night-skies/

Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk

Scientia
-
0
Astrobiology: From the Editors’ Desk

Following the theme of our Astrobiology edition, we asked some renowned personalities of Pakistan to share their views on man’s search for life.

Questions

  • 1.     How do you view astrobiology? What will be your definition of it?
  • 2.     How many chances are there for the existence of ExtraTerrestrial life and has it made any contact with us yet?
  • 3.     What do you think about the “WOW Signal” and other theories about regarding aliens?
  • 4.     What can life look like on other planets? Can it be like what we see in popular culture or not?
  • 5.     Should we able to unravel the mysteries about our origin on this planet after learning about ExtraTerrestrial life? How can it be so?

Namira Salim

Namira Salim is the first Pakistani to have traveled to the North and South poles and the first Asian to skydive (in tandem) from Mount Everest. She hoisted a peace flag on behalf of the nation at the two poles of the world. She is also one of the founder astronaut of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the first private space-line of the world.

Namira Salim
  1. Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary scientific field that explores the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. I view it as important research into the origin and evolution of planetary systems, the origins of organic compounds in space, life processes and habitability.  This scientific field is exciting, not only in terms of what may be discovered about the potential for life on other planets – for example, through the exploratory work of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission carrying the Curiosity rover to probe for past and present planetary habitability of microbial life on Mars – but also for its potential to bring us greater insight into life processes on Earth.
  2. In our own solar system alone, there are many places that life might exist, not to mention the rest of the expansive universe that is yet to be explored. We simply have not evidenced it with our limited vision or when seeking ingredients for life – such as water, oxygen, chemicals, and energy – which may not even be important for other forms of life in the universe. So, we are limited but–by our six senses and have perhaps, totally missed all evidence of life out there!! 
  3. The Wow! signal has been a source for great speculation since it was picked up in August 1977. However, the Center of Planetary Science (CPS) has suggested that the 72-second Wow! signal might have come from a hydrogen cloud accompanying a comet which had not yet been discovered when the signal was heard. Two comets had been in the same part of the sky at the time and the movement of the comets would explain why the signal was not seen again during subsequent monitoring. The CPS team recently got a chance to test their idea as the two comets, P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs) and 266/P Christensen, appeared once again in the night sky from November 2016 to February 2017. Radio signals from 266/P Christensen matched those from the Wow! signal 40 years ago. To verify their results, they tested readings from three other comets, as well, and found similar results so I am convinced by their findings. However, the universe is so vast, and we know so little about it in relative terms so we should remain humble and accept that someone somewhere may be trying to reach out to us in other ways we do not currently comprehend.
  4. There are so many planets, all with their particular characteristics and which may or may not be capable of supporting life, as we comprehend it.  In my view, one only has to look at our own planet Earth and observe the variety of life forms supported by diverse environments to be able to conceive of a very multiform life existing on another planet somewhere in the universe at some time or another. In my view, however, it is unlikely to exist as it has been portrayed in popular culture and we should keep an open mind about the form it may take. And most importantly it doesn’t have to be like the one on Earth and based on the limitation of our minds.
  5. Scientific research always provides us with new insight, whatever the field of study. Whatever we learn about the planets and life forms beyond our own planet will undoubtedly help us to deepen our understanding of the Earth’s evolution and, hence, our own beginnings as its inhabitants. Let us not forget that space exploration to date and the experiments conducted there have brought us a significant number of inventions and technological progress that we take for granted today. The astrobiology will most definitely contribute greatly to unraveling some of the mysteries related to our origin on this planet.

Volumetric bioprinting: A quantum leap in the field of Tissue engineering.

Sabeeka Zafar
-
0
Volumetric bioprinting: A quantum leap in the field of Tissue engineering.

In a study, published in a journal Advanced Materials, researchers from the École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Utrecht University developed a new technique, known as volumetric bioprinting, to create artificial organs and tissues. The technique allowed the researchers to sculpt complex tissue in a matter of seconds using biocompatible hydrogel containing stem cells.

bioprinting 1
Bioprinting complex living tissue in just a few seconds

  Volumetric Bioprinting

To create tissue construct, the scientists used a laser and projected it down a spinning tube containing stem cell-rich hydrogel. They then sculpt the tissue by using the energy of light, directing it to the specific locations, and have it solidify. In a matter of seconds, the complex-three-dimensional shape appears in a stem-cell-laden hydrogel. Despite the use of laser, the stem cell did not get affected. The team then vascularized the tissue by introducing endothelial cells.

Volumetric bioprinting is a major breakthrough in the field of tissue engineering, allowing the researchers to create customized and functional tissue constructs several millimeters thick and could prove a boon for clinical research.

“The characteristics of human tissue depend to a large extent on a highly sophisticated extracellular structure, and the ability to replicate this complexity could lead to a number of real clinical applications,” says Paul Delrot, another coauthor

 Tissue engineers can use this technique to develop and test new drugs, repair damaged tissue and even replace entire organs in the human body. The technique is used to build a meniscus, a heart valve-like material, and a complex-shaped part of a human femur. The process is also used to develop interlocking structures.

The technique is very fast as compared to other similar procedures and it does not damage the viability of the cell.

“Unlike conventional bioprinting — a slow, layer-by-layer process — our technique is fast and offers greater design freedom without jeopardizing the cells’ viability,” says Damien Loterie, an LAPD researcher and one of the study’s co-authors.

According to the researchers, their groundbreaking technique has the potential to fabricate artificial organs on a large scale and on a faster rate. The technique could prove beneficial not only in testing new drugs in vitro but also to wipe out the need for animal testing; hence lowering testing costs.

“This is just the beginning. We believe that our method is inherently scalable towards mass fabrication and could be used to produce a wide range of cellular tissue models, not to mention medical devices and personalized implants,” says Christophe Moser, the head of the LAPD.

Hence, the new research is certainly a quantum leap in the field of tissue engineering.

Book Review: Deception Point by Dan Brown

Aniqa Mazhar
-
0
Book Review: Deception Point by Dan Brown

Two reasons why I instantly fell in love with this book; the short, quick and crisp chapters and the fact that I was hooked till the very end, eager to find out what happened next in this suspenseful story.

The Deception Point was first published in Great Britain by Corgi Books in 2002 and later in 2009. It consists of one hundred and thirty-three chapters, making it quite a lengthy read. Despite that, it was certainly not a boring read. In fact, it is rightly described as ‘A case study in suspense.’ by the Washington Post.  Even though it is a thriller by a popular novelist, it has not reached the screen yet. I was relieved to find out that I am not the only one who finds this queer. Many dream casts for this movie have been proposed on social media.

The book begins with Rachel Sexton, an Intelligence analyst working at the National Reconnaissance Office in Washington.

Logo of NRO which is an agency of the US Department of Defense, Deception point.
NRO is an agency of the US Department of Defense

She has a strained relationship with her father, the Senator, who likes to portray himself as a chauvinist, but is an anti-feminist, clever and ruthless politician who is redundantly evoking the public support by casting NASA and the President in a bad light. Upon his requisition, Rachel finds herself in President Herney’s office, who has mind-blowing news for her. NASA, with the aid of their Polar-Orbiting Density Scanner, has discovered an exceptionally huge meteorite embedded deep in the Milne Ice Shelf, Ellesmere Island, Antarctica- with fossils of a giant louse! 

Amazing as the discovery sounds, Rachel soon learns that she is facing a high-level fraud. Other than her, there are several other people on the team summoned at the President’s request. Celebrity oceanographer and documentary host Michael Tolland is a favorite among the public mainly due to his charming looks and the President hopes a documentary from his side related to the discovery will convince the masses of the authenticity of NASA’s find.  Astrophysicist Corky Marlinson is requested to join to confirm that the giant rock is indeed a meteorite. Glaciologist Norah Mangor is there to survey the extraction pit and she confirms that the ice has not been moved since lots of centuries. Paleontologist Wailee Ming corroborates the authenticity of the fossil. Accompanying them is Lawrence Ekstrom, NASA Administrator, who is a little too protective of his agency and does not like the interference of these other scientists one bit.

The Milne Ice Shelf, where Rachel Sexton visited in Deception Point.
The Milne Ice Shelf

At the same time, Rachel’s father, Senator Sedgewick Sexton is adamant to hurl accusations at the President and NASA related to their excessive failures and expenditures in Space and to win the forthcoming elections. His slogan of shutting down NASA and educating America has impacted quite a many minds.

Within a short timespan, Rachel is about to be encumbered with a multitude of surprises and emotions. Some aspects of the book which spice up the plot include the murky Delta Force, who are guarding the extraction pit at the orders of an unknown authority, the discovery of the fluorescent plankton in the extraction pit and how Ming meets his death. The mysterious murder of the President’s senior advisor, Marjorie Tench comes through as a tremendous shock.

Also, the attack on the team of scientists, once they’ve gathered their evidence questioning the fossils in the meteorite, sends shivers of fear down the reader’s spine. Pickering sends for the three people left; Rachel, Corky, and Michael.  They are on Michael’s Goya, gathering information regarding ocean rocks, but are again attacked by the Delta soldiers on their black Kiowa planes. There follows an intense battle of survival between the two parties, and in the end, the mastermind behind the whole game is quite the opposite of who the reader expects. I was unable to fathom the story until the very end, which makes it such a cliffhanger.

A grandiose plot which was quite masterfully written, this book should definitely be on everyone’s reading list. It introduces the reader to many aspects of Science, Politics and the Military, therefore it is rich in information and a treat for inquisitive minds. Every new concept is fully explained and crystal clear for the convenience of the reader.

My favorite character is Corky, who manages to crack a joke even in the tensest of times, bringing a smile to the reader’s face. And I would have to say, I loathe the Senator for his double standards and vile politics, finally revealed at the end by his secretary.

Although a praiseworthy piece, there were times when the complicated, technical descriptions tested my patience and I had to take a break to clear my thoughts. For example, when the aircraft and weapons of the Delta force are described. this book is definitely not the right one if you want to just sit back and relax after a long, hard day.

 The topic of extraterrestrial life has been attempted by a dozen or so writers, each one coming up with an eccentric idea for ‘aliens’, which is usually too much for the reader to absorb. This makes the genre of this book a bit cliched. And I think so many characters and twists have been crammed up in one story that the reader gets pretty confused at times. I had to put the book down and recollect my thoughts every now and then while reading.

Dan Brown who is most famous for his Robert Langdon series
Dan Brown is most famous for his Robert Langdon series

The main theme tackled in this story is basically how authorities can use power to any extent to hide truths and deceive millions. The book propelled me to develop an esteemed opinion of the author’s power with words. Although not as popular as ‘The Da Vinci Code’, it is an exceptional treat for inquisitive minds.

‘Life’ Review: A somewhat recycled take on the human-hating Alien cliché

Maham Maqsood
-
0
‘Life’ Review: A somewhat recycled take on the human-hating Alien cliché

While Sci-fi is one of the most beloved nerdy genres, movies with space stories are rare and often not up to the standards set by masterpieces like Alien, Interstellar, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Life tries to mimic these, but its potential falls off somewhere between the start and the middle. It recycles the same old concept that alien life can never really befriend us and is always intelligent enough to kill and perish human life. If you are a film geek, you might catch some references to other hits like Gravity and Alien, but we are never sure if it is really an homage or if the movie was trying to be original in its portrayal of such a “terrifying” scenario.

Olga Dihovichnaya and Hiroyuki Sanada are part of the diverse cast of the movie Life
Olga Dihovichnaya and Hiroyuki Sanada are part of the diverse cast of the movie

The movie starts with a scene that was meant to be intense but fails to establish the pace it intends to. Astronaut Rory Adams, played by the hilarious Ryan Reynolds whose comedic persona doesn’t get to properly shine in this piece, is on the quest to catch some Martian samples coming through a satellite and is prepared and encouraged for this endeavor by his fellows on the International Space Station, made very clear in a seven-minute shot in which the camera is roaming around the Station crew failing to build an anticipatory atmosphere.

The team includes Medical Officer Dr. David Jordan, brought to life by Jake Gyllenhaal; the extremely responsible Quarantine Officer Miranda North played by Rebecca Ferguson; Systems Engineer Sho Murakami portrayed by Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, and Exobiologist Dr. Hugh Derry played by Ariyon Bakare. The Station members are led by Ekaterina Golovkina, a cosmonaut from Russia, played by Olga Dihovichnaya. The diversity of the crew (and the cast) is commendable and they seem to get along very well.

After getting the Martian samples, they realize that they have found the sign of Extraterrestrial life and Hugh, being the specialist, is given the task to study it. After some attempts, he manages to successfully revive it and the alien is given the name “Calvin” from the people on Earth. The film does not portray it as one of the biggest feats in the history of mankind and rushes to show Calvin’s quick development.

Unsurprisingly, it is a very intelligent and benign organism with features growing rapidly as it learns about its new habitat, like the lab at the ISS and figures out its movement and recognition abilities. Hugh, who is disabled but free to move in zero gravity, becomes obsessed with it and the audience is provided a hint that the reason is not solely his love for exobiology. The score by Jon Ekstrand stumbles through high and low notes and just aids enough to these scenes so that they don’t feel empty.

Hugh observes "Calvin" under a microscope in the lab at ISS
Hugh observes “Calvin” under a microscope in the lab at ISS

Hugh continues to observe Calvin through his microscope excitedly, but all the enthusiasm dies down when one day, not so out of the blue, Calvin attacks Hugh and traps him in the lab. Miranda knowing the safety protocol tries to stop impending threats, but it turns out that the ISS astronauts don’t really care about the precautions while dealing with a potentially lethal extraterrestrial being. Rory gets in to save him, but all goes in vain and we are presented with shots that bring out the memories of “that Alien scene”.

Calvin manages to escape the lab and starts roaming around the Station hiding from the crew. Its aim becomes clear which is to eliminate all the crew members one by one. As mentioned before, several scenes seemingly take inspiration from Gravity as the Mission Commander tries spacewalking to catch the now not-so-benign Calvin. At times, it becomes absurd how the crew at the biggest human station in Space ignores the safety rules, but this lack of concern becomes an easy setup for the progression of the story.

Hugh is gradually overcome by his selfish instincts and displays unusual empathy towards such a hostile creature. Miranda is the only sane character left but is unable to convince her fellows to show some responsibility. Tension builds up considerably when the audience is constantly given surprises about the powers of Calvin. It can eat up humans and even lab rats, fire and fumes are not a danger, can survive in space and without oxygen (obviously proving its superiority to humans), and can squeeze itself through holes of seemingly small diameters. And of course, it is not a fan of the human race. It looks like a mixture of some water creature having tentacles and the head of that ET brute from the Ridley Scott’s feature.

Safety Protocol calls by Miranda (played by Rebecca Ferguson) are almost ignored by the crew
Safety Protocol calls by Miranda (played by Rebecca Ferguson) are almost ignored by the crew

Humor is just limited to Ryan Reynolds appearances and is thus fairly limited, so if you are watching it expecting some Deadpool-type jokes, this won’t be it. Scientists are yet again portrayed as sober, serious beings who don’t really know how to control a threat properly as their feelings and instincts take the best of them. Aren’t the smartest people who are able to keep their cool in tough environments, supposed to be on the ISS? Well, the movie argues against that. Senior members Murakami and Golovkina might have taken some more rational and sensible decisions, but they had limited screen time and were unable to do so.

At the end of this movie, everything is hurriedly wrapped up and rash decisions are made which end up in a shock that wasn’t really unpredictable. However, if the movie manages to consume you during the fast-paced scenes you might give up contemplating your ending and may get thrown off by the twist. We can only hope that the cliffhanger doesn’t turn out to be against the favor of mankind.

Also Read: Space movies that will leave you spellbound

1...737475...84Page 74 of 84

© Scientia Magazine 2019 -2025 powered as a non-profit entity by Scientia Pakistan.

About Us

Stay Connected

55,000FansLike
1,500FollowersFollow
1,800FollowersFollow

Find Us On Social Media