Science's General Manager Answers YOUR Questions (on Aliens)

A few weeks ago we put out the call to our Facebook and Twitter followers to ask ANY question of Science's General Manager, Debbie Myers. There were sooooo many responses, it's going to take some time to make our way through them -- and we didn't want to play favorites. So, we had Debbie pick the questions out of a hat (or in this case, a jar).

We'll be posting more of her answers shortly, but here's one that's particularly relevant to our celebration of "Are We Alone?" month:

 

Please keep your questions coming. Debbie has pledged to get through as many as she can! Oh, and don't forget to join our search for alien life here!

Debbie Myers
General Manager
SCIENCE

Comments

[Muslim]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, "Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,' Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's creation.
[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 55, Number 543]

What archaeological evidence is there for human giants?

[Michael Hoenig]

I've been trying to get answers to a couple of questions for years...I hope you can enlighten me:

1) Has anyone ever produced an image -- manual art or computer-generated -- envisioning the Milky Way as seen from a hypothetical Earth-like planet somewhere in either of the Magellanic Clouds?

2) The current theory of the Moon's creation suggests a collision between an early Earth and a Mars-size object. Orbital Mechanics mandates a change in velocity (delta-v) -- so the early Earth *had* to be orbiting at a different velocity than today. This further mandates a different orbit entirely; it could have been less circular and/or more/less distant from the sun. Is it possible the early Earth was orbiting, or at least crossing into, the region between Mars and Jupiter which we now refer to as the Asteroid Belt? Could the Asteroid Belt be a remnant of the hypothesized collision?

Thanks!

Michael L. Hoenig
Bellevue, NE

[Thomas lewis]

why not a large telescope on the surface of moon,has anybody ever done a study or submitted a paper on the subject?