Jean-Luc Margot

Carl Sagan’s scientific legacy extends far beyond ‘Cosmos’ On what would’ve been the astronomer’s 90th trip around the Sun, here’s a look at his legacy as a scientist, advocate and communicator.

Carl Sagan was born on this day. Reflections on his legacy:
theconversation.com/carl-sagans-...

Today from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, UCLA is hosting its largest science fair for K-12, with nearly 70 interactive science booths staffed by real scientists. Admission is free and open to the public. Map: exploringyouruniverse.ucla.edu/booth-map/

University of California faculty push back against Big Brother cybersecurity mandate School officials defend software as bulwark against ransomware, but professors fear potential surveillance of their devices

Requiring an insecure back door to faculty computers is one of the worst ideas at the University of California.
www.science.org/content/arti...

The radio search for technosignatures in the decade 2020-2030 Advancing the scientific frontier in the search for life in the universe requires support of searches for both biosignatures and technosignatures. A modest budgetary increment can expand the search fo...

I had a great time on the Search for Life panel sponsored by the UCLA Space Institute yesterday. I described four advantages of the search for technosignatures: cost, search volume, certainty of interpretation, and potential information content. arxiv.org/abs/1903.05544

We discussed planetary atmospheres and climate change this week in my Science in the Movies class, with an assist from The Day After Tomorrow (2004).

This week in Science in the Movies, I showed three scenes from Jon Amiel's The Core (2003) to illustrate planetary interior properties.

Dr. Fred Ramsdell (UCLA PhD 1987) is the ninth UCLA alum to receive a Nobel prize. Eight UCLA faculty have also earned the prize.

Opinion | My City Is the Heart of Europe, and It’s Not Doing Well

This unflattering opinion of Brussels is hard to reconcile with my monthlong stays there in 2024 and 2025.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion

It felt like extortion when federal grants to UCLA were suspended. This NYT opinion piece reinforces the feeling.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

Search volume metrics for historical surveys and UCLA SETI

I had the privilege of presenting a brief report on UCLA SETI activities at the annual IAA SETI Committee meeting yesterday, with updates to the search volume values in our paper bit.ly/AJ23

Covers of nine blockbuster movies used in the class Science in the Movies

The first week of my class Science in the Movies went well. Lots of fun demos and a few scenes from the movie Gravity to illustrate Newton's laws.

Science Magazine - NSF held captive In April, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced its latest class of graduate research fellows, a storied program dating from the agency’s earliest days that has fueled the careers of 50...

Science Magazine – NSF held captive
www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagaz...

The Evpatoria radio telescope was used in occasional planetary radar studies, including the detection of asteroid Golevka (Gol-Ev-Ka), named after three radio telescopes.
www.space.com/astronomy/dr...

Targeted SETI approach to find alien life Targeted SETI approach listens for alien radio 'spillover' during planetary alignments, using Earth's deep space communications as a guide.

www.astronomy.com/science/to-f...

Top five Venus mysteries Envision will solve Venus is a Solar System enigma. Similar in size to Earth and orbiting the Sun at a similar distance, it is remarkable how the two planets evolved so differently. While conditions on Earth allowed life...

Venus is a Solar System enigma.

Although Venus is similar in size and distance from the Sun to Earth, it has evolved very differently from our planet.

Our #Envision mission will aim to solve some of the puzzle by thoroughly studying our closest neighbour.
www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭

Opinion | Trump’s Policies Are Endangering Your Health

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/o...

Your Zodiac Sign Is 2,000 Years Out of Date (Gift Article) Over millennia, our view of the stars has shifted, because of Earth’s wobble. It may be time to rethink your sign.

Basic astronomy lesson courtesy of the New York Times
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

It should never be easier to access a gun than a vaccine.

Historians See Autocratic Playbook in Trump’s Attacks on Science

“They’re afraid that basic knowledge will expose their false claims.” www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/s...

Opinion | The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism (Gift Article) Data can easily be manipulated to show a causation that doesn’t exist.

This excellent piece describes the deceptive practices used by quacks to advance false claims. Beware! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

David Grinspoon confirms that his term appointment as NASA's Senior Scientist for Astrobiology Strategy will not be renewed and the position itself is being eliminated. He'll participate in Wednesday's Astrobiology Update (which is listed on our Calendar).

Opinion | Geometry Solves Gerrymandering

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/o...

The true cost of abandoning science The true cost of abandoning science

Los Angeles Times op-ed from colleague Steven Furlanetto
enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/art...

Opinion | Universities Have Woken Up to Find They’re in Bed With an Ogre

Good conversation about the position in which US universities find themselves:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/o...

La Promenade verte : visitez Bruxelles à pied ou à vélo La Promenade verte est un parcours encerclant la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Profitez, à pied ou en vélo, d’un itinéraire de 60 km divisé en 7 tronçons.

The Belgians have created a superb walking/biking trail around Brussels. Highly recommended! environnement.brussels/citoyen/lenv...

Fifteen years later, Science retracts ‘arsenic life’ paper despite study authors’ protests Belated decision on widely disputed 2010 study pleases some critics but puzzles and dismays others

Science Magazine finally recognizes it was wrong to publish arsenic paper. www.science.org/content/arti...

Opinion | As the Texas Floodwaters Rose, One Indispensable Voice Was Silent

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/o...

Opinion | In the Quest to Shrink NASA, Trump Forgets National Security

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/28/o...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: NASA Budget Briefing. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join The Planetary Society's Space Policy & Advocacy team for a community briefing on the FY 2026 President's Budget Request for NASA. Participants will be able to submit questions during the briefin...

The Planetary Society will provide a NASA budget briefing on Thursday, June 12, at 12pm ET! We'll answer the top-rated scientific community questions, share everything we know, and give you our expert perspective on what's going on. Register for free here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...