Dark Energy, Life Searches Make Strange Bedfellows

eldavojohn writes "Both the EU and US are using a strategy to merge what used to be two separate searches: the search for exoplanets that may harbor life and the search for dark energy. In an effort to develop 'robust, low-risk missions that maximize the scientific return,' the article analyzes how, without any changes, a space-based dark energy telescope could also check for microlensing events indicating an exoplanet."

I can't be...

[Requiem18th]

So this is what it feels like to be the first one to post?

SETI

[Schiphol]

It's a pity that they cannot smuggle SETI into the pack. Anyway, if I were a SETI researcher, I'd save some of my radiotelescope time to look into those exoplanets deemed as suitable for life by research such as this.

SETI

[Schiphol]

It's a pity that they cannot smuggle SETI into the pack. Anyway, if I was a SETI researcher I'd save some of my radiotelescope time to look into the region of space occupied by exoplanets deemed suitable for life by research such as this.

What?

[Zixaphir]

I know nothing about these two subjects. Dark Energy? Planet searching? Bahhh, it is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

Re:So can any astronomers explain ...

[deoxyribonucleose]

... why this isn't obvious, and being done already?

From my layman's POV, it seems like we have telescopes all over the spectrum, from X-rays to long radio waves, constantly gathering enormous amounts of data which could easily be mined for dark energy detection, SETI, and just about anything else conceivable. So while I think it's very cool that two such different applications can share data and techniques, I'd like to know what the reasons are that this doesn't just happen all the time. Is it a reluctance to share data, differences in the type of data needed, or something else entirely?

I have a huge number of programs on my hard drive for everything from web browsing and word processing to Java IDE's and hard disk defragmenting. Why can't I get by with just one program which can do everything?

Oh, wait, I just installed Emacs. Problem solved!

Re:I can't be...

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what SHE said

Dark energy?

[lastgoodnickname]

Wake me up when they start talking about plaid energy.

Re:Not the EU, but Europe's Space Program!

[MistrX]

And there I was, thinking we had a complete moon for ourselves. :(

Re:SETI

[Trepidity]

It's a pity that they cannot smuggle SETI into the pack. Anyway, if I was a SETI researcher I'd save some of my radiotelescope time to look into the region of space occupied by exoplanets deemed suitable for life by borg such as this.

Re:SETI

[Schiphol]

I deserve it :)

Re:I can't be...

[L4t3r4lu5]

This is Slashdot. It's more than likely what he said.