September 18, 2020



Life on Venus?

Traces of a gas in Venus' clouds could indicate some form of life may exist there, according to a study. Scientists have been musing about the possibility that life exists in Venus' temperate clouds for decades. If confirmed as a sign of life, the finding would open up a new era of science. The new study in the journal Nature Astronomy reports the detection of phosphine-a possible signature of life-in Venus' atmosphere for the first time. The researchers found the gas-which can be produced by some microbes that live in animal intestines on Earth-using two different telescopes: ALMA in Chile in 2019 and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in 2017. The scientists behind the study aren't suggesting the phosphine discovery is proof positive of life, but they haven't been able to find a better explanation for why the gas exists in the abundances it does on the planet. This discovery, whether it is proof of life or not, could be a turning point for the exploration of Venus, which plays second fiddle to Mars. Go exploring and check out these titles



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Books on the Air

An overview of talked-about books and authors. This weekly update, published every Friday, provides descriptions of recent TV and radio appearances by authors and their recently released books. See the hot titles from the media this week.



This Week's Bestsellers

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Ken Follett

Ken Follett is one of the world's most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages. Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy. He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director. Ken's first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors. Check out his books here.



Library Reads September 2020

Library Reads harnesses the value of “library staff picks” into a single nation-wide discovery tool, a monthly list of ten newly released must reads. Check out the top ten books -with the addition of Hall of Fame authors-published this month that librarians across the country love.



The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring



        

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