Forget the "Habitable Zone," Think the "Biogenic Zone"

  It is hardly surprising that in this burgeoning exoplanet era of ours, those hitherto unknown planets get most of the attention when it comes to exo-solar systems.  What are the planet masses?  Their orbits?  The chemical makeup of their atmospheres? Their potential capacity to hold liquid surface water and thereby become "habitable." Less frequently …

Forget the "Habitable Zone," Think the "Biogenic Zone"

It is hardly surprising that in this burgeoning exoplanet era of ours, those hitherto unknown planets get most of the attention when it comes to exo-solar systems.  What are the planet masses?  Their orbits?  The chemical makeup of their atmospheres? Their potential capacity to hold liquid surface water and thereby become "habitable." Less frequently highlighted …