Is the nascent field of astrobiology getting new inspiration
from the mainstream? Evidence put forth this summer might
suggest the question is answerable anecdotally. June 2004
brought astrobiology into focus when 'discovering life
elsewhere' could be formulated with sufficient precision that
the definition of astrobiology itself has now entered the most
time-honored language compendium, the Oxford English Dictionary.
Also during the month of June, a somewhat obscure astronomical
event--the Venus transit of the Sun--became the most searched
for term on the world's most popular search engine, Google. To
elevate the Venus transit to the masses, a truly enthusiastic
observer had to wade through all the other things going on in
June, turn off the four biggest sports events of the year, and
proactively tune into a few hours of advanced astronomy, when
the Sun got a momentarily dimmer face. In a competitive media
world where niche demographics seem to siphon interests into
specialized hobbies and focused technical