At http://phys.org/print310388983.html … a paper in Astrophysical Research Letters by scientists from Bistol's 'School of Physics' concerns a computer simulation of how planets form around binary star systems – using a model that calculates the effects of gravity and physical collisions. Space billiards appear to be acceptable objects of discussion nowadays, but the nub of the research findings was they thought the vicinity of stars, especially binary stars, was hostile to planetary formation. They were more likely to be captured at a later date.
However, the missing ingredient may appear at http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/giant-magnetic-loop-sweeps-thr… … the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (see www.nrao.edu/pr/2010/algol/) has found a giant magnetic loop stretched outward formone of the stars making up the binary system, Algol. Shades of Birkeland. However, to observe the feature they used an international array of radio telescopes. A spokesman from the University of Iowa describes this as the first time a magnetic field of any star had been seen – apart from that of our Sun.
At http://phys.org/print310668737.html … it seems that with time the theory of Panspermia is becoming quite popular. It was derided when first aired by Hoyle and Ramasinghe but appears to have come of age – NASA space missions have even included experiments on the subject. Some scientists are increasingly looking at space for the origin of life on Earth – or, at least, one of the ingredients of life. In this paper it is suggested life may not have originated so much on comets and meteors but came from space dust – altogether more abundant.