Even though he knew that the planet couldn't possibly harbor any advanced life-forms yet-the unknown readings notwithstanding-David still found himself feeling nervous about their inability to see what might be lurking beneath the greenery around their feet.

He went on to announce that there was evidence that the planet harbored its own egg-layers, too, for broken shells had been found above the high-tide line on the beach where the harbor and the fish hatchery were being constructed.

Another use attracting wide interest is studying the earth's microbial ecology as a tool for understanding faraway places like Mars, which was recently in the headlines with a report by scientists that the planet may have once harbored primitive microbes.

This planet may also harbor a system of moons and rings.

Added to other recent discoveries, the finding reinforces the idea that, far from being geologically dead, the planet may harbor volcanoes, liquid water and possibly life.

Any question that Mars still tugs at the imagination vanished last August with the announcement that a meteorite, almost certainly from Mars, contained minerals and fossil-like evidence suggesting that in its past, the planet harbored microbial life.

Picard himself was impressed by how a society managed to flourish living only on asteroids, after their planet no longer could harbor life.

The Surfer offers Skaar the chance to use the Oldstrong power to evacuate the planet, not only saving his people, but becoming a hero to the universe, as the planet harbors enough energy to satiate Galactus' hunger for a hundred thousand years.

Individual investigations address issues such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which planets outside our solar system may harbor life, and the nature of space, time, and matter at the edges of black holes.