Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilisations within the next twenty years. “The genesis of life is as inevitable as the formation of atoms…..Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years,” said Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Applied Astronomy Institute.

Finkelstein says that 10% of the known planets circling suns in our galaxy resemble Earth. If water can be found there, then so can life.

I hope the Russians are right. I have always believed that our galaxy is teeming with life, but that the size of the universe, and the enormous space between solar systems meant that contact is highly unlikely.

Many people have favourite numbers but there has been scant research on why this should be so. Why have an emotional attachment to an unemotional number? The mathematitian Alex Bellos would like to know and his survey website is www.favouritenumber.net .

The website is simple to complete, and refreshingly there is no email collection. Only leave an email address if you want the results of the survey which will be in 2012.

Apocalypse Now is my favourite war film and I have owned the DVD for many years. Last night however was the first time I watched all the “extras”. Here the director Francis Ford Coppola explains the ending.

Apocalypse Now was originally issued with no credits at the start or finish, instead cinema goers were presented with a film programme. When editing the film for worldwide release Francis Ford Coppola realised handing out programmes was impractical, and so credits were included at the end.