Collaborate Disseminate
Something is making methane on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. A new study has found that methane levels detected from the icy moon are far higher than can be explained by known geochemical processes – but they are consistent with microbes.Continue ReadingCat… Continue reading Methane in plumes from Saturn’s moon could be signs of microbial life
Hopes of finding life on Venus had already been dashed, but now a new study may have hammered the last nail into the coffin. New modeling of water activity on different solar system planets has found that Venus would be too dry for even the most extrem… Continue reading Water study may wash out hopes for life on Venus
Contrary to popular belief, not all planets orbit stars – some drift freely through the cosmos on their own. These cold, dark worlds don’t make great candidates for hosting life, but a new study suggests that their moons could be more habitable than th… Continue reading “Rogue planet” exomoons could potentially harbor water and life
Jupiter’s Icy moon Europa may have enough internal heat to trigger volcanic activity on the floor of its global ocean, according to the results of a new study. Despite being encased in a shell of water ice, Europa is considered to be one of the most pr… Continue reading Seafloor volcanoes may be supporting life on icy Europa
Tardigrades are some of the toughest lifeforms ever discovered, and it’s been proposed that they (or similar organisms) could seed life through the cosmos by hitching rides on asteroids. Now, researchers at the University of Kent have tested the hypoth… Continue reading Tardigrades fired from a gun to test theory asteroids seed life
Scientists continue to make surprising discoveries in our own bodies. Stanford researchers have now discovered a new biomolecule hiding in plain sight, which may be common to most types of life and could play a role in autoimmune diseases in humans.Con… Continue reading Entirely new class of biomolecule may be common to all forms of life
While there’s evidence of volcanic activity in Mars’ ancient past, it was presumed to have been quiet for millions of years. But now, orbiters have spotted a large volcanic deposit that appears to be relatively fresh – only about 53,000 years old – whi… Continue reading “Recent” volcanic eruption on Mars boosts subsurface life hypothesis
One of the main goals of NASA’s Perseverance rover is to scour the surface of Mars for signs of ancient microbial life. But a new study of the geochemistry of the Red Planet suggests that life could still be thriving below its surface today.Continue Re… Continue reading Microbes may inhabit subsurface modern Mars, says geochemical study
Scientists have predicted the presence and movement of ocean currents in the vast subsurface ocean of the Saturnian moon Enceladus. The moon, which is sheathed in a 20 km (12.4 mile)-thick shell of ice, is one of the most promising prospects in the ong… Continue reading Enceladus’ global subsurface ocean could host salt-driven currents
The exact recipe for how life got started on Earth – and whether it’s appeared on other planets too – are some of the most profound mysteries of science. Now, scientists have found that lightning strikes could have contributed a key ingredient, which s… Continue reading Life on Earth may have arisen from a quintillion lightning strikes