Organic molecules on Mars may be evidence of ancient life

Organic compounds have been discovered on Mars in recent years – but how did they get there? A new study examines the different ways that one type in particular, thiophene, may have formed, and intriguingly one of the most plausible scenarios involves … Continue reading Organic molecules on Mars may be evidence of ancient life

Extraterrestrial protein discovered in meteorite for the first time

Scientists have discovered a full, previously-unknown protein inside a meteorite for the first time. Named hemolithin, the new protein contains iron and lithium and may play an important role in seeding life on habitable planets like Earth.Continue Rea… Continue reading Extraterrestrial protein discovered in meteorite for the first time

Analysis of Super-Earth atmosphere reveals potentially-habitable world

Astronomers have analyzed the atmosphere of a nearby exoplanet and found that there are plenty of scenarios where it could have liquid water – and by extension, possibly life – on its surface. This new study adds weight to the idea that habitable exopl… Continue reading Analysis of Super-Earth atmosphere reveals potentially-habitable world

Virtual universes study suggests habitable Earth-like exoplanets are more common than we thought

Earth is – for now – the only place in the universe that we know hosts life, so it makes sense that astronomers focus the search for alien life on worlds that are the most like our own. But just how common are Earth-like planets orbiting at c… Continue reading Virtual universes study suggests habitable Earth-like exoplanets are more common than we thought

New NASA mission launch aims to reduce false-positives in search for life

It’s almost a certainty that we’re not alone in the universe, but so far direct evidence has eluded us. While we have some idea about what kinds of signs to look for on other planets, many of these can also be created under natural processes…. Continue reading New NASA mission launch aims to reduce false-positives in search for life

Life's building blocks spontaneously self-assemble in primordial soup experiment

Researchers have shown that amino acids, the building blocks of life, stack themselves readily under the ...

Exactly how life sprung out of non-living matter is one of biology’s biggest mysteries. But with continued research into our own origin story, it’s starting to seem like life on early Earth was just itching to be born. In new research from Georgia Tech and the Scripps Research Institute, scientists cooked up a “primordial soup” and found that some of the crucial building blocks of life spontaneously stacked themselves in a surprisingly efficient way.

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Continue reading Life's building blocks spontaneously self-assemble in primordial soup experiment

Snowball planets may still have habitable hotspots

When looking for other planets that could be hosting life, astronomers tend to focus on those that are very Earth-like. But doing so might be limiting our scope too much and underselling life’s hardiness. A new study has used simulations to s… Continue reading Snowball planets may still have habitable hotspots

Exoplanet-hunting telescope discovers three new alien worlds with big scientific potential

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered a set of three worlds orbiting a peaceful star located a mere 73 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Pictor. The exoplanets, which are among the smallest and closes… Continue reading Exoplanet-hunting telescope discovers three new alien worlds with big scientific potential

Chemists concoct polyester "cells" that may plug gaps in origins of life

The missing link of evolution is often thought of as a step between apes and humans, but the biggest gap lies between non-living matter and the earliest living cells. A new study has found a mechanism that may have helped droplets transition … Continue reading Chemists concoct polyester "cells" that may plug gaps in origins of life

Powerful new telescope joins the search for possible laser pulses from aliens

Statistically, it’s pretty much a given that alien life is out there somewhere, whether that’s Martian microbes or highly intelligent life beaming comms through the cosmos. While the Curiosity rover is poking around in the dirt for the former… Continue reading Powerful new telescope joins the search for possible laser pulses from aliens