Astrobiology
Self Organizing Space Dust Could Be a Precursor to Life
As if searching for life wasn't already difficult enough, physicists now think that clouds of particles in space could mimic…
Enceladus is an Unlikely Home for Life
When Cassini discovered geysers of water ice fountaining off of Saturn's moon Enceladus, it was easy to think: life! Wherever…
An Experiment to Test Panspermia
One of most intriguing, and controversial, theories astrobiology is the concept of Panspermia. This idea proposes that life on Earth…
If There’s Oxygen, There’s Life
If aliens visited our Solar System, it would only take them a moment to figure out which planet is the…
How Different Could Life Be?
Over the last few years, biologists have been continuously surprised at life's ability to survive in extreme environments: in freezing…
Imagining Plants on another Planet
If and when astronomers finally start discovering life on other worlds, they'll be wondering what kinds of lifeforms are there.…
Microbes Travel With Our Spacecraft
Wherever humans go, our microbes go too. Astronauts on board Mir experienced this first hand. Even thought the spaceship was…
Scientists Lobbying to Search for Life on Europa
Recently I reported on a proposal that spacecraft should return to Jupiter's moon Europa to determine if it really has…
Martian Explorers Should Be Looking for Fossils
Instead of just looking for current life on Mars, Arizona State University professor Jack Farmer thinks that future missions should…
NASA’s Next Probe Should Visit Europa
Arizona State University professor Ronald Greeley thinks that NASA's next flagship mission to the outer planets should be sent to…