Life
Scientists Want to Use the Moon to Safeguard Earth’s Biodiversity
There's something wrong with us. We've risen to prominence on a world that's positively "rippling with life," as Carl Sagan…
How Oumuamua Changes Our Perspective on Galactic Panspermia
Panspermia is an innately attractive idea that's gained prominence in recent decades. Yet, among working scientists, it gets little attention.…
A Surprising Source of Oxygen in the Deep Sea
I have always found Mariana’s Trench fascinating, it’s like an alien world right on our doorstep. Any visitor to the…
We Might Find Life Just Under the Surface on Europa
What does it take to have life at another world? Astrobiologists say you need water, warmth, and something for life…
If We Want To Find Life-Supporting Worlds, We Should Focus on Small Planets With Large Moons
There's no perfect way of doing anything, including searching for exoplanets. Every planet-hunting method has some type of bias. We've…
Toxic Perchlorate on Mars Could Make Life More Interesting
The search for life in the Universe has fascinated humans for centuries. Mars has of course been high on the…
Could Life Exist in Water Droplet Worlds in Venus’ Atmosphere?
It's a measure of human ingenuity and curiosity that scientists debate the possibility of life on Venus. They established long…
Life Might Be Difficult to Find on a Single Planet But Obvious Across Many Worlds
If we could detect a clear, unambiguous biosignature on just one of the thousands of exoplanets we know of, it…
What Can Europa’s Surface Tell Us About the Thickness of Its Ice?
You can tell a lot about a planetary body just by looking at its surface, especially if it has craters.…
Could Earth Life Survive on a Red Dwarf Planet?
Even though exoplanet science has advanced significantly in the last decade or two, we're still in an unfortunate situation. Scientists…