Life
Has the First Biosignature Been Found on an Exoplanet?
Astronomers have found tentative evidence of a biosignature on an alien world, but we are far from proving that extraterrestrial…
Is Anyone Planning for Diplomacy with an Extraterrestrial Civilization?
Imagine we detect an interstellar object entering our Solar System. At first, astronomers think it's just another natural interloper like…
Did Life Need Plate Tectonics to Emerge?
It's widely accepted that Earth's plate tectonics are a key factor in life's emergence. Plate tectonics allows heat to move…
A New Place to Search for Habitable Planets: “The Soot Line.”
The habitable zone is the region around a star where planets can maintain liquid water on their surface. It's axiomatic…
Fatty Acids Might Exist in Space
A team of physicists have discovered that the environment of a molecular cloud in interstellar space can support the existence…
Advanced Life Should Have Already Peaked Billions of Years Ago
Did humanity miss the party? Are SETI, the Drake Equation, and the Fermi Paradox all just artifacts of our ignorance…
Solar Flares Could Have Helped Life Get Started on Earth
Stars emit powerful flares that can be deadly for any burgeoning life on nearby planets. Images from spacecraft that monitor…
Did Supernovae Help Push Life to Become More Diverse?
Life on Earth has been around for a long time—at least 3.8 billion years. During that time, it evolved significantly.…
JWST Sees Organic Molecules Swirling Around a Newborn Star
One of the most interesting questions we can ask is, "How did life form?". To answer it, scientists go back…
Do Red Dwarfs Provide Enough Sunlight for Plants to Grow?
A new study has shown the photosynthesis can take place on planets orbiting Red Dwarfs.