Imperial College London researchers have discovered the probable distant origin of Earth’s volatile chemicals, some of which form the building blocks of life, through the…
Researchers have used laboratory simulations to recreate the conditions of early Earth and have discovered that the evolution of ancient proteins into all forms of…
A specialized laboratory at JPL, designed to eliminate the chemical influence of modern organisms, allows scientists to investigate the chemistry that may have given rise…
According to a recent paper by a math professor at the University of Arkansas, the existence of life on Earth provides proof that abiogenesis is…
Early Mars might have been a warm version of modern Titan and at least as promising, if not more promising, as a location for the…
Seawater might have supplied the phosphorus required for emerging life. Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Cape Town may have found a solution to…
New research suggests that salt might be critical to life on Earth and beyond. The composition of the atmosphere, particularly the abundance of greenhouse gases,…
Scientists have reproduced in the lab how the ingredients for life could have formed deep in the ocean 4 billion years ago. The results of…
The universe consists of matter. Matter is everything we see around us. That’s strange – but why? In theory, there should also be large amounts…
On Sunday, March 25, a new program called “Finding Life in Outer Space” will debut on the Smithsonian Channel. The scientific lead for this program…
Scientists have used lab experiments to retrace the chemical steps leading to the creation of complex hydrocarbons in space, showing pathways to forming 2-D carbon-based…
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is a major target of astrobiology research in light of the possibility that it offers a habitable environment in the Solar…
In popular culture, asteroids play the role of apocalyptic threat, get blamed for wiping out the dinosaurs — and offer an extraterrestrial source for mineral…
Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a fascinating new theory for how life on Earth may have begun. Their experiments, described today…
A new study from the Carnegie Institution For Science shows that reservoirs of oxygen-rich iron between the Earth’s core and mantle could have played a…
An asteroid, also known as the Chicxulub Impactor, hit Earth some 66 million years ago, causing a crater 180 km (112 miles) wide. The impact…
A team of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a compound that may have been a crucial factor in the origins of…
Scientists discover evidence of ancient sea-floor hydrothermal deposits on Mars, revealing an area on the planet that may offer clues about the origin of life…
