Anaerobic microbial iron corrosion due to conductive pili

Iron is well-known for rusting, but this doesn't just happen on contact with oxygen and water. Some bacteria are also able to decompose iron anaerobically in a process referred to as electrobiocorrosion.

Do technological civilizations depend on atmospheric oxygen?

Nearly 2 million years ago a species of upright apes known as Homo erectus began to use fire. It was a gradual process, from opportunistic users of natural fires to masters able to craft flames from flint and tender. We are ...

Without ozone, the Earth might get a lot colder

The evolution of Earth's climate contains many components. And new research has shown just how critical the ozone layer is to the surface temperature of the Earth. Without an ozone layer, our planet would be 3.5 Kelvin cooler.

Even if there's life on TRAPPIST-1, we probably can't detect it

If we ever find life on other worlds, it is unlikely to be a powerful message from space. It's certainly possible that an alien civilization specifically sends us a radio message like a scene out of Contact, but the more ...

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