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Astrobiology news
New technique for spotting Dyson rings unveiled
Dyson spheres and rings have always held a special fascination for me. The concept is simple: build a great big structure either as a sphere or ring to harness the energy from a star. Dyson rings are far more simple and feasible ...
Astronomy
Dec 10, 2024
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Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth—astrobiologists seek framework for how complex systems evolve
We have only one example of biology forming in the universe—life on Earth. But what if life can form in other ways? How do you look for alien life when you don't know what alien life might look like?
Astrobiology
Dec 9, 2024
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A technosignature that could detect an extraterrestrial civilization's reliance on nuclear fusion
Extraterrestrial civilizations need a great deal of energy as they advance up the Kardashev scale. Fossil fuels are finite, wind and solar energy are carbon free but not as efficient as fossil fuels, and traditional nuclear ...
'We live in a universe that is just right for us': Study proposes a test for the Anthropic Principle
The Anthropic Principle—stating that the universe we live in is fine-tuned to host life—was first proposed by Brandon Carter in 1973. Since then, it has sparked significant debate.
Astronomy
Dec 9, 2024
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China plans to retrieve Mars samples by 2031
China's growing presence in space has been undeniable since the turn of the century. Between sending the first "taikonaut" to space in 2003 (Yang Liwei), launching the first Chinese robotic mission to the moon (Chang'e-1) ...
Astrobiology
Dec 5, 2024
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New evidence of organic material identified on Ceres, the inner solar system's most water-rich object after Earth
Six years ago, NASA's Dawn mission communicated with Earth for the last time, ending its exploration of Ceres and Vesta, the two largest bodies in the asteroid belt. Since then, Ceres —a water-rich dwarf planet showing ...
Astrobiology
Dec 4, 2024
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Team links comet water to Earth's oceans
Researchers have found that water on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has a similar molecular signature to the water in Earth's oceans. Contradicting some recent results, this finding reopens the case that Jupiter-family ...
Astrobiology
Dec 3, 2024
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Dragonfly is going to Titan on a Falcon Heavy
NASA has given SpaceX the contract to launch the Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon Titan. A Falcon Heavy will send the rotorcraft and its lander on their way to Titan in 2028, if all goes according to plan, and the mission ...
Astrobiology
Dec 3, 2024
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Astronomers deal a blow to theory that Venus once had liquid water on its surface
A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbor was once much more like Earth than it is today.
Astrobiology
Dec 2, 2024
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Scientists reveal possible role of iron sulfides in creating life in terrestrial hot springs
An international team of scientists has published a study highlighting the potential role of iron sulfides in the formation of life in early Earth's terrestrial hot springs. According to the researchers, the sulfides may ...
Astrobiology
Nov 28, 2024
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Oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars found
New Curtin University-led research has uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars, revealing the planet may have been habitable at some point in its past.
Astrobiology
Nov 22, 2024
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Ryugu asteroid sample rapidly colonized by terrestrial life despite strict contamination control
Panspermia is the hypothesis that life can survive the transfer between planetary bodies as a secondary path for life to get started on planets throughout a solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life on asteroids ...
Origin of life research finds RNA can favor both left- and right-handed proteins
The mystery of why life uses molecules with specific orientations has deepened with a discovery that RNA—a key molecule thought to have potentially held the instructions for life before DNA emerged—can favor making the ...
Astrobiology
Nov 21, 2024
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Many physicists argue the universe is fine-tuned for life. Our findings question this idea
Physicists have long grappled with the question of why the universe was able to support the evolution of intelligent life. The values of the many forces and particles, represented by some 30 so-called fundamental constants, ...
Astrobiology
Nov 20, 2024
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Mars Curiosity rover takes a last look at mysterious sulfur
NASA's Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a months-long trek to a formation called the boxwork, a set of weblike patterns on Mars's surface that stretches for miles. It will soon leave behind Gediz ...
Astrobiology
Nov 18, 2024
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Statistical approach improves models of atmosphere on early Earth and exoplanets
As energy from the sun reaches Earth, some solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, leading to chemical reactions like the formation of ozone and the breakup of gas molecules. A new approach for modeling these reactions, ...
Astrobiology
Nov 18, 2024
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What's behind the Martian methane mystery?
The seasonal variations of methane in the Martian atmosphere is an intriguing clue that there might be life hiding under the surface of the red planet. But we won't know for sure until we go digging for it.
Astrobiology
Nov 18, 2024
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Volcanic caves research advances the search for life on Mars
Through the intricate study of lava tubes—caves formed following volcanic eruptions when lava cools down—an international team of researchers has uncovered clues about Earth's ancient environments that could be significant ...
Astrobiology
Nov 18, 2024
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New study examines how extraterrestrial civilizations could become 'stellivores'
One of the most challenging aspects of astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is anticipating what life and extraterrestrial civilizations will look like. Invariably, we have only one example ...
Astrobiology
Nov 14, 2024
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A spider stellar engine could move binary stars halfway across a galaxy
Eventually, every stellar civilization will have to migrate to a different star. The habitable zone around all stars changes as they age. If long-lived technological civilizations are even plausible in our universe, migration ...
Space Exploration
Nov 13, 2024
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More news
Other news
Unexpected shifts in cell populations revise understanding of aging process
Mathematician solves the moving sofa problem
Universal barcodes unlock fast-paced small molecule synthesis
Warm Saturn-sized exoplanet discovered with TESS
Scientists examine how roasting affects the perfect brew
Discovery cracks code for how nature's microbes build antibiotics
Supramolecular sorting machine separates aromatic and aliphatic compounds
Those aren't Dyson spheres, they're HotDOGs
Could stars hotter than the sun still support life?
Mediterranean coral gardens may inevitably be compromised
Noninvasive imaging method can penetrate deeper into living tissue
