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Astrobiology news
Enthusiasts used their home computers to search for ET—scientists are homing in on 100 signals they found
For 21 years, between 1999 and 2020, millions of people worldwide loaned UC Berkeley scientists their computers to search for signs of advanced civilizations in our galaxy.
Astronomy
2 hours ago
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Phages and bacteria accumulate distinctive mutations aboard the International Space Station
In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless "microgravity" conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria ...
Astrobiology
2 hours ago
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A quarter-century in orbit: Science shaping life on Earth and beyond
For more than 25 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, conducting research that is transforming life on Earth and shaping the future of exploration. From growing food and ...
Space Exploration
6 hours ago
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Complex life on planets orbiting the galaxy's most common stars may be unlikely
In a blow to anyone dreaming that complex life may exist elsewhere in the universe, a new study suggests we're unlikely to find it around many of the most common stars in the galaxy.
Mars was once a 'blue planet': Ancient river deltas point to vast ocean
Using images from cameras on Mars orbiters, an international research team has discovered structures on Mars that are very similar to classic river deltas on Earth. These are traces of rivers that have deposited their sediments ...
Astrobiology
Jan 12, 2026
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74
Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication?
Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate?
Astronomy
Jan 9, 2026
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Lunar spacecraft exhaust could obscure clues to origins of life
Over half of the exhaust methane from lunar spacecraft could end up contaminating areas of the moon that might otherwise yield clues about the origins of Earthly life, according to a recent study. The pollution could unfold ...
Astrobiology
Jan 7, 2026
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New census of sun's neighbors reveals best potential real estate for life
A new study led by a Georgia State University astronomy graduate student is a major step forward in the search for stars that could host Earth-like planets that may prove to be good havens for life to develop. Sebastián ...
Astrobiology
Jan 6, 2026
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Jupiter's moon Europa lacks the undersea activity needed to support life, study suggests
The giant planet Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, yet none have captured the interest and imagination of astronomers and space scientists quite like Europa, an ice-shrouded world that is thought to possess a vast ocean ...
Astrobiology
Jan 6, 2026
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To understand exoplanet habitability, we need a better understanding of stellar flaring
One of the main questions in exoplanet science concerns M dwarfs (red dwarfs) and the habitability of exoplanets that orbit them. These stars are known for their prolific and energetic flaring, and that's a problem. M dwarfs ...
Astrobiology
Jan 6, 2026
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Thin ice may have protected lake water on frozen Mars
Small lakes on ancient Mars may have remained liquid for decades, even with average air temperatures well below freezing.
Astrobiology
Jan 5, 2026
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75
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
How did life begin on Earth? While scientists have theories, they don't yet fully understand the precise chemical steps that led to biology, or when the first primitive life forms appeared.
Astrobiology
Dec 29, 2025
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Saturn's icy moon Enceladus is an attractive target in the search for life—new research
A small, icy moon of Saturn called Enceladus is one of the prime targets in the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. A new study strengthens the case for Enceladus being a habitable world.
Astrobiology
Dec 24, 2025
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Scientists crack ancient salt crystals to unlock secrets of 1.4 billion-year-old air
More than a billion years ago, in a shallow basin across what is now northern Ontario, a subtropical lake much like modern-day Death Valley evaporated under the sun's gentle heat, leaving behind crystals of halite—rock ...
Astrobiology
Dec 23, 2025
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Stardust study resets how life's atoms spread through space
Starlight and stardust are not enough to drive the powerful winds of giant stars, transporting the building blocks of life through our galaxy. That's the conclusion of a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, ...
Astrobiology
Dec 22, 2025
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Life's first molecule: Borate boosts its formation, finds study
The transition from simple chemistry to the complex biology of molecules that gave rise to life is a puzzle that scientists have been trying to solve for ages.
Could advanced civilizations communicate like fireflies
Long before scientists discovered that other stars in the universe host their own planetary systems, humanity had contemplated the existence of life beyond Earth. As our technology matured and we began monitoring the night ...
Astrobiology
Dec 19, 2025
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Life on lava: How microbes colonize new habitats
Life has a way of bouncing back, even after catastrophic events like forest fires or volcanic eruptions. While nature's resilience to natural disasters has long been recognized, not much is known about how organisms colonize ...
Astrobiology
Dec 18, 2025
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The first alien civilization we encounter will be extremely loud
For decades, science fiction writers have tried their best to prepare us for eventual contact with aliens. Their efforts are dominated by several recurrent tropes. There's the invasion by a warlike species, there's the highly-evolved ...
Astrobiology
Dec 17, 2025
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Why most exoplanets are magma worlds
In astronomy, there is a concept called "degeneracy." It has nothing to do with delinquent people, but instead is used to describe data that could be interpreted multiple ways. In some cases, that interpretation is translated ...
Astrobiology
Dec 17, 2025
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More news
How oxygen first reached Earth's oceans
What seven decades of hunting for aliens tells us
Why being in the 'right place' isn't enough for life
Other news
Cyanobacteria can utilize toxic guanidine as a nitrogen source
Melting glaciers may mix up waters more than we thought
Myth of Native Hawaiians causing bird extinctions debunked by study
Helping to grow plants in space for NASA missions to the moon and mars
Life is just matter with meaning
Expert Q&A on searching for alien life
Moss spores survive 9 months outside International Space Station
Scientists realize a three-qubit quantum register in a silicon photonic chip
Sailboat measurements improve estimates of ocean CO₂ uptake
