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Titan may be the liveliest place in the solar system

Every single organism on Earth, no matter the biome, the kingdom, the domain, whether it's an extremophile in a hot spring or some lithotroph buried in the crust, depends on water.

Key building block for life discovered in planet-forming disk

Astronomers have found a rare form of methanol, a type of alcohol, in a planet-forming disk, providing a critical step in understanding how life beyond Earth may form. This result reveals vital details about the chemical ...

What life on Europa needs

As the years go by, the chances of Europa hosting life seem to keep going down. But it's not out of contention yet.

Do the clouds of Venus really host life?

On the surface (you're welcome for the joke), Venus is not even close to being hospitable to life. But that's not the end of the story.

Taking a realistic look at terraforming Mars

A team of researchers with a variety of backgrounds and affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has taken a realistic approach to looking at the question of whether Mars could be terraformed. In their paper published ...

How likely is life on Mars?

Mars is by far the most Earth-like planet in the solar system… but that's not saying much.

New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life

The search for life beyond Earth is a key driver of modern astronomy and planetary science. The U.S. is building multiple major telescopes and planetary probes to advance this search. However, the signs of life—called biosignatures—that ...

Uncovering the chemistry of interstellar space

Many people imagine the space between the stars as an empty, cold infinity. In reality, it is teeming with extraordinary molecules: More than 300 different types have already been discovered. For her Ph.D. thesis, chemist ...

More news

Astrobiology
Finding a better way to distinguish life from nonlife
Astrobiology
Venus shows why ozone isn't a good biosignature
Astrobiology
The habitability of Earth tells us the likelihood of finding life elsewhere
Astronomy
Cosmic ray research helps unravel lithium-7 origin
Astrobiology
What are near-Earth asteroids made of? Researchers are about to find out
Astrobiology
Is the bar higher for scientific claims of alien life?
Astrobiology
Possible sign of life in deep space faces new doubts
Astrobiology
Perseverance Mars rover to take a bite of 'Krokodillen' region
Astrobiology
Streaked slopes on Mars probably not signs of water flow, study finds
Astrobiology
Grad students find missing link in early Martian water cycle
Astronomy
Not saying it's aliens: SETI survey reveals unexplained pulses from distant stars
Astrobiology
There's growing evidence of possible life on other planets. Here's why you should still be skeptical
Astrobiology
Astronomers detect cloud convection near Titan's lakes
Space Exploration
Tough microbes found in NASA cleanrooms hold clues to space survival and biotech
Astrobiology
Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the red planet
Astrobiology
Proposed experiment could clarify origin of Martian methane
Astrobiology
Want to find life? You'll want to compare several exoplanets in the same system
Astrobiology
There are many ways to interpret the atmosphere of K2-18b
Astrobiology
DNA-like molecule may survive Venus-like cloud conditions
Astrobiology
New project investigates mysteries of Sun's atmosphere

Other news

Environment
Glass bottles found to contain more microplastics than plastic bottles
Ecology
Sea spiders found farming methane-eating microbes in cultivated biofilm
Earth Sciences
Analysis casts doubt on ancient drying of northern Africa's climate, raising new questions about early human evolution
Archaeology
Investigation of ancient Tel Dan sanctuary reveals Phoenician ritual bathing traditions
Social Sciences
Climbing the social ladder: A clear understanding of connections matters more than popularity, study suggests
Earth Sciences
Past volcanic warming linked to marine extinctions, high-resolution fossil data show
Optics & Photonics
True single-photon source boosts secure key rates in quantum key distribution systems
Environment
Green roofs shown to capture nearly all microplastics from rainwater
Analytical Chemistry
Advanced algorithm to study catalysts on material surfaces could lead to better batteries
Plants & Animals
Global study reveals surprising flexibility in mosquito feeding patterns
Quantum Physics
Scientists demonstrate unconditional exponential quantum scaling advantage using two 127-qubit computers
Cell & Microbiology
Embryos can eliminate bacterial infections before forming their immune system, new research shows
Education
Using ChatGPT to write essays may be eroding critical thinking skills
Evolution
Caught in the crossfire: How phages spread Salmonella virulence genes
General Physics
Rewriting a century-old physics law on thermal radiation to unlock the potential of energy, sensing and more
Environment
Colorado River water market could help fish and farmers alike
Plants & Animals
How a genetic tug-of-war decides the fate of a honey bee
Quantum Physics
Magically reducing errors in quantum computers: Researchers invent technique to decrease overhead
Earth Sciences
Island rivers carve passageways through coral reefs, maintaining ecosystem health over millions of years
Condensed Matter
Phonon-mediated heat transport across materials visualized at the atomic level