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Astrobiology news
Do aliens exist? We studied what scientists really think
News stories about the likely existence of extraterrestrial life, and our chances of detecting it, tend to be positive. We are often told that we might discover it any time now. Finding life beyond Earth is "only a matter ...
Astrobiology
18 hours ago
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Could we detect advanced civilizations by their industrial pollution? Probably not
The hunt for aliens goes hand in hand with the hunt for habitable planets. Astronomers are on the hunt for exoplanets with atmospheric chemicals that could be a sign of an advanced civilization. These chemicals, known as ...
Astrobiology
Jan 13, 2025
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Planets without plate tectonics could still be habitable
It has been thought that plate tectonics were a significant factor in the shaping of our planet and the evolution of life. Mars and Venus don't experience such movements of crustal plates, but then the differences between ...
Astrobiology
Jan 9, 2025
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Dormancy: Life's first survival strategy?
The early Earth was an extreme place. Asteroids pommeled the surface. Volcanoes spewed lava and carbon dioxide. The thick, toxic atmosphere lacked oxygen. Yet, in this turmoil, life emerged.
Astrobiology
Jan 8, 2025
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Scientists propose new method to detect alien civilizations via black holes
Of all the unanswered questions in modern science, perhaps the most talked about is whether we are alone in the universe. A new paper looks at another way we might be able to detect advanced civilizations, and at its center ...
Astronomy
Jan 8, 2025
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Carbon in our bodies likely left galaxy and came back on cosmic 'conveyer belt'
Life on Earth could not exist without carbon. But carbon itself could not exist without stars. Nearly all elements except hydrogen and helium—including carbon, oxygen and iron—only exist because they were forged in stellar ...
Astronomy
Jan 3, 2025
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Could habitable planets orbiting white dwarfs retain their oceans? Maybe
Potentially habitable exoplanets are so incredibly common that astronomers have started to consider more unusual situations where life might arise. Perhaps life can be found on the moon of a hot Jupiter or lingering in the ...
Astrobiology
Jan 3, 2025
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From Earth to alien worlds: Exploring the fundamental limits to life
Extraterrestrial and artificial life have long captivated the human mind. Knowing only the building blocks of our own biosphere, can we predict how life may exist on other planets? What factors will rein in the Frankensteinian ...
Astrobiology
Dec 24, 2024
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Where's the most promising place to find Martian life?
New research suggests that our best hopes for finding existing life on Mars isn't on the surface, but buried deep within the crust.
Astrobiology
Dec 23, 2024
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Clever trick to cook young stars detected for first time—astronomers highlight magnetic fields as the missing ingredient
The missing ingredient for cooking up stars in the same way you might steam your Christmas pudding has been spotted for the first time by astronomers. Much like a pressure cooker has a weight on top of its lid to keep the ...
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2024
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Ancient Mars' thick crust could have supported hidden water reservoirs and rare magmas, new research suggests
A new study explores how variations in Mars' crustal thickness during its ancient history may have influenced the planet's magmatic evolution and hydrological systems. The research, published in Earth and Planetary Science ...
Astrobiology
Dec 19, 2024
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Cenotectic concept redefines search for life on icy worlds
As NASA's Europa Clipper embarks on its historic journey to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, Dr. Matt Powell-Palm, a faculty member at Texas A&M University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, has unveiled research that could ...
Astrobiology
Dec 19, 2024
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What is the zoo hypothesis for alien life?
It seems that we are completely alone in the universe. But simple reasoning suggests that there should be an abundance of alien civilizations. Maybe they're all out there, but they are keeping their distance. Welcome to the ...
Astrobiology
Dec 18, 2024
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New study says we're unlikely to find liquid water on Mars anytime soon
More than a hundred years ago, astronomer Percival Lowell made the case for the existence of canals on Mars designed to redistribute water from the Martian ice caps to its lower, drier latitudes. This necessarily meant the ...
Astrobiology
Dec 16, 2024
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Could the ESA's PLATO mission find Earth 2.0?
Currently, 5,788 exoplanets have been confirmed in 4,326 star systems, while thousands more candidates await confirmation. So far, the vast majority of these planets have been gas giants (3,826) or Super-Earths (1,735), while ...
Astrobiology
Dec 12, 2024
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Does life really need planets? Maybe not
Do we have a planetary bias when it comes to understanding where life can perpetuate? It's only natural that we do. After all, we're on one.
Astrobiology
Dec 12, 2024
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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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More news
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A spider stellar engine could move binary stars halfway across a galaxy
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US, Japanese lunar landers set to launch on single rocket
Mission to moon carries tiny red Swedish home to space
Real-time fluorescent sensor could allow for precise monitoring of wine quality
