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Astrobiology news
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
4 hours ago
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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
23 hours ago
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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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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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More news
Team links comet water to Earth's oceans
Dragonfly is going to Titan on a Falcon Heavy
What's behind the Martian methane mystery?
A spider stellar engine could move binary stars halfway across a galaxy
Other news
Samples from Mars' surface could unravel planet's history, researchers argue
Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos
Uncovering ghost drivers in the genome: Study shows convergent promoters act as potent regulators
Newly sequenced genome for orange foxtail sheds light on weed resistance
The Balbiani body: Cracking the secret of embryonic beginnings
Gene-expression study reveals 2-in-1 root armor protects plants from environmental stressors, fights climate change
