As new and more powerful telescopes blink on in the next few years, astronomers will be able to aim the megascopes at nearby exoplanets, peering into their atmospheres to decipher their composition and to seek signs of extraterrestrial ...
Astronomy
May 5, 2020
7
478
In a new study, Stanford researchers have strongly bolstered the theory that a lack of oxygen in Earth's oceans contributed to a devastating die-off approximately 444 million years ago. The new results further indicate that ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 14, 2020
34
1824
Scientists have determined the structure of the protein complex that gives cyanobacteria their unique ability to convert weak, filtered sunlight into useable energy. Their findings could one day be used to engineer crops ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 5, 2020
1
588
Scientists have developed a new method for detecting oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres that may accelerate the search for life.
Astronomy
Jan 6, 2020
1
1145
New research strongly suggests that the distinct 'oxygenation events' that created Earth's breathable atmosphere happened spontaneously, rather than being a consequence of biological or tectonic revolutions.
Earth Sciences
Dec 10, 2019
4
628
About 2.4 billion years ago, at the end of the Archean Eon, a planet-wide increase in oxygen levels called the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) created the familiar atmosphere we all breathe today. Researchers focused on life's ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 5, 2019
0
155
How did life survive the most severe ice age? A McGill University-led research team has found the first direct evidence that glacial meltwater provided a crucial lifeline to eukaryotes during Snowball Earth, when the oceans ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 2, 2019
8
727
Earth's breathable atmosphere is key for life, and a new study suggests that the first burst of oxygen was added by a spate of volcanic eruptions brought about by tectonics.
Earth Sciences
Dec 2, 2019
11
1109
The search for sustainable approaches to generating new fuels has brought scientists back to one of the most abundant materials on Earth—reddish iron oxide in the form of hematite, also known as rust.
Materials Science
Oct 21, 2019
1
587
To make soap, just insert an oxygen atom into a carbon-hydrogen bond. The recipe may sound simple. But carbon-hydrogen bonds, like gum stuck in hair, are difficult to pull apart. Since they provide the foundation for far ...
Materials Science
Sep 12, 2019
2
308
