astrobiology

A strange layer in the fossil record contains evidence that fern populations exploded following the mass extinction that ended the Cretaceous period. Scientists want to know why.

The discovery could add weight to the hypothesis that the building blocks of life on Earth originally came from space, but some scientists note the possibility of contamination.

The material, now part of an African mountain range, bolsters the idea that hydrothermal veins supported early forms of life.

Electrical storms, rather than meteorites as scientists had previously thought, could have unlocked phosphorus necessary for the development of ancient life, according to a new study.

So far, the bulk of the identified water molecules are too distant from one another to form ice or liquid.

The three smaller water bodies join a previously discovered lake buried beneath ice at the red planet’s south pole.

As the afternoon breezes blow harder in the Atacama Desert—a place so desolate it’s used as a model of Mars—more microbes move into its driest regions.

Astrobiologist Armando Azua-Bustos draws parallels between the Red Planet and the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Identifying microbes from Earth that can survive on spacecraft may help scientists eliminate them from future space missions and from searches for extraterrestrial life.

Researchers confirm that chemicals present in the dust of the Red Planet are highly toxic to bacteria.

NASA researchers have discovered ancient microbes locked inside minerals, suggesting a possible niche for interstellar life.

September 2015's selection of notable quotes

May 2015's selection of notable quotes

Mounting and drilling a comet, mind-controlled gene expression, and dissecting cat genomes

Researchers pinpoint a distant planet that may be the right size and temperature to support liquid water and life.

A body of liquid water beneath Enceladus’s surface makes the tiny moon a potentially hospitable home for extraterrestrial life.

Reconsidering the uniqueness of life on our planet

Geobiologist Roger Summons analyzes organic material in rocks found deep inside Earth, looking for evidence of how life originated and evolved on our planet—and possibly on Mars.
 

In the book's prologue, author David Waltham compares a fictitious planet to Earth, highlighting the biologically supportive luck that our planet has enjoyed.