Tag: life

Intelligent life might be rare A mathematical modeling study finds that the formation of intelligence takes longer than Earth’s lifetime, so the detection of another complex form of life is unlikely.

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by Dionysios Gakis 594 views

How hard is it for evolution to produce intelligent life like humans? We don't really know, but some computational modelers tried to answer the question.

The shape of the continents is not a coincidence Biological processes might have led to greater continental crust coverage than would be expected on a planet without life.

Posted on September 13, 2021September 2, 2021 by Dee Cirium 1k views

Biological processes might have led to greater continental crust coverage than would be expected on a planet without life.

Could impact from asteroids eventually create life? Back in the day, Earth was frequently hit by stuff from space. An impact-induced shock wave simulation helps complex structures self-assemble, which may help to explain the origin of life.

Posted on July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 by Joy Batty 485 views

Astrobiologists have discovered a possible new pathway for the prebiotic self-assembly of biologically important molecules by replicating extreme conditions caused by asteroid impacts.

Bread yeast can help humans explore space! Studying the effects of radiation on yeast cells can help us understand how astronauts’ bodies may be affected during long term space travel. This paper describes an experiment that will be conducted on board the satellite BioSentinel.

Posted on November 9, 2020April 1, 2021 by Anurup Mohanty 106 views

How do we find the effects of extreme #space radiation on human health? Answer lies with yeast in your bread! @NASA scientists are launching #BioSentinel later this year. #Astrobiology By @strayologist

Chemicals on mineral surfaces may have jumpstarted life Researchers observed selected biological molecules multiplying and fueling their own chemistry across mineral surfaces, resembling the patterns of a living metabolism.

Posted on November 5, 2020April 1, 2021 by Emily Felder 142 views

Were metabolic pathways established before life emerged? New experiments observe life-like patterns self-propagating on #mineral surfaces. #astrobiology #geobiology

How stars can limit life in the universe For the past few decades, scientists have been looking at planets outside of our solar system to see if they could host life. Now, scientists have discovered another factor for habitability: radiation from the planet’s central star.

Posted on October 1, 2020April 13, 2021 by Paulina Umansky 209 views

For the past few decades, scientists have been looking at planets outside of our solar system to see if they could host life. Now, scientists have discovered another factor for habitability: radiation from the planet’s central star.

Could “Fools’ Gold” have helped build the first proteins? Scientists measured the forces that allow iron pyrite to help amino acids bind to each other at the bottom of the ocean -- to understand how life may have formed a long time ago.

Posted on September 21, 2020January 15, 2021 by Marcos Jusino-Maldonado 201 views

How and why humans exist are questions that have challenged different cultures ever since the dawn of civilization. Many scientists have taken upon their shoulders the duty of answering these fundamental questions, coming up with several especially creative ideas over the past few decades. One prominent idea is that…

If there was oxygen on a far away planet, how would we know? Scientists use computer models to simulate what oxygen would look like on far away planets and found a chemical signature that helps us tell the difference between oxygen from life and oxygen from other sources.

Posted on September 15, 2020April 9, 2021 by Caitlin MacArthur 2k views

Scientists use computer models to simulate what oxygen would look like on far away planets and found a chemical signature that helps us tell the difference between oxygen from life and oxygen from other sources.

Early Martian life may have used sulfur as an energy source Using an environment on Earth that simulates early Mars conditions, researchers found an abundance of bacteria that get their energy from sulfur-containing molecules, suggesting a new focus in the search for biosignatures on the Red Planet.

Posted on September 7, 2020April 7, 2021 by Brooke Carruthers 136 views

Using an environment on Earth that simulates early Mars conditions, researchers found an abundance of bacteria that get their energy from sulfur-containing molecules, suggesting a new focus in the search for biosignatures on the Red Planet.

Ice-covered moon shows promise for harboring life Could there be life on Saturn's moon? Hydrogen found in the icy plumes of Enceladus may be evidence for hydrothermal processes that could support life.

Posted on July 9, 2020April 7, 2021 by mankeldy 63 views

Since we are currently unable to visit some of the distant places in our solar system, we send probes to visit them for us. Only four spacecraft have visited Saturn, and for roughly 20 years some of the best data we had were images taken during the flybys of Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2. That changed with the…