Scientists using ESA’s Venus Express are trying to observe whether Earth is habitable. Silly, you might think, when we know that Earth is richly stocked with life. In fact, far from being a pointless exercise, Venus Express is paving the way for an exciting new era in astronomy. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

An important discovery has been made with respect to the mystery of "handedness" in biomolecules. Researchers found that some of the possible abiotic precursors to the origin of life on Earth have been shown to carry "handedness" in a larger number than previously thought. They studied the organic materials of a special group of meteorites that contain among a variety of compou... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Asteroid and comet impacts on Earth can cause catastrophic extinction events. They can also bring life back, new research shows. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Besides the obvious benefits they bring, it looks like we owe our very existence to plants, which helped prevent the Earth from freezing over during the past 25 million years. picked by AutumnLotus 5 months ago

Our planet is changing before our eyes, and as a result, many species are living on the edge. Yet Earth has been on the edge of habitability from the beginning. New work shows that if Earth had been slightly smaller and less massive, it would not have plate tectonics-the forces that move continents and build mountains. And without plate tectonics, life might never have gained a foothold on our wor... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Some crucial ingredients for life on Earth may have formed in interstellar space, rather than on the planet's surface. A new computer model indicates clouds of adenine molecules, a basic component of DNA, can form and survive the harsh conditions of space, and possibly sprinkle onto planets as the stars they orbit travel through a galaxy. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Flash back three or four billion years — Earth is a hot, dry and lifeless place. All is still. Without warning, a meteor slams into the desert plains at over ten thousand miles per hour. With it, this violent collision may have planted the chemical seeds of life on Earth. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Milan has discovered some unexpected forms of liquid crystals of ultrashort DNA molecules immersed in water, providing a new scenario for a key step in the emergence of life on Earth. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A new experiment similar to a pregnancy test but designed to search for signs of life on Mars is now exposed to the vacuum of space above Earth. Chip contains samples that glow if they encounter life-critical compounds. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level and strengthens the idea of amino acids being delivered to Earth via meteorite. picked by 2manyusernames 9 months ago

Beetles first appeared on Earth at the same time as the earliest dinosaurs but turned out to be much better survivors, a new evolutionary study has shown. Today, there are an estimated 350,000 known species of beetle on Earth, and probably several million more yet to be discovered, say scientists. The insects account for about a quarter of all life forms on the planet. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A lunar eclipse helped a group of international scientists take a snapshot of earth's chemical fingerprint, which could help to identify planets most similar to earth where life may be thriving. picked by stinkobinko 6 months ago

Scientists have found signs that water may once have gurgled up through the Martian soil in hydrothermal vents similar to those in Yellowstone National Park. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

As well as homing in on visual feasts around the globe, users of Google Earth may soon be able to listen to the sounds that accompany them. picked by AutumnLotus 3 years ago

A new study suggests that extreme chemical reactions fired up by meteorite impacts may have jump-started life in the early oceans, rather than delivering its building blocks preformed. picked by muppet 12 months ago

We could have alien origins, say scientists who sent fossilized microscopic life-forms into space and back inside an artificial meteorite. The researchers attached the baseball-size rock to the outside of the European Space Agency's Foton M3 spacecraft to test whether biological material could survive the round-trip journey. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

At one time, scientists were surprised to discover microbes living in places that were thought to be uninhabitable. That doesn’t happen anymore, because scientists know life can thrive almost anywhere on earth. picked by bingo 5 months ago

Geologists have discovered 1.43 billion-year-old fossils of deep-sea microbes, providing more evidence that life may have originated on the bottom of the ocean. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

We have answered so many seemingly impossible questions yet one question eludes us - How did life arise from inorganic matter? Perhaps a new way of looking at the question can help find an answer picked by 2manyusernames 6 months ago

In this article we present a view gaining attention in the origin-of-life community that takes the question out of the hatchery and places it squarely in the realm of accessible, plausible chemistry. As we see it, the early steps on the way to life are an inevitable, incremental result of the operation of the laws of chemistry and physics picked by 2manyusernames 7 months ago