[ad_1] A team of astronomers believe they have found signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus, The New York Times reports. In two papers published today, the astronomers explain that they’ve detected the chemical phosphine in Venus’s thick atmosphere. They believe that the phosphine may have been produced by living microorganisms in a type […]
Category: life
A tiny space rock holds clues about the evolution of life
[ad_1] Researchers have found amino acids in other space rocks, but not at such a high concentration. Perhaps most surprisingly, Asuka 12236 contains more left-handed versions of some amino acids. While there are right-handed and left-handed versions of each amino acid, life as we know it uses only left-handed amino acids to build proteins. Researchers […]
3D atom mapping helps investigate the origins of life
[ad_1] A relatively new technique for studying atoms might shed more light on how life began on Earth. Scientists have used 3D atom mapping (specifically, atom probe tomography) to discover that the oldest molecular fluids in the Solar System could have supported the development of amino acids and, eventually, life. The team studied molecules on […]
Study casts doubt on the chances of life on watery alien planets
[ad_1] The most hostile environment even included bogus evidence in the form of biomorphs, or nano-sized silica grains that resemble small cells. There’s a concern that rovers landing on distant worlds might inadvertently fool researchers into believing the grains are proof of life. This doesn’t mean exobiologists should give up their hunt for life beyond […]
Curiosity rover finds gas levels on Mars hinting at possibility of life
[ad_1] Just what would produce the methane isn’t clear. It could represent recent or even current microbial life (possibly underground), but it could also geothermal reactions or ages-old methane finally escaping to the surface. The one certainty is that any gas will have appeared relatively recently — reactions with sunlight and chemicals would split the […]