How tiny algae may have helped life survive Earth’s worst mass extinction
About 252 million years ago, Earth experienced the most devastating mass extinction in its history.
Known as “the Great Dying,” this event wiped out more...
How colorful microbes in clouds could help us find life on other planets
Clouds may spoil a picnic or block our view of the stars, but they could also help scientists discover life on distant planets.
A new...
Scientists discover a key gene that helps shape the taste and quality of tea
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but the size of the young buds at the top of the tea...
Scientists recover the world’s oldest RNA from a 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth
For the first time in history, scientists have extracted and decoded RNA molecules from the remains of an Ice Age woolly mammoth.
The breakthrough, achieved...
The rust that could reveal alien life
Iron rusts.
On Earth, this common chemical reaction often signals the presence of something far more interesting than just corroding metal for example, living microorganisms...
Ancient wallaby’s strong legs paved the way for kangaroo evolution
Australia’s kangaroos and wallabies are famous for their powerful hops, but how did they develop such extraordinary legs?
New research from Flinders University has uncovered...
How life first got moving: Scientists reveal nature’s earliest motor
Billions of years ago, long before animals, plants, or even complex cells existed, tiny bacteria developed one of nature’s first engines.
This ancient motor allowed...
Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus may hide a long-lived ocean that could support life
Scientists have discovered that Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus is warmer than they thought — and that its hidden ocean may have remained liquid for...
Humans have a hidden “seventh sense” — the ability to feel objects without touching...
Scientists have discovered that humans may possess a surprising ability — a kind of “remote touch” that allows us to sense objects buried beneath...
“Living metal” could connect electronics and biology like never before
Scientists at Binghamton University are developing a remarkable new material they call “living metal”—a combination of metal and bacterial spores that could one day...