If we detect this gas on other planets, it’s a good sign there’s life...
Here is an idea that likely never crossed the mind of most space enthusiasts – a gas emitted from broccoli (and other plants) is...
Fluctuating oxygen levels may have accelerated evolution on Earth
Oxygen levels in the Earth’s atmosphere are likely to have “fluctuated wildly” one billion years ago.
This created conditions that could have accelerated the development of...
Broccoli gas is a better way to find life in space
Broccoli, along with many other plants and microorganisms, emit gases to help them expel toxins.
Scientists believe these gases could provide compelling evidence of life...
Why is there a genetic risk for brain disorders? Neandertal DNA may offer answers
In a study from the University of Tartu, scientists found Neandertal DNA may provide answers to why there is a genetic risk for brain...
Laughing gas N2O could help search for life on exoplanets
Scientists at UC Riverside are suggesting something is missing from the typical roster of chemicals that astrobiologists use to search for life on planets...
Will Titan finally answer, ‘Are we alone’?
We recently examined how and why Jupiter’s moon, Europa, could answer the longstanding question: Are we alone?
While this small icy world gives plenty of...
What a reptile’s bones can teach us about Earth’s perilous past
An extinct reptile’s oddly shaped chompers, fingers, and ear bones may tell us quite a bit about the resilience of life on Earth, according...
Life on earth might really have started with clay
In mythologies and origin stories around the world, various cultures and religions point to clay as the vessel of life, the primordial material that...
Why isn’t weed killer working anymore?
Farmers used to worry about weeds.
Then, herbicides solved that problem. At least for a while.
In 1997, there were 432 new patents for herbicides; by...
Why do humans walk upright? The secret is in our pelvis
If evolutionary biologist Terence D. Capellini were to rank the body parts that make us quintessentially human, the pelvis would place close to the...