Scientists confirm nearby super-Earth that could support life
A team of international researchers has confirmed the discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet that may have the right conditions to support life.
The planet, called...
Enceladus’ hidden oceans: Why finding alien life may be harder than we thought
Scientists searching for life beyond Earth often look to ocean worlds like Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons.
Enceladus has a vast ocean beneath its...
Scientists discover “zombie fungus” that controls cave spiders in Ireland
A newly discovered fungus that turns spiders into “zombies” has been found in caves across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The discovery was...
White dwarfs pause their cooling, giving planets a second chance for habitability
When we first began searching for planets around other stars, one of the surprising discoveries was that there are planets orbiting white dwarfs.
The first...
Is there life out there? The existence of other technological species is highly likely
We live in a golden age for space exploration.
Scientists are gathering massive amounts of new information and scientific evidence at a record pace.
Yet the...
Astronauts are going to check if there are microbes on the outside of the...
On Thursday January 30th, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are doing a 6.5-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Among other goals, they’ll be...
How tiny algae help giant clams grow big and shape coral reefs
Giant clams, among the largest mollusks in the ocean, are a fascinating part of tropical coral reefs.
These enormous creatures can grow up to 4.5...
Researchers practice searching for life on Enceladus, in the Arctic Ocean
When searching for alien life, it’s not unusual to use Earth as a test bed for theories and even practice runs.
Perhaps one of the...
Could ocean worlds support life?
There might be a type of exoplanet without dry land.
They’re called “Hycean” worlds, a portmanteau of ‘hydrogen’ and ‘ocean.’ They’re mostly or entirely covered...
Do bacteria have “sex lives”? New study reveals how they keep their species together
For a long time, scientists thought bacteria didn’t form species like plants and animals do.
This was because bacteria reproduce asexually, by splitting into two,...