Could a deadly gas be a sign of life?
How do scientists look for life in the universe? Usually they look for gasses that would support life, and assume anything toxic to us would…
Category: Astrobiology
Looking for life by looking for metabolism
How can amino acids, lipids, and other metabolites help scientists with life detection in space? #Astrobiologists look at how our cells…
NASA is sending yeast into deep space
NASA will generate invaluable data on yeast’s response to deep space radiation by launching the BioSentinel satellite in 2021. Here’s…
There may be other ways to build DNA and RNA
One of the most fundamental building blocks of life on earth is DNA. This molecule consists of four base pairs and a negatively charged…
Growing plants on the surface of the Moon and Mars
The reality of being able to live and settle on Martian or lunar bases can seem like it is getting close. To do this, we need to be able to…
How stars can limit life in the universe
For the past few decades, scientists have been looking at planets outside of our solar system to see if they could host life. Now,…
Learning about space motivates students to pursue science
Whether it is the acceptance of different passions, backgrounds, or even favorite movies, diversity matters. A group of ten researchers who…
Could “Fools’ Gold” have helped build the first proteins?
How and why humans exist are questions that have challenged different cultures ever since the dawn of civilization. Many scientists have…
If there was oxygen on a far away planet, how would we know?
Scientists use computer models to simulate what oxygen would look like on far away planets and found a chemical signature that helps us tell…
Do humans need to be altruistic to make it to Mars?
Altruism, in principle, is selfless action for the well-being of others. Altruism may help us achieve our space exploration goals. Space…