Is Earth’s water why intelligent life evolved here?
A Columbia University scientist argued that the existence of humans provides strong evidence that intelligent life is more likely to evolve…
Category: Space
Clay minerals suggest a warm, wet past for Mars
Researchers studied clay deposits on Mars using tools aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and found evidence for a warm and humid past…
Characterizing galaxies at “cosmic noon”
Astronomers studied 3 galaxies that formed 2 to 3 billion years after the Big Bang to calculate how much gas, stars, and dark matter they…
Searching for planets in a galaxy far away
Researchers surveyed over 20,000 stars thought to come from a nearby galaxy and found that no more than 1% harbored close-orbiting,…
What makes ‘chemically peculiar stars’ peculiar?
Scientists used a network of satellites to measure the rotational characteristics of 85 stars previously thought to have unique chemistries.
A halo of dark matter surrounding our Galaxy
Researchers studied the motions of stars in the outer regions of the Milky Way Galaxy and found that the gravitational field of a long,…
Could we find DNA on Mars?
Scientists used a highly sensitive DNA sequencing method to identify microbes from rock samples exposed to radiation levels equivalent to…
What lies between the stars?
Astronomers simulated the clouds of material between stars. They found that regions of space with more heavy elements tend to be cooler and…
Has Earth received any radio signals from aliens?
Scientists affiliated with the SETI@home project analyzed 14 years of radio wave data collected by the Arecibo Telescope and identified 92…
“Radical mundanity” could explain why we haven’t met aliens
In response to the question, “Where are all the aliens?”, one astronomer argued that, if they are similar to humans, they may have faced…