It has produced one of the most consistent sets of negative results in the history of science. For over 60 years, researchers have been trying to find a single compelling piece of evidence to support the idea that we share the universe with other intelligent beings. Despite these decades of effort, they have not been … Read more
Astronomers have discovered a world that they believe has ideal conditions for a thick atmosphere and an ocean half the size of the Atlantic Ocean. The Exoplanet — a world that orbits a star other than the sun — is LHS 1140 b, and is located about 48 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Cetus. … Read more
If aliens were blanketing their planets with powerful greenhouse gases, as we do, we might notice. This is evident from a recent thought experiment in which scientists identified five “artificial” greenhouse gases that, if abundant enough, could be found in the atmosphere of certain areas. exoplanets using existing technology, including the James Webb Space Telescope … Read more
Low-temperature hydrothermal vents could potentially survive for billions of years on the dark ocean floors of moons such as Jupiter’s Europa, new computer simulations have shown, as astrobiologists strive to find out whether these alien oceans could be habitable. Hydrothermal vents are a source of chemical energy as well as heat, and represent one of … Read more
More than 500 million years ago, something in the ocean changed. [–> Some creatures evolved to build their own hard-shelled exterior. Others grew to sizes never seen before as the amount of oxygen on the planet’s surface finally reached a level high enough for complex creatures to exist. [–> Most important, for about 10 million … Read more
The roar of the surf could be the soundtrack to Saturn’s moon Titan. New analysis shows that the vast amounts of liquid methane and ethane wrapping around Titan’s surface are likely populated by waves that erode the coastline and carve the shapes of the vast rivers and lakes native to the exotic, hazy moon. This … Read more