What if an RNA molecule could do it all over again?
A new research project is letting RNA take the reins of life back from DNA
Deep sub-surface "microbial dark matter" hasn't evolved since Pangea
The ancient microbes have survived brutal conditions for millions of years and hit pause on evolution
Lightning blasts on clay-rich soils support a dramatic theory of how life began on Earth
Phosphorus in clay-rich soils suggest that lightning was a key ingredient in life's recipe
New evidence for the first life on land comes from an ancient microbial fingerprint
By comparing the chemical composition of modern microbial communities to their ancient counterparts, researchers can find better evidence of the earliest life on land. It's older than you think
A potential sign of life has been discovered in the clouds of Venus
Scientists found phosphine in the atmosphere, a molecule commonly associated with life, but stressed that they had not discovered life itself
Scientists recreated ancient Earth's ocean hell to figure out how life began
The experiment also suggests that extraterrestrial life could also emerge on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus
Scientists have revised the recipe for the first gene and the origin of life
New research finds that arabinonucleic acids accelerate RNA formation, making the RNA world hypothesis more plausible
Our concept of life is too Earth-centric — alien life might look totally different
There are over 100 scientific definitions of "life," and none might be accurate outside Earth
Scientists recreated a key step for the origin of life at hydrothermal vents
Simulating alkaline environments from 3 billion years ago showed formation of precursor cells is possible
There's life in one of the hottest, saltiest, most acidic, most contaminated places on Earth
And the scientists who found it got pictures
Simulating evolution helped scientists design a better virus
It sounds like an arcane superpower. It boils down to random mutation and selection
“Where Are All The Aliens?”
The best answers to an old, tantalizing question