Extreme events capture the public’s attention, but gradual climate shifts will more profoundly affect civilization and life on Earth. Scientists must get better at conveying this to the public.
life as we know it
Posted inNews
New Instrument May Aid Search for Extraterrestrial Life
For 2 weeks on the Greenland ice cap, scientists tested an instrument that might help us find life on icy moons with oceans beneath their crusts.
Posted inNews
Hydrogen Molecules Hint at Habitability of Enceladus's Ocean
Scientists suggest that the hydrogen could be evidence of hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor of Saturn's sixth largest moon.
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Scientists Spot Organic Molecules on Ceres
The presence of organic material on Ceres raises new questions about its internal evolution and potential for hosting past or present life.
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New Report Details How NASA Could Land on Europa
A team of scientists laid out extensive details about a hypothetical future landing mission to find life on Jupiter's moon.
Posted inScience Updates
Seeking Signs of Life and More: NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission
The next Mars rover will be able to land near rugged terrain, giving scientists access to diverse landscapes. It will also cache core samples, a first step in the quest to return samples to Earth.
Posted inEditors' Vox
To Bennu and Back
Justin Filiberto shares his experience as a guest at the OSIRIS-REx launch; a mission to obtain samples from the asteroid Bennu in hopes of learning more about the origin of water on Earth.
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European-Russian Mission Reaches Mars: Lander’s Fate Yet Unknown
Although the mission’s lander might not have survived, the new Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft will explore clues that may indicate extraterrestrial life.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Venus's Unexpected, Electrifying Water Loss
New research shows that an electric field surrounding Venus is stripping its atmosphere of water—and the same phenomenon may plague exoplanets scientists hope might be habitable.
Posted inNews
Did Solar Flares Cook Up Life on Earth?
Scientists have found that "super" solar flares could have warmed the ancient planet and jump-started life.