|
|
| |
|
| Liquid Water in the Martian North? Maybe. |
| Topic: Mars |
08/22/08 |
| Scientists responsible for NASA's Phoenix mission were surprised to find the chemical compound perchlorate in the soil at the spacecraft's landing site. On Earth, perchlorate is commonly associated with liquid water. On Mars, however, the implication is not so clear. |
|
|
|
| The Stuff of Life on Titan |
| Topic: Titan |
08/14/08 |
| Reactions between organic compounds in Titan´s atmosphere and water on the surface may create complex molecules similar to those on the early Earth. |
|
|
|
| Ancient Footprints in the Salt |
| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
07/31/08 |
| Scientists have discovered fibers from ancient organisms preserved inside salt crystals in New Mexico. The surprising finding could help astrobiologists search for signs of life on other planets. |
|
|
|
| Stars of the Deep |
| Topic: Extreme Life |
07/24/08 |
| Researchers studying life deep beneath the Earth's surface in a South African platinum mine have discovered microbes with a unique appearance. In fact, these tiny bacteria are the 'stars' of their community. |
|
|
|
|
| Machine Evolution |
| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
07/21/08 |
| Many scientists believe that life started out as nothing more than strands of proto-genetic material known as RNA. A new device automates studies of RNA evolution and could lend insights into the origin of life on Earth. |
|
|
|
| Signals from an Infant Earth |
| Topic: Climate |
07/14/08 |
| Precise dating of zircon crystals suggests that Earth may have been conducive to life even before an epic influx of asteroids pummeled our planet 4 billion years ago. |
|
|
|
|
| Unlocking Martian Rocks |
| Topic: Mars |
07/10/08 |
| A new study offers a simplified technique for detecting biological molecules in martian rock. The equipment is too large to be put on a rover, but it could be used to analyze samples brought back from Mars. |
|
|
|
| Cosmic Collisions |
| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
07/03/08 |
| Researchers have been using a vast database to show that asteroids are shaped by small impacts over time. |
|
|
|
| Ocean on Enceladus May Be Short-Lived |
| Topic: Enceladus |
06/19/08 |
| Three years ago, surprising evidence came out for an ocean underneath the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. But a new report indicates just how hard it may be to keep water from freezing on this tiny moon. |
|
|
|
| Deep Hydrogen |
| Topic: Geology |
06/16/08 |
| Molecular hydrogen provides energy for many bacteria, in hot springs at Yellowstone and in rocks several kilometers beneath the surface. How did molecular hydrogen get inside these deep rocks, and what does this tell us about the origin of life on Earth? |
|
|
|
|
|
