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Microlightning in Water Droplets Could Explain the Origin of Life on Earth
Microlightning, tiny electrical discharges occurring in water droplets from crashing waves or waterfalls, may have played a crucial role in forming organic molecules necessary for life. A study published in Science Advances reveals that these sparks can create carbon-nitrogen bonds, challenging the long-standing Miller-Urey hypothesis. Led by Richa...
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Energy Signals From Milky Way's Core Could Unveil New Type Of Dark Matter: Study
A new study suggests that clues about dark matter may be hidden in the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, where unexplained chemical reactions could be caused by a lighter form of dark matter.
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Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
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NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Launching Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 to Explore Cosmic Evolution
NASA’s SPHEREx telescope, launching on Feb 28 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, will map the entire sky in infrared, observing 450 million galaxies and 100 million Milky Way stars. The mission aims to uncover the large-scale structure of the universe, track icy molecules in interstellar space, and study cosmic inflation. Equipped with a spectrophotometer...
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Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
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AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts
A new AI-driven study has challenged previous assumptions about the origin of organic molecules on Ceres. Scientists have mapped organic-rich areas using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and found no evidence linking these compounds to cryovolcanic activity. Instead, simulations suggest asteroid impacts from the outer belt likely delivered the ma...
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NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
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Early Supernovas Could Have Created Water in the Universe, Paving the Way for Life 100 Million Years Post-Big Bang
A recent study suggests that supernova explosions, triggered by the death of early stars, could have created significant amounts of water just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Simulations of these early, massive stars show that their explosive deaths may have resulted in the formation of water molecules within the dense hydrogen and oxygen clo...
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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
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Biodegradable Microbeads Could Replace Plastic Exfoliants in Skincare Products
A new biodegradable microbead has been developed as a potential replacement for plastic exfoliants in skincare products. These polymer-based beads break down into molecules resembling sugars and amino acids, making them environmentally safe. When tested on pig skin, the beads demonstrated superior performance in removing permanent marker and eyelin...
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Earth's Hidden Treasure: Mountain Of Hydrogen Could End Fossil Fuel Era, Study Finds
The discovery challenges previous beliefs that hydrogen, being a small molecule, would not accumulate in large quantities underground.
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NASA's SPHEREx Mission to Map the Sky in 3D Set for February 2025 Launch
NASA's SPHEREx mission, set to launch in February 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will create a 3D map of the sky, examining hundreds of millions of galaxies to study the universe’s inflation phase. It will also explore the "collective glow" of distant galaxies and life-essential molecules like water and carbon dioxide in the Milky Way. The mis...
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NASA New Study Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
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NASA Research Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Organic Molecules on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered possible organic molecules on Mars using the SHERLOC instrument. While these findings are intriguing, the scientific community remains divided. Some believe the signals suggest ancient life, while others argue the data could point to non-organic sources. The debate underscores the difficulty of interpretin...
-
Microlightning in Water Droplets Could Explain the Origin of Life on Earth
Microlightning, tiny electrical discharges occurring in water droplets from crashing waves or waterfalls, may have played a crucial role in forming organic molecules necessary for life. A study published in Science Advances reveals that these sparks can create carbon-nitrogen bonds, challenging the long-standing Miller-Urey hypothesis. Led by Richa...
-
Energy Signals From Milky Way's Core Could Unveil New Type Of Dark Matter: Study
A new study suggests that clues about dark matter may be hidden in the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, where unexplained chemical reactions could be caused by a lighter form of dark matter.
-
Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
-
NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Launching Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 to Explore Cosmic Evolution
NASA’s SPHEREx telescope, launching on Feb 28 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, will map the entire sky in infrared, observing 450 million galaxies and 100 million Milky Way stars. The mission aims to uncover the large-scale structure of the universe, track icy molecules in interstellar space, and study cosmic inflation. Equipped with a spectrophotometer...
-
Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
-
AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts
A new AI-driven study has challenged previous assumptions about the origin of organic molecules on Ceres. Scientists have mapped organic-rich areas using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and found no evidence linking these compounds to cryovolcanic activity. Instead, simulations suggest asteroid impacts from the outer belt likely delivered the ma...
-
NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
-
Early Supernovas Could Have Created Water in the Universe, Paving the Way for Life 100 Million Years Post-Big Bang
A recent study suggests that supernova explosions, triggered by the death of early stars, could have created significant amounts of water just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Simulations of these early, massive stars show that their explosive deaths may have resulted in the formation of water molecules within the dense hydrogen and oxygen clo...
-
Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
-
Biodegradable Microbeads Could Replace Plastic Exfoliants in Skincare Products
A new biodegradable microbead has been developed as a potential replacement for plastic exfoliants in skincare products. These polymer-based beads break down into molecules resembling sugars and amino acids, making them environmentally safe. When tested on pig skin, the beads demonstrated superior performance in removing permanent marker and eyelin...
-
Earth's Hidden Treasure: Mountain Of Hydrogen Could End Fossil Fuel Era, Study Finds
The discovery challenges previous beliefs that hydrogen, being a small molecule, would not accumulate in large quantities underground.
-
NASA's SPHEREx Mission to Map the Sky in 3D Set for February 2025 Launch
NASA's SPHEREx mission, set to launch in February 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will create a 3D map of the sky, examining hundreds of millions of galaxies to study the universe’s inflation phase. It will also explore the "collective glow" of distant galaxies and life-essential molecules like water and carbon dioxide in the Milky Way. The mis...
-
NASA New Study Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
-
NASA Research Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
-
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Organic Molecules on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered possible organic molecules on Mars using the SHERLOC instrument. While these findings are intriguing, the scientific community remains divided. Some believe the signals suggest ancient life, while others argue the data could point to non-organic sources. The debate underscores the difficulty of interpretin...
