Search for Life Archives

“Exciting Implications for the Search for Life”: New Analysis of Titan Increases Chances of Finding Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·December 18, 2025

A new analysis of Saturn's moon Titan that reduced the odds of a subsurface liquid ocean has increased the chances of extraterrestrial life.

“The Earth May Not Be as Extraordinary as We Think”: Study Finds Earthlike Planets Are Common, but Not So for ‘Water Worlds’

Christopher Plain·September 20, 2025

New simulations suggest Earthlike planets may be much more typical than previously thought whereas water worlds may not.

“We Just Opened Up a Pandora’s Box”: Ionic Liquid Discovery May Expand Habitable Zones in Search for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·August 13, 2025

MIT study suggests ionic liquid-based life forms could survive on the surface of rocky planets previously considered uninhabitable.

Scientists Successfully Synthesize ‘Superalcohol’ Seed of Life Molecule in Space-Like Conditions

Christopher Plain·August 6, 2025

Scientists announce the first ever successful synthesis of a "superalcohol" seed of life molecule that could aid the search for life in space.

Scientists Studying Life Forms at the Base of a Glacier in Antarctica Make a Shocking Discovery

Christopher Plain·May 21, 2025

Scientists studying extreme life forms living at the base of a glacier in Antarctica made a shocking discovery.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots the First Potential Signs of Life Outside our Solar System

Christopher Plain·April 17, 2025

Cambridge astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the first potential sign of life on another planet.

Recalculating the Drake Equation: The SETI Institute Funds a Fresh Look at Astronomy’s Biggest Question

Christopher Plain·October 22, 2024

The SETI Institute is looking for young scientists to help fill in the missing parts of the infamous Drake Equation.

Planets Orbiting Burnt-Out Stars May Be Ideal Targets in the Search for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·June 17, 2024

Researchers studying the dynamics of white dwarfs say that these burnt-out stars are ideal places for astrobiologists to search for life.

Astrobiologist Makes ‘Improbable’ Find atop Massive Martian Volcanoes

Christopher Plain·June 11, 2024

An international research team led by a Brown astrobiologist says they've discovered something 'improbable' atop these Martian volcanoes.

New Study Supports Theory a Liquid Water Ocean Lies Beneath the Icy Surface of Pluto

Christopher Plain·May 28, 2024

New models of Pluto support the idea that a liquid water ocean lies beneath the dwarf planet's frozen surface.

Researchers Studying Proxima Centauri b Tout ‘Significant Leap Forward’ in Understanding Habitable Earth-Like Planets

Christopher Plain·May 14, 2024

A new analysis of exoplanet Proxima Centauri b marks a significant leap forward in understanding habitable Earth-like planets.

James Webb Space Telescope Maps Weather on Planet 280 Light Years Away, Raising Hopes For Biosignature Detection

Christopher Plain·May 2, 2024

Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope say they have successfully mapped the weather of a planet 280 light years away.

“Holy Grail of Astrobiology”: Breakthrough Discovery Could Finally Solve Mystery of Life on Other Planets

Christopher Plain·September 25, 2023

An exciting new tool that researchers are describing as the "holy grail of astrobiology" may finally answer once and for all if there is life on other planets.

Origin of Life Mystery May Finally Be on the Brink of a Solution Thanks to Electron Transport Chains

Christopher Plain·August 15, 2023

A new method in the search for the origin of life that combines the two most popular but opposing methods involves electron transport chains.

Another Robust Phosphine Signal From the Clouds of Venus Significantly Bolsters Case for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·July 31, 2023

New readings and an evaluation of previous readings have confirmed potential biosignature phosphine in the clouds of Venus.

James Webb Space Telescope Directly Measures Light from Sub-Neptune Exoplanet for the First Time

Christopher Plain·May 11, 2023

For the first time ever, researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have successfully measured the light coming from a sub-Neptune-sized exoplanet that orbits a star only 40 light years away.

Extrasolar Space Dust Could Contain Signs of Alien Life, New Paper Suggests

Christopher Plain·March 28, 2023

A new paper from the University of Tokyo suggests that astrobiologists could find signs of alien life in particles of space dust that have been ejected from exoplanets and traveled across the vastness of space to reach earth.

Star Trek-Style Biofinder Could Be a Secret Weapon in the Search for ET

Christopher Plain·September 13, 2022

Researchers say their newly developed "Biofinder" tool could help astrobiologists in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Researchers Were Stunned by What They Recently Found Deep Under Antarctica

Christopher Plain·June 22, 2022

Researchers in Antarctica were shocked to find a thriving community of crab-like creatures living under the ice.

Solar Wind May Have Helped Create Life on Earth

Christopher Plain·December 9, 2021

New research has shown that the stream of charged particles emitted by the sun known as the solar...

Tess Finds Mars-Sized Planet That is Dense as Iron

Find May Point to Entire System of Habitable Exoplanets

Christopher Plain·December 3, 2021

Researchers using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have discovered a relatively nearby (at least in astronomical terms)...

Europa Becomes Next Target in NASA’s Hunt for Life

Christopher Plain·December 1, 2021

NASA’s hunt for extraterrestrial life has a new target, Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. According to researchers involved, a...

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