Nasa and Esa want to bring Martian rocks to Earth. Here’s what will happen to the samples once they get here

Scientists will have to check whether the samples contain living microbes before they can be safely studied.

John Bridges, Professor of Planetary Science, University of Leicester • conversation
April 7, 2025 • ~8 min

How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars

Microbes could pump out oxygen on Mars.

Samuel McKee, Associate Tutor and PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
April 1, 2025 • ~7 min

‘Mirror life forms’ may sound like science fiction, but scientists warn they could be deadly to humans and destroy the environment

Bacteria that are mirror images of existing ones could evade our immune systems, causing serious illness.

Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull • conversation
Dec. 16, 2024 • ~7 min

Jupiter’s moon Europa produces less oxygen than we thought – it may affect our chances of finding life there

Only about 12kg of oxygen is produced per second on Europa, which is on the lower side of previous estimates from about 5kg to 1,100 kg per second.

Andrew Coates, Professor of Physics, Deputy Director (Solar System) at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL • conversation
March 4, 2024 • ~6 min

Carl Sagan detected life on Earth 30 years ago – here's how his experiment is helping us search for alien species today

Control experiments are critical in informing the search for alien life.

Gareth Dorrian, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, University of Birmingham • conversation
Oct. 20, 2023 • ~8 min

An element essential to life discovered on one of Saturn's moons, raising hopes of finding alien microbes

Five out of the six essential elements required for life on Earth were known to exist on Enceladus. Now the sixth and final one has been found too.

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences, The Open University • conversation
June 14, 2023 • ~8 min

Mushrooms on Mars? Five unproven claims that alien life exists

No conclusive evidence that extraterrestrial life exists has been found...yet.

Gareth Dorrian, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, University of Birmingham • conversation
May 21, 2021 • ~8 min

Seti: how microbes could communicate with alien species

A new study argues we should search for microbial life rather than human-like aliens.

Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe, Honorary Professor, University of Buckingham • conversation
May 12, 2021 • ~8 min

Seti: microbes may already be communicating with alien species – new research

A new study argues we should search for microbial life rather than human-like aliens.

Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe, Honorary Professor, University of Buckingham • conversation
May 12, 2021 • ~8 min

Mars missions from China and UAE are set to go into orbit – here's what they could discover

If China succeeds, it will be the first country ever to visit and land on Mars on its first try.

Daniel Brown, Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Feb. 5, 2021 • ~7 min

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