Astrobiology: The Joy of Being Wrong
August 18, 2015
An astrobiologist looks forward to the day when everything he says is totally wrong.
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Will Pluto Surprise Scientists?
July 9, 2015
First-time encounters have a long history of shocking planetary scientists with unexpected features. It's about time for Pluto.
Desperately Seeking Life Beyond Earth
July 7, 2015
Earth life cannot be unique. How about you, Mars? Europa, anything? Enceladus? Comet 67P? Please break the silence!
Titan: Planetary Scientists Invent Imaginary Histories
June 15, 2015
Getting from then to now is more poetic license than demonstrable fact.
Geology Upset: Wind Carves Canyons Fast
March 19, 2015
According to a new study, wind carves canyons ten times faster than water. This has implications for theories on Mars and Earth.
Mars Methane Is Not Alive
December 16, 2014
Small periodic spikes in methane on Mars are turning the Mars-lifers into spin doctors.
Astrobiology Hopes Diminish
December 6, 2014
Recent findings both near and far create challenges for beliefs that life is common in the universe.
Curtains for OOL: Oxygen Was Present from the Start
October 10, 2014
Free oxygen is death to life trying to evolve, but it was present early on, being formed naturally from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Canyons on Earth, Mars Reinterpreted as Flood-Caused
October 4, 2014
Catastrophic floods formed canyons long thought to have been formed by slow, gradual processes.
Planet Rotation Limits Habitability
August 15, 2014
Life can't exist on a planet that rotates too fast or slow. This is another Goldilocks problem for astrobiologists to consider.
New Ways to Find E.T.
August 11, 2014
SETI researchers may not have to wait by the stellar radio dial for their imaginary friends to call in. They might eavesdrop on their pollution.
Reality Check: Favored Planet Theory Dries Up
July 26, 2014
Three "hot Jupiters" sing "how dry I am," casting serious doubt on the leading theory of planet formation.
Keeping Titan Old
June 21, 2014
As the Cassini orbiter makes its 103rd close pass by Titan, have long-agers found ways to keep it billions of years old?
To Be Habitable, a Planet Needs Inhabitants
June 6, 2014
In a chicken-or-egg conundrum, astrobiologists are asking whether inhabitants are needed to make a planet habitable.
Carbon Cycle Keeps Earth from Fate of Venus, Mars
March 23, 2014
Another delicate balance making Earth habitable has been identified: the carbon cycle.