When rocks lay the groundwork for the origin of life

Mineral catalysts found in deep-sea vents convert CO2 and H2 to biomolecules, showing striking parallels to…

Early Earth may have been a 'waterworld'

Kevin Costner, eat your heart out. New research shows that the early Earth, home to some…

Carbon chains adopt fusilli or spaghetti shapes if they have odd or even numbers

Helical shapes are very familiar in the natural world and, at the molecular level, of DNA,…

Two stars merged to form massive white dwarf

A massive white dwarf star with a bizarre carbon-rich atmosphere could be two white dwarfs merged…

A fast, ecofriendly way of de-icing aircrafts

Ice on an aircraft’s surfaces can be a hazard. It increases drag and fuel consumption, disrupts…

A new tool for switching proteins on and off

Proteins can be controlled with light of different wavelengths. Even several at once, thanks to a…

The coronavirus and our interconnected economy and biosphere

When I think about the climate problem and the challenges it creates, I am reassured by…

An ethical future could make life harder for the poorest—but it doesn't have to

The British supermarket chain Morrisons recently announced that it will only sell free range eggs. This…

Coronavirus: A simple way to keep workers—and the economy—from getting sick

The COVID-19 outbreak appears headed for the U.S., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

Measuring the sound of a soap bubble popping

A team of researchers from Sorbonne Université and the University of Lille has measured the sounds…