News
Mixed crystal phase of superionic water mapped inside giant planets
5+ hour, 50+ min ago (415+ words) Because this phase can efficiently carry electrical currents, researchers link superionic water to the generation of the unusual magnetic fields of ice giants such as Uranus and Neptune. Given the large water inventories inside these planets, superionic water may even…...
Supernova mixing traced as source of key life elements
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (361+ words) Chlorine and potassium are odd-Z elements, each with an odd number of protons, and they play important roles in both planet formation and biological processes. The team targeted Cassiopeia A in the Milky Way to test whether supernova explosions can…...
Gels may have given early Earth chemistry a place to organize into life
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (248+ words) The team describes a prebiotic gel-first framework in which semi-solid gel matrices, resembling modern microbial biofilms, hosted key steps in the origin of life. These gels could have concentrated small molecules, retained useful components, and buffered environmental fluctuations, allowing complex…...
Micro nano robots aim to cut carbon buildup in closed life support systems
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (284+ words) Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 03, 2025 Researchers have developed micro and nanoscale reconfigurable robots that capture and release carbon dioxide in confined life support systems such as crewed spacecraft, submarines, and sealed shelters. The team led by Prof. Hui He at Guangxi…...
SwRI opens NOUR lab to track chemical pathways from nebulae to planetary systems
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (878+ words) Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 03, 2025 Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has established the Nebular Origins of the Universe Research (NOUR) Laboratory to investigate how the chemistry of interstellar material leads to the formation of planetary systems. The lab, located within SwRI's…...
Platinum Crystals Mapped as They Develop Inside Liquid Metal
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (134+ words) The team built an electrode using metallic crystals capable of efficiently producing hydrogen from water. These crystals, grown in liquid metals such as Gallium, are being investigated for potential uses in quantum computing and hydrogen extraction technologies. The study involved…...
Water production on exoplanets revealed by pressure experiments
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (301+ words) Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 20, 2025 Researchers led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory postdoctoral scientist Harrison Horn have demonstrated a pathway for producing water on sub-Neptune exoplanets. The team recreated the boundary conditions between hydrogen atmospheres and magma cores using a…...
Machine learning tool distinguishes signs of life from non-living compounds in space samples
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (252+ words) Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 19, 2025 Researchers developed LifeTracer, a machine learning framework, to analyze mass spectrometry data from space and terrestrial samples. They used advanced two-dimensional gas chromatography and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry to study eight carbonaceous meteorites and ten…...
How to spot life in the clouds on other worlds
2+ mon, 8+ hour ago (175+ words) "There is a vibrant community of microorganisms in our atmosphere that produce colorful biopigments, which have fascinated biologists for years," said astrobiologist Ligia Coelho, fellow at the Carl Sagan Institute. Coelho led the study of "Colors of Life in the…...
Chemists find clues to the origins of buckyballs in space
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (756+ words) In a new study, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used experiments on Earth to recreate the chemistry deep in space. The group's results may have uncovered key steps in the…...