Extraterrestrial Life

Many conservationists have dedicated their lives to eradicating invasive plant and animal species, but Mark Davis wants them to reassess their missions

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are developing a way to measure the directionality of compounds on other planets--which could reveal the presence of life, because biomolecules tend to twist in only one of two possible directions. Karen Hopkin reports

By driving the tides, our lunar companion may have jump-started biology--or at least accelerated its progression

A Q&A with stellar and planetary scientist Alan Boss about the holy grail of extrasolar planet research--finding Earth-like planets

New study looks to tabulate the extent of intelligent extraterrestrial life

Localized gas plumes may point to biological or geologic activity

The remake of this 1951 sci-fi classic delivers a modern warning wrapped in an ancient myth

Did heat, pressure and carbon from meteorite impacts create biological precursors?

Peptide nucleic acid, a synthetic hybrid of protein and DNA, could form the basis of a new class of drugs—and of artificial life unlike anything found in nature

Searching for microfossils inside igneous rocks