life

Topic description and stories

Artist's impression of the exoplanet K2-18b, with a red dwarf star behind it

Strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system

17 Apr 2025

Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious.

‘Missing’ sea sponges discovered

05 Jun 2024

̽��ֱ��discovery, published in Nature, opens a new window on early animal evolution.

̽��ֱ��hydrothermal vent 'Candelabra' in the Logatchev hydrothermal field.

Ancient seafloor vents spewed tiny, life-giving minerals into Earth’s early oceans

02 Feb 2024

Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Western Australia have uncovered the importance of hydrothermal vents, similar to underwater...

Artist's impression of a meteor hitting Earth

‘Bouncing’ comets could deliver building blocks for life to exoplanets

15 Nov 2023

How did the molecular building blocks for life end up on Earth? One long-standing theory is that they could have been delivered by comets. Now...

Composite graphic showing planets, vegetation, DNA and book

Explore life in the Universe with new postgraduate programme

18 Sep 2023

A new postgraduate programme will train researchers to understand life's origins, search for habitable planets and consider the most profound...

Emily Mitchell, Didier Queloz, Kate Adamal, Carl Zimmer. Landscape with Milky way galaxy. Sunrise and Earth view from space with Milky way galaxy. (Elements of this image furnished by NASA).

Humanity’s quest to discover the origins of life in the universe

08 Mar 2023

Scientists from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Harvard ̽��ֱ��, and the ̽��ֱ�� of Chicago have founded the Origins Federation, which...

Seawater could have provided phosphorous required for emerging life

27 Sep 2022

̽��ֱ��problem of how phosphorus became a universal ingredient for life on Earth may have been solved by researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge...

Artists’s impression of the rocky super-Earth HD 85512 b

Cambridge launches new Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe

10 Jan 2022

With a £10 million grant awarded by the Leverhulme Trust , the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is to establish a new research centre dedicated to exploring...

From extravagant to achievable - pushing the boundaries of research to find life beyond Earth

20 Apr 2021

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is creating a new research initiative, bringing together physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians and earth...

Artist's concept depicting one possible appearance of the planet Kepler-452b

Scientists identify exoplanets where life could develop as it did on Earth

01 Aug 2018

Scientists have identified a group of planets outside our solar system where the same chemical conditions that may have led to life on Earth exist...

In search of Life at Lady Mitchell Hall

27 Jan 2012

Darwin College continues the popular Darwin College lecture series this week on 27 January with Life in Ruins. ̽��ֱ��annual eight week series held at...

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