But real lightning would have struck infrequently—and mostly in open ocean, where organic compounds would have quickly ...
An analysis of changes to global ecosystems has revealed that almost nowhere is untouched by the influence of humanity, with ...
We may be starting to get a grasp on what kick-started life on Earth – and it could help us search for it on other planets ...
Many biological molecules are chiral, meaning they exist in two forms that are mirror images of each other, like left and ...
"We're arguing that intelligent life may not require a series of lucky breaks to exist," said lead author Dan Mills of the ...
A new study reveals that supernova explosions may have caused two mass extinctions on Earth 372 million and 445 million years ...
"If a massive star were to explode as a supernova close to the Earth, the results would be devastating for life on Earth," said Nick Wright, an astrophysicist at Keele University in the United Kingdom ...
All this happened about 4.5 billion years after Earth formed, with innumerable steps occurring in between that made our planet a cradle for intelligent life. An influential scientific thesis ...
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...