Surface-bound gels may have offered the structure and chemistry needed for life to take hold on Earth—and possibly elsewhere.

Researchers recreated conditions from billions of years ago and found that Earth’s young atmosphere could make key molecules ...

University of Alberta geochemists have discovered a missing piece to one of the great mysteries of science—the origin of life ...

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, possesses a thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere that bears striking similarities to that of early Earth. Scientists are fascinated by Titan’s atmospheric composition and its ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. We’ve pieced together a remarkably detailed timeline of ...