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December 1, 2008 12:21:27 PM CST


life

life news stories

6 Stories

 Phoenix Samples Martian Dirt 

Robotic arm tested prior to search for life

(Newser) - The Phoenix Mars Lander grabbed a small sample of the fine soil of the planet's polar region yesterday. It was only a test "dig and dump"—using the spacecraft's 8-foot-long robotic arm—but paves the way for retrieving and analyzing samples of Martian soil later this week, reports the Arizona Republic . More »

 7 Minutes of Danger
 in Mars Quest 

Probe makes risky landing Sunday in hunt for water

(Newser) - The latest NASA mission searching for signs of life on Mars comes to a heart-pounding climax Sunday as the Phoenix Lander attempts to touch down at the red planet's pole in a hunt for water. The lander must perform complex maneuvers in which the whole mission is at risk for a full 7 minutes, reports the Christian Science Monitor . More »

 Asteroids Could Reseed
 a Devastated Earth 

Rock-dwelling microorganisms would make it back from space

(Newser) - If a comet ever obliterates life on Earth, don't worry—space rocks could later fall in and reseed a few basic life forms. A new study shows that organisms can survive being hit by a meteor, ejected into space, and hurtled back to Earth on the face of a rock—which is good news should we ever go the way of the dinosaurs, Astrobiology reports. More »

More about:  space Mars Earth asteroid life space debris microorganisms meteorites

Living Life While Facing Death

Professor's 'last
lecture' inspires millions through viral Internet video

(Newser) - Professor Randy Pausch may be dying of pancreatic cancer, but a video of his “last lecture” continues to inspire millions around the world, the Independent reports. Pausch delivered his speech, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” to laughter and tears at Carnegie Mellon in September. Picked up by the Wall Street Journal , then by the likes of Oprah and Good Morning America , the talk by the 47-year-old father of three is now a certified phenomenon. More »

When the Sun Dies, Earth Might Not

Just-discovered planet survived; so there's hope for the old globe

(Newser) - When the Sun begins to kick out in some 5 billion years, it might not take Earth with it, reports the New York Times. Scientists are more optimistic since discovering a planet that survived a similar situation. A lack of hydrogen fuel is expected to cause the Sun to expand 100-fold into a "red giant," enveloping Mercury and Venus and wiping out human life. More »

More about:  Earth planet solar system sun life

Frozen DNA
Survives After
8 Million Years

Microorganisms from Antarctica look
like Martian data

(Newser) - Scientists have nixed the notion that glaciers are lifeless blocks of ice by thawing chunks containing Antarctic organisms and watching them successfully divide on their own, the Los Angeles Times reports. The study suggests that these microorganisms, ranging from 100,000 to 8 million years old, could yield DNA and spark an entirely new phase of bacterial evolution if warming continues to melt the glaciers. More »

More about:  global warming DNA Mars evolution Antarctica bacteria glacier life microorganisms

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