Chemical Origin
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Finds Stardust in Asteroid Bennu Older Than the Solar System
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has found presolar stardust grains inside Bennu’s samples. These tiny particles, older than the Sun, carry chemical fingerprints of ancient stars and interstellar space. Bennu thus serves as a pristine time capsule, preserving the earliest clues to the birth of our solar system.
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Devil Comet’s Water Matches Earth, Strengthening Theory of Cosmic Origins
Astronomers discovered that the water in Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, known as the “Devil Comet,” is nearly identical to Earth’s. Using ALMA and IRTF data, they mapped cometary water for the first time. The findings bolster the theory that comets delivered water to Earth, enabling life’s emergence.
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New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
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Bennu Asteroid Sample Reveals Organic Compounds That May Hint at Life Beyond Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing amino acids, nucleobases, ammonia, and minerals formed in saltwater. These organic compounds, vital to life, suggest that the building blocks for life might have existed in other regions of the early solar system. The discovery of evaporite minerals, including halite ...
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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
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AI Predicts Whisky Aromas and Origins with Over 90 Percent Accuracy
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging have successfully demonstrated how AI can identify the aromas and origins of whiskies with remarkable accuracy. By analysing the chemical compositions of 16 US and Scottish whiskies, the AI achieved over 90% accuracy in distinguishing between the two, surpassing human exp...
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How Does Leukaemia Affect The Body: Lookout For These Signs Of Health Deterioration
The precise origin of leukaemia remains unclear, but risk factors encompass genetics, exposure to specific chemicals, and radiation. Timely detection of symptoms can significantly improve outcomes, making it essential to remain alert to alterations in health.
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NASA New Study Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
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NASA Research Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
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Phosphorus Grains in Ryugu Samples Offer Insights into Earth’s Early Life Chemistry
Scientists have discovered phosphorus-rich grains in samples from the asteroid Ryugu, brought back by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. These grains, thought to have come from the outer Solar System, may have interacted with early Earth’s water, releasing essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. This interaction could have played a role in th...
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Are Food Dyes Really Bad For You? Experts Weigh In
Food dyes are chemical substances developed to enhance the appearance of food by giving it an artificial colour. Let's see what experts have to say about it.
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Traces of Indigenous Gas Found in Meteorite to Shed Light on Moon’s Origin
A recent study has suggested that the Moon may have inherited some noble gases, such as neon and helium, deep from the Earth's mantle. The discovery was made by analysing lunar meteorites found in Antarctica. Upon analysing the glass particles, the team found chemical fingerprints or isotopic signatures of the solar gases in them.
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Buckminsterfullerene Species Likely the Source of Unidentified Infrared Emission
In a new study, researchers have applied the first principle of quantum chemical calculations to predict the mid-infrared signatures of the ionised forms of fullerene. The team has noted that some positively charged fullerenes have strong emission bands that substantially match with the position of key astronomical UIE emission features at 11.21, 1...
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New Chemical Reactions Can Help Explain Origin of Life From Non-Living Molecules
Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered a new set of chemical reactions that can produce the building blocks of life. They have found a set of chemical reactions that can produce amino acids and nucleic acids — the building blocks of proteins and DNA — by using cyanide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.
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Data From Black Beauty Martian Meteorite May Shed Light on Mars' History
A team of researchers from Australia's Curtin University studied the chemical and physical properties of the Black Beauty meteorite to determine the location of its origin on Mars. The chemical composition of Black Beauty suggested that Mars also had volcanic activity like Earth. The team concluded that the meteorite originated from one of the olde...
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Finds Stardust in Asteroid Bennu Older Than the Solar System
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has found presolar stardust grains inside Bennu’s samples. These tiny particles, older than the Sun, carry chemical fingerprints of ancient stars and interstellar space. Bennu thus serves as a pristine time capsule, preserving the earliest clues to the birth of our solar system.
-
Devil Comet’s Water Matches Earth, Strengthening Theory of Cosmic Origins
Astronomers discovered that the water in Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, known as the “Devil Comet,” is nearly identical to Earth’s. Using ALMA and IRTF data, they mapped cometary water for the first time. The findings bolster the theory that comets delivered water to Earth, enabling life’s emergence.
-
New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
-
Bennu Asteroid Sample Reveals Organic Compounds That May Hint at Life Beyond Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing amino acids, nucleobases, ammonia, and minerals formed in saltwater. These organic compounds, vital to life, suggest that the building blocks for life might have existed in other regions of the early solar system. The discovery of evaporite minerals, including halite ...
-
Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
-
AI Predicts Whisky Aromas and Origins with Over 90 Percent Accuracy
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging have successfully demonstrated how AI can identify the aromas and origins of whiskies with remarkable accuracy. By analysing the chemical compositions of 16 US and Scottish whiskies, the AI achieved over 90% accuracy in distinguishing between the two, surpassing human exp...
-
How Does Leukaemia Affect The Body: Lookout For These Signs Of Health Deterioration
The precise origin of leukaemia remains unclear, but risk factors encompass genetics, exposure to specific chemicals, and radiation. Timely detection of symptoms can significantly improve outcomes, making it essential to remain alert to alterations in health.
-
NASA New Study Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
-
NASA Research Challenges RNA's Role in Life’s Molecular Handedness Mystery
NASA-backed research published in Nature Communications has found that RNA molecules exhibit no chemical preference for left- or right-handed amino acids under simulated early-Earth conditions. This discovery, led by UCLA researchers, challenges the idea that RNA played a decisive role in determining the molecular handedness seen in modern life, kn...
-
Phosphorus Grains in Ryugu Samples Offer Insights into Earth’s Early Life Chemistry
Scientists have discovered phosphorus-rich grains in samples from the asteroid Ryugu, brought back by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. These grains, thought to have come from the outer Solar System, may have interacted with early Earth’s water, releasing essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. This interaction could have played a role in th...
-
Are Food Dyes Really Bad For You? Experts Weigh In
Food dyes are chemical substances developed to enhance the appearance of food by giving it an artificial colour. Let's see what experts have to say about it.
-
Traces of Indigenous Gas Found in Meteorite to Shed Light on Moon’s Origin
A recent study has suggested that the Moon may have inherited some noble gases, such as neon and helium, deep from the Earth's mantle. The discovery was made by analysing lunar meteorites found in Antarctica. Upon analysing the glass particles, the team found chemical fingerprints or isotopic signatures of the solar gases in them.
-
Buckminsterfullerene Species Likely the Source of Unidentified Infrared Emission
In a new study, researchers have applied the first principle of quantum chemical calculations to predict the mid-infrared signatures of the ionised forms of fullerene. The team has noted that some positively charged fullerenes have strong emission bands that substantially match with the position of key astronomical UIE emission features at 11.21, 1...
-
New Chemical Reactions Can Help Explain Origin of Life From Non-Living Molecules
Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered a new set of chemical reactions that can produce the building blocks of life. They have found a set of chemical reactions that can produce amino acids and nucleic acids — the building blocks of proteins and DNA — by using cyanide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.
-
Data From Black Beauty Martian Meteorite May Shed Light on Mars' History
A team of researchers from Australia's Curtin University studied the chemical and physical properties of the Black Beauty meteorite to determine the location of its origin on Mars. The chemical composition of Black Beauty suggested that Mars also had volcanic activity like Earth. The team concluded that the meteorite originated from one of the olde...
