Keith Cowing Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻 Follow on

2.5 billion year old microbial structures — The black features within this thin slice of rock are 2.5-billion-year-old microbial structures. This study suggests that the organic matter preserved within this

Tree of life (“species tree”) used for gene reconciliation analyses, showing reconstructed habitats for specific phyla over time. Phyla are color-coded and grouped to match to the larger phylum groups

Masses and semi-major axes for known planets and simulated Gaia planets. In both cases, we have restricted the sample to planets with Porb and mp constrained to within 20% (i.e.,

The spectrum of UV light available at Earth’s surface before the origin of life at approximately 3.9 Ga and until at least 2.9 Ga (curves black and red, respectively). This

An integrated model for mineral-guided surface enrichment support for protocell emergence. (I) Mineral-guided surface molecular enrichment (MSE). In prebiotic environments such as hydrothermal vents or land ponds, essential biomolecules including