Unravelling life’s origin: five key breakthroughs from the past five years

By Seán Jordan, Associate professor, Dublin City University
Louise Gillet de Chalonge, PhD Student in Astrobiology, Dublin City University

There is still so much we don’t understand about the origin of life on Earth.

The definition of life itself is a source of debate among scientists, but most researchers agree on the fundamental ingredients of a living cell. Water, energy, and a few essential elements are the prerequisites for cells to emerge. However, the exact details of how this happens remain a mystery.

Recent research has focused on trying to recreate in the lab the chemical reactions that constitute life as we know it, in conditions plausible for early Earth (around 4 billion years ago). Experiments…

Read complete article

~	Rugby league in Perth and Papua New Guinea? Here’s what could be next for the NRL

~	Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from it.

~	Tunisia: Deepening Civil Society Crackdown

~	Bridgerton is a progressive fantasy about the past. Do romance readers care about its historical accuracy?

~	Want to be buried on your own land, at sea or in a forest? A guide to unconventional send-offs

~	Homo Pentecostus: on queer intimacies, religion, ancestry and the human need for connection

~	After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brain

~	Nuclear subs are coming to Australia. Now the Coalition wants reactors, too. We’re not ready for it

~	Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks. Here’s why and what to do about it

~	Cameras reveal wombat burrows can be safe havens after fire and waterholes after rain