Topic description and stories

The hydrothermal vent 'Candelabra' in the Logatchev hydrothermal field.

Ancient seafloor vents spewed tiny, life-giving minerals into Earth’s early oceans

02 Feb 2024

Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Western Australia have uncovered the importance of hydrothermal vents, similar to underwater...

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Artist's impression of a meteor hitting Earth

‘Bouncing’ comets could deliver building blocks for life to exoplanets

15 Nov 2023

How did the molecular building blocks for life end up on Earth? One long-standing theory is that they could have been delivered by comets. Now...

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Composite graphic showing planets, vegetation, DNA and book

Explore life in the Universe with new postgraduate programme

18 Sep 2023

A new postgraduate programme will train researchers to understand life's origins, search for habitable planets and consider the most profound...

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Emily Mitchell, Didier Queloz, Kate Adamal, Carl Zimmer. Landscape with Milky way galaxy. Sunrise and Earth view from space with Milky way galaxy. (Elements of this image furnished by NASA).

Humanity’s quest to discover the origins of life in the universe

08 Mar 2023

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago have founded the Origins Federation, which...

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Artist Concept of an Early Earth

Seawater could have provided phosphorous required for emerging life

27 Sep 2022

The problem of how phosphorus became a universal ingredient for life on Earth may have been solved by researchers from the University of Cambridge...

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Artists’s impression of the rocky super-Earth HD 85512 b

Cambridge launches new Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe

10 Jan 2022

With a £10 million grant awarded by the Leverhulme Trust , the University of Cambridge is to establish a new research centre dedicated to exploring...

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The Hubble eXtreme Deep Field

From extravagant to achievable - pushing the boundaries of research to find life beyond Earth

20 Apr 2021

The University of Cambridge is creating a new research initiative, bringing together physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians and earth...

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Artist's concept depicting one possible appearance of the planet Kepler-452b

Scientists identify exoplanets where life could develop as it did on Earth

01 Aug 2018

Scientists have identified a group of planets outside our solar system where the same chemical conditions that may have led to life on Earth exist...

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Darwin College Lecture Series 2012

In search of Life at Lady Mitchell Hall

27 Jan 2012

Darwin College continues the popular Darwin College lecture series this week on 27 January with Life in Ruins. The annual eight week series held at...

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Water

Cambridge Ideas - Just Add Water

11 Nov 2010

Rotifers are tiny animals that survive against all the odds. //--> //--> //--> //--> //--> //--> //--> //--> //--> //-->

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