Scientists know that the ingredients necessary to form life appeared on Earth early in its history, but they’re still trying to figure out exactly how that happened. A new study suggests that comets were the cosmic messengers depositing crucial elements like phosphorus on Earth billions of years ago. “Life appeared on Earth about 4 billion…… MORE
The master of the art of the deal finally has a win to celebrate. He’ll pump it as one of history’s great breakthroughs — but in true Trumpian style, the trade pact the President is expected to sign today with China has more flash than substance. And as CNN’s Donna Borak reports, hardly anyone in…… MORE
Incredibly, Americans will vote this year in the fifth straight presidential election haunted by the Iraq war — proof of the trauma seared on the nation’s psyche. At CNN’s Democratic debate last night in Iowa, candidates exhumed the decision to topple Saddam Hussein, prompted by fears Donald Trump could plunge the US into another Middle…… MORE
Five exoplanets and eight planet candidates have been found around nearby stars, including a “cold Neptune” and two super-Earths that are potentially habitable, according to a new study. The two super-Earths, GJ180d and GJ229Ac, were found around small red dwarf stars that are 19 and 40 light-years away from our sun, while the cold Neptune…… MORE
The Democratic race for president started out woke — but it has often felt barely awake with its gang of 70-somethings and wonkish seminars about the intricacies of health care policy. Suddenly, that’s all changed. Just 20 days before the first nominating contest, the campaign of veteran leftie and heart attack survivor Bernie Sanders is…… MORE
Graduating from Harvard Medical School and being a part of the Navy SEALs must not have been enough accomplishments for Jonny Kim. The 35-year-old is now the first Korean-American to become a NASA astronaut. Kim, along with 12 others, graduated last week from NASA’s Artemis program, allowing the astronauts to be eligible to participate in…… MORE
Almost a third of the Earth will need to be protected by 2030 and pollution cut by half to save our remaining wildlife, as we enter the planet’s sixth era of mass extinction, according to a United Nations agency. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity released a draft plan on Monday, which sets global goals…… MORE
Iran’s admission that it mistakenly shot down a passenger plane sent protesters pouring into the streets over the weekend. Though demonstrations were smaller on Monday and nearly outnumbered by riot police, some observers have already begun to wonder if this could be the beginning of the end for the current regime. After days of denial…… MORE
Fifty years ago, a meteorite fell to Earth and landed in Australia, carrying with it a rare sample from interstellar space. A new analysis of the meteorite revealed stardust that formed between five to seven billion years ago. That makes the meteorite and its stardust the oldest solid material ever discovered on Earth. Our sun…… MORE
What exactly is the Trump administration up to in Iran? If its goal were to topple the Islamic Republic’s clerical and military leadership, things probably wouldn’t look much different from what’s going on now. In the last 10 days, the US eliminated Iran’s military general Qasem Soleimani and reportedly tried to wipe out another top…… MORE
