Extraterrestrial life

From finding the building blocks for life on Mars to breakthroughs in gene editing and the rise of artificial intelligence, here are six major scientific discoveries that shaped the 2010s and what leading experts say could come next. 

NASA scientists have discovered the basic organic ingredients necessary for the existence of life in the water found in the ice plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus.

It will take two million years to reach K2-18b, a rocky planet orbiting in the habitable zone of red dwarf K2-18, according to Angelos Tsiaras of the University College London's Center for Space Exochemistry Data (CSED) and the leader of one of the research teams that last week detected water vapor in its atmosphere.

During Greece's economic crisis, the country saw the evolution of a new kind of journalism which considers attacks on the traditional media as its mission. It comes as no surprise that Kathimerini's culture of pluralism is viewed by the representatives of this kind of journalism as alien.

Nearly 50 percent of people believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life and want to establish contact with them. This shows a survey in 24 countries, which according to the authors explains somewhat the popularity of the Star Wars saga 40 years after the release of the first film of the series, Reuters reported.

Scientists have suggested that interstellar dust capable of transporting micro-organisms across the universe is the source of life on Earth.

A study led by the University of Edinburgh’s Professor Arjun Berera has posited that bacteria and micro-animals, capable of surviving hazardous journeys through space, could be the source of life on our little blue planet.

The initiative is part of the campaign "Find the Treasures of the Underwater World"

Human disease caused by an alien virus sounds like a science fiction movie scenario. But this is a very real threat that has provoked NASA and scientists around the world to develop a plan to protect humanity from extraterrestrial bacteria, Engadget Online.

Senior astronomer from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute Seth Shostak says he is confident humans will find evidence of intelligent alien life within two decades.

A group of scientists intends to send another signal to outer space in order to reach extraterrestrial life, but some fear it might effectively end life on Earth.