Life Rides the Wind in the Desert
Life Rides the Wind in the Desert
As the afternoon breezes blow harder in the Atacama Desert—a place so desolate it’s used as a model of Mars—more microbes move into its driest regions.
Life Rides the Wind in the Desert
Life Rides the Wind in the Desert

As the afternoon breezes blow harder in the Atacama Desert—a place so desolate it’s used as a model of Mars—more microbes move into its driest regions.

As the afternoon breezes blow harder in the Atacama Desert—a place so desolate it’s used as a model of Mars—more microbes move into its driest regions.

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Mars on Earth
Mars on Earth
The Scientist Staff | Dec 1, 2019
Astrobiologist Armando Azua-Bustos draws parallels between the Red Planet and the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Bacterial Genetics Could Help Researchers Block Interplanetary Contamination
Bacterial Genetics Could Help Researchers Block Interplanetary Contamination
Ashley Yeager | Jul 31, 2018
Identifying microbes from Earth that can survive on spacecraft may help scientists eliminate them from future space missions and from searches for extraterrestrial life.
Surface of Mars Hostile to Microbes
Surface of Mars Hostile to Microbes
Bob Grant | Jul 6, 2017
Researchers confirm that chemicals present in the dust of the Red Planet are highly toxic to bacteria.
60,000-Year-Old Life Found in Crystals in Mexican Cave
60,000-Year-Old Life Found in Crystals in Mexican Cave
Bob Grant | Feb 21, 2017
NASA researchers have discovered ancient microbes locked inside minerals, suggesting a possible niche for interstellar life.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
The Scientist Staff | Aug 31, 2015
September 2015's selection of notable quotes
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
The Scientist Staff | Apr 30, 2015
May 2015's selection of notable quotes
<em>The Scientist</em> on The Pulse, November 14
The Scientist on The Pulse, November 14
Kerry Grens | Nov 14, 2014
Mounting and drilling a comet, mind-controlled gene expression, and dissecting cat genomes
Earth’s “Cousin” Found
Earth’s “Cousin” Found
Bob Grant | Apr 21, 2014
Researchers pinpoint a distant planet that may be the right size and temperature to support liquid water and life.
Saturn’s Icy Moon Harbors Ocean
Saturn’s Icy Moon Harbors Ocean
Bob Grant | Apr 4, 2014
A body of liquid water beneath Enceladus’s surface makes the tiny moon a potentially hospitable home for extraterrestrial life.