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Life beyond EaRTH
The blog
5 sci-fi aliens — and the likelihood they could actually exist
While all cellular life on Earth shares the same DNA-based chemistry, planets with different environments could produce alien organisms far more diverse. From insect-like swarms to intelligent machines, many classic sci-fi alien archetypes have at least some grounding in biology, astrobiology, or emerging technology.
Ultimately, truly alien life may defy our expectations altogether, and recognizing it could require rethinking not just what aliens look like, but how we define
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Feb 191 min read
Organics on Mars — What Does it Mean?
Organic compounds can form through simple chemistry alone — making the search for true biosignatures trickier than it seems. Posted on...
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Sep 18, 20251 min read
New Telescope to Probe for Alien Technosignatures
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jun 14, 20251 min read
China's Moon Mission Could Reveal the Origins of Life on Earth
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jun 17, 20241 min read
Why The "Goldilocks" Zone of Habitable Planets is Outdated When Searching for Life
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
May 17, 20241 min read
Should We Send Messages to Aliens?
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Apr 14, 20241 min read
Could Life Use Magnetic Fields as an Energy Source?
And if so, how would this hypothetical life form function?
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jul 12, 20235 min read
Is There Life on the Icy Moons of our Solar System?
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Feb 13, 20231 min read
Why We Need a Human Base on the Moon.
Posted on BigThink.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Nov 17, 20221 min read
Who – or What – Would Survive an All-Out Nuclear War?
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Nov 3, 20221 min read
Can Humanity Handle Alien Contact and its Consequences?
Posted on Big Think
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jul 15, 20221 min read
On The Possibility of Silicon-Based Life
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jul 2, 20221 min read
Death from Outer Space
Posted on Big Think
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jun 15, 20221 min read
Follow the Salt if You Want to Find Life on Mars
Posted on Big Think
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jun 3, 20221 min read
Could We All Be Martians?
Revisiting Panspermia: did life come from outside of Earth?
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Jun 2, 20223 min read
How Common is Life in the Universe?
Posted on Big Think
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
May 31, 20221 min read
A Recent Discovery Could Unravel the Mystery of Martian Methane
A Window to Life in the Deep Subsurface
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
May 11, 20222 min read
Alien Message to be Sent into Space
This blog was posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Apr 29, 20221 min read
Three Myths of Planetary Protection
What’s First? A Life-Detection or a Human Mission to Mars?
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Apr 28, 20223 min read
What Do Aliens Look Like?
We should not expect aliens to look anything like us.
Posted on Big Think.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Apr 13, 20221 min read
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