Science Friday: NASA Funding Leads to “Life” Discovery
Science Friday: NASA-funded research has led to a discovery that life can be built with an alternative biochemistry. For complicated reasons, this is very significant in the search for life beyond Earth. From the release:
“NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.”
(Below, a video primer on the discovery.)
Support (regular) Science Friday.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy