April 24, 2012

Astrobiology: The Search for Life Begins with Water

What conditions are scientists looking for in their search for life on another planet? The presence of water is key, explains Bill Nye, aka The Science Guy.

Daniel Honan

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

What conditions are scientists looking for in their search for life on another planet? The presence of water is key, explains Bill Nye, aka The Science Guy. Want another candidate to sustain life? Liquid ammonia. And yet, as Nye points out, we haven’t found anything on Earth or even near the Earth that can live on liquid ammonia. That is why water remains the best bet and we are creating telescopes and software that will allow us to detect water on another world.

Watch the video here:

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Follow Daniel Honan on Twitter @Daniel Honan

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

An older man sits on a chair with his finger raised. Behind him are a tangled line and a spiral, both against a green backdrop.

Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman: Why emotional intelligence may be the number one indicator of organizational success

Today’s technology presents unique challenges for social awareness and relationship management at work, making emotional intelligence all the more critical.

Silhouette of a person against a blue background, overlaid with white node and line networks.

Thinking

Mechanized minds: AI’s hidden impact on human thought

While we’re busy wondering whether machines will ever become conscious, we rarely stop to ask: What happens to us?

A silhouette of a person with glowing orange eyes against a brightly lit office window exudes an aura of power, casting dramatic shadows that heighten the room's awareness.

Business

How leaders can avoid a power-driven descent from hero to villain

If you have any sort of power for any reasonable length of time, you will be changed by it — awareness of the effects is crucial.

Starts With A Bang

5 coincidences that make our existence possible

There are a few small cosmic details that, if things were just a little different, wouldn’t have allowed our existence to be possible.

Yellow and black bird perched on a thin branch surrounded by green leaves.

The Present

How tech is turning science into a hobby

Off-the-shelf consumer technology is helping people pursue their interests — and advancing science at the same time.

Up Next

Culture & Religion

Testing, K…1…2…3…: Parents’ Options in the Age of the Bubble Sheet

The regime of standardized testing in the nation’s public schools is expanding. Soon, children as young as 5 will devote weeks of the school year to preparing and sitting for multiple-choice exams. What is a parent to do?