Primordial surf: ‘microlightning’ in mist may have sparked life on Earth, study finds

Tiny lightning streaks in fine spray can power chemical reactions that generate molecules for life, scientists say

Charles Darwin thought it started in a warm pond. Others point to comets that ploughed into Earth. And some suspect a bolt from the blue, a lightning strike into the ocean.

How life started on Earth may forever be a mystery, but new research proposes a radical idea: that crashing waves and waterfalls may have kicked off the process by throwing up mists of water.

Topics

Party drug MDMA may have protected survivors of Nova attack from trauma, study suggests

Neuroscientists in Israel find signs that the drug helped festival survivors in the attack and the aftermath.
BBC News - Mar. 7
Dr. Mehmet Oz may have underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes, Senate Democratic memo finds

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicare Services, may have “significantly” underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes.
NBC News - 1d
‘80 years of lies and deception’: is this film proof of alien life on Earth?

The Age of Disclosure, a provocative new documentary that argues for the existence of extraterrestrials, has drawn gasps and criticism at the SXSW film festival. A splashy new documentary that ...
The Guardian - 2d
One in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting – study

Report finds that 7% of Americans have been present at the scene of a mass shooting and 2% have been injured in one. One in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting, a new study shows, revealing ...
The Guardian - 6d
Over half of American adults have used an AI chatbot, survey finds

Artificial intelligence technology is becoming increasingly integral to everyday life. 52% of U.S. adults have used AI large language models like ChatGPT.
NBC News - 1d
CDC to study vaccines and autism, despite several studies already finding no link

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will study whether vaccines cause autism, despite numerous existing studies already showing there is no link.
ABC News - 6d
Microplastics may be stoking antibiotic resistance: Study

The microscopic shards of plastic found in every corner of the planet may be exacerbating antibiotic resistance, a new study has found. Bacteria exposed to these ubiquitous fragments, known as ...
The Hill - 3d
Study finds ingredient in slushies made kids sick

Doctors in Europe are now saying kids under eight shouldn't drink slushies after a study found one of the ingredients sickened children. One of the authors of the study, Dr. Ellen Crushell, joined ...
CBS News - 8h
California braces for powerful atmospheric river as study finds storms are getting worse

Authorities are preparing for flooding and debris flows after recent wildfires have stripped vegetation from hillsides. California is bracing for a powerful atmospheric river storm that is expected ...
The Guardian - 2d