"We inch closer to understanding where life might be possible beyond this planet we call home." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. In the late 1800s Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli pointed a telescope at Mars ...

AMHERST, Mass. — While popular culture commonly depicts extraterrestrial life as little green men with large, oval-shaped heads, it’s most likely that if there is life beyond our planet and within our ...

Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next? When you purchase through links on our site ...

"Our work supports both the scientific quest to answer the question 'Are we alone?' and practical efforts to manage the influence of technology on our world and beyond." When you purchase through ...

A lot of folks, human and otherwise, seem very interested in getting their hands on the newly crash-landed alien specimens. What could go wrong? By Sean T. Collins The “Alien” franchise explores two ...

A new study presented at the 2025 EPSC/DPS Joint Meeting proposes that the rarity of specific geological and atmospheric conditions necessary for technologically advanced life significantly limits the ...