A giant virus discovered in Japan is adding fuel to the provocative idea that viruses helped create complex life. Named ushikuvirus, it infects amoebae and shows unique traits that connect different ...

A layer of rock just 520 million years old sat directly on top of ancient rock dating back 1.4 to 1.8 billion years.

The origin of life on Earth has been mulled over by scientists for centuries. We now know that life’s building blocks are RNA, amino acids, and cells. But if life originated from the primordial ooze ...

In many submerged regions, murky mud shelters strange life-forms that seem to be the key to one of the biggest mysteries of life on Earth. These creatures belong to a domain of life called the archaea ...

How can animate life be formed from inanimate matter? It’s one of the most fascinating enigmas in science because, without this crucial first step, called abiogenesis, there would be no life on Earth.

An exhibit at Philadelphia's Science History Institute looks at food science through the lens of the school lunch program. (Emma Lee/WHYY) From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, ...

An extraordinary discovery has recently shaken the world of science. An uncommon isotope, previously unknown to our realm of understanding, has been found within an ancient rock. The properties of ...