Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What if the origin of life isn’t a one-in-a-billion cosmic fluke, but something that happens whenever the conditions are just right?
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as we explore groundbreaking research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where scientists have identified over 270 self-replicating chemical reactions that may have sparked life, not just on Earth, but potentially anywhere in the universe. Led by astrobiologist Dr. Betül Kaçar, this study reframes our understanding of how life can emerge from simple chemistry.
Discover how these "chemical recipes" might reveal a universal pattern for life, help us search distant planets more effectively, and bring us one step closer to answering one of humanity’s biggest questions: Are we alone?
Press release: https://news.wisc.edu/new-recipes-for-origin-of-life-may-point-way-to-distant-inhabited-planets/
Paper: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c07041
#chemistry #arewealone #lifebeyondearth #originoflife #science
If you like science, support the SETI Institute! We're a non-profit research institution whose focus is understanding the nature and origins of life in the universe. Donate here: seti.org/donate
Learn more about the SETI Institute and stay up-to-date on awesome science:
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/SETIInstitute
- Watch our streams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/setiinstitute
- Listen to our podcast, Big Picture Science [http://www.bigpicturescience.org](http://www.bigpicturescience.org/)/
- Subscribe to our newsletter seti.org/signup
- Buy merchandise from Chop Shop chopshopstore.com/collections/seti-institute/SETI
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What if the origin of life isn’t a one-in-a-billion cosmic fluke, but something that happens whenever the conditions are just right?
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as we explore groundbreaking research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where scientists have identified over 270 self-replicating chemical reactions that may have sparked life, not just on Earth, but potentially anywhere in the universe. Led by astrobiologist Dr. Betül Kaçar, this study reframes our understanding of how life can emerge from simple chemistry.
Discover how these "chemical recipes" might reveal a universal pattern for life, help us search distant planets more effectively, and bring us one step closer to answering one of humanity’s biggest questions: Are we alone?
Press release: https://news.wisc.edu/new-recipes-for-origin-of-life-may-point-way-to-distant-inhabited-planets/
Paper: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c07041
#chemistry #arewealone #lifebeyondearth #originoflife #science
If you like science, support the SETI Institute! We're a non-profit research institution whose focus is understanding the nature and origins of life in the universe. Donate here: seti.org/donate
Learn more about the SETI Institute and stay up-to-date on awesome science:
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/SETIInstitute
- Watch our streams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/setiinstitute
- Listen to our podcast, Big Picture Science [http://www.bigpicturescience.org](http://www.bigpicturescience.org/)/
- Subscribe to our newsletter seti.org/signup
- Buy merchandise from Chop Shop chopshopstore.com/collections/seti-institute/SETI
Don't forget to like and subscribe! Ring the bell for notifications of when we go live.
