io9 
Enter your username and password.
San Francisco, 6:15 PM
Fri Dec 25
18 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors:
Editor-in-Chief:
Annalee Newitz |
News Editor:
Charlie Jane Anders |
Associate Editor:
Meredith Woerner |
Assistant Editor:
Lauren Davis |
Weekend Editor:
Graeme McMillan |
Contributors:
Joshua Glenn
Stephen Goldmeier |
Ed Grabianowski |
Austin Grossman
Paul Hogan |
Lauren Davis |
Chris Hsiang |
Lynn Peril |
Ann VanderMeer
Alasdair Wilkins |
Graphic Designer:
Stephanie Fox |
Interns:
Tim Barribeau |
Julia Carusillo |
Alex Eichler |
Cyriaque Lamar |
Caitlin Petrakovitz |
Mary Ratliff |
Josh Snyder |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
Monkeys May Be the First Primates Headed to Mars
Monkeys made it into space before humans ever broke the atmosphere, and now they might beat us to Mars. Russia is considering a program to train monkeys to work with robots for the long flight to Mars. More »Ten Science Stories That Changed Our Decade
There is no doubt that science has become more like science fiction in the past decade, with amazing innovations and discoveries that increased our understanding of the universe. We list ten of the biggest science stories from the past decade. More »How Close Are We To Colonizing Space?
How close are we to long-term human habitation beyond low-Earth orbit? Colonies on the moon or Mars are still many years off, but the good news is there are several serious efforts underway to make it happen. More »Is Biological Life the Source of Martian Methane?
Are signs of life on Mars floating in the atmosphere? Scientists have been searching for the source of methane on Mars, and their search has put them on the hunt for methane-producing microorganisms. More »The Most Hostile Regions on Earth Where Biology Got a Toehold
There's been an uptick in speculation lately about whether life could exist on Mars, the moon, or one of Jupiter's satellites. Too inhospitable, you say? Earth has places that are just as bad, yet rich with organisms. More »New Evidence Points to Fossilized Life on Mars
Thirteen years ago, a team of researchers studying the Allan Hills meteorite found evidence that the rock might contain fossils of Martian bacteria. Now, fresh evidence makes a stronger case that Mars once contained life very similar to Earth bacteria. More »Lava Caves Filled with the Most Beautiful Excrement in the World
For years, scientists believed that the colorful deposits found in lava caves around the world were mineral deposits, but more recently they've discovered that the collections — ranging from blue-green drips to shimmering pink hexagons — are actually microbe poop. More »US Armed Forces Listened for Messages from Mars
In 1924, Earth saw its closest Mars opposition in over a century, and some thought our Martian neighbors might use the event to attempt contact. So for one night, US Naval and Army stations scanned the skies for extraterrestrial transmissions. More »What's the Worst that Could Happen on a Fake Mission to Mars?
Following the 105-day simulated mission that ended this summer, the European Space Agency is looking for volunteers to spend 520 days in isolation, simulating a Mars mission. So what could possibly go wrong when you never leave the ground? More »The Vehicle Of Our Mars Dreams Is A Needle Waiting To Thread Space
Marvel at the beauty of NASA's Ares I-X test rocket, due to launch on Tuesday. If all goes well, NASA can move forward with development of its next-generation Orion spacecraft, which should carry us to the Moon... and Mars. More »Why Is Mars Red?
Scientists have long believed that Mars' distinctive hue comes from iron particles being rusted... but by what? A new study suggests that it wasn't water that turned the Red Planet red, but wind. More »The Opportunity Rover Discovers Mars's Largest Meteorite
Two weeks ago, NASA's Opportunity Rover discovered the largest meteorite yet observed on Mars. Sure, any space debris can be an exciting discovery, but the rock's size has its own cool implications: Mars's atmosphere used to be a lot thicker. More »Earth to Mars in 39 Days
A six-month space journey away, Mars often seems an almost impossible planet to reach. But engineers are developing a new engine that could turn six months to six weeks, bringing the Red Planet much, much closer than ever before. More »If There's Not Life On Mars, We'll Add Some
Scientists have long speculated that Mars might have played host to microbial life in an earlier era. Now that it's certain water exists on the Red Planet, they're trying to grow some microbes that could live there. More »Apollo 11 Astronauts Push For A Mission To Mars
Last friday, at the National Museum of the USAF, the Apollo 11 astronauts participated in a panel discussion about their historic Moon landing. They spent a good portion of the discussion, however, not on the Moon — but Mars. More »Will People On Long Space Missions Inevitably Kill Each Other?
For 105 days, 4 Russians and 2 Europeans holed up in isolation in Moscow, to see if they could survive a mission to Mars without killing one another in frustration, while American scientists watched. Tomorrow, they'll be freed. More »Your First Horrifying Look At Doctor Who's Next Monster
A new clip from Doctor Who's next special episode, "The Waters Of Mars," showcases the bizarre alien threat the Doctor faces this time around. What, you thought "Waters" was metaphorical? [Thanks, Bluehinter!]Definitive Evidence Of An Ancient Lake On Mars
Water on ancient Mars may actually have been abundant: Scientists have speculated about ancient rivers and lakes for years. But a team at University of Colorado at Boulder announced this week the first "definitive" evidence of a lake on Mars. More »Kim Stanley Robinson's Favorite Mars Books
Red Mars author Kim Stanley Robinson names his 10 favorite Mars novels as part of a special Mars issue in the IEEE Spectrum. He charts the evolution of our understanding of the red planet, and the literature of colonization.Mars Landers May Have Erased Evidence Of Life
Have the Mars landers not only failed in identifying signs of life on the red planet, but also accidentally been destroying them all along? Scientists are beginning to suggest that may be the case. Oops. More »Our Ever Changing War Of The Worlds
Humanity has been at war with Mars for over 100 years! HG Wells' War of The Worlds has stayed in print since its debut, and that means more than a century of awesome cover artwork. More »