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Newscenter

Study Warns of ‘Oxygen false positives’ in Search for Signs of Life on Other Planets

Illustration: J. Krissansen-Totton

Astrobiology Initiative

Study Warns of ‘Oxygen false positives’ in Search for Signs of Life on Other Planets

Oxygen in the atmosphere may not be an entirely reliable ‘biosignature,’ but there are ways to distinguish false positives from signs of life, scientists say

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Astrobiology Initiative Awards & Honors Instrumentation Earth Science

Astrobiology Initiative

UCSC Faculty Kick Off the Astrobiology Initiative Astrobiology Initiative

UCSC Faculty Kick Off the Astrobiology Initiative

June 22, 2019November 9, 2020

2021 – 2022 UC Santa Cruz Astrobiology Science Communication Graduate Fellow: Zack Savitsky Astrobiology Initiative, Science Communication

2021 – 2022 UC Santa Cruz Astrobiology Science Communication Graduate Fellow: Zack Savitsky

October 24, 2020September 20, 2022

UCSC Astrobiology Initiative Brings Science, Humanities, and Art Together to Study the Ethics of Space Sciences

Credit: Johns Hopkins APL

Astrobiology Initiative

UCSC Astrobiology Initiative Brings Science, Humanities, and Art Together to Study the Ethics of Space Sciences

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021

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Awards & Honors

Astrobiology Initiative Team Members Honored with Awards and Distinctions Astrophysics, Earth Science

Astrobiology Initiative Team Members Honored with Awards and Distinctions

August 13, 2020November 12, 2020

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Instrumentation

Heising-Simons Foundation supports exoplanet imaging projects at UC Santa Cruz Instrumentation

Heising-Simons Foundation supports exoplanet imaging projects at UC Santa Cruz

August 13, 2020January 15, 2021

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Earth Science

Stellar Smashups May Fuel Planetary Habitability, Study Suggests Earth Science

Stellar Smashups May Fuel Planetary Habitability, Study Suggests

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

WARNING: Too Much Radiogenic Heat Could Hurt Exoplanet Habitability

Image credit: universe-review.ca.

Earth Science

WARNING: Too Much Radiogenic Heat Could Hurt Exoplanet Habitability

November 18, 2020November 18, 2020

Hydrothermal vents on seafloors of ‘ocean worlds’ could support life, new study says Earth Science

Hydrothermal vents on seafloors of ‘ocean worlds’ could support life, new study says

October 28, 2024

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Latest Posts

Stellar Smashups May Fuel Planetary Habitability, Study Suggests Earth Science

Stellar Smashups May Fuel Planetary Habitability, Study Suggests

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

Radioactive elements may be crucial to the habitability of rocky planets

A new study identifies internal heating from radioactive decay as a critical factor in a planet’s ability to generate a magnetic field and retain an atmosphere. Credit: Illustration by Melissa Weiss for UC Santa Cruz

Earth Science

Radioactive elements may be crucial to the habitability of rocky planets

November 13, 2020November 17, 2020

2021 – 2022 UC Santa Cruz Astrobiology Science Communication Graduate Fellow: Zack Savitsky Astrobiology Initiative, Science Communication

2021 – 2022 UC Santa Cruz Astrobiology Science Communication Graduate Fellow: Zack Savitsky

October 24, 2020September 20, 2022

Heising-Simons Foundation supports exoplanet imaging projects at UC Santa Cruz Instrumentation

Heising-Simons Foundation supports exoplanet imaging projects at UC Santa Cruz

August 13, 2020January 15, 2021

Astrobiology Initiative Team Members Honored with Awards and Distinctions Astrophysics, Earth Science

Astrobiology Initiative Team Members Honored with Awards and Distinctions

August 13, 2020November 12, 2020

UCSC Faculty Kick Off the Astrobiology Initiative Astrobiology Initiative

UCSC Faculty Kick Off the Astrobiology Initiative

June 22, 2019November 9, 2020

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About us

By studying how life forms, identifying the markers of living worlds, and observing our cosmic neighborhood, UCSC astrobiologists bring a 21st century approach to bear on an ancient question: are we alone in the universe?

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UC Santa Cruz stands at the forefront of astrobiology, with faculty who are world leaders in the study of exoplanets, the origin of life, planetary science, and instrument development. We invite you to join us on this great frontier of science and humanity.

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Last modified: November 9, 2020