A scientist wants to drug a piece of space rock to see if the universe has a mind of its own. Really.

A portion of the asteroid Bennu sample delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, set into a microscope slide at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: Molly ...

Studies of the sample reveal amino acids that “life on Earth uses to make proteins” plus evidence of water. Studies of the sample reveal amino acids that “life on Earth uses to make proteins” plus ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Two exciting new studies detail the life-supporting contents of a 4.3-ounce sample of ...

Tim McCoy, right, and Cari Corrigan, meteorite researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, look at images of asteroid Bennu samples taken by a scanning electron microscope.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Asteroid samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported Wednesday.

"This confirms that life's building blocks can be formed in a diversity of environments throughout the universe." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here ...

Credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of ...

Asteroid mining companies are finally getting off the ground, and that is raising some concerns about the impact those activities will have on the space environment. A new paper published in Acta ...

The asteroid is a rare example of an "imminent impactor" -- meaning it was discovered only hours before it entered our atmosphere. An asteroid streaked past northern Siberia in the middle of the night ...