Latest Lewis Dartnell Stories

Future generations of humans living in space are likely to be fat, short, ugly, bloated and bald, researchers at London's University College said. Traveling to earth's closest stars would require years, if not decades, in space, and such long-distance travel would take its toll on the human body, Dr. Lewis Dartnell, a university astrobiologist, told The Daily Telegraph in a story published Friday. Near zero gravity would leave bodies stunted with underdeveloped muscles and bones, while fluid...

Life in outer space is an absolute certainty, and it is likely to be more familiar than we might think, according to an article in the May issue of Microbiology Today. Ever since the start of the space race we have sent more than just satellites and astronauts into space: spacecraft are not routinely decontaminated and are teeming with microbial life."Wherever man boldly goes his microbial fauna is sure to follow," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. The...

Probes designed to find life on Mars do not drill deep enough to find the living cells that scientists believe may exist well below the surface of Mars, according to research led by UCL (University College London). Although current drills may find essential tell-tale signs that life once existed on Mars, cellular life could not survive the radiation levels for long enough any closer to the surface of Mars than a few metres deep "“ beyond the reach of even state-of-the-art drills. The study,...