Not only can comets that hit the Earth damage the surface, but according to
Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life (Springer-Verlag, £29, ISBN 0
387 94650 0), edited by Paul Thomas, Christopher Chyba and Christopher McKay,
they might even have seeded the planet with the very building blocks of life
itself. Or, later, interfered with the way that life evolved. Scary stuff.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
4
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
5
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
6
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
7
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
8
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
9
We’re not the most successful human species
10
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
