Did life start on the ocean floor — and what does that mean for alien life?

How did life start on Earth The answer is a big scientific mystery scientists are actively researching After talking with plenty of scientists host Regina G Barber revealed that an abundance of water on Earth is the majority likely key in specific way to the origin of life specifically in either deep sea hydrothermal vents or in tide pools It's for this reason specific scientists are also exploring the expected for life in so-called water worlds elsewhere in the solar system like various of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn This episode Regina digs into two water-related hypotheses for the origin on life on Earth and what that might mean for feasible alien life Have another scientific mystery you want us to cover on a future episode Email us at shortwave npr org Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and sponsorship our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave at plus npr org shortwave Image credit Ralph White