Organic

Earth is a famously watery planet, but where exactly it all came from is a mystery. Now researchers have suggested a new origin story, by showing that water and petroleum can form inside clouds of organic matter, at high temperatures and pressure.

A new type of experimental proton battery is built with entirely organic components, making it much more environmentally friendly than most. On top of that, it can also be charged in a matter of minutes and can function at very low temperatures.

​Not everyone has access to enough land for growing veggies, making indoor garden devices quite attractive prospects for those looking for year-round fresh produce. The latest is a multi-tier setup called the Cell One.​

​Living in a crowded inner city means that many residents don't have a garden of their own, so are unable to grow their own veggies. Last year's OGarden moved gardening indoors, mounting plants on a ferris-like wheel. The design has now been updated, resulting in the OGarden Smart.​

A new international study into the impact of agricultural land use on climate change has found organic food production is worse for the climate than conventional farming, due to the fact that it needs greater areas of land to grow produce.

​A new study has found those who eat a high volume of organic food were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer compared to those who eat little to no organic food. Many experts question the study, suggesting it doesn't account for other factors that could influence cancer risk.​

A team of Harvard engineers has been making strides over the past few years with organic flow batteries, and has now tested a new molecule that makes for the longest-lasting, high-performance organic flow battery so far.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus is one of the most promising places in the Solar System to look for extraterrestrial life. Now Cassini mission data has shown the presence of complex organic molecules, spraying up from the moon’s subsurface ocean through cracks in the icy shell.

Two meteorites that fell in 1998 were found to contain traces of liquid water and organic compounds vital to life. Now, a comprehensive chemical analysis of them suggests their organic matter could come from an ancient ocean world, giving them the potential to kickstart life wherever they land.

​The ESA has some good news and bad news for extraterrestrial enthusiasts. The good news is that a molecule thought to be a biomarker for life has been found in a comet and around a young star. The bad news is that the molecule isn’t the clear indicator of life that it was once believed to be.

​While growing organic herbs and veggies in your home is a good idea, all those trays and overhead lights can take up a lot of space. That's where OGarden comes in. It houses the plants in what's essentially a mini ferris wheel with a grow light in the middle.

How did non-living matter transition into living organisms? A team is gently rocking a combination of key minerals and organic molecules to see if certain chemical reactions give birth to life. If life emerges “easily” from these conditions, it could be common throughout the universe.