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

Environment
First test of CO2 removal with green sand finds no harm to marine life
News

Space
SpaceX is about to launch tallest and most powerful rocket in history
News

Environment
Cleaning up air pollution could weaken vital AMOC ocean current
News

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
CAR T-cell therapy bolstered by stiffening up cancer cells first
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
2
SpaceX is about to launch tallest and most powerful rocket in history
3
Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth
4
Rebooting stem cells builds aged muscles and assists injury recovery
5
First test of CO2 removal with green sand finds no harm to marine life
6
Asteroid set to fly very close to Earth
7
Melting of Greenland ice sheet could release methane 'fire ice'
8
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong?
9
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I've found the answer
10
Carbon credits are flawed, but they can still help save forests