Alien life could be rarer than believed warn asteroid spotters

The possibility of complex alien life elsewhere in the universe could be rarer than previously thought, researchers have warned, with asteroid belts considered near-vital for evolution-spurring proving in short supply. Although the centerpiece of disaster movies such as Deep Impact and Armageddon, asteroids are also believed to act as a catalyst to life, delivering water and chemicals to planets as well as punctuating species development through periodic impacts. That’s a fine balance to be made, however, researchers at the University of Colorado argue, and it demands a particular – and uncommonly found – type of asteroid belt to be present.

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