Ask a Physicist: Life Without a Sun?

Gonçalo, from Portugal wants to know: "Can a planet, theoretically, manage life without a sun?" Gonçalo,Your suggestion is surprisingly plausible! To understand how, we'll have to explore some of the darkest places on Earth, where life is as close to "alien" as you're ever going to find.To rephrase an old quote: where there is a way, life will find it. That said, there are a few basic things necessary for life to arise. The first is building blocks: atoms and molecules capable of linking up in...