We may be starting to get a grasp on what kick-started life on Earth – and it could help us search for it on other planets

But real lightning would have struck infrequently—and mostly in open ocean, where organic compounds would have quickly dispersed. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

T here are multiple theories that explain the origin of life on Earth, but one of the most disputed ones was proposed in 1953 when two scientists named Stanley Miller and Harold U

Study discovered that tiny electrical sparks, called microlightning, form when water droplets collide. These can create organic molecules.