Superflares from the Sun may have allowed life to flourish on Earth

Life on Earth may owe a debt to colossal superflares generated during a hyperactive Sun during the early formation of the Solar System, a new study reveals.

The superflares likely fired charged particles at a mixture of gases found in Earth’s early atmosphere, leading to the formation of significant quantities of amino acids and carboxylic acids — also known as the building blocks for proteins and, therefore, life.

Simulating cosmic rays in a lab

The new study, published last month in the journal Life, saw a team of scientists use a particle accelerator to find that cosmic rays likely…