Scientists are listening in on sperm whale conversations and studying Earth's strangest microbes to prepare humanity for first contact with extraterrestrial life.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Tardigrades—a type of invertebrate also known as water bears—are the only animals observed to survive the intense radiation and ...

By studying Earth's toughest microbes and complex animal "speech", scientists are reshaping how we search for – and may someday talk to – alien life.