Introduction

The James Webb Space Telescope recently detected the coldest ices ever in outer space, something Nasa scientists think could explain the origins of life on Earth. Sam and Neil talk about science and teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

We know ice is frozen water, but do you know the chemical symbol for water?

a) H2O

b) HO2

c) H2O2

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

primordial soup
environment on Earth before there were any plants or animals, and which formed the conditions for life

building blocks of life
most basic biological and chemical units capable of supporting living plants and animals

comet
large object made of dirt and ice travelling around the sun with a bright, burning tail

lightning
flash of bright light produced by electricity moving in the atmosphere

organic
relating to living plants and animals; food grown without the use of artificial chemicals

chain reaction
series of chemical reactions in which one change causes another, which in turn, causes another

230504_6min_english_ice.pdf