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Is there life on Venus? Quantum astrochemist Clara Sousa-Silva makes the case for a new way to seek and possibly discover habitable planets — and shares her research into a poisonous, smelly molecule that might signal life beyond Earth.
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Life will find a way!
Well, there is a huge problem. We are currently looking for another Earth. I seriously doubt that all life across the universe is the same as ours. Life on our planet evolved to survive here. Life on other planets could have environmental pressures that are not present here.
We do have a good example of life in another environmental pressures. The abyssal creatures in our oceans can survive at different temperatures and pressures that’s completely impossible for the human beings or another creatures that lives in land.
These bio signatures represent life as we understand it here on earth….. seams like a limited perspective.
The bio signatures are not dependent on life as we know it, just life, because life is the only thing that produces such unique molecules in large enough quantities to detect it. The presence of these molecules means that some organic processes are taking place, the telltale sign of life
Maybe. But always best to start and disprove what you know well, Earth. Then move on.
I mean, gotta start with what you know.
Just mathematically there are thousands of intelligent life forms throughout the Universe. The problem is they are stuck where they are at just like us. Biological life forms are too fragile for long duration space travel. The tremendous challenges that must be overcome to allow long duration space travel are too prohibitive to overcome. We need to stop trying to travel through space and focus our precious resources on helping this planet. It is the only one perfect for humans to thrive on.
the video ends perfectly: ..,(eventually?) we’ll know life when we see it.
Can’t like this enough!
Signs of extraterrestrial life might look “weirder” to us than imagined, so it needs creative thinking like this to enhance our chances of finding our first “neighbours”!
I could take a course from this lady and enjoy it more than a lot. She’s great. My style of learning is into her speech patterns.
I love science like this.. thanks for this!
I like the angle on the problem of finding life.
My fear is that we are so biased by what we see on earth that we might be looking for the wrong thing.
She doesn’t impress me as someone who’s looked for what else could’ve produced phosphene.
She was great on Lex Friedman’s podcast.
The job title of ” quantum astrochemist” is a cooler job title than space cowboy detective if for no other reason than it actually exist. This lady just became a personal hero of mine based on her title alone.