There’s been a big claim of a marker of life, known as a biosignature, found using JWST in the atmosphere of an exoplanet known as K2-18b. The data also confirmed this planet was a “Hycean” world, a planet with a liquid water ocean surrounded by a hydrogen dominated atmosphere. The biosignature that’s claimed to have been found is dimethyl sulphide, a molecule that on Earth is mostly produced by phytoplankton.
Dr. Becky
@corlin I love her but all astrophysics folks will always deny signs of life. Let's talk to an astrobiologist... AND IMO a confluence of data is better than requiring that each item ONLY be created by life on Earth.
@TrueBloodNet @corlin I'm not an astrobiologist but the fact this planet orbits a red dwarf is immediately disqualifying for life.
Also, there are 13 habitable zones. Liquid water is only one of them. Liquid water is necessary but insufficient on its own to support life. BTW, water might be the most common compound in the entire universe. Comets are basically dirty snowballs.
@danielbsmith @TrueBloodNet @corlin it is Earthnocentric to assume life can only arise from water. By the way, your post fails to account for a “supernatural” god creating life on other worlds, but assumes such for Earth.
@CanisPundit @TrueBloodNet @corlin Somebody should tell NASA this. All they do is look for liquid water. They ignore the other habitable zones and requirements for life.
Also, life as we know it is carbon-based because carbon has a variety of ways it can join with other elements. Studies were done on other elements as alternatives to carbon for life but all failed.
@danielbsmith it is perfectly reasonable and justifiable in budgeting that NASA search for signals that are not only what we are most familiar with but may be valuable for exploration beyond our solar system. Water sustains human life & is too heavy to transport. It also can provide hydrogen as a fuel source. Current Moon missions have the search for water as an objective; predicate to establishing a base for mining or for exploration. BTW, this is my last response to you. @TrueBloodNet @corlin
@CanisPundit @TrueBloodNet @corlin I don't disagree. In truth I think they are just publishing what they think society wants. This is for funding and they're not below playing that game. I just think there's a lot left unsaid in public such that the public gets the wrong idea and neither NASA nor other scientists try to correct this. I think that is unethical.
Have a great weekend!