SETI Live is a weekly SETI Institute program recorded live with viewers on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Twitch. It features guests including astronomers, planetary scientists, cosmologists, and other researchers discussing current scientific work. The show is produced by the SETI Institute, a non-profit multidisciplinary research and education organization founded in 1984. Its mission is to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share that knowledge with the public.
Episodes
Is This the First Exomoon? When Planets and Moons Defy Definition
Astronomers may have found the first convincing evidence of a moon-like object beyond our Solar System — but calling it a "moon" turns out to be surprisingly complicated. Using the CRIRES+ instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope, researchers detected evidence of a massive object orbiting a brown dwarf in the young CD-35 2722 system. The newly detected object is at least as massive as Jupiter, whi
Why Do Some Solar Eruptions Fail?
Why do some solar eruptions blast into space while others never make it? SETI Institute heliophysicist Dr. Becca Robinson talks with Dr. Kathy Reeves of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian about new research revealing what can stop a solar eruption in its tracks. Using observations of a failed solar eruption in March 2024, Reeves and her colleagues examined how the Sun's complex ma
JWST's Salty Pink Planet Surprise
One of the coldest planetary-mass objects ever directly imaged has been hiding something unusual in its atmosphere: salt clouds. Known as the "Pink Planet," GJ 504 b is a mysterious world orbiting a Sun-like star about 57 light-years from Earth. At roughly 25 times Jupiter's mass, it lies near the uncertain boundary between giant planets and brown dwarfs. It is also so cold and faint that previous
Hide the Star: How Roman Will See Exoplanets
NASA's next great observatory is here. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is designed to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, from dark energy to thousands of newly discovered exoplanets. But one of its most exciting instruments is the Coronagraph—a cutting-edge technology that can block the overwhelming glare of distant stars, allowing astronomers to directly observe planets orbiti
50 Years on Mars: From Viking to Today's Rovers
Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1976, Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to successfully land and operate on Mars, transforming our understanding of the Red Planet and launching a new era of planetary exploration. Today, sophisticated robotic explorers like Curiosity and Perseverance continue that legacy, searching for signs of ancient habitability and preparing the way for future human missions. J
A New Way to Search for Alien Civilizations
Are we searching for extraterrestrial intelligence the wrong way? For decades, SETI researchers have focused on finding narrowband radio signals that might stand out from the natural universe. But what if an advanced civilization that wanted to communicate chose a very different strategy? Join host Dr. Lauren Sgro and UCLA astronomer Dr. Ben Zuckerman as they discuss his new paper, Broadband Searc
Alien Skies Under Fire: What UV Radiation Does to Exoplanets
Could hazy exoplanet atmospheres be hiding important clues about alien worlds? Many potentially habitable planets orbit small, active stars that frequently unleash powerful bursts of ultraviolet radiation. New research shows that this radiation can alter the chemistry and optical properties of atmospheric hazes, changing what astronomers see when they observe these distant worlds. Join host Dr. Mo
How Clouds Hide Alien Worlds—and How Astronomers See Through Them
The James Webb Space Telescope is transforming our understanding of exoplanets—but what happens when clouds get in the way? Astronomers have developed a new method to detect clouds and hazes in distant planetary atmospheres, helping researchers determine when they're seeing the planet itself and when weather obscures the view. Join SETI Live as host Dr. Lauren Sgro welcomes lead author Dr. Sagnick
Humanity's Plan for First Contact: Who Speaks for Earth?
What happens after we discover evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence? The International Academy of Astronautics has just ratified the first major update to the SETI post-detection protocols in more than 15 years. These new guidelines address the realities of today's world, including social media, AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, international coordination, and the challenge of responsib
What Juice Revealed About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
What can a visitor from another star system teach us about our own cosmic neighborhood? Join host Dr. Franck Marchis and guest Dr. Cecilia Tubiana (INAF) for a conversation about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and the surprising observations made by ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) during its rare close encounter with this ancient traveler. In November 2025, Juice turned five of its instrumen
Life is But a Stream: Planetary Systems Along Stellar Streams
In this episode of SETI Live, Jeremy Webb joins Moiya McTier to discuss Life is But a Stream: The Distribution of Planetary Systems Along Stellar Streams and Their Properties. Stellar streams are elongated structures of stars moving through the Milky Way, often shaped by tidal interactions and the galaxy's gravity. Jeremy Webb's research explores how planetary systems are distributed along these s
Not Planets, Not Stars: NASA Volunteers Doubled the Number of Known Brown Dwarfs
What happens when hundreds of thousands of volunteers team up with NASA to explore the sky? In the case of Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, thousands of new brown dwarfs. NASA citizen scientists have helped discover more than 3,000 brown dwarfs, effectively doubling the known population of these mysterious objects over the past decade. These discoveries are helping astronomers better understand the boun
The Sounds of Intelligence: A Conversation with 2026 Drake Award Recipient Lori Marino
What does intelligence sound like? For decades, scientists studying whales and dolphins have uncovered remarkable evidence of sophisticated communication, social complexity, self-awareness, and cognition in cetaceans. Today, a new generation of research tools and analytical methods is opening an even deeper window into the sounds and possible language structures of these extraordinary marine mamma
Lava Worlds & Nightside Volcanoes on K2-141 b
How do you study volcanoes on a planet more than 200 light-years away? Join us for SETI Live as host Moiya McTier talks with planetary scientist Claire Marie Guimond about the extreme lava world K2-141 b—a rocky exoplanet so hot that parts of its surface may be covered in oceans of molten rock. Using advanced mantle convection models, Claire and her collaborators investigated how heat moves throug
Galactic Islands of Tranquility: How "Little Red Dots" May Brew Life's Building Blocks
A newly identified class of distant galaxies—nicknamed "little red dots"—may be doing something extraordinary: quietly creating the raw ingredients for life. Join host Dr. Simon Steel as we explore groundbreaking new research from Dr. Remo Ruffini and Dr. Yu Wang from the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network (ICRANet), suggesting that these compact, enigmatic galaxies could a
The 45 Best Places to Look for Alien Life
Where should we actually be looking for life beyond Earth? Astronomers have identified 45 Earth-like worlds that could be among the most promising places to search for biosignatures—chemical signs of life in distant atmospheres. Inspired by the idea of a real-life "Project Hail Mary," this research helps narrow the search for habitable planets and guides future telescopes toward the most compellin
SkyMapper is Live! Explore the Sky in Real Time
Join us for a special episode of SETI Live as host Lauren Sgro sits down with astronomer and entrepreneur Franck Marchis to explore the newly launched SkyMapper platform—now open to the public. SkyMapper is a global, decentralized network of telescopes and all-sky sensors that connects professional observatories, citizen scientists, and classrooms around the world. In this live, interactive sessio
Planet Crash: Cosmic Collision Caught in Action
Astronomers may have just witnessed the aftermath of a massive planetary collision in another star system—offering a rare glimpse into how worlds are destroyed… and possibly reborn. Join host Dr. Moiya McTier and guest Anastasios Tzanidakis (University of Washington) as they break down new evidence suggesting that two large planetary bodies recently crashed into each other. What does this tell us
From Moon to Mars: What Artemis II Means for the Future
As NASA prepares to return humans to the Moon with Artemis II, what does it really take to live and work on the lunar surface? Join host Simon Steel and planetary scientist Pascal Lee as they explore the science and strategy behind humanity's next giant leap. From cutting-edge spacesuit design and testing to the challenge of choosing where astronauts will land, this conversation dives into what co
The Science of SETI: Inside the First Modern Textbook
How do scientists actually search for extraterrestrial intelligence? Astronomer, professor, and Drake Award winner Jason Wright joins host Beth Johnson on SETI Live to discuss his new textbook, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Practice. The book brings together the science, methods, and history of SETI into a single framework for students and researchers. SETI has evolved d
The Titan Impact: Saturn's Moon System May Have Had a Catastrophic Past
Saturn's largest moon may have had a violent birth. New research led by SETI Institute scientist Matija Ćuk proposes that Titan formed when two earlier Saturnian moons collided and merged hundreds of millions of years ago. This dramatic event may explain several long-standing mysteries in the Saturn system—including Titan's unusual orbit, the origin of the strange tumbling moon Hyperion, and even
Rethinking Radio: A New Way to Hear the Universe?
Astronomers have unveiled a novel technique for detecting faint signals from stellar and exoplanetary systems — potentially opening new pathways in the search for extraterrestrial technology and natural astrophysical phenomena alike. In this episode of SETI Live, host Moiya McTier sits down with radio astronomer Cyril Tasse to explore the method described in Nature Astronomy. How does it work? Why
Unistellar + Citizen Science (Part 8): 2025 Observations, An Exoplanet Candidate, and Rockets!
Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyMapper, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, update us about citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. They discuss making 15,000 observations in 2025, pending confirmation of a planet candidate, Comet 29P outbursti
Missing Link Found: A Breakthrough in Exoplanet Science
Astronomers may have found the missing link in the story of the Milky Way's most common planets. In this SETI Live, host Moiya McTier is joined by exoplanet scientist John H. Livingston to explore a new discovery that helps connect the dots between small rocky worlds like Earth and the larger "sub-Neptunes" that dominate our galaxy. Using cutting-edge observations and statistical analysis, researc
Exoplanetary Poetry: AI, Chemistry, and Alien Communication
Our Cosmic Consciousness residency artists daniela brill estrada, Bart Kuipers, and Julie-Michèle Morin, discuss an art-science collaboration that imagines how language might emerge from alien worlds. Hosts: Bettina Forget and Cosmic Consciousness residency advisor Gregory Betts. Join SETI AIR program Director Bettina Forget for a conversation with Cosmic Consciousness artists in residence daniela
Lost Pulsars Found? Breakthrough Listen's Deep Survey of the Galactic Core
Are we finally uncovering hidden pulsars at the center of the Milky Way? Join host Beth Johnson and William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow Karen Perez for a deep dive into a newly announced discovery of a possible pulsar near our galaxy's core. Using data from the Breakthrough Listen Deep Pulsar Survey and observations with the NSF Green Bank Telescope, researchers are probing one of the most extrem
Back to the Moon: How Artemis II Sets the Stage for the Next Era of Missions
Humanity is heading back to the Moon—and Artemis II is the mission that makes it real. In this SETI Live, host Simon Steel is joined by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens, assistant research scientist at NASA Goddard, to explore how Artemis II will prepare the way for future astronaut missions. Artemis II isn't landing on the Moon—but it is laying the groundwork. From mapping the lunar environment to understandin
Life After Ice: 46,000-Year-Old Worms Wake Up
In this SETI Live episode, host Simon Steel (Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center) chats with evolutionary biologist Philipp Schiffer (Worm Lab) about one of the most astonishing discoveries in modern biology: scientists have revived a microscopic worm that had been frozen in Siberian permafrost for roughly 46,000 years. These nematodes entered a state of cryptobiosis — a kind of biological "p
SETI@home Update: 21 Years of Citizen Science—and 100 Signals to Investigate
For more than two decades, millions of volunteers turned their home computers into a planet-scale telescope, donating idle processing power to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence through SETI@home. That effort ended in 2020—but the data never stopped speaking. Now, UC Berkeley scientists have taken a fresh, rigorous look at the vast SETI@home archive and identified around 100 intriguing s
When Galaxies Collide: Euclid Reveals What Triggers Active Black Holes
Using early data from the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, astronomers have analyzed over one million galaxies to test a long-standing idea in astrophysics: that galaxy mergers help trigger the growth of supermassive black holes. In this SETI Live, host Dr. Moiya McTier will explore two new Euclid studies that combine vast sky surveys, machine learning, and multi-wavelength observat
What to Expect in Space Science 2026
2026 is a pivotal year for space science. From humans returning to the Moon to new telescopes opening more expansive windows on the universe, this year marks a turning point in how we explore space—and why it matters. SETI Institute communications specialist Beth Johnson and Senior Planetary Astronomer Franck Marchis will tour the biggest missions, milestones, and moments shaping space science in
3I/ATLAS: Caught in UV | What Europa Clipper Saw When No One Else Could
We're going live with Dr. Cynthia Phillips, Europa Clipper Project Staff Scientist and Science Communications Lead, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to explore a surprising and exciting new chapter in comet science. Recently, the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft made unique observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS at a time when Earth- and Mars-ba
Earth 2.0? Maybe Not. Intelligent Life Might Be Far Rarer Than We Think
Get ready for a fascinating deep dive into one of the biggest questions in astrobiology: How common are biological extraterrestrial intelligences in the Milky Way? Host Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research, is joined by Manuel Scherf and Helmut Lammer (Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences) to explore new research that challenges long-held assumptions
SkyMapper: Map All the Sky, All the Time
In a special bonus SETI Live, communication specialist Beth Johnson welcomes astronomer and entrepreneur Franck Marchis to introduce SkyMapper, a new global network of smart telescopes and all-sky sensors designed to open the universe to everyone. SkyMapper brings together professional observatories, citizen astronomers, and classrooms into a single, decentralized platform. It enables real scienti
Baby Moons in the Making? The Discovery of a Moon-Forming Disk
On this episode of SETI Live, host Moiya McTier welcomes two leading researchers—Gabriele Cugno (University of Zürich) & Sierra L. Grant (Carnegie Institution for Science)—to dive into an extraordinary discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): a carbon-rich, moon-forming disk around the distant exoplanetary object CT Cha b, some 625 light-years away. What exactly is a "moon-forming disk"
The Moon that Could Support Life: What Cassini Discovered Beneath the Ice of Enceladus
Join host Beth Johnson for a fascinating episode of SETI Live, featuring planetary scientists Dr Georgina Miles and Dr Carly Howett from the University of Oxford. We'll be unpacking their groundbreaking study showing that Enceladus — one of Saturn's icy moons — may harbor a stable subsurface ocean capable of supporting life. 📄 For more info: The study "Endogenic heat at Enceladus' north pole" has
Where Water Boils the Sky: Steam Worlds and the Search for Life
What happens when a planet is full of water—but too hot for oceans? Meet the "steam worlds," exotic exoplanets wrapped in thick water vapor and boiling at thousands of degrees. These strange worlds may be far from habitable, but they're reshaping how scientists think about planets, water, and where life might exist. In this episode of SETI Live, host Beth Johnson talks with Artem Aguichine of the
TRAPPIST‑1 e Revealed: Peering Inside an Exoplanet's Atmosphere
Join SETI Live host Moiya McTier with Néstor Espinoza (STScI) and Ana Glidden (MIT) for a deep dive into the latest JWST observations of TRAPPIST‑1 e, one of the most tantalizing Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of a nearby star. In this episode, we explore: 🛰 How JWST is peering into TRAPPIST-1 e's atmosphere (or lack thereof). 🔵 Why the planet almost certainly doesn't have a thick hydro
Welcome Moiya! A New Host Joins SETI Live
Dr. Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator in New York City who loves planets, galaxy evolution, her cat named Cosmo, and old stories about space. She is also the latest addition to our rotating cast of hosts for SETI Live! Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for an interview to introduce Moiya to the community. So please bring your questions and help us we
Comet 3I/ATLAS Perihelion Update
What happens when a visitor from another star system drops by? Join planetary astronomers Franck Marchis and Ariel Graykowski for a special SETI Live all about Comet 3I/ATLAS — only the third known interstellar object ever detected! Astronomers around the world, including citizen scientists in the Unistellar Network, are racing to learn as much as possible about this rare cosmic traveler. 3I/ATLAS
This Microbe Breathes Two Ways! The Bacteria That Challenge Biochemistry
Join host Beth Johnson on SETI Live as she talks with Dr. Eric Boyd from the University of Montana about a groundbreaking discovery: microbes that can breathe in two ways at once! These extraordinary bacteria simultaneously perform both aerobic (oxygen-based) and anaerobic (sulfur-based) respiration, challenging everything we thought we knew about cellular life. Discover how this incredible metabo
The Hidden Ocean of Ariel: Tidal Forces and the Case for a Watery Past
Could Uranus's moon Ariel have once harbored a vast, deep ocean beneath its icy crust—perhaps even one that still lingers today? In this episode of SETI Live, host Beth Johnson welcomes Caleb Strom (University of North Dakota) and Alex Pathoff (Planetary Science Institute) to discuss new research revealing evidence that Ariel may have once held a subsurface ocean over 170 kilometers deep. Using ge
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
Join Beth Johnson for a thought-provoking conversation with Professor Dagomar Degroot, an environmental historian at Georgetown University. They delve into the themes of his new book, Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean, set to be released on October 28, 2025. Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean offers a sweeping history of human encounters with the solar system. Professor Degroot reimagines the solar system as a
Do Aliens Speak Physics? And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality
Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality (Whiteson & Warner, 2025) is a mind-bending exploration into what it would mean, scientifically and philosophically, for humans to communicate with an extraterrestrial intelligence through the language of physics. Daniel Whiteson, a particle physicist, and Andy Warner tackle deep questions: Are concepts like "num
Birth of Planets: JWST Spots Hot Mineral Condensation in a Proto-Stellar System
How do planets start? Host Simon Steel (SETI Institute) speaks with Melissa McClure (Leiden University), lead author of a new study that caught the earliest spark of planet formation. Using JWST and ALMA, the team detected silicon monoxide (SiO)—both gaseous and likely crystalline—and pinpointed where hot, rock-forming minerals are condensing inside the protoplanetary disk of HOPS-315, ~1300 light
Space Weather Alert! Sunspots, Coronal Holes, and Space Storms
The Sun is restless again! A massive coronal hole has opened up, sending streams of solar wind racing toward Earth. These high-speed particles not only light up our skies with dazzling auroras but can also affect satellites, power grids, and communications. In this special SETI Live, heliophysicist Dr. Becca Robinson (SETI Institute) joins host Simon Steel (Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center
Hidden Habitability: What Dawn Discovered Beneath Ceres' Icy Crust
Join host Beth Johnson and guest Dr. Sam Courville, lead author of a new study on Ceres, as they dive into the possibility that the dwarf planet may have had the energy needed to support habitability for much longer than once believed. Using data from NASA's Dawn mission, researchers uncovered evidence of persistent geologic activity, brine movement, and long-lived energy sources beneath Ceres' ic
Lunar Impact? Asteroid 2024 YR4 and the Risk to the Moon
Join host Dr. Franck Marchis and guest Dr. Andy Rivkin (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) for a discussion on asteroid 2024 YR4 and its potential impact on the Moon. Thanks to new observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have refined the asteroid's orbit and determined there is about a 4% chance it could strike the Moon in December 2032. While there is
When We Find Life: Science, Society, and Survival
What happens after we discover life beyond Earth? The question is no longer "if," but "when"—and how humanity responds could shape our future. Host and planetary astronomer Franck Marchis welcomes Martin Dominik, one of the authors of a new white paper on the societal, political, and philosophical challenges we'll face once alien life is confirmed. From public communication and policy to our colle
Worlds of Fire: What Molten Exoplanets Teach Us About Planet Formation
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson and Dr. Charles-Édouard Boukaré (York University) as they dive into new research on molten rocky exoplanets—worlds so hot that their surfaces are oceans of magma. This international study, led by York University, sheds light on how these fiery planets form, evolve, and what their extreme environments can teach us about the diversity of planetary systems.
Life in Titan's Ocean? The Microscopic Possibility of Biomass on Saturn's Moon
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is a world of methane rivers and lakes, icy boulders, sandy dunes, and a vast subsurface ocean. Could this distant world harbor life? A new study led by Dr. Antonin Affholder, now a fellow at ETH Zurich, suggests that Titan's ocean might support life—but only in the tiniest amounts, making it incredibly hard to find. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as she
LaserSETI Live Puerto Rico Edition: A New Observatory & Revisiting the Wow! Signal
Join us for a special livestream featuring Dr. Abel Méndez from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, hosted by SETI Institute researcher Dr. Lauren Sgro. They will discuss the latest on LaserSETI, the all-sky project searching for optical technosignatures, including exciting updates from the new installation in Puerto Rico. This special "LaserSETI Live" will also dive into Méndez's new study
Pulsing White Dwarf! Decoding a Strange Radio Rhythm
Join us for a 30-minute livestream with Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute, and Dr. Sanne Bloot, lead author of a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. They will discuss one of the universe's most puzzling new discoveries: a white dwarf that emits highly polarized radio pulses in a strange, patterned rhythm. (Recorded live 28 Augu
Can We Recognize Alien Life? Ocean Worlds and the Search for Life
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a conversation with Dr. Anastasia Yanchilina, Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, as we explore how life might emerge and/or be mistaken for in environments beyond Earth. Dr. Yanchilla studies abiotic mineral structures, or "chemical gardens," that resemble biological life but form entirely through non-living processes. By recreati
Citizen Science in Astronomy (Part 7): Comet 3I/ATLAS and a Disintegrating Exoplanet
Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Unistellar, and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyMapper, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We will talk about amateur astronomer observatio
Closest Exoplanet Yet? JWST Reveals Neighboring Planet Candidate
Join astronomers Franck Marchis (SETI Institute) and Julien Girard (Space Telescope Science Institute) for a 30-minute live discussion unpacking NASA's exciting new findings from JWST. Just announced, JWST has revealed strong evidence of a Saturn-mass gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A—the Sun's nearest solar twin—located just 4 light-years away. The planet appears to orbit at about 1 to 2 AU, pl
Orbital Oddity and Neptune: Resonant Object Hints at Planetary Migration
Join us for a 30-minute live conversation with astronomer Dr. Rosemary E. Pike, lead author of a groundbreaking new study that reveals the discovery of a rare and distant object orbiting in resonance with Neptune. Hosted by Beth Johnson of the SETI Institute, this stream will explore the science behind this unusual trans-Neptunian object, what it tells us about the early solar system, and why its
A Vaporizing Planet: Why BD+05 4868 b is Turning to Dust
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a live interview with astrophysicist Marc Hon (MIT), lead author of a new study revealing one of the most extreme exoplanets ever discovered — a small, rocky world that's literally disintegrating as it orbits its star. BD+05 4868 b is a Mercury-sized planet just 140 light-years away that's orbiting so close to its star, it's roasting at around 1650°C
Comet 3I/ATLAS: A Visitor from Beyond the Solar System
Comets are cosmic time capsules, but some carry stories from far beyond our Solar System. Join us for a live discussion on Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to visit our cosmic neighborhood. Host Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, will be joined by a panel of experts to explore what makes this comet unique, how scientists are studying it,
How Ceres Froze Over: Modeling the Ice-Rich Crust of an Evolving Dwarf Planet
Join planetary scientists Beth Johnson and Ian Pamerleau, lead author of a groundbreaking new Nature Astronomy study, for a deep dive into the icy mysteries of Ceres—the largest object in the asteroid belt and the only dwarf planet to be orbited by a spacecraft. While Ceres shows signs of an ice-rich interior, its heavily cratered surface doesn't behave like soft, ice-laden terrain. So what gives?
Dreams of Biogenesis: A Conversation with Artist Jennifer Willet
How does life begin? This intriguing question touches on science, philosophy, and the imagination. Artist and INCUBATOR Art Lab Director Jennifer Willet created an artwork that visualizes the theories of SETI Institute Drake Award recipients Dr. David Deamer and Dr. John Baross. Willet's work, Dreams of Biogenesis, imagines the birth of life on our planet as a reverie of molecules, cells, micro an
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory First Look: Stunning Images and Asteroids Aplenty
Last week, the NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory released its First Look images, including stunning views of the Trifid and Lagoon nebulae, an astounding Cosmic Treasure Chest of stars and galaxies, and a "swarm" of newly discovered asteroids. Captured in a mere ten hours of observing time, this preview gave us a taste of what is to come for the groundbreaking observatory. As the press release states, "Ru
LaserSETI Update: On Exhibit in London and a New Station in Puerto Rico
A major new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, runs from May 17, 2025, to January 4, 2026, and will feature a complete LaserSETI instrument on display. The exhibit explores one of humanity's most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe? The exhibition brings together cutting-edge science, captivating artifacts, and the late
Could Aliens See Us? What Earth's Technosphere Reveals
🌍 What Will Earth Look Like in 1000 Years? Will humanity collapse, thrive, or colonize the stars—and could alien civilizations detect us? Join senior planetary astronomer Dr. Franck Marchis for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra, astrobiologist and lead author of a groundbreaking study exploring 10 possible futures for Earth's technosphere—the global network of our technologies—a
Mars' Ancient Carbon Cycle: How Rocks on Mars Tell the Story of a Vanishing Climate
Join planetary scientist Beth Johnson as we explore a groundbreaking discovery from NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. Scientists have identified siderite—a rare iron carbonate mineral—within ancient Martian rocks, offering new insights into Mars' once-thicker atmosphere and its now-lost carbon cycle. This discovery reshapes our understanding of the Red Planet's climate history and helps us draw powe
Titan's Missing Deltas? What Cassini Saw — and What It Didn't
Why are Titan's river deltas missing? Planetary astronomer Franck Marchis taps in for Beth Johnson to chat with Brown University's Sam Birch and explore a strange and unexpected mystery on Saturn's largest moon. Using data from NASA's Cassini mission and advanced computer modeling, Birch's team reveals that Titan's shorelines defy Earth-like expectations. Despite Titan's known rivers and seas of l
A Cookbook of Life: How Chemistry Might Explain Life on Other Planets
What if the origin of life isn't a one-in-a-billion cosmic fluke, but something that happens whenever the conditions are just right? Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as we explore groundbreaking research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where scientists have identified over 270 self-replicating chemical reactions that may have sparked life, not just on Earth, but potentially an
Red Planet, Blue Past: How Rain Shaped the Martian Landscape
A groundbreaking study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that ancient Mars was far from the cold, arid planet we know today. Led by Amanda Steckel, the research team utilized computer simulations to reveal that billions of years ago, Mars experienced significant precipitation—either rain or snow—that carved out extensive networks of valleys and channels across its surface. These fin
Tiny Asteroids, Big Threats: JWST Reveals a Hidden World of Mini Asteroids
One significant threat to life here on Earth is the possibility that a massive asteroid will collide with our planet and destroy life as we know it. To understand the possibilities, large surveys of the sky have found around 95% of potentially hazardous asteroids larger than a kilometer. Smaller asteroids, however, can also cause massive amounts of damage. Estimates range from 40 to 60 percent whe
Is Intelligent Life Easy? Human-Like Life Probably Evolves "Right on Time"
A recent study proposes a new model for the evolution of intelligent life, which challenges the long-standing "hard steps" theory that the emergence of intelligent life is an exceedingly rare event due to a series of improbable evolutionary milestones. A team led by postdoctoral researcher Dan Mills from the University of Munich suggests that the development of intelligent life is a natural outco
Unistellar + Citizen Science Q&A (Part 6): Comet SWAN, Satellites, Asteroid Leona
Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Unistellar and director of Citizen Science at SETI Institute, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We will give an update on T CrB, share our new Satellites mode, discuss an exoplanet candidate campaign to
Chasing Martian Microbes: A New Technique for Finding Microbial Fossils in Minerals
A road trip to a gypsum quarry in Algeria led Youcef Sellam on a journey of scientific discovery. From the road trip to an internship in Italy, he and his colleagues later discovered microbial fossils—marking a first for Algerian gypsum. As a Ph.D. student at the University of Bern, Sellam and his team took this research further. They used a special instrument to detect the chemical signatures of
Why is Mars Red? New Research Suggests Ferrihydrite is the Key
In a recent study, Dr. Janice Bishop of the SETI Institute, along with postdoctoral researcher Adomas Valantinas from Brown University, propose that Mars' characteristic red hue is primarily due to ferrihydrite—a water-rich iron oxide mineral—rather than the previously assumed hematite. Analyses of data collected by Martian orbiters, rovers, and laboratory experiments showed that ferrihydrite clos
The Climate Chronicles with Professor Dagomar Degroot
In The Climate Chronicles, a podcast with 42 episodes across eight seasons, Professor Dagomar Degroot of Georgetown University "takes you on a journey through 50 million years of climate change." He delves into how climate change has shaped civilizations—from the earliest hominid ancestors to the present era of rapid global warming. Through storytelling and historical analysis, he reveals the prof
Super-Earth Laboratory: Using HD 20794 d to Understand Habitability
With over 7,000 exoplanets identified in our galaxy, scientists are shifting their focus to studying these worlds' characteristics in the quest for extraterrestrial life. The backdrop for one team is the discovery of super-Earth HD 20794 d, an exoplanet detected by researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and NCCR PlanetS. Orbiting in an eccentric path, HD 20794 d moves in and out of its
Amino Acids on Bennu! Building Blocks for Life Detected in Asteroid Bennu Samples
The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission has been a resounding success, from taking a sample of asteroid Bennu to returning that sample to Earth. The first in-depth analysis of the space rocks is complete, and the results have been published in Nature and Nature Astronomy. One of the most intriguing results shows that 14 of
A PUNCH for the Sun: NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere
NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, or PUNCH mission, is a constellation of four small satellites in low Earth orbit that will make global, 3D observations of the Sun's corona to better understand how the mass and energy there become the solar wind that fills the solar system. Imaging the Sun's corona and the solar wind together will help scientists better understand the entire
Space is the Case: A Conversation with SETI Artist in Residence Martin Wilner
During his time as an Artist in Residence (AIR) at the SETI Institute, visual artist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst Martin Wilner invited prominent SETI Institute scientists to participate in his ongoing project, The Case Histories. Interested in exploring how scientists relate to the possibility of encountering an alien life form, Wilner invited researchers such as Jill Tarter, Seth Shostak, an
Looking for Lunar Anomalies Using Automated Methods
Over the past decade, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured thousands of high-resolution images of the Moon's surface—far more than humans can manually review. To tackle this challenge, scientists have developed an automated system that quickly identifies scientifically significant images from the LRO data, making it the first anomaly detector for planetary imagery. Experiments sh
Earth Detecting Earth: How Far Away Can We Detect Earth's Technosignatures?
If an extraterrestrial civilization existed with technology similar to ours, would they be able to detect Earth and evidence of humanity? If so, what signals would they detect, and from how far away? Researchers used a theoretical, modeling-based method, and this study is the first to analyze multiple types of technosignatures together rather than separately. The findings revealed that radio signa
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