Scientists hail ‘strongest evidence’ so far for life beyond our solar system
Astrophysics team say observation of chemical compounds may be ‘tipping point’ in search for extraterrestrial life
Still unconfirmed: Space telescope spots possible signs of life on alien planet. Some are skeptical : NPR
“K2-18b orbits a cool dwarf star that lies about 124 light years away, in the constellation of Leo.”
Building off the Guardian article — it’s worth highlighting just how huge this could be, while staying grounded.
The James Webb Space Telescope has picked up strong spectral evidence suggesting the presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in K2-18b’s atmosphere. On Earth, DMS is only produced by living organisms, mainly marine life like phytoplankton. That’s why the detection caused such a stir.
The detection came in at about 3-sigma confidence — scientifically speaking, that’s significant, but still shy of “gold standard” proof (5-sigma). In plain English: it’s highly suggestive, not definitive.
K2-18b also seems to fit the profile of a Hycean world — a planet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a massive global ocean, which could support microbial ecosystems. JWST has already confirmed the presence of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in its atmosphere, both of which add to the habitability profile.
That said, it’s important to stay careful:
Still — this is probably the strongest case yet for a world beyond Earth showing chemical signs that might point to biological activity.
It doesn’t confirm intelligent life, but it does raise the odds that life itself could be common in the universe — which has massive implications for everything, including how we think about the UAP phenomenon.
Really exciting moment to be paying attention.
With the growing evidence for biosignatures on planets like K2-18b, I would think it would make sense to shift some focus toward looking for technosignatures as well. Unfortunately, it appears there are currently no active plans to do so, which I think is a tragedy. I would love to see someone take up the challenge of focusing more attention on biosignature candidate exoplanets and technosignature searches.
Additionally, while scientists are eager to search for signs of life and technology across the galaxy, there seems to be hesitation when it comes to investigating similar phenomena closer to home — particularly with UAPs.
Projects like Breakthrough Listen are scanning millions of stars, and the Galileo Project is actively investigating UAPs, looking for physical evidence. Yet, while SETI embraces the search for distant technosignatures, the idea of looking for signs of alien technology or life here on Earth (in the form of UAPs) still faces significant skepticism.
Given the growing evidence of potential biosignatures on planets like K2-18b, is it time to rethink this approach?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this tension between our cosmic ambitions and the mysteries right here at home!
the reluctance is that world governments rather buy nukes for war rather than nukes for space time travel
there is no lack of science. just a lack of government showmanship
If america ever finds itself with a Ben Franklin again, then america science will be in good hands
Im sure with such leadership we can do 100 years of breakthoughs in less than 10 years
Fair point—governments often prioritize weapons over science, and with NASA facing cuts, it’s hard to expect big breakthroughs from them anytime soon. But science doesn’t stop at national budgets or politics.
A lot of meaningful work is still being done by non-government institutions like the SETI Institute, and international collaborations like ESA’s ExoMars mission. Groups like UAP Discovery have even been created specifically to focus on transparent, civilian-led research.
We don’t need a Ben Franklin figure to push science forward. What we need—and still have—are people and organizations quietly doing the work, even when leadership falls short. Progress might not be flashy right now, but it’s still moving.
The sooner the planet can become peaceful, the sooner governments can spend less on defence having to worry about conflics. instead of a graveyard for battle tanks should have 100’s of solar sails in its place. I hope we find aliens they could have longevity medical technology.
anyway. I was taking down some notes. the Astroid belt gets 13,000 Lux illuminance. The asteroid belt is a vast region of space between Mars and Jupiter.
our earth gets 100,000 lux.
So I believe most life need plants to survive.
-Low Light plants need 1000-5000 lux
-medium light plants 10k-20k lux
high intensie plants 20k-50k lux (Fruiting)
the outter reaches of our solar system only gets 100 lux.
Earth is 150 million kilometers from the sun
K2-18b is an exoplanet orbiting a small, cool star (K2-18) located about 111 light-years from Earth.
Orbital Distance
K2-18b orbits its star within the habitable zone, where liquid water could potentially exist on its surface. The orbital distance is estimated to be:
About 0.142 astronomical units (AU)
Comparison to Earth
For context, Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU. K2-18b’s close proximity to its star is due to the star being smaller and cooler than the Sun.
K2-18b’s orbital distance of 0.142 AU puts it in a region where it receives sufficient radiation from its star to potentially support liquid water, making it an interesting target for studying potentially habitable exoplanets.
K2-18b receives a significant amount of radiation from its star, but the amount of lux (illuminance) it receives depends on its distance and the star’s energy output.
Stellar Flux
K2-18b receives about 94% of the stellar flux Earth receives from the Sun, but since the star is cooler, the spectrum and intensity differ.
Lux Estimate
Assuming K2-18b’s star emits less light than the Sun, we can estimate the lux level:
About 60,000 to 80,000 lux
This is roughly 60-80% of the lux Earth receives from the Sun (about 100,000 lux).
(personally I dont think so) It should only matter about the intensity of light recieved.
I believe humans will be first to make contact. our species are very snoopy 
Several fruiting plants can thrive in partial shade, including currants, gooseberries, tart cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and certain varieties of plums and pears. Pawpaw trees and some mulberry varieties also tolerate partial shade.
you need your fruits and veggies to grow up to be big healthy alien. I believe they too will aquire many different taste buds
“cool spectrum” refers to the color of the light (a blueish-white tint)
a small, cool star it orbits
Radius Estimate
First thing our politicians are going to ask when we find aliens “Are you a democracy?”
its our way or the highway. when we find you you better be a democracy better be similar to us. we wont tolerate any other kind of different system no no no lol
