this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I hate the fact that this is getting wayyy more attention that JWST's recent discovery of CO2 and Methane in K2-18 b's atmosphere. Like that is actual evidence for alien life for fucks sake. We might actual have found the first extra solar life, and instead focus on some grifter.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

These types of news (UFOs, supposed alien remnants, etc) seem to often be ran as distractions. So there could be something actually newsworthy happening right now that we aren't being told

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the possible detection of dimethyl sulfide on K2-18 b by JWST is incredible. one of the most convincing leads i've seen so far.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

So i'm not the most well versed in chemistry or biology but i know a fair bit of physics and geology, and i know that both CO2 and methane can form through geological processes. Which is why i was not that impressed by this news at first. But is there something more special about dimethyl sulfide that requires biotic processes? Couldn't it also just come from something like volcanic activity?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm excited but cautious about that discovery. Methane was detected on Venus a few years ago, but it turned out to likely not be a sign of life.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, those are just cool. Th real good stuff is the evidence for liquid oceans and the hope that there may be dimethyl sulfide, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. But it would prove life with very high certainty.