As part of our Network for #OceanWorlds retreat, we had a lab day where we collected samples off the dock and used the laboratory facilities of the Wrigley Marine Science center.
(Stay tuned, in this thread there will be an important implication for #astrobiology)
Thread on marine lab day.
Here we are lowering a plankton collection net into the water near the dock.
Lets talk about chirality. And what those asteroid samples could teach us.
Chirality is the "handedness" of molecules. This is a big deal in #astrobiology
If you have a central atom of a tetrahedron and four different things poking out of it, there are two possible orientations.
(Try this with colored gumdrops. Geologists may get to lick rocks, but chemists get to eat their gumdrop models.)
Unfortunately the main text is hiding behind a paywall so not accessible to everyone but the short summary is: yes it is.
As somebody working in an astrobiology research group, I am more intrigued why this still seems to be a question that needs to be addressed.
Jupiter's moon Europa is believed to have a subsurface ocean and potentially the chemical ingredients to permit life. A landed mission to Europa is one of the top long-term aspirations of planetary science, to understand Europa's potential habitability and to seek signs of life.
NASA's quest for extraterrestrial life now includes technosignatures, evidence of advanced civilizations on distant exoplanets. Through AI, new research methods, and a broadened focus, scientists remain hopeful in discovering life beyond Earth. Our first confirmed proof of life beyond Earth might
The SETI Institute is announcing the 2023 SETI Forward Award recipients: Dana Yaptangco and Rózà Okón. Now in its 5th year, SETI Forward is a beacon for promising young scientists. Established by Lew Levy, SETI Forward committee founder and member of its Council of Advisors, this award nurtures talent, providing scholarship funds to aspiring researchers.
Searching for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe: Technosignatures (scitechdaily.com)
NASA's quest for extraterrestrial life now includes technosignatures, evidence of advanced civilizations on distant exoplanets. Through AI, new research methods, and a broadened focus, scientists remain hopeful in discovering life beyond Earth. Our first confirmed proof of life beyond Earth might