Big Picture Science
September 21, 2020: Life on Venus?
Have scientists found evidence of life on Venus? Known for its scorching temperatures and acidic atmosphere, Earth’s twin hardly seems a promising place for living things. But could a discovery of phosphine by researchers at MIT point to a high-altitude biosphere on this nearby world?
Guests:
Clara Sousa – Silva — Research scientist in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. She and Sara Seager co-authored a paper in January 2020 titled, “Phosphine as a Biosignature Gas in Exoplanet Atmospheres”
Sara Seager — Professor of physics and planetary science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of “The Smallest Lights in the Universe”
Nathalie Cabrol — Planetary Scientist and Director of the Cal Sagan Center at the SETI Institute
David Grinspoon — Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, author of “Earth in Human Hands.”