WE ARE NOT ALONE

12/10/2023

What is DMS, and why should you care?

Scientists have identified an exoplanet called K2-18b, which orbits a a cool dwarf star about 120 light years away from Earth. Three key scientific findings about planet K2-18b are important:

⁃ Water v***r has been detected
⁃ It resides in the “Goldilocks” zone, meaning it has temperatures (-5 to +41 F) that support the presence of liquid water
⁃ DMS has been detected

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) is a molecule containing Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Sulfur. On planet Earth, DMS is only emitted by phytoplankton (a fancy word for “algae”) as part of the photosynthesis process. Phytoplankton account for about half of the photosynthetic activity on Earth. You’ve actually smelled DMS before because it’s one of the key ingredients in the “smell of the sea” that you have experienced. If you find DMS on Earth, there must be algae present.

Have you connected the dots yet? The presence of water and DMS on another planet is a strong signal that a simple form of life may be present in our galaxy, but not on Earth. Not little green men, but little green water-based plants producing DMS! We are not alone!! https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-exoplanet-atmosphere-carbon-dioxide-methane

04/02/2023

03/27/2023

“Hazes can obscure an alien planet’s atmosphere, but recreating them in the laboratory could help unlock their secrets. Learn more in this feature: https://t.co/33mio6OsNf ”

03/26/2023

Advanced Spectroscopy!

“Hazes can obscure an alien planet’s atmosphere, but recreating them in the laboratory could help unlock their secrets. Learn more in this feature: https://t.co/33mio6OsNf ”

03/17/2023

Spectroscopy!! It’s going to unlock the next great leap in our understanding of the universe.

03/17/2023

Scientists are using spectroscopy to study the light that passes through exoplanet atmospheres and is received by our telescopes. The James Webb Deep Space telescope will be using exactly that (3rd picture above).

Spectroscopy examines the light that is absorbed and emitted by the exoplanet atmosphere (2nd picture), revealing a unique signature of the molecules that are present (4th picture above). And because we already know that certain molecules exist on Earth only when biological activity is occurring, this means that we will be able to confirm that biological activity appears to be occurring on another planet in the Milky Way Galaxy!

Buy your WE ARE NOT ALONE gear now to be ready for the big discovery!

02/18/2023

Your name goes to Mars, and the same mission brings Mars rocks back to Earth (totally awesome). If the rocks show past biological activity occurring on Mars, you would be part of the first-ever interplanetary existential exchange program!! Link in bio :)

02/18/2023

Your (existential) free ticket to Mars!!

Send Your Name to Mars. View and share your Boarding Pass. See your Frequent Flyer points.

02/18/2023

Did you know you can send your name to Mars on NASA’s next flight to the Red Planet? That next NASA mission will be bringing back rock samples from Mars to Earth for the first time. There’s a chance the rock samples will hold evidence of past biological activity occurring on Mars. With evidence of your existence brought to Mars, and evidence of Mars life brought to Earth, you could be part of the first-ever interplanetary existential exchange program!!

Send Your Name to Mars. View and share your Boarding Pass. See your Frequent Flyer points.

02/14/2023

From the “Not Quite…” file