In Search of Unique Bio Signatures of Life.

The news went around the world, Astronomers claim to have found a possible sign of life and a planet 124 light years from Earth, the exoplanet K2-18b already known as a candidate for an ocean world revealed an intriguing molecule in its atmosphere, dimethyl sulfide, a substance that here on Earth is only produced by microscopic life such as phytoplanton and marine microorganisms.

But does that mean we really discovered extraterrestrial life? Well, we are facing one of those moments in which some use science and rush in search of headlines, the detection was made with the James Webb space telescope, until now the most powerful instrument in history to analyze exoplanet atmospheres.

Scientists led by NikKu Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge used spectroscopic data to suggest that the atmosphere of K2-18b is filled with dimethyl sulfide in concentrations thousands of times higher than those found here on Earth and since this molecule here is only produced by living organisms the deduction seemed inevitable, perhaps there is life out there, but the excitement soon ran into a critical flaw: dimethyl sulfide can be generated by non-biological processes.

Recent studies had already detected this same molecule in comets and in the interstellar medium and even in experiments simulating alien atmospheres bombarded by UV light. In other words, it cannot be assured that it is a reliable biosignature outside of Earth. In addition, other astronomers pointed out that the signal captured by the web is still very weak and provisional and could even disappear in future analyzes carried out by other teams.

The reaction of the scientific community was mixed while Madhusudhan described the moment as revolutionary, researchers such as Laura Creenberg and Edward Schweiderman asked for more caution and less euphoria, NASA itself chose not to publicly comment on the study which is unusual, considering that the agency had already released previous communications about that same planet and the reason may be that the same agency is waiting for more robust evidence so as not to fuel unfounded expectations.

The big lesson here is not just dimethyl sulfide or K2-18b. It is about how the search for life outside Earth requires not only cutting-edge technology but also a rigorous, neutral and patient methodology. It is fascinating that we are reaching the point of detecting molecules in the atmospheres of distant worlds, but that also reminds us that science and technology are a process, not a race for views and likes.

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