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purplecthulhu at 02:37pm on 28/07/2022 under living the science fictional life
purplecthulhu at 02:37pm on 28/07/2022 under living the science fictional lifeThis afternoon (UK time, morning EST) I'll be speaking at, and participating in, a discussion about an addition to NASA's Venus DAVINCI probe's sensor suite. I'll be arguing that this should be an additional channel to trace phosphine, PH3, levels in the atmosphere. Other molecules that are up for discussion include ammonia, NH3 (like phosphine a possible biomarker), as well as HCl, HF and some oxygen isotopes, which are more related to tectonic activity and chemical activity.
It's weird for me as an extragalactic astronomer to be doing this, but that's where research sometimes takes you.
It's also weird because this may have an impact on if, and when, humanity could find out that there is life elsewhere in the universe since, while there are other possible explanations for our discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, the astrobiology one is by far the most interesting.
Sometimes I feel as if I've become a character in an SF novel.
It's weird for me as an extragalactic astronomer to be doing this, but that's where research sometimes takes you.
It's also weird because this may have an impact on if, and when, humanity could find out that there is life elsewhere in the universe since, while there are other possible explanations for our discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, the astrobiology one is by far the most interesting.
Sometimes I feel as if I've become a character in an SF novel.
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On the less serious side there's a zombie-chibi-cthulhu lurking on the bookshelf.
Make of this what you wish :-)