{"id":795888,"date":"2025-05-05T02:34:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T07:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795888"},"modified":"2025-05-05T02:34:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T07:34:05","slug":"why-astronomers-are-unconvinced-k2-18b-is-home-to-alien-life-short-wave-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795888","title":{"rendered":"Why astronomers are unconvinced K2-18b is home to alien life : Short Wave : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n This artistic rendering of what an exoplanet like K2-18b, a possible water world, could look like.
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NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI)<\/p>\n

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NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI)<\/p>\n

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This artistic rendering of what an exoplanet like K2-18b, a possible water world, could look like.<\/p>\n

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NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI)<\/p>\n

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Recently, a group of scientists claimed they found possible signs of life on a planet called K2-18b. The news made headlines. Researchers said they’d detected sulphur-based gases that, on Earth, are strongly associated with life. <\/p>\n

But the research caused an uproar in astronomy circles because other scientists don’t think the data is strong enough to celebrate an alien find just yet. In fact, they have some real issues with how this whole thing went down, and a new analysis casts further doubt on the findings. <\/p>\n

NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce is here to wade into the controversy \u2014 and tell us what all this means for the future of searching for life beyond our solar system. <\/p>\n