Señales captadas por el telescopio Webb marcan que puede existir vida en el universo, más allá de la Tierra.
Categoría
🗞
NoticiasTranscripción
00:00Gracias.
00:30We have found evidence for possible biological activity on an exoplanet.
00:37We have found signs of biosignature molecules, either DMS or DMDS or both,
00:45both of which are produced uniquely by life here on Earth
00:50and have been predicted to be biosignatures on planets around other stars as well.
00:55And we found the strongest evidence to date on a biosignature molecule,
01:02in this case a combination, potentially around another star outside the solar system.
01:08And that is a major breakthrough in our search for life beyond the solar system.
01:18Not only that there is a chance that the planet can actually be habitable,
01:24but what we are finding is that we are demonstrating that it is possible to detect biosignatures
01:32in atmospheres of such planets around nearby stars with existing facilities.
01:38And that's a big breakthrough.
01:54Currently, the only scenario that explains all the observations, in other words, detections of methane and carbon dioxide,
02:10non-detection of ammonia and carbon monoxide, and now possible detection of these molecules,
02:15means that based on our current understanding, the only scenario that explains all of this
02:20is one where it's a Haitian world that is teeming with life.
02:24And what is a Haitian world? It's an ocean-covered surface with a thin hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
02:30And the ocean being habitable.
02:32So that is the only scenario which can currently explain all the observations together.
02:36However, we want to remain open to other alternatives one might come up with in the future.
02:42This moment in history of science will be viewed as a paradigm shift in our search for life.
02:53And the reason for that is that we have breached the level where we are demonstrating that if there is life out there,
03:01if there are Haitian worlds out there, these ocean worlds with hydrogen atmospheres with life on them,
03:07we are basically establishing here that we can detect that kind of signature,
03:13those kinds of planets and biosignatures in them.
03:17So that is a paradigm shift in our understanding.
03:20This is a monumental discovery. It is very important, but we also have to be extremely cautious.
03:37The reason is that this is one of the biggest questions we have asked as a species in all of science,
03:42and we have to deal with it very carefully in that we want to be really, really robust
03:47in establishing whether this is actually life that we are seeing.
03:50We want two things. We want more observations to confirm that the signal is robust.
03:55We are seeing it at a three sigma level.
03:57We still have three in a thousand chance of it being a fluke.
04:00So we want to observe more to get it to a five sigma level, less than a chance in a million,
04:05a part in a million of a fluke.
04:07But we also want to do more theoretical and observational studies to make sure
04:13that there is absolutely no other way we can make this molecule without life.
04:17I think it is our responsibility as scientists and as part of a society
04:22that we want to answer this very deep question in a very careful and robust manner.
04:26But the excitement is still there nevertheless that we've got the capability to do it now.
04:37Thank you.
05:01Gracias por ver el video.