SETI Live

Astronomers have unveiled a novel technique for detecting faint signals from stellar and exoplanetary systems — potentially opening new pathways in the search for extraterrestrial technology and natural astrophysical phenomena alike. In this episode of SETI Live, host Moiya McTier sits down with radio astronomer Cyril Tasse to explore the method described in Nature Astronomy. How does it work? Why is it different from traditional radio searches? And what kinds of signals could it reveal that we've been missing? Radio waves from distant stars and planets are incredibly faint and often buried in noise. This new approach rethinks how we process and interpret complex data, potentially improving sensitivity to subtle, structured signals. RIMS press release: https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/the-detection-of-radio-bursts.html RIMS paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02757-7 Stellar storm press release: https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/evidence-of-a-massive-stellar.html CME video: https://youtu.be/bHlOYFn0RUM (Recorded live 5 March 2026.)

Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyMapper, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, update us about citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. They discuss making 15,000 observations in 2025, pending confirmation of a planet candidate, Comet 29P outbursting, observing rocket bodies, and preparing to observe Artemis II. They also answer your questions about our program and discuss recent highlights. (Recorded live 27 February 2026.)

Astronomers may have found the missing link in the story of the Milky Way's most common planets. In this SETI Live, host Moiya McTier is joined by exoplanet scientist John H. Livingston to explore a new discovery that helps connect the dots between small rocky worlds like Earth and the larger "sub-Neptunes" that dominate our galaxy. Using cutting-edge observations and statistical analysis, researchers have identified a population of planets that appears to bridge a long-standing gap in our understanding of planetary formation. For years, astronomers have known that planets of sizes between Earth and Neptune are incredibly common—but their origins and evolutionary paths have remained puzzling. This new result may finally clarify how these worlds form, evolve, and sometimes transform. What does this mean for: • How do planetary systems assemble? • Why does our Solar System look so unusual? • The search for habitable worlds beyond Earth? Join us as we break down the science, the methods, and the bigger implications for exoplanet research and the search for life. Press release: https://www.abc-nins.jp/en/2026/01/08/10010/ Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09840-z (Recorded live 26 February 2026.)

Our Cosmic Consciousness residency artists daniela brill estrada, Bart Kuipers, and Julie-Michèle Morin, discuss an art-science collaboration that imagines how language might emerge from alien worlds. Hosts: Bettina Forget and Cosmic Consciousness residency advisor Gregory Betts. Join SETI AIR program Director Bettina Forget for a conversation with Cosmic Consciousness artists in residence daniela brill estrada, Bart Kuipers, and Julie-Michèle Morin, joined by residency advisor Gregory Betts. Together, they will discuss Exoplanetary Poetry, an art-science collaboration that imagines how language might emerge from alien worlds. Using atmospheric data from real exoplanets, the team trains an artificial intelligence to write poems alongside human collaborators. The resulting texts are translated back into chemistry, forming multisensory installations where reactions generate visual forms, textures, and scent. How can molecules become metaphors? What does it mean to co-author with a nonhuman intelligence shaped by planetary science? And can poetry help us think differently about life beyond Earth? Exoplanetary Poetry: https://exoplanetarypoetry.space/ Sara Walker: https://search.asu.edu/profile/1731899 Learn more about the SETI AIR program: https://www.seti.org/air/ (Recorded live 19 February 2026.)

Are we finally uncovering hidden pulsars at the center of the Milky Way? Join host Beth Johnson and William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow Karen Perez for a deep dive into a newly announced discovery of a possible pulsar near our galaxy's core. Using data from the Breakthrough Listen Deep Pulsar Survey and observations with the NSF Green Bank Telescope, researchers are probing one of the most extreme and mysterious regions in the Milky Way. The Galactic Center is a chaotic environment dominated by the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. For decades, astronomers have predicted that many pulsars should orbit this region — yet very few have been detected. Why are they so hard to find? And what would discovering more of them mean for testing gravity, mapping the Galactic Center, and understanding extreme astrophysics? Press release: https://news.columbia.edu/news/researchers-announce-discovery-possible-pulsar-milky-ways-center Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae336c Datasets: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/group/breakthrough-listen/deep-pulsar-survey-results-galactic-center  (Recorded live 12 February 2026.)

Humanity is heading back to the Moon—and Artemis II is the mission that makes it real. In this SETI Live, host Simon Steel is joined by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens, assistant research scientist at NASA Goddard, to explore how Artemis II will prepare the way for future astronaut missions. Artemis II isn't landing on the Moon—but it is laying the groundwork. From mapping the lunar environment to understanding how radiation, extreme cold, and surface conditions affect both spacecraft and humans, this mission is a crucial scouting expedition. The data gathered will directly inform how astronauts live, work, and explore when boots return to lunar soil. Together, we'll unpack how lunar scientists are using Artemis II to test assumptions, close knowledge gaps, and turn decades of robotic exploration into a sustainable human presence beyond Earth. This is the Moon as a proving ground—not just for technology, but for the future of deep-space exploration. (Recorded live 2 February 2026.)

In this SETI Live episode, host Simon Steel (Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center) chats with evolutionary biologist Philipp Schiffer (Worm Lab) about one of the most astonishing discoveries in modern biology: scientists have revived a microscopic worm that had been frozen in Siberian permafrost for roughly 46,000 years. These nematodes entered a state of cryptobiosis — a kind of biological "pause" — and came back to life when gently thawed in the lab. They didn't just wiggle; they fed, reproduced, and gave us a window into life's extreme resilience. Simon and Philipp dive into the role of cryptobiosis, how radiocarbon dating places these organisms back in the late Pleistocene when woolly mammoths roamed, and what it means for the limits of suspended animation. This is biology meeting deep time — and you're invited to stretch your imagination along with the science. (Recorded live 29 January 2026.)

For more than two decades, millions of volunteers turned their home computers into a planet-scale telescope, donating idle processing power to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence through SETI@home. That effort ended in 2020—but the data never stopped speaking. Now, UC Berkeley scientists have taken a fresh, rigorous look at the vast SETI@home archive and identified around 100 intriguing signals that warrant closer scrutiny. In this SETI Live, host Beth Johnson is joined by Eric Korpela (UC Berkeley), one of the scientists behind the original SETI@home project and the new analyses. Together, they'll unpack how citizen science made this work possible, what these signals actually are (and are not), how researchers sort cosmic noise from something genuinely interesting, and what this next phase of investigation means for the future of SETI. Are any of these signals evidence of technology beyond Earth? Probably not—but "probably" is exactly where the science gets interesting. Join us for a deep dive into distributed computing, signal vetting, and what happens after the screensavers stop. (Recorded live 22 January 2026.)

Using early data from the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, astronomers have analyzed over one million galaxies to test a long-standing idea in astrophysics: that galaxy mergers help trigger the growth of supermassive black holes. In this SETI Live, host Dr. Moiya McTier will explore two new Euclid studies that combine vast sky surveys, machine learning, and multi-wavelength observations to uncover when and why active galactic nuclei (AGN) ignite. The results show that galaxies in the midst of mergers are far more likely to host actively feeding black holes — and that the brightest AGN are almost always found in cosmic collisions. Dr. McTier will be joined by lead authors Dr. Berta Margalef-Bentabol, Dr. Lingyu Wang, and Dr. Antonio la Marca from the Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON). They will discuss how Euclid identifies merging galaxies at scale, how researchers measure the black hole's contribution to a galaxy's light, and what this tells us about the coevolution of galaxies and their central black holes. We'll also look ahead to what future Euclid data could reveal as the survey expands to billions of galaxies. (Recorded live 15 January 2026.)

2026 is a pivotal year for space science. From humans returning to the Moon to new telescopes opening more expansive windows on the universe, this year marks a turning point in how we explore space—and why it matters. SETI Institute communications specialist Beth Johnson and Senior Planetary Astronomer Franck Marchis will tour the biggest missions, milestones, and moments shaping space science in 2026. We'll look at crewed lunar exploration, robotic missions to asteroids and planets, next-generation observatories, and the celestial events unfolding above our own skies. Along the way, we'll talk about what these missions are designed to discover, the questions they're trying to answer, and how they fit into the bigger story of humanity's search to understand our place in the cosmos. Whether you follow every launch or love looking up at the night sky, this episode will connect the dots between ambitious engineering, fundamental science, and the sense of wonder that keeps us exploring. (Recorded live 8 January 2026.)

We're going live with Dr. Cynthia Phillips, Europa Clipper Project Staff Scientist and Science Communications Lead, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to explore a surprising and exciting new chapter in comet science. Recently, the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft made unique observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS at a time when Earth- and Mars-based telescopes couldn't see it. In this livestream, communications specialist Beth Johnson and Dr. Phillips will unpack what these observations mean for our understanding of interstellar visitors and how instruments designed for one mission can yield discoveries well beyond their original goals. We'll lay out: • How Europa-UVS captured data on 3I/ATLAS's tails and coma while other assets were blocked by the Sun, bridging a critical observational gap. • What signatures of oxygen, hydrogen, and dust the instrument detected, and why that matters. • Why observations from unexpected vantage points — like those aboard Europa Clipper — can deepen our picture of interstellar objects. • What this tells us about the composition, activity, and evolution of a comet that formed around another star. Interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS are cosmic time capsules from beyond our solar system, carrying clues about alien planetary systems. Capturing data from a spacecraft not originally tasked with comet science is a testament to scientific adaptability and ingenuity — and it gives researchers a rare look inside the workings of an object that has journeyed across the galaxy to visit us. Press release: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/europa-clipper/2025/12/18/nasas-europa-clipper-observes-comet-3i-atlas/ (Recorded live 19 December 2025.)

Get ready for a fascinating deep dive into one of the biggest questions in astrobiology: How common are biological extraterrestrial intelligences in the Milky Way? Host Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research, is joined by Manuel Scherf and Helmut Lammer (Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences) to explore new research that challenges long-held assumptions about "Earth-like" planets and what it really takes for a world to support complex life. Recent work from Scherf, Lammer, and colleagues revisits the idea of Eta-Earth — the number of truly Earth-like habitats in the Galaxy. Their models extend far beyond the basic "habitable zone" and incorporate a suite of filters, including stable atmospheres, oxygen-rich conditions, plate tectonics, subaerial land, and long-term planetary evolution. These filters significantly reduce the number of planets that could potentially host complex or technological life. The study finds that even under generous assumptions, the Milky Way may host at most 60,000 to 250,000 Earth-like habitats — and the number that actually evolve intelligent life could be far smaller. The result? A serious rethink of how rare (or precious) intelligent life might be. Join us as we explore what this means for SETI strategies, exoplanet surveys, and our own cosmic significance. It's a conversation that blends astrophysics, planetary science, and a bit of existential wonder — perfect for anyone curious about where life fits into the grand structure of the cosmos. Paper: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2023.0076  Conference Abstract: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-1512.html (Recorded live 8 December 2025.)

In a special bonus SETI Live, communication specialist Beth Johnson welcomes astronomer and entrepreneur Franck Marchis to introduce SkyMapper, a new global network of smart telescopes and all-sky sensors designed to open the universe to everyone. SkyMapper brings together professional observatories, citizen astronomers, and classrooms into a single, decentralized platform. It enables real scientific discovery — from tracking satellites and meteors to monitoring comets and transient events in real time — while giving students and the public the chance to observe the sky, contribute data, and learn how modern astronomy works. We'll talk about the science, the outreach mission, the importance of the SETI Institute's partnership with SkyMapper, and why a worldwide, always-on view of the sky matters more than ever for research, education, and our shared curiosity. Join us live and discover how you can be part of this new way of exploring the universe. 📚 Learn more about SkyMapper: www.skymapper.io  👋 Join the SkyMapper community on Telegram: https://t.me/skymapper_community  ✅ Follow SkyMapper on social media: BlueSky: @skymapper.bsky.social X (formerly Twitter): @Skymapperspace LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skymapper-inc/  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkyMapper/ (Recorded live 5 December 2025.)

On this episode of SETI Live, host Moiya McTier welcomes two leading researchers—Gabriele Cugno (University of Zürich) & Sierra L. Grant (Carnegie Institution for Science)—to dive into an extraordinary discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): a carbon-rich, moon-forming disk around the distant exoplanetary object CT Cha b, some 625 light-years away. What exactly is a "moon-forming disk"? Why is this discovery a game-changer for our understanding of how moons — and ultimately habitable environments around them — can form? Gabriele and Sierra walk us through spectroscopy, chemistry (including acetylene, benzene, and more), observational challenges, and the big philosophical questions: Could moons be even more common than planets? What does this tell us about our own Solar System's past — and the possibilities for life elsewhere? 📚 For more: NASA Press Release: https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/nasas-webb-telescope-studies-moon-forming-disk-around-massive-planet/  Research Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae0290 (Recorded live 4 December 2025.)

Join host Beth Johnson for a fascinating episode of SETI Live, featuring planetary scientists Dr Georgina Miles and Dr Carly Howett from the University of Oxford. We'll be unpacking their groundbreaking study showing that Enceladus — one of Saturn's icy moons — may harbor a stable subsurface ocean capable of supporting life. 📄 For more info: The study "Endogenic heat at Enceladus' north pole" has just been published in Science Advances: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx4338  Official press release from the University of Oxford: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11-10-saturn-s-icy-moon-may-host-stable-ocean-fit-life-new-study-finds (Recorded live 20 November 2025.)

What happens when a planet is full of water—but too hot for oceans? Meet the "steam worlds," exotic exoplanets wrapped in thick water vapor and boiling at thousands of degrees. These strange worlds may be far from habitable, but they're reshaping how scientists think about planets, water, and where life might exist. In this episode of SETI Live, host Beth Johnson talks with Artem Aguichine of the University of California, Santa Cruz, about his new research modeling the interiors and atmospheres of steam worlds—a class of water-rich sub-Neptunes that could dominate our galaxy. With data from the JWST revealing steam signatures on distant planets, these models are helping scientists decode what's really going on beneath the haze. Join us as we explore: • What defines a "steam world" and how it forms • How water behaves under crushing pressure and searing heat • Why JWST's new observations are changing the game • What these discoveries mean for the future search for life beyond Earth 🔗 Learn more: UCSC Press Release – https://news.ucsc.edu/2025/08/new-model-steam-worlds  Research Paper – https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/add935 (Recorded live 13 November 2025.)

Join SETI Live host Moiya McTier with Néstor Espinoza (STScI) and Ana Glidden (MIT) for a deep dive into the latest JWST observations of TRAPPIST‑1 e, one of the most tantalizing Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of a nearby star. In this episode, we explore: 🛰 How JWST is peering into TRAPPIST-1 e's atmosphere (or lack thereof). 🔵 Why the planet almost certainly doesn't have a thick hydrogen envelope, ruling out a mini-Neptune-like world. 🪨 The emerging hints of a secondary, heavier atmosphere — or the possibility that it's a bare rock. ⭐️ The challenges posed by stellar activity and their implications for habitability. Get ready for a conversation about exoplanet atmospheres, habitability, and the next steps in characterizing worlds beyond our Solar System. Press release: http://webbtelescope.org/news-2025-109  Papers: Espinoza et al., https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf42e  Glidden et al., https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf62e (Recorded live 6 November 2025.)

Dr. Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator in New York City who loves planets, galaxy evolution, her cat named Cosmo, and old stories about space. She is also the latest addition to our rotating cast of hosts for SETI Live! Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for an interview to introduce Moiya to the community. So please bring your questions and help us welcome her to the team! (Recorded live 3 November 2025.)

What happens when a visitor from another star system drops by? Join planetary astronomers Franck Marchis and Ariel Graykowski for a special SETI Live all about Comet 3I/ATLAS — only the third known interstellar object ever detected! Astronomers around the world, including citizen scientists in the Unistellar Network, are racing to learn as much as possible about this rare cosmic traveler. 3I/ATLAS is swinging through our neighborhood, reaching perihelion on October 30, 2025, just inside the orbit of Mars — a front-row seat for spacecraft like Lucy and Psyche. While it's currently hidden behind the Sun, it won't stay that way for long. By December 2025, 3I/ATLAS will reappear, ready for a fresh round of observations from Earth and its Lagrange-point observatories. We'll dive into what scientists have discovered so far, how they're studying this interstellar visitor, and what it might reveal about the chemistry and dynamics of other star systems. Don't miss it — interstellar comets don't come around every day! (Recorded live 31 October 2025.)

Join host Beth Johnson on SETI Live as she talks with Dr. Eric Boyd from the University of Montana about a groundbreaking discovery: microbes that can breathe in two ways at once! These extraordinary bacteria simultaneously perform both aerobic (oxygen-based) and anaerobic (sulfur-based) respiration, challenging everything we thought we knew about cellular life. Discover how this incredible metabolic flexibility reshapes our understanding of life on Earth, inspires biotechnology innovations, and even informs the search for extraterrestrial life. 🔬 Featured Research: Quanta Magazine overview: https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-cells-that-breathe-two-ways-20250723/  Original study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56418-4  Dr. Boyd's website: http://geoboydology.com/  💡 Learn how microbes survive extreme environments and why this discovery matters for science and space exploration. (Recorded live 30 October 2025.)