Paris: The uncommon nice announcement raised hopes that humanity would soon learn that we are not alone in the universe when astronomers announced last month that they might have found the most promising hints of alien life to date on a distant planet. However, a number of new studies that looked at the same information found that there isn’t enough evidence to support such noble claims, with one professor accusing the astronomers of” jumping the gun.” The world K2-18b, which is 124 light years away in the Leo star, is the subject of the discussion. The world is regarded as having liquid water at the appropriate distance from its star, making it a prime target for interplanetary life. The James Webb Space Telescope was used by astronomers to reveal that they had discovered hints of the compounds dimethyl sulfide ( DMS ) and dimethyl disulfide ( DMDS ) on the planet last month. These substances are only produced by aquatic plants on Earth, which may be considered “biosignatures” indicating existence. The scientists, led by Nikku Madhusudhan of Cambridge University, cautioned caution about the “hints” of a biosignature, stressing that they were not claiming a comprehensive discovery. There is still a three in a thousand probability of this being a fluke because their identification had reached a three-sigma level of statistical significance, according to Madhusudhan at the time. Biosignatures “vanish” Two of Madhusudhan’s past students, Matthew Nixon of Maryland University and Luis Welbanks of Arizona State University, were among those who have since re-analyzed the information that led to the news. According to their preprint study, which was published online late last month,” claims of a possible biosignature detection vanish” when using different statistical models. It has not been peer-reviewed, like the other papers published since the April news. Welbanks and acquaintances increased the number of chemicals that may explain Webb’s detected signals from the original 20 to 90 in one unit. Welbanks told AFP that more than 50 people received a “hit.” Did you actually find something when you found it? He inquired. They don’t say the planet certainly doesn’t have DMS; they just believe more observations are required, Welbanks said. Claims are sound, according to Madhusudhan, who welcomed the lively discussion and emphasized that maintaining an open mind is a key component of the scientific process. He told AFP,” These kinds of explanations are normal.” His team also went further, publishing a preprint study last week that increased the number of chemicals to 650. DMS but no DMDS, one of the three “promising” substances they discovered, were a significant component of the team’s news in April. Diethyl sulphur and ethyl acrylonitrile, the latter of which is poisonous, were the other two chemicals. Madhusudhan acknowledged that these under-reported chemicals are probably not “realistic substances” for a world like K2-18b. Their whole study changed, according to Welbanks, “in the course of a quarter, with no new data, no new models, no new laboratory data.” Telescopes can see for far-off planets when they cross in front of their sun, allowing astronomers to study how molecules can prevent various wavelengths of light from entering their atmosphere. This is the closest we have ever been. A report led by Rafael Luque at the University of Chicago earlier this year incorporated Webb’s studies of K2-18b in both the near- and mid-infrared frequencies. Additionally, the report stated that there was” no statistical significance for DMS or DMDS.” No compelling biosignatures were found in a report by Oxford physicist Jake Taylor that used a simple statistical check. Madhusudhan refuted this paper, claiming that the straightforward exercise did not account for the observation of natural phenomena. He also defended his studies, saying he felt” just as comfortable” in the job as he did a month ago. Over the following month, more information about K2-18b may be provided, which should provide a much clearer image, Madhusudhan said. Even if the planet has DMS, the chemical has been found on a motionless asteroid, making it impossible to maintain life. However, some scientists think space telescopes might one day be able to detect extraterrestrial life from a distance. Welbanks said,” We are the closest we have ever been” to this time. ” But we have to use the frameworks that are in place and build up ( evidence ) in a reliable way, as has been done in this particular case,” Nixon continued.
