Has The James Webb Found Life on K2–18b?
Speculation is mounting of a dramatic discovery of life beyond Earth. Here are the facts.
Reader note: By long standing policy I follow the rules of British English, under which “sulphide” is spelt with a “ph”. In American English the same word is written “sulfide”.
Have we already found alien life? According to a recent article in The Spectator, a British magazine, the answer may be a tentative yes. They drew this startling conclusion from the words of several respected commentators, including one astronaut, who each hinted at unpublished work outlining the discovery of life beyond Earth.
Naturally this has resulted in a good deal of speculation. In its most credible form, the story argues that the James Webb telescope has spotted the chemical signatures of life on some faraway world. Since the evidence is still weak, and the conclusions earth-shattering, researchers are sitting on the paper, keeping things quiet until they are more certain they are right.
Nevertheless, the theory runs, the news has started to spread among astronomers. Rumours are being picked up in the press, amplified on Twitter and — in a desperate attempt to keep things under control — denied by those in the know. In its wilder forms, this is all part of a grand…
