莎拉・魯格海默: 尋找微小外星人

尋找微小外星人

天文物理學家和 TED 研究員莎拉・魯格海默正在尋找外星人 -- 但不是像卡通裡綠色的那種。她藉由研究單細胞生物產生的氣體，能夠顯示它們曾在宇宙中存在的證據，來找外星的微生物。想知道我們是否在宇宙中是孤單的，魯格海默指出兩個要確認另一個世界是否有生命的大挑戰，並且說明找到的意義會是什麼。

The search for extraterrestrial life is shifting focus from little green men to the invisible world of microbes. Detecting gases like oxygen or methane from afar could reveal alien life, but these signals are incredibly difficult to spot and even harder to interpret. Earth itself has broadcast microbial biosignatures for billions of years while animal life barely registers. Each new planetary discovery, from cotton candy worlds to iron rainers, reminds us how little we know and how much uncertainty we must embrace.

Life Beyond Earth May Be Microscopic, Not Monumental

*The Great Courses: Searching for Extraterrestrial Life with Sarah Rugheimer*

TED Fellows: Shape Your Future

science

space

microbiology

TED Fellows

microbes

aliens

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