SETI Live

How Clouds Hide Alien Worlds—and How Astronomers See Through Them

The James Webb Space Telescope is transforming our understanding of exoplanets—but what happens when clouds get in the way? Astronomers have developed a new method to detect clouds and hazes in distant planetary atmospheres, helping researchers determine when they're seeing the planet itself and when weather obscures the view. Join SETI Live as host Dr. Lauren Sgro welcomes lead author Dr. Sagnick Mukherjee to discuss this innovative method, how it works, and what it means for the future of exoplanet science and the search for life beyond Earth. Press release: https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/05/21/astronomy-exoplanet-atmospheres-detecting-clouds/ Paper: http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx5903

• Transcript

Humanity's Plan for First Contact: Who Speaks for Earth?

What happens after we discover evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence? The International Academy of Astronautics has just ratified the first major update to the SETI post-detection protocols in more than 15 years. These new guidelines address the realities of today's world, including social media, AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, international coordination, and the challenge of responsibly communicating extraordinary discoveries. At the same time, the SETI Institute has launched the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to exploring the scientific, social, ethical, legal, and cultural implications of discovering life beyond Earth. Join host Dr. Lauren Sgro and guests Dr. Lucian Walkowicz and Dr. Chelsea Haramia as they discuss what these new protocols mean, why humanity needs to prepare for transformative discoveries before they happen, and how scientists, policymakers, communicators, and the public might respond if we ever receive convincing evidence that we are not alone. Could humanity agree on how to respond? How do we combat misinformation? Who gets to speak for Earth? And what can history teach us about one of the biggest discoveries in human history? Tune in for a fascinating conversation about the future of discovery, responsibility, and our place in the cosmos. Press release on the updated protocols: https://www.seti.org/news/beyond-disclosure-day/ Press release on the Discovery and Futures Lab: https://www.seti.org/news/seti-institute-launches-discovery-and-futures-lab-to-explore-the-human-dimensions-of-life-beyond-earth/

• Transcript

What Juice Revealed About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

What can a visitor from another star system teach us about our own cosmic neighborhood? Join host Dr. Franck Marchis and guest Dr. Cecilia Tubiana (INAF) for a conversation about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and the surprising observations made by ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) during its rare close encounter with this ancient traveler. In November 2025, Juice turned five of its instruments toward 3I/ATLAS, capturing a once-in-a-lifetime dataset as the comet passed through the Solar System. From massive water vapor outgassing to tails stretching millions of kilometers into space, the observations are helping scientists better understand what this object is made of, how it behaves near the Sun, and what it can tell us about planetary systems beyond our own. We'll talk about: • how Juice managed to observe 3I/ATLAS while en route to Jupiter • what scientists learned about the comet's water, dust, and composition • why this interstellar object looks surprisingly familiar—and why that's exciting • how these observations support planetary defense and future spacecraft science • what 3I/ATLAS may reveal about the early history of the Milky Way Press release: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice/Five_things_Juice_has_revealed_about_Comet_3I_ATLAS

• Transcript

Life is But a Stream: Planetary Systems Along Stellar Streams

In this episode of SETI Live, Jeremy Webb joins Moiya McTier to discuss Life is But a Stream: The Distribution of Planetary Systems Along Stellar Streams and Their Properties. Stellar streams are elongated structures of stars moving through the Milky Way, often shaped by tidal interactions and the galaxy's gravity. Jeremy Webb's research explores how planetary systems are distributed along these streams and what their properties can reveal about planet formation and evolution in dynamic galactic environments. Together, they'll dive into how astronomers trace stellar streams, how planetary systems survive and evolve within them, and what this research tells us about the broader history of our galaxy. Read the paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae67fd

• Transcript

Not Planets, Not Stars: NASA Volunteers Doubled the Number of Known Brown Dwarfs

What happens when hundreds of thousands of volunteers team up with NASA to explore the sky? In the case of Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, thousands of new brown dwarfs. NASA citizen scientists have helped discover more than 3,000 brown dwarfs, effectively doubling the known population of these mysterious objects over the past decade. These discoveries are helping astronomers better understand the boundary between planets and stars, revealing rare ultra-cool worlds, extreme T subdwarfs, and even brown dwarfs that may host aurorae. Dr. Lauren Sgro and special guest Dr. Adam C. Schneider (United States Naval Observatory) discuss how citizen scientists made these discoveries, why brown dwarfs are so difficult to detect, and what this growing catalog is teaching us about our galactic neighborhood. Press release: https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/nasa-volunteers-double-known-population-of-brown-dwarfs/ Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ae5b60 Backyard Worlds: Planet 9: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9

• Transcript

The Sounds of Intelligence: A Conversation with 2026 Drake Award Recipient Lori Marino

What does intelligence sound like? For decades, scientists studying whales and dolphins have uncovered remarkable evidence of sophisticated communication, social complexity, self-awareness, and cognition in cetaceans. Today, a new generation of research tools and analytical methods is opening an even deeper window into the sounds and possible language structures of these extraordinary marine mammals. Join SETI Institute President and CEO Bill Diamond for a fascinating conversation with 2026 Drake Award recipient Dr. Lori Marino as they explore the cutting edge of dolphin and whale communication research, what these discoveries reveal about intelligence on Earth, and how they connect to broader questions at the heart of SETI. Together they'll discuss: 🔹 How scientists study whale and dolphin communication 🔹 New breakthroughs in cetacean cognition research 🔹 Whether dolphin and whale sounds may contain language-like structure 🔹 The ethical and philosophical implications of understanding non-human intelligence 🔹 What studying intelligence on Earth can teach us about detecting intelligence elsewhere in the universe Dr. Lori Marino is a neuroscientist, expert in animal behavior and intelligence, and the 2026 recipient of the SETI Institute's Drake Award. Read the announcement: https://www.seti.org/news/seti-institute-names-lori-marino-as-2026-drake-award-recipient/

• Transcript

Lava Worlds & Nightside Volcanoes on K2-141 b

How do you study volcanoes on a planet more than 200 light-years away? Join us for SETI Live as host Moiya McTier talks with planetary scientist Claire Marie Guimond about the extreme lava world K2-141 b—a rocky exoplanet so hot that parts of its surface may be covered in oceans of molten rock. Using advanced mantle convection models, Claire and her collaborators investigated how heat moves through the planet's interior and where volcanic hotspots may form—including on the planet's permanent nightside. Together, we'll explore what these models reveal about alien geology, how lava worlds compare to Earth, and what volcanism might mean for a planet's long-term evolution. We'll also dive into how scientists can study volcanic activity on distant worlds, what makes lava planets important to planetary science, and what questions remain about one of the galaxy's most extreme exoplanets. Paper: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/547/3/stag390/8501203 (Recorded live 7 May 2026.)

• Transcript

Galactic Islands of Tranquility: How "Little Red Dots" May Brew Life's Building Blocks

A newly identified class of distant galaxies—nicknamed "little red dots"—may be doing something extraordinary: quietly creating the raw ingredients for life. Join host Dr. Simon Steel as we explore groundbreaking new research from Dr. Remo Ruffini and Dr. Yu Wang from the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network (ICRANet), suggesting that these compact, enigmatic galaxies could act as "molecular islands," forming complex organic molecules in environments surprisingly calm compared to the chaotic early universe. - What makes these galaxies so special? - How can such small, distant objects produce life's building blocks? - And what does this mean for the possibility that life's chemistry is widespread across the cosmos? We'll break down the science behind these "galactic oases," how they were discovered, and why they may reshape how we think about the origins of life in the universe. Press release (pdf): https://www.icranet.org/LRDs-Molecular-Islands-Press-Release.pdf Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae3a76 (Recorded live 30 April 2026.)

• Transcript

The 45 Best Places to Look for Alien Life

Where should we actually be looking for life beyond Earth? Astronomers have identified 45 Earth-like worlds that could be among the most promising places to search for biosignatures—chemical signs of life in distant atmospheres. Inspired by the idea of a real-life "Project Hail Mary," this research helps narrow the search for habitable planets and guides future telescopes toward the most compelling targets. Join SETI Institute planetary astronomer Dr. Franck Marchis and guests Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger and Abigail Bohl from Cornell University as they explore: - How scientists define an "Earth-like" world - What makes a planet a strong candidate for life - How these 45 planets were selected - What telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope, can (and can't) detect - What this means for the future of SETI and exoplanet exploration Are we closer than ever to finding life—or just getting better at knowing where to look? Press release: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/best-places-look-alien-life-scientists-identify-45-earth-worlds Paper: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/547/3/stag028/8526432 (Recorded live 17 April 2026.)

• Transcript

SkyMapper is Live! Explore the Sky in Real Time

Join us for a special episode of SETI Live as host Lauren Sgro sits down with astronomer and entrepreneur Franck Marchis to explore the newly launched SkyMapper platform—now open to the public. SkyMapper is a global, decentralized network of telescopes and all-sky sensors that connects professional observatories, citizen scientists, and classrooms around the world. In this live, interactive session, Lauren and Franck will go beyond the basics and show how SkyMapper works in real time—from navigating the interface and accessing live sky data to triggering observations and joining active discoveries. We'll talk about what this launch means for the future of astronomy, how people are already using the platform, and why a continuously connected view of the sky could transform research, education, and public participation in science. We'll also highlight the SETI Institute's role in building this new global observing network. ✨ Ready to explore the universe yourself? This is your chance to see SkyMapper in action—and learn how to get involved. 📚 Learn more: www.skymapper.io 👋 Join the community: https://t.me/skymapper_community (Recorded live 13 April 2026.)

• Transcript

Planet Crash: Cosmic Collision Caught in Action

Astronomers may have just witnessed the aftermath of a massive planetary collision in another star system—offering a rare glimpse into how worlds are destroyed… and possibly reborn. Join host Dr. Moiya McTier and guest Anastasios Tzanidakis (University of Washington) as they break down new evidence suggesting that two large planetary bodies recently crashed into each other. What does this tell us about how planets form and evolve? How common are these catastrophic events? And could collisions like this help explain the chaotic early history of our own solar system? From cosmic debris clouds to planetary recycling, we'll explore one of the most dramatic processes shaping worlds across the galaxy. Press release: https://www.washington.edu/news/2026/03/11/uw-astronomers-spot-planet-collision-evidence/ Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae3ddc (Recorded live 2 April 2026.)

• Transcript

From Moon to Mars: What Artemis II Means for the Future

As NASA prepares to return humans to the Moon with Artemis II, what does it really take to live and work on the lunar surface? Join host Simon Steel and planetary scientist Pascal Lee as they explore the science and strategy behind humanity's next giant leap. From cutting-edge spacesuit design and testing to the challenge of choosing where astronauts will land, this conversation dives into what comes next for lunar exploration. We'll also explore: - The mystery and importance of permanently shadowed regions - Evidence for water ice on the Moon—and why it matters - How Artemis is paving the way for future missions from the Moon to Mars Artemis II is more than a mission—it's a proving ground for the future of human exploration. Haughton Mars Project: https://www.marsinstitute.no/hmp (Recorded live 26 March 2026.)

• Transcript

The Science of SETI: Inside the First Modern Textbook

How do scientists actually search for extraterrestrial intelligence? Astronomer, professor, and Drake Award winner Jason Wright joins host Beth Johnson on SETI Live to discuss his new textbook, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Practice. The book brings together the science, methods, and history of SETI into a single framework for students and researchers. SETI has evolved dramatically in the past few decades—from early radio searches to modern investigations of technosignatures, including laser signals, infrared waste heat, and other possible evidence of advanced civilizations. In this conversation, we explore: Why SETI now deserves a full academic textbook The many ways scientists search for alien technology The history and philosophy behind the field What would actually count as a real detection How researchers are training the next generation of SETI scientists Learn more about The Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center: https://www.pseti.psu.edu/ Access the textbook: https://iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/978-0-7503-4796-9 (Recorded live 19 March 2026.)

The Titan Impact: Saturn's Moon System May Have Had a Catastrophic Past

Saturn's largest moon may have had a violent birth. New research led by SETI Institute scientist Matija Ćuk proposes that Titan formed when two earlier Saturnian moons collided and merged hundreds of millions of years ago. This dramatic event may explain several long-standing mysteries in the Saturn system—including Titan's unusual orbit, the origin of the strange tumbling moon Hyperion, and even the relatively young age of Saturn's iconic rings. Using computer simulations, researchers found that a once-stable Saturnian moon system may have become unstable, sending an outer moon on a collision course with Titan. The merger would have resurfaced Titan—erasing many ancient craters—and scattered debris that later formed Hyperion. The resulting changes to Titan's orbit could have destabilized smaller inner moons, triggering collisions that eventually created Saturn's rings. Join SETI Institute Social Media Manager Beth Johnson and planetary dynamicist Matija Ćuk as they explore this new model for the Saturn system's evolution, what clues led scientists to propose a moon-moon merger, and how future missions—like NASA's Dragonfly mission to Titan—might test this dramatic hypothesis. Could Titan really be the survivor of an ancient cosmic crash? 📄 Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ae422c 📰 Press release: https://www.seti.org/news/saturns-moon-titan-could-have-formed-in-a-merger-of-two-old-moons/ (Recorded live 12 March 2026.)

• Transcript

Rethinking Radio: A New Way to Hear the Universe?

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.)

• Transcript

Unistellar + Citizen Science (Part 8): 2025 Observations, An Exoplanet Candidate, and Rockets!

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.)

• Transcript

Missing Link Found: A Breakthrough in Exoplanet Science

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.)

• Transcript

Exoplanetary Poetry: AI, Chemistry, and Alien Communication

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.)

• Transcript

Lost Pulsars Found? Breakthrough Listen's Deep Survey of the Galactic Core

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.)

• Transcript

Back to the Moon: How Artemis II Sets the Stage for the Next Era of Missions

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.)

• Transcript