logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
48m 26s

Have We Found Evidence of Life on Venus?

The Planetary Society
About this episode

An international team has detected phosphine gas in the clouds above Venus. Naturally-produced phosphine on Earth is created by anaerobic bacteria. We’ll listen to portions of the media briefing at which this result was announced. Then we’ll get perspective on the find from the Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier. Astrophysicist and Venus atmosphere expert Javier Peralta will share his reaction and a big find of his own on our nearest planetary neighbor. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0916-2020-venus-phosphine-discovery-casey-dreier

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
A Day of Action to save NASA science
On October 6, 2025, hundreds of space advocates from across the United States joined The Planetary Society and 20 partner organizations on Capitol Hill to deliver one clear message: protect NASA’s science budget. We begin with Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow ... Show More
1 h
Oct 3
Space Policy Edition: China’s growing space science ambitions
If the United States is indeed in a space race with China, then we cannot abandon space science. That’s the claim made by Maxwell Zhu and The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, Casey Dreier, in a recent op-ed in Payload Space. Their piece contrasted the growing ambitions ... Show More
48m 53s
Oct 1
Perseverance finds potential biosignatures in Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has made one of its most intriguing discoveries yet in Jezero Crater. A rock sample called Sapphire Canyon, drilled from the Bright Angel formation, contains unusual chemical and mineral patterns that may be potential biosignatures. We begin with remarks ... Show More
1 h
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
How Will We Know We're Not Alone?
We have identified thousands of planets just in our neighborhood in the Milky Way, mostly from the way they impact their host stars. Basic calculations suggest that there are countless more across the galaxy, and that billions of them could potentially support life. But what kind ... Show More
37m 48s
Jan 2025
Finding Pluto’s Potential Replacement with a Giant New Telescope
Pluto was unseated as our solar system’s ninth planet in 2006. Since then astronomers have found signs that a real ninth planet could be hiding at the edges of our solar system. Clara Moskowitz, senior editor for space and physics, explains how the forthcoming Vera Rubin Observat ... Show More
18m 39s
Jan 2025
Extreme Winds, Martian Clays & Hidden Stars: #491 - The Interstellar Exploration
Space Nuts Episode 491: The Windiest Planet, Martian Mysteries, and Light Pollution Concerns Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Jonti Horner in this captivating episode of Space Nuts, where they explore some of the most fascinating cosmic discoveries of our time. From the extraord ... Show More
39m 45s
Jun 2022
The Search For Life: Are We Alone?
Are we alone in the universe? It's a question studied in science fiction, but also by teams here at NASA. Join us as we search for signs of life outside of Earth with scientists Aki Roberge, Ravi Kopparapu, and Shawn Domagal-Goldman. 
25m 17s
Oct 6
Enceladus’s Alien Ocean, Ancient Fungi and the Flavor of Influenza
Saturn’s moon Enceladus reveals complex organic molecules that could hint at extraterrestrial life. Researchers also uncover fungi’s ancient reign over Earth and warn that second COVID infections may pose greater risks to young people. Plus, ants ferment yogurt, and flu detection ... Show More
9m 47s
Sep 3
Webb's Exoplanet Research Sounds Like Sci-Fi—But It's Real
Some exoplanets—like a gas giant with rain made of glass and 5,000-mile-per-hour winds—sound like worlds dreamed up by a science fiction writer. But they’re real. From light-years away, scientists can uncover details about planets orbiting distant stars and even ask whether some ... Show More
23m 43s
Jan 2025
The Habitability of Planets
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss some of the great unanswered questions in science: how and where did life on Earth begin, what did it need to thrive and could it be found elsewhere? Charles Darwin speculated that we might look for the cradle of life here in 'some warm little pond ... Show More
52m 50s
Apr 2025
Uranus' Rotational Secrets Revealed, ISS Welcomes New Crew
Exploring Uranus's Rotational Secrets, New Crew at the ISS, and the Dangers of Space Travel In this episode of SpaceTime, we delve into groundbreaking measurements of Uranus's rotational rate, achieved with unprecedented accuracy by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. This new techniq ... Show More
19m 36s
May 2025
Earth Series: What's Next for NASA Earth Science
NASA has a record of Earth observations going back more than 50 years. What might be in store for the next 50 years? In this finale of our Earth series, we hear from two scientists helping to chart the course of NASA Earth science. There are still many unanswered questions about ... Show More
28m 51s
Sep 22
Did we find signs of life on Mars?
NASA found a Martian rock that might have traces of ancient life. It's perhaps the most tantalizing revelation in the century-long search for Martian life. (Updated from 2022) Guests: Katie Stack Morgan, project scientist for the Perseverance rover; Lindsay Hays, astrobiologist a ... Show More
33m 40s