Science CLUB

Plot twist in astronomy! 🪐👇🏻

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a potentially groundbreaking discovery by detecting chemical signatures in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years away.

The molecules—dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)—are particularly intriguing because, on Earth, they are produced almost exclusively by microbial life, such as marine phytoplankton. While these findings offer some of the most compelling signs yet of possible extraterrestrial biology, scientists emphasize the need for caution and further validation.

K2-18b is classified as a Hycean planet—a world with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and possibly a global ocean beneath it. It is about 8.6 times the mass of Earth and orbits within the habitable zone of a cool dwarf star, where conditions could allow for the presence of liquid water. Previous JWST observations had already identified methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, consistent with an environment that might support life.

The detection of DMS and DMDS reached a three-sigma confidence level, meaning there’s a 0.3% chance the signal is due to random noise. However, the gold standard for scientific discovery is five-sigma, or a 0.00006% chance, so more data is needed to confirm these results. Follow-up JWST observations totaling 16–24 hours are planned to improve precision and distinguish between the two molecules. Additionally, laboratory studies will explore whether non-biological processes could also generate these compounds under K2-18b’s specific atmospheric conditions.

Though this doesn’t confirm life, the findings are highly significant. The planet’s warm ocean and atmospheric makeup resemble the early Earth, making it a prime candidate in the search for life. As lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge cautioned, “It’s in no one’s interest to prematurely claim we’ve detected life. This is a groundbreaking step, but we need more data to confirm these signals.”

Whether the signals come from biology or unknown chemistry, K2-18b is rapidly becoming a landmark world in astrobiology.

RESEARCH PAPER 📄
Nikku Madhusudhan et al., "New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18 b from JWST MIRI", The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025).

BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science.”

Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger have each conducted groundbreaking experiments using entangled quantum states, where two particles behave like a single unit even when they are separated. Their results have cleared the way for new technology based upon quantum information.

The ineffable effects of quantum mechanics are starting to find applications. There is now a large field of research that includes quantum computers, quantum networks and secure quantum encrypted communication.

One key factor in this development is how quantum mechanics allows two or more particles to exist in what is called an entangled state. What happens to one of the particles in an entangled pair determines what happens to the other particle, even if they are far apart.

For a long time, the question was whether the correlation was because the particles in an entangled pair contained hidden variables, instructions that tell them which result they should give in an experiment. In the 1960s, John Stewart Bell developed the mathematical inequality that is named after him. This states that if there are hidden variables, the correlation between the results of a large number of measurements will never exceed a certain value. However, quantum mechanics predicts that a certain type of experiment will violate Bell’s inequality, thus resulting in a stronger correlation than would otherwise be possible.

John Clauser developed John Bell’s ideas, leading to a practical experiment. When he took the measurements, they supported quantum mechanics by clearly violating a Bell inequality. This means that quantum mechanics cannot be replaced by a theory that uses hidden variables.

Some loopholes remained after John Clauser’s experiment. Alain Aspect developed the setup, using it in a way that closed an important loophole. He was able to switch the measurement settings after an entangled pair had left its source, so the setting that existed when they were emitted could not affect the result.

Using refined tools and long series of experiments, Anton Zeilinger started to use entangled quantum states. Among other things, his research group has demonstrated a phenomenon called quantum teleportation, which makes it possible to move a quantum state from one particle to one at a distance.

“It has become increasingly clear that a new kind of quantum technology is emerging. We can see that the laureates’ work with entangled states is of great importance, even beyond the fundamental questions about the interpretation of quantum mechanics,” says Anders Irbäck, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

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BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics “for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems” with one half jointly to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann “for the physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming” and the other half to Giorgio Parisi “for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales.”

The three laureates share this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for their studies of chaotic and apparently random phenomena. Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann laid the foundation of our knowledge of the Earth’s climate and how humanity influences it. Giorgio Parisi is rewarded for his revolutionary contributions to the theory of disordered materials and random processes.

Complex systems are characterised by randomness and disorder and are difficult to understand. This year’s prize recognises new methods for describing them and predicting their long-term behaviour.

One complex system of vital importance to humankind is Earth’s climate. Syukuro Manabe demonstrated how increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to increased temperatures at the surface of the Earth. In the 1960s, he led the development of physical models of the Earth’s climate and was the first person to explore the interaction between radiation balance and the vertical transport of air masses. His work laid the foundation for the development of current climate models.

About ten years later, Klaus Hasselmann created a model that links together weather and climate, thus answering the question of why climate models can be reliable despite weather being changeable and chaotic. He also developed methods for identifying specific signals, fingerprints, that both natural phenomena and human activities imprint in the climate. His methods have been used to prove that the increased temperature in the atmosphere is due to human emissions of carbon dioxide.

Around 1980, Giorgio Parisi discovered hidden patterns in disordered complex materials. His discoveries are among the most important contributions to the theory of complex systems. They make it possible to understand and describe many different and apparently entirely random materials and phenomena, not only in physics but also in other, very different areas, such as mathematics, biology, neuroscience and machine learning.

“The discoveries being recognised this year demonstrate that our knowledge about the climate rests on a solid scientific foundation, based on a rigorous analysis of observations. This year’s laureates have all contributed to us gaining deeper insight into the properties and evolution of complex physical systems,” says Thors Hans Hansson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

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BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics with one half to Roger Penrose “for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity” and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy.”

These three laureates share this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for their discoveries about one of the most exotic phenomena in the universe, the black hole. Roger Penrose showed that the general theory of relativity leads to the formation of black holes. Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez discovered that an invisible and extremely heavy object governs the orbits of stars at the centre of our galaxy. A supermassive black hole is the only currently known explanation.

Roger Penrose used ingenious mathematical methods in his proof that black holes are a direct consequence of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Einstein did not himself believe that black holes really exist, these super-heavyweight monsters that capture everything that enters them. Nothing can escape, not even light.

In January 1965, ten years after Einstein’s death, Roger Penrose proved that black holes really can form and described them in detail; at their heart, black holes hide a singularity in which all the known laws of nature cease. His ground-breaking article is still regarded as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein.

Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez each lead a group of astronomers that, since the early 1990s, has focused on a region called Sagittarius A* at the centre of our galaxy. The orbits of the brightest stars closest to the middle of the Milky Way have been mapped with increasing precision. The measurements of these two groups agree, with both finding an extremely heavy, invisible object that pulls on the jumble of stars, causing them to rush around at dizzying speeds. Around four million solar masses are packed together in a region no larger than our solar system.

Using the world’s largest telescopes, Genzel and Ghez developed methods to see through the huge clouds of inter-stellar gas and dust to the centre of the Milky Way. Stretching the limits of technology, they refined new techniques to compensate for distortions caused by the Earth’s atmosphere, building unique instruments and committing themselves to long-term research. Their pioneering work has given us the most convincing evidence yet of a supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way.

“The discoveries of this year’s laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects. But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research. Not only questions about their inner structure, but also questions about how to test our theory of gravity under the extreme conditions in the immediate vicinity of a black hole,” says David Haviland, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

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Calculate the number of alien civilizations in the Milky Way for yourself In recent years, the explosive nature of exoplanet discovery (over 4,164 confirmed so far) has led to renewed interest in the timeless question: "Are we alone in the universe?" Or, as famed Italian physicist Enrico Fermi put it, "Where is everybody?" With so many planets to choose from and the rate....

Considere a escala de 24 hs para contar a historia da Terra de 4,6 bilhões de anos.

00:00 - Formação da Terra.
00:10 - 30 milhões de anos - A Terra e Théia se colidem. Detritos da colisão formam a Lua.
02:00 a 03:00 - 400 a 700 milhões de anos - Último bombardeio
08:00 1,5 bilhão de anos- Último ancestral universal em comum.
09:00 1,7 bilhão de anos - Bactérias começam a produzir oxigênio.
10:41 - 2 bilhões de anos - Grande evento de oxigenação quando o oxigênio não era mais capturado pelos oceanos e pela terra. Começou um aumento significativo de oxigênio na atmosfera.
18:40 - 3,5 bilhões de anos - Primeiras plantas surgiram, provavelmente algas verdes.
21:10 - 3,97 bilhões de anos - Primeiros trilobitas surgem
21:20 - 4 bilhões de anos - Primeiros peixes surgem.
21:36 - 4,05 bilhões de anos - Primeiras plantas aparecem em terra.
21:52 - 4,1 bilhões de anos - Primeiros insetos surgem
22:40 - 4,25 bilhões de anos - Extinção do Permiano-Triássico, a maior na história da Terra.
22:47 - 4,27 bilhões de anos - Primeiro dinossauro aparece
22:56 4,3 bilhões de anos - Surge o primeiro mamífero.
23:40:48 - 4,44 bilhões de anos - Última Extinção em massa (desaparecimento dos dinossauros)
23:59:12 - O gênero homo aparece
23:59:56 - Humanos modernos.

Estamos aqui há 4 segundos.

BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos” with one half to James Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology” and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.”

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics rewards new understanding of the universe’s structure and history, and the first discovery of a planet orbiting a solar-type star outside our solar system.

James Peebles took on the cosmos, with its billions of galaxies and galaxy clusters. His theoretical framework, which he developed over two decades, starting in the mid-1960s, is the foundation of our modern understanding of the universe’s history, from the Big Bang to the present day. Peebles’ discoveries have led to insights about our cosmic surroundings, in which known matter comprises just five percent of all the matter and energy contained in the universe. The remaining 95 percent is hidden from us. This is a mystery and a challenge to modern physics.

Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have explored our home galaxy, the Milky Way, looking for unknown worlds. In 1995, they made the very first discovery of a planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, orbiting a solar-type star. Their discovery challenged our ideas about these strange worlds and led to a revolution in astronomy. The more than 4,000 known exoplanets are surprising in their richness of forms, as most of these planetary systems look nothing like our own, with the Sun and its planets. These discoveries have led researchers to develop new theories about the physical processes responsible for the birth of planets.

This year’s laureates have transformed our ideas about the cosmos. While James Peebles’ theoretical discoveries contributed to our understanding of how the universe evolved after the Big Bang, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz explored our cosmic neighbourhoods on the hunt for unknown planets. Their discoveries have forever changed our conceptions of the world.

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BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 “for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics” with one half to Arthur Ashkin “for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems” and the other half jointly to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland “for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.”

The inventions being honoured this year have revolutionised laser physics. Extremely small objects and incredibly fast processes now appear in a new light. Not only physics, but also chemistry, biology and medicine have gained precision instruments for use in basic research and practical applications.

Arthur Ashkin invented optical tweezers that grab particles, atoms and molecules with their laser beam fingers. Viruses, bacteria and other living cells can be held too, and examined and manipulated without being damaged. Ashkin’s optical tweezers have created entirely new opportunities for observing and controlling the machinery of life.

Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland paved the way towards the shortest and most intense laser pulses created by mankind. The technique they developed has opened up new areas of research and led to broad industrial and medical applications; for example, millions of eye operations are performed every year with the sharpest of laser beams.

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Physicists excited by discovery of new form of matter, excitonium: Abbamonte group achieves first-ever measurement of excitonium collective modes and first observation of soft plasmon in any material Excitonium has a team of researchers ... well... excited! They have demonstrated the existence of an enigmatic new form of matter, which has perplexed scientists since it was first theorized almost 50 years ago.