In April 2025, the James Webb Space Telescope made a groundbreaking discovery: a distant exoplanet, K2-18b, showed signs of dimethyl sulphide. A chemical that, on Earth, is only produced by life. The media went wild with the news that we had finally found a "fart planet," the first real biosignature of alien life. But then, as quickly as it appeared, the confidence began to fade.
Join Tristan and Scott as they investigate what really happened with the planet of alien farts. First, they dive into the incredible science of how we study distant worlds, from the mind-bending coolness of transit spectroscopy to the statistical nitty-gritty of "three sigma" confidence. Then, they pull back the curtain on the systemic pressures that create these cycles of hype and retraction, exploring everything from the "publish or perish" culture in academia to the perverse incentives that cause university press offices to overstate research. This isn't just a story about a potential discovery; it's a crucial lesson in scientific literacy and a look at how the messy, brilliant, and deeply human process of science actually works.
Stuff mentioned in the episode:
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Cambridge University's original press release about the discovery
The MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) on JWST
The COLd Scale (Confidence of Life Detection scale) from NASA
Phosphine on Venus controversy
Andrew Wakefield vaccine study
Science communication outlets mentioned: The Conversation, Science X, Tech Explore, Medical Xpress, Phys.org
Sodium vapor process (Mary Poppins special effects)
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