Is There Life Beyond Earth? Astronaut Tom Jones Weighs In on Breakthrough Discovery

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April 21, 2025 • 18 mins

In this episode of What Does It Mean?, retired NASA astronaut and planetary scientist Tom Jones joins John Dempsey to discuss the James Webb Space Telescope’s detection of possible biosignatures on the distant exoplanet K2-18b. Jones explains what the discovery of certain gases could mean for the search for extraterrestrial life and why it's such a groundbreaking moment in astronomy. He also shares insights from his new book Space Shuttle Stories and reflects on the legacy of human spaceflight.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Is There Life Beyond Earth? Astronaut Tom Jones Weighs In on Breakthrough Discovery