Imagine a world, okay?
A world totally encased in ice.
But under that frozen surface, there's an ocean.
An ocean that might be, just might be, teaming with life.
We're talking about Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
And it's got scientists, well,
you could say they're a little obsessed,
because Europa, it might just hold the answer.
The answer to are we alone in the universe?
Welcome to Cosmos in a Paw, by the way,
our space and astronomy series.
And today, we're going deep, really deep.
We're diving into the mysteries of Europa.
You know, what makes Europa so fascinating,
really fascinating is, well, it has several crucial elements.
Elements we believe are necessary,
absolutely necessary for life.
Life as we know it anyway.
So break it down for me.
Like, we're talking about a moon.
Right.
How big is this thing?
Think smaller, a little smaller than our moon.
But it's got this, well,
this incredibly unique characteristic.
It's got a hidden ocean.
Evidence, and there's a lot of it,
suggests there's this vast, I mean, truly vast,
liquid water ocean under Europa's icy crust.
And get this, it could hold twice as much water,
twice as much as all of Earth's oceans combined.
Yeah. Crazy, right?
Okay, yeah, that's a lot of water.
But how do we, I mean, how do scientists know?
How do they know there's an ocean under all that ice?
We can't just, you know, like peek under there.
It's like a detective story, you know?
You piece together these clues,
clues from different sources, and one of the biggest,
I mean, the biggest clue comes from the Galileo mission.
You've heard of that, right?
Well, it detected, it actually detected
these magnetic field interactions,
and they all point to, well,
they point to a conducting layer,
a layer beneath Europa's surface.
So what is that layer?
What could it be?
Most likely a salty ocean.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
Okay, so we've got the data.
This isn't just, you know, like some guess,
but is there anything else, anything else that tells us
this isn't just some like, you know,
stagnant pool of water?
Oh, the surface, the surface itself,
it gives us more clues.
Think of it like, think of it like a cracked eggshell.
All those crisscrossing ridges, that chaotic terrain,
all of that suggests, well, it suggests movement,
movement under the ice.
Something's causing the ice to shift, to crack,
and the most likely explanation, the most plausible,
it's an active ocean, an active ocean below.
Okay, so we're talking about this huge,
potentially active ocean, but isn't Europa
like incredibly far from the sun?
Shouldn't this ocean be like frozen solid?
You're forgetting, you're forgetting the power
of tidal forces, think about it.
You know about tides on Earth, right?
The moon's pull, it's gravitational pull.
Well, imagine that, but on a much, much larger scale.
Europa's orbit around Jupiter, it's elliptical.
So that causes tidal flexing, constant flexing,
and that flexing generates heat, heat through friction.
So Jupiter's gravity is basically,
it's like kneading Europa, keeping its insides warm,
warm enough to keep that ocean liquid, mind blowing.
But is that heat, is that all that tidal flexing is doing?
You're on a roll, you're catching on quick.
It's not just heat, no.
Scientists think, they believe that this heat
could be powering, get this, hydrothermal activity,
activity on Europa's seafloor.
Hold on, hydrothermal activity,
like we talk like underwater vulcaros.
It's similar, yeah, but think of it this way.
On Earth, we have those deep sea hydrothermal vents,
and life thrives there in the absence of sunlight.
It's amazing, and the way they do it,
the way they survive is by using chemical energy,
energy from the vents.
So it's possible, it's entirely possible
that Europa's ocean, it could have similar systems,
providing energy, energy for life.
Okay, so we've got this vast, this potentially active,
and definitely warm ocean, but what about the building blocks,
the building blocks of life?
Are those even present on Europa?
That's another piece that's falling into place actually.
So Europa's surface, it's rich in water ice, lots of it.
And it probably contains,
most likely contains organic compounds.
The ingredients, right?
The ingredients for life, life as we know it anyway.
And those ingredients, they're delivered,
delivered by comets and asteroids.
Okay, so we've got the ingredients.
But what about that radiation?
Isn't Europa bombarded with like,
intense radiation from Jupiter?
Wouldn't that be, you know,
wouldn't that be harmful to any potential life?
You've hit a crucial point, you're absolutely right.
The radiation from Jupiter is a, well,
it's a major challenge.
It would sterilize the surface, make it,
will make it impossible for anything to live.
But that's actually what makes the ocean so intriguing.
So any life, any life at all would have to be below the ice.
It would need to be shielded,
protected from all that harsh radiation.
So it's like a natural bunker, shielding potential life.
Okay, I get that.
But how would life, how would it get energy down there
in the deep, dark depths of that ocean?
We think of life, well, at least on earth,
as needing sunlight, but that wouldn't reach,
that wouldn't reach that far down, would it?
This is where it gets,
this is where it gets really, really interesting.
So radiation from Jupiter.
On the surface, it's harmful, very harmful,
but it might, it just might play a role
in creating energy sources,
energy sources for life in the ocean.
So the radiation, it breaks down surface molecules,
it creates what are called oxidants, like hydrogen peroxide.
Wait a minute, hydrogen peroxide,
isn't that like, you know, for cleaning cuts?
Exactly, exactly.
In high concentrations, it's harmful, very harmful,
but in the right amounts, in small amounts,
it acts as a, well, as a chemical energy source.
Think of it like a battery.
And this is why that exchange,
the potential exchange between the surface and the ocean
is so fascinating, so incredibly fascinating.
So the very thing that makes the surface, you know,
totally uninhabitable, that radiation,
that might be contributing
to the habitability of the ocean.
It's one of the leading hypotheses, yeah.
It's a delicate balance, but it shows,
it really highlights how complex,
how incredibly complex the factors are that,
well, that could make life possible on Europa.
We're talking about, you know,
talking about a world where the energy for life,
the energy it needs doesn't come from the sun.
It comes from the planet it orbits.
It's incredible to think that, you know,
a moon, a moon orbiting Jupiter might be the key,
the key to finding life beyond Earth.
But are there, I mean, are there any direct hints,
any clues, anything that points to
the possibility of life on Europa?
There are, there are a few, a few intriguing hints,
a few hints that have, well,
that have scientists pretty excited.
One of the biggest, one of the most significant is,
well, it's the observation of plumes,
plumes of water vapor,
plumes erupting from Europa's surface.
Plumes, like geysers shooting out from under the ice.
Exactly, exactly.
Think of them like windows, windows into the ocean,
into that hidden ocean.
So those plumes, if they are, and that's a big if,
if they're coming from that subsurface ocean,
well then future missions,
future missions could sample,
they could sample that ocean water directly
without having to drill,
without having to drill through miles and miles of ice.
Hold on, so we could, we could analyze that ocean water
and look for signs of life
without even, without even landing on the surface.
It would be, it would be huge, a monumental step,
a monumental step in our search for life on Europa.
It'd be like having, like having a direct line,
a direct line to that hidden world,
the world under the ice.
Okay, okay, so I'm already picturing those headlines.
You know, scientists discover evidence of life
in Europa's plumes.
But what about, what about the surface itself?
Does that, does that tell us anything?
Oh, it does.
It does spectral analysis,
spectral analysis of the surface.
It reveals, well, it reveals the presence of salts
and organic molecules, which means,
which suggests that there's a connection,
an exchange between the ocean and the surface.
It's like, it's like the ocean is leaving,
leaving its fingerprints,
its fingerprints on the ice.
So we're not talking about, you know,
just a static ocean.
It's dynamic, it's interacting.
It's almost like, like it's alive.
Yeah.
Like a living, grieving world.
That's, that's a great way to put it.
Yeah.
Europa, it's not just this, this ball of ice.
No.
It's a dynamic system.
It's, it's a system that's alive and that, that dynamism.
That's one of the things,
one of the things that makes it so,
so incredibly intriguing, intriguing in our search,
our ongoing search for life.
Okay, so we've got, we've got this vast ocean.
We've got potential energy sources.
We've got the building blocks, the building blocks of life.
We've got those tantalizing clues,
clues from the plumes and from the surface composition.
But are there, are there any parallels here on earth?
You know, any environments,
any environments on our own planet
that could give us insights into, you know,
what life on Europa could be like?
Oh, there are, there are.
Think about, think about the most extreme environments,
the most extreme environments on earth.
Places where, well, places where life exists
against all odds.
You've got, you've got deep sea hydrothermal vents
where life, where life thrives in the absence of sunlight.
It's incredible.
And then, and then you've got subglacial lakes
like Lake Vostok in Antarctica, he heard.
Well, entire ecosystems, entire ecosystems
exist under miles, miles of ice.
So if life, if life can thrive
in those incredibly harsh environments here on earth,
well, it's not so crazy to think
that it could exist on Europa.
Right, exactly, exactly.
These are what we call analogs, earthly analogs.
And they provide, well, they provide this framework,
a framework for understanding how resilient life is,
how adaptable it is.
They expand our view.
They expand our view of what's possible.
And they give us, they give us hope,
hope that life, that life might find a way,
even in, even in the seemingly alien world,
the seemingly alien world of Europa.
Yeah, it's a, it's a humbling reminder.
Life might not, it might not always be what we,
what we expect, you know what I mean?
Our earth-centric view, it might be a little limited.
And Europa, well, Europa challenges us.
Yeah.
Challenges us to think outside the box,
think about what's normal, normal for life, I mean.
Yeah, it's like a, it's like a cosmic reality check.
But even with, even with all the positive signs,
all the good stuff,
I imagine there's gotta be some challenges, right,
for life on Europa.
It's not exactly a tropical paradise.
No. No, it's not.
It's definitely, definitely not a walk on a warm beach.
That's for sure.
The cold, the extreme cold, that's a major hurdle.
I mean, the surface temperatures, they average,
well, they average around, let me see,
minus 160 degrees Celsius.
Brrr.
So the ocean, yeah, the ocean's liquid.
Title heating keeps it liquid.
But anything living there, anything at all,
would have to be, well, it would have to be adapted,
adapted to some seriously, seriously frigid conditions.
So we're talking about life that,
that thrives in freezing temperatures,
not just, you know, tolerates them.
Yeah.
Are there, are there any other challenges?
Besides, besides the, the extreme cold.
The radiation, we talked about that, right?
That intense radiation, it's a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it could, it could provide energy,
but it's also a threat.
It's a major threat.
I mean, it sterilizes the surface.
So anything, anything living would have to be under the ice.
Shielded, shielded from that constant bombardment.
Yeah, yeah, double-edged sword.
It could, it could give life energy.
Yeah.
But it could also, it could also destroy it.
Makes you wonder, makes you wonder how,
how anything could survive,
how it could find that, that balance.
Exactly, exactly.
And then, and then there's another,
another big unknown, ocean chemistry.
We believe, we think that Europa's ocean,
it contains salts, but the exact composition,
the exact recipe, it's still a mystery.
And understanding that composition,
understanding that recipe, it's crucial,
crucial for figuring out, figuring out
if it can support life.
So it's not, it's not just about having water.
It's about having the, the right kind of water.
Right.
The right mix, the right chemical soup for,
for life to, to emerge, to thrive.
Exactly, precisely.
And that's, that's where missions,
missions to Europa, they come in there.
Well, they're our best hope,
our best hope of cracking this case wide open.
Okay, let's, let's talk about those missions,
those missions to Europa.
Haven't there been, haven't there been past missions,
missions that have, you know, gathered some data?
Oh yeah, yeah, definitely.
The Galileo spacecraft.
It orbited, it orbited Jupiter from 95 to 2003,
a long time, and it provided,
it provided the first, the first real detailed evidence,
evidence of that, of that subsurface ocean.
And then you've got, you've got the Hubble Space Telescope.
It's been watching.
Yeah.
Watching from afar, observing those, those plumes,
those water vapor plumes and those surface features.
And it's given us,
it's given us some really valuable insights.
Okay, so those were, those were like the,
the opening acts, the warmup.
But I've heard, I've heard there's some,
some really exciting stuff coming up,
like, like the Europa Clipper.
What, what can you tell us about that?
What's the deal with the Europa Clipper?
Oh, the Europa Clipper.
It's, it's scheduled to launch, let's see, in 2024.
It's designed, specifically designed to answer some,
to answer some of those big questions,
the big questions about, about Europa's potential for life.
And it's going to, well, it's gonna revolutionize
our understanding, our understanding of this,
this icy moon.
Okay, so what's, what's on the agenda for the,
for the Europa Clipper?
What kind of, what kind of data is it gonna be,
you know, collecting?
What's it gonna be doing?
Think of it, think of it as a high-tech detective.
It's got, it's got all the tools,
a whole suite of instruments ready to investigate.
It'll be doing, it'll be doing flybys,
multiple flybys, analyzing,
analyzing the surface composition,
mapping, mapping the ice shell,
figuring out how thick it is,
and searching, searching for signs,
signs of hydrothermal activity.
It's gonna be busy.
So it's like, it's like we're sending a robotic emissary
to, to check things out, to scope out the place,
and send back, send back the intel.
But are there, are there other missions,
other missions in the works?
There is, there is the European Space Agency, the ESA,
they're launching their own mission.
It's called, it's called GIC,
the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer.
GIC, huh, okay.
What's, what's GIC you're gonna be focusing on?
Is it, is it gonna be, you know, investigating Europa too?
Juice, Juice is gonna be taking a broader look.
It's gonna be looking at the whole Jovian system.
So not just Europa, no.
It'll be checking out, checking out Ganymede.
And Callisto, those other icy moons,
it's gonna give us, it's gonna give us a lot of data,
comparative data, so we can understand,
we can understand the unique characteristics,
the unique characteristics of each moon.
So it's like a, it's like a grand tour.
A grand tour of Jupiter's, Jupiter's icy entourage.
Oh. That's cool.
So, so we've got these missions,
these incredible missions planned to study Europa
in more detail, in more detail than ever before.
It feels like we're, we're on the verge,
the verge of some, some major breakthroughs.
Right. But are these,
are these just the first steps?
What about, what about the future,
the future of Europa exploration?
Now you're, now you're thinking long-term,
and that's where it gets,
that's where it gets really, really exciting.
It would be challenging, very challenging,
but there are proposals, proposals for landers,
landers that could, that could touch down,
touch down on Europa's surface.
Imagine that.
Analyzing, analyzing the ice directly.
Maybe even, maybe even finding evidence,
evidence of, of past plumes.
A lander.
Yeah, that would be, that'd be amazing.
Like sending a, like sending a scout to gather,
to gather that firsthand information.
But what about, what about going even further?
What about exploring, exploring the ocean itself?
Yeah. Directly.
That's, that's the dream.
Yeah.
The ultimate goal to get, to get through that shell,
that icy shell and explore, explore the ocean directly.
There are concepts, concepts being developed for probes,
probes that could, that could melt or drill,
drill through the ice.
It would open up, it would open up a whole new world,
a whole new realm of exploration.
Wow.
Sending a probe, a probe into Europa's ocean.
It sounds, it sounds like science fiction,
but it would be, it would be revolutionary.
I mean, imagine the discoveries,
the discoveries waiting to be made in that,
in that alien ocean.
But what are the, what are the challenges?
What would it take?
What would it take to actually make that happen?
It would be, it would be a huge undertaking technologically,
financially, it would be massive.
We're talking about, about developing, about deploying
a probe, a probe that can, that can withstand the pressure,
that incredible pressure and the cold,
those frigid temperatures.
And, and it would have to navigate,
it would have to navigate an underwater environment,
an environment we know nothing about.
Millions, millions of miles away.
It's, it's a daunting, a daunting challenge,
but the payoff, the potential payoff, it would be,
it would be immense.
Imagine the data, the images, the possibility,
the possibility of finding life.
It would be, it would be worth it,
worth every ounce of effort.
It would be, it would be a defining moment,
a defining moment in human history.
And it wouldn't just be about, you know,
about the scientific discoveries.
No, it would be about, about the spirit of exploration,
about, about dreaming big, about that,
about that relentless pursuit, the pursuit of knowledge,
the pursuit that, that defines us, that defines us as humans.
It's inspiring, really inspiring, but let's,
let's bring it back, bring it back to the present for a minute.
What are the, what are the big questions?
The big unanswered questions, the questions that,
that scientists are still, you know, still grappling with
when it comes to, when it comes to Europa?
The most basic question, the question that drives,
the question that drives everything is their life.
Is there life on Europa?
We have clues, tantalizing clues, but we don't,
we don't have proof, not yet.
It's the, it's the ultimate cliffhanger.
Right.
We've got this world, this world with the potential for life,
but we don't know.
You don't know for sure if it's there.
It's enough to, it's enough to keep you up at night.
And it's not, it's not just about finding, you know,
any life, no, it's about understanding,
understanding what kind of life,
what kind of life might exist.
Are we talking about, about microbes, simple organisms,
or, or could there be, could there be something more?
Could there be more complex life forms thriving,
thriving in that, in that hidden ocean?
Yeah. Finding, finding any life, any life beyond earth,
that would be, that'd be groundbreaking.
But finding, finding complex life, that would,
that would change everything.
That would rewrite, rewrite our understanding of,
of biology.
Yeah.
Of evolution.
What other, what other mysteries are,
are hidden under that ice, under that icy surface?
The ocean, the ocean itself.
We still, we still don't really know much about it.
The dynamics, how it works.
We don't know how thick, how thick the ice is,
the ice crust, or how it, how it interacts,
how it interacts with the ocean.
Understanding that, understanding those interactions,
it's crucial.
Crucial for understanding the, the habitability,
the habitability of that ocean.
It's like, it's like trying to, trying to understand this,
this hidden ecosystem, piecing together clues
from, from very limited data.
What about, what about hydrothermal activity?
We talked about, we talked about those vents.
On the ocean floor, is there any way,
is there any way to know,
to know if they're active and what role,
what role they might play, you know, in, in supporting life?
That's, that's another piece, another piece of the puzzle.
Hopefully, hopefully future missions, they'll help us.
They'll help us figure that out.
Are they, are they active?
Are those vents spewing out, spewing out chemicals?
Chemicals that could, that could fuel life.
What kind of, what kind of ecosystems?
What kind of ecosystems might exist,
might exist around them?
These are the questions, these are the questions that,
that keep astrobiologists up at night.
So we've got the mystery, the mystery of life itself.
We've got the, the dynamics of this, of this hidden ocean.
And we've got the possibility,
the tantalizing possibility of, of hydrothermal activity.
It sounds like, it sounds like Europa is,
is a treasure trove, a treasure trove
of, of scientific questions, just waiting,
waiting to be answered.
It really is.
Europa is, it's a compelling example,
a compelling example of how, of how life might,
how life might exist in environments that are,
that are totally different,
totally different from our own.
It's a world, it's a world that challenges us,
challenges our assumptions, and it expands.
It expands our imagination.
It reminds us, it reminds us that our understanding,
our understanding of life is, well, it's limited,
limited by our experiences, our experiences here on earth.
There could be, there could be a whole spectrum,
a whole spectrum of life out there,
that we haven't even, that we haven't even begun to imagine.
Ah, and that's, and that's what makes exploring,
exploring these other worlds, these other worlds so essential.
It's about, it's about expanding our horizons,
physically, intellectually.
Speaking of, speaking of expanding our horizons,
Europa, Europa isn't the only place,
the only place in our solar system, right,
that has, that has the potential for life.
Oh, absolutely not, absolutely not.
Europa's a, well, it's a front runner,
but it's not, it's not alone.
There are other, there are other celestial bodies
out there in our solar system that have,
that have astrobiologists.
Well, they've got them pretty excited.
Okay, so tell me, tell me more.
What other, what other worlds are on the,
you know, on the astrobiology hit list?
Enceladus, it's a, it's a moon of Saturn.
It's, well, it's one of the most intriguing.
It's got, just like Europa, it's got a subsurface ocean.
And we've, we've actually seen them, plumes,
plumes of water vapor erupting,
erupting from, from its south polar region.
So we've got, we've got direct evidence,
evidence of water.
Yeah.
And maybe, maybe other stuff too, being ejected,
ejected from, from Enceladus' ocean.
That's, that's incredible.
It is, it is.
And those plumes, those plumes contain,
they contain organic molecules, which is,
well, that's another good sign, another promising sign.
It suggests that the conditions,
the conditions in Enceladus' ocean,
they might be, they might be favorable, favorable for life.
So icy moons, icy moons with, with subsurface oceans,
they're, they're becoming like the hottest spots,
the hottest spots for astrobiologists.
They are, they are.
They've got this, they've got this unique combination,
a unique combination of factors.
Factors that could, that could make them habitable,
even though, even though they're so far,
so far from the sun.
Amazing, just amazing.
How, how life, how life finds a way,
even in the, even in the most, the most unexpected places.
Are there, are there any other, any other contenders
in this, in this cosmic search, this cosmic search for life?
Titan, Titan's a, well, it's a moon,
Saturn's largest moon.
It's a strange world, a fascinating world
with the, with a dense atmosphere.
And get this, methane lakes, methane lakes on its surface.
Wait a minute, methane lakes.
That sounds, that sounds like, that sounds like something
out of, out of a movie, out of a sci-fi movie.
It does, doesn't it?
It's the only place, the only place we know of,
besides earth, of course, that has, that has stable liquid,
stable bodies of liquid on its surface.
Now those lakes, yeah, those lakes are made of,
they're made of methane, anything, not water.
But, but there's still a chance, a chance that,
that some form, some form of life could exist there,
who knows?
Even though, so even though Titan's,
Titan's environment is totally different,
totally different from ours.
We can't, we can't rule out the possibility of life.
We can't, we can't.
Life, life might, it might take on forms,
forms that we, that we can't even,
that we can't even imagine.
We need to keep, we need to keep an open mind
when we're, when we're exploring the other world.
That's a good reminder that, that our understanding,
our understanding of life is, well, it's limited.
It's limited by, by what we know here,
what we know here on earth.
We need to be, we need to be ready to be surprised,
surprised by, by what we find out there.
Exactly, exactly.
And that's why, that's why exploring,
exploring these other worlds, it's so crucial.
It challenges us, challenges our preconceived notions,
and it forces us, it forces us to broaden,
to broaden our definition,
our definition of what life could be.
It's a, it's a cosmic adventure, pushing the boundaries,
the boundaries of our knowledge,
the boundaries of our imagination.
I couldn't have, I couldn't have said it better myself.
So, so we've got Europa, we've got Enceladus,
we've got Titan, all these, all these incredible worlds,
worlds with the potential, the potential for life.
It's, it's almost, it's almost overwhelming to think about.
It is, it is.
It makes you realize, it makes you realize that,
that we're living, we're living in a remarkable time.
We're on the cusp, the cusp of discoveries,
discoveries that could, that could change everything,
change our understanding, our understanding of the universe
and, and our place in it.
Yeah, it's a, it's a privilege,
a privilege to be, to be alive, to, to see this,
to see these discoveries unfold.
It is, it is.
And it's a reminder, a reminder that there's,
there's still so much out there,
so much out there to explore.
Speaking of, speaking of exploration,
are there, are there any missions,
any specific missions planned to,
to investigate these other worlds, these, these potentially,
these potentially habitable worlds?
Absolutely, absolutely.
There are, there are several missions,
missions in development or being proposed
that will, that will target these, these intriguing,
these intriguing celestial bodies.
Okay, give me, give me the scoop.
What, what missions, what missions are on the horizon?
Enceladus, there's a mission concept.
It's called, it's called the Enceladus Orb-a-Lander.
NASA's, NASA's looking into it.
The, the Enceladus Orb-a-Lander.
Okay, what's, what's so special about that one?
What, what's it gonna, what's it gonna be doing?
It's a two in one, a two in one mission.
It's got an orbiter and a lander.
So the orbiter, the orbiter's gonna study, study Enceladus
Yeah.
From a distance.
And the lander, the lander's actually gonna,
it's gonna touch down, touch down on the surface
and analyze, analyze that material.
The material ejected, ejected from those plumes.
Pretty cool, huh?
So it's like, it's like having, having a double dose,
a double dose of exploration, getting data,
getting data from orbit.
Yeah.
And from, and from the surface, that's, that's impressive.
It is, it is.
And the lander, the lander's designed,
it's designed to search, to search for signs of life.
So it's, it's a pretty exciting mission.
Yeah, it sounds like, it sounds like it could be a,
could be a game changer.
Yeah.
A game changer for our, for our understanding.
Our understanding of, of Enceladus.
And it's, and it's potential, it's potential for life.
What about, what about Titan?
Any, any missions planned for, for that strange,
for that strange world?
There is, there is.
Dragonfly, NASA's Dragonfly mission.
It's set to, it's set to launch sometime in the,
in the 2030s.
Dragonfly, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's that, that's that drone thing, right?
That, that drone-like spacecraft.
It's the one, that's the one.
It's a rotorcraft lander.
It's gonna fly, it's gonna fly through,
through Titan's atmosphere, that dense atmosphere,
and explore, and explore those landscapes,
those diverse landscapes.
So it's like a, it's like a drone, but on,
but on another world.
Yeah.
That's amazing.
So, so what's, what's Dragonfly gonna be doing?
What's it gonna be doing on Titan?
Dragonfly, Dragonfly can visit,
it can visit different locations, take samples,
analyze, analyze the surface composition in detail.
It's gonna be, it's gonna be our eyes, our ears.
Yeah.
On this, on this alien world.
Okay, so what are they, what are scientists hoping?
What are they hoping to learn from?
From Dragonflies, from Dragonfly's explorations?
One of the, one of the key goals is to understand,
to understand Titan's prebiotic chemistry.
So, so the chemical processes, the chemical processes
that might've, that might've led to,
to the origin of life, you know?
So it's not just, it's not just about looking for,
for current life, it's about,
it's about understanding the, the conditions,
the conditions that, that might've allowed,
that might've allowed life to, to start,
to arise in the first place.
Exactly, exactly.
Titan, Titan's like a, like a time capsule.
It's preserving, it's preserving conditions,
conditions that, that might've been,
might've been similar, similar to early Earth.
So, so by studying Titan, by studying Titan,
we can, we can learn, we can learn about how, how life
might've, how life might've originated,
originated on our own planet.
That's a, that's a fascinating,
that's a fascinating way to, to look at it.
It's like, it's like looking, it's like looking back in time
to understand, to understand our own origins.
It's, it's pretty mind boggling.
It is, it is, and it shows, and it shows how,
how connected, how connected everything is,
our solar system, and, and the importance,
the importance of exploring, exploring these other worlds
to understand, to understand our own.
It really makes you think, doesn't it?
You know, when you, when you look up at the,
at the night sky, all those stars, and you realize,
you realize how, how vast, how incredibly vast space is,
and how much, how much we don't know.
It really puts things, puts things in perspective,
doesn't it?
Our little problems here, here on Earth.
Yeah, it, it does make you realize that,
that we're all, we're all in this together.
Right.
Not, not just, not just us humans, but, but all of it,
all of life, we're part of this, this big,
this big cosmic, I don't know, tapestry.
It makes you want to, it makes you want to take care,
take care of our planet, work together,
solve those, those problems, you know?
Absolutely.
We're all, we're all crewmates, crewmates on this,
on this spaceship, spaceship Earth,
hurtling through, hurtling through space together.
And the crew, the crew keeps getting bigger,
as we, as we learn more about our,
about our cosmic neighborhood, and the, and the potential,
the potential for life, life beyond, life beyond our planet.
Speaking of, speaking of life beyond Earth,
it feels like, it feels like we're, we're close.
We're on the brink, the brink of some, of some major,
some major discoveries.
What, what breakthroughs are you,
what breakthroughs are you most excited about
in, in astrobiology?
The possibilities, the possibilities are, are incredible.
I mean, imagine, imagine finding, finding evidence,
evidence of microbial life on Mars,
or, or maybe, maybe even something, something bigger,
something truly amazing on, on Europa, or, or Enceladus.
It feels, it feels like we're getting closer,
closer and closer to, to that moment,
that moment when we, when we finally,
when we finally know, we finally confirm it,
life, life beyond Earth.
Can you imagine, can you imagine the headlines?
Scientists discover evidence of life in Europa's ocean.
It would, it would change,
it would change everything, wouldn't it?
Our, our understanding, our understanding of the universe,
and, and our place, our place.
It would be a paradigm shift.
Yeah.
We wouldn't, we wouldn't be alone.
We would know, we would know that life,
that life is out there, that it's found a way,
found a way to exist in environments that are,
that are totally, totally different,
totally different from our own.
It would, it would spark, it would spark so much research,
so much exploration.
We would want to know, we would want to know everything,
everything about these, about these alien life forms,
how they, how they evolve, their, their biology,
how, how they survive, how they survive in those,
in those extreme environments.
It would be like, like opening,
like opening a new chapter,
new chapter in the, in the book of life,
expanding, expanding our definition,
our definition of what's possible.
Do you think, do you think a discovery like that,
a discovery like that would, would bring us together,
you know, as, as humans,
knowing, knowing that we're, that we're not alone,
not alone in the universe.
I think so, yeah.
I think, I think it would.
A discovery, a discovery that profound,
it would, it would transcend,
it would transcend our differences.
It would remind us, it would remind us that we,
that we all share, that we all share the same,
the same origins, the same, the same destiny,
as, as inhabitants, inhabitants of this, of this cosmos.
It would, it would highlight,
it would highlight how precious life is
and how, how important, how important it is to,
to protect it, to preserve it on our own, on our own planet
and, and wherever else, wherever else it might exist.
It's a reminder, a reminder that we're all,
we're all connected across, across cultures,
across continents, across, across planets,
maybe even, maybe even across galaxies.
It is a, it is a profound thought, isn't it?
The idea, the idea that we might be,
that we might be part of this, this web,
this vast, this vast cosmic web of life,
connected, connected in ways, in ways that we,
that we can't even, that we can't even begin,
begin to understand.
It fills me with, with awe, awe and wonder.
It makes you realize, it makes you realize that,
that exploring these, these other worlds,
it's not, it's not just about, about science,
about curiosity, no.
It's about, it's about understanding,
understanding our place, our place in the,
in the grand scheme, the grand scheme of things.
It's about, it's about those big questions,
the biggest questions, the questions that,
that humans, that humans have always asked.
Exactly, exactly.
Are we, are we alone?
What, what are the, what are the limits,
the limits of life?
How, how did it, how did it all start?
How did life, how did life arise?
These are questions, these are questions that have,
that have driven us, driven human, human curiosity
for, for centuries.
And it seems, it seems like we're, we're getting close.
We're getting close to some, to some answers.
It's humbling and exhilarating to be, to be part of this,
part of this journey, this journey of discovery.
It reminds you, it reminds you that there's,
there's still so much, so much out there to explore.
So much, so much we don't know.
And that's, and that's what,
that's what makes it so, so exciting.
The universe, the universe is full of, full of mysteries,
mysteries waiting to be, waiting to be unraveled.
And we, we humans, we have this,
this incredible opportunity, this opportunity to be,
to be a part of it, a part of that, of that grand adventure.
It's a, it's a privilege and a responsibility to keep,
to keep pushing, to keep pushing the boundaries,
the boundaries of knowledge, to keep, to keep exploring,
to keep, to keep asking those, those big questions.
Well, we've covered, we've covered a lot today from,
from Europa's, from Europa's hidden ocean,
to the possibility, the possibility of,
of life on, on other worlds.
It's been, it's been an amazing deep dive, a deep dive into,
into astrobiology.
And I have to say, I'm, I'm leaving this conversation
feeling, feeling pretty, feeling pretty hopeful and excited,
excited about the, about the possibilities,
the possibilities that, that lie ahead.
It's been a, it's been a pleasure sharing this,
sharing this with you.
It's, it's these conversations, these conversations that,
that can inspire, that can inspire others, inspire others
to join us, to join us on this, on this incredible journey,
this journey of, of cosmic exploration.
And to our listeners, thank you.
Thank you for, for joining us.
Yeah.
Joining us on this, on this cosmic adventure.
If you're, if you're as, as fascinated,
as coordinated by this search for life,
the search for life beyond earth as we are,
be sure to, be sure to follow Cosmos in a pod
and subscribe to our, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
for more, for more deep dives, deep dives into the,
into the wonders, the wonders of the universe.
Until next time, keep, keep looking up.
And keep exploring.