Worlds of Fire: What Molten Exoplanets Teach Us About Planet Formation
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson and Dr. Charles-Édouard Boukaré (York University) as they dive into new research on molten rocky exoplanets—worlds so hot that their surfaces are oceans of magma. This international study, led by York University, sheds light on how these fiery planets form, evolve, and what their extreme environments can teach us about the diversity of planetary systems. From the physics of molten mantles to what telescopes like JWST might reveal about their atmospheres, we’ll explore the cutting-edge science that’s reshaping our understanding of exoplanets beyond our solar system. 📄 Learn more: Press release → https://www.yorku.ca/news/2025/07/29/international-research-lead-by-york-u-prof-sheds-light-on-molten-rocky-exoplanets/ Paper → https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02617-4 (Recorded live 11 September 2025.)
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Life in Titan’s Ocean? The Microscopic Possibility of Biomass on Saturn's Moon
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is a world of methane rivers and lakes, icy boulders, sandy dunes, and a vast subsurface ocean. Could this distant world harbor life? A new study led by Dr. Antonin Affholder, now a fellow at ETH Zurich, suggests that Titan’s ocean might support life—but only in the tiniest amounts, making it incredibly hard to find. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as she chats with Dr. Affholder to explore what this means for the search for life beyond Earth, why organics on Titan may not provide enough fuel, and how NASA’s Dragonfly mission might help answer these questions. (Recorded live 4 September 2025.)
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LaserSETI Live Puerto Rico Edition: A New Observatory & Revisiting the Wow! Signal
Join us for a special livestream featuring Dr. Abel Méndez from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, hosted by SETI Institute researcher Dr. Lauren Sgro. They will discuss the latest on LaserSETI, the all-sky project searching for optical technosignatures, including exciting updates from the new installation in Puerto Rico. This special “LaserSETI Live” will also dive into Méndez’s new study on the legendary Wow! Signal, in which he and his team revisit one of the most intriguing mysteries in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with fresh analysis and new insights. This event connects Puerto Rico’s rich legacy in radio astronomy with today’s cutting-edge search for signals of life beyond Earth, so don’t miss this livestream! (Recorded live 30 August 2025.)
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Pulsing White Dwarf! Decoding a Strange Radio Rhythm
Join us for a 30-minute livestream with Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute, and Dr. Sanne Bloot, lead author of a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. They will discuss one of the universe’s most puzzling new discoveries: a white dwarf that emits highly polarized radio pulses in a strange, patterned rhythm. (Recorded live 28 August 2025.)
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Can We Recognize Alien Life? Ocean Worlds and the Search for Life
Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a conversation with Dr. Anastasia Yanchilina, Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, as we explore how life might emerge and/or be mistaken for in environments beyond Earth. Dr. Yanchilla studies abiotic mineral structures, or “chemical gardens,” that resemble biological life but form entirely through non-living processes. By recreating these systems under conditions similar to hydrothermal vents on ocean worlds such as Enceladus and Mars, she investigates how to distinguish between life and non-life, and what this means for the origin of life on Earth. We’ll discuss how minerals, organics, and even UV light interact in these experiments, and how this research helps us refine the search for biosignatures across the solar system. (Recorded live 21 August 2025.)
SETI Live is a weekly production of the SETI Institute and is recorded live on stream with viewers on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Twitch. Guests include astronomers, planetary scientists, cosmologists, and more, working on current scientific research. Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the Universe and to share that knowledge with the world.
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