Scientists May Have Found Evidence of Life Beyond Earth. Read That Again.

Could we really be on the verge of discovering life on other planets? Maybe. And the case is growing stronger by the day.

It’s not just a hunch—there’s hard data to back up the claim that we may not be alone in the universe after all, thanks to what’s being beamed across space by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

One of the most mind-blowing recent scientific developments is the repeated detection of something called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) on a faraway exoplanet called K2-18b. DMS is a gas that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms. In 2023, JWST’s instruments picked up hints of DMS alongside methane and carbon dioxide.

Then, earlier this year, JWST’s follow-up observations provided updated evidence for DMS and/or its cousin, DMDS. When we reported on the finding, we literally said, “This Is Not a Drill,” because even though no one is using the “aliens” word just yet, this biosignature might be our first solid clue that something—something!—is alive on another world.

Ever since that news broke, we haven’t been able to stop thinking about what it could mean. Watch Pop Mech editors John Gilpatrick and Jackie Appel geek out over the mysterious DMS and K2-18b, and how this signal—if confirmed—would change everything we thought we knew about life elsewhere in the universe.

John and Jackie discuss how Webb was able to detect such faint traces of gas across billions of miles, and why scientists are proceeding with cautious excitement.

Plus, Jackie talks about her series, “Pop Mech Explains the Universe,” in which she highlights the wildest findings across the cosmos every week. Watch the full episode above now, and find more installments of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show” on PopularMechanics.com.