How likely is it that evidence of extraterrestrial life already exists – but we simply have not recognized it yet? This question is explored by an international research team, involving researchers from the "Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing" group at FU Berlin, in a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The researchers analyze so-called “false negatives,” situations in which existing traces of biological activity are overlooked or misinterpreted. 

The authors warn that current strategies for searching for extraterrestrial life may be too narrowly focused. Space missions and scientific instruments have so far been primarily designed to detect specific known biosignatures. However, the possibility of overlooking existing signs of life has hardly been systematically considered. The study therefore advocates for new research strategies that more strongly combine laboratory experiments, modeling, field research, and AI-supported pattern recognition.

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Contact:

Dr. Nozair Khawaja, Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, Email: nozair.khawaja@fu-berlin.de

Prof. Dr. Lena Noack, Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, lena.noack@fu-berlin.de

Prof. Dr. Frank Postberg, Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group, Email: frank.postberg@fu-berlin.de