What if life isn’t just “out there”, but closer than we think?

For the first time in more than 50 years, humans have left Earth's orbit, marking a significant point in history. And as NASA’s Artemis II mission makes its historic journey around the moon, we explore the thought-provoking question driving this return to space: are we alone?  

From pioneering techniques to study distant worlds to leading bold robot missions to Venus, Toronto-born Sara Seager is helping redefine how (and where) we look for life in the universe. Alongside podcast host David McGuffin, this episode featuring Seager is all about space: exoplanets, phosphine gas, future space missions and, of course, life beyond Earth.  

As a global leader in exoplanet science, Seager shares the story behind the controversial detection of phosphine gas in Venus’s clouds, a potential biosignature (a substance or phenomenon that provides evidence of past or present life) that sparked global debate, and why our neighbouring planet may hold surprising clues to alien life.

A Canadian astronomer and professor at MIT, Seager is widely recognized for her work on exoplanets and planetary atmospheres. She is a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her research has helped transform exoplanets into one of the most dynamic fields in astronomy. More recently, she has led innovative efforts to explore Venus’s clouds for possible signs of microbial life. Her award-winning memoir, published in 2020, is called The Smallest Lights in the Universe.

In this episode: 

• What exoplanets reveal about the potential for life beyond our solar system
• Why Venus, once overlooked, may be a key target in the search for life
• The mystery of phosphine gas and the scientific controversy that followed
• How future missions could directly sample Venus’s atmosphere
• How exploration, from Canadian wilderness to deep space, shapes discovery

Books on exploration recommended by Seager:

• Sleeping Island: The Story of One Man's Travels in the Great Barren Lands of the Canadian North
• Coppermine Journey: An Account of Great Adventure Selected from the Journals of Samuel Hearne