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Signs of life on a distant planet? Not so fast, say these astronomers

Bold claims of ‘biosignature’ molecules trigger an outpouring of scepticism.
By
  1. Alexandra Witze

A team of astronomers made worldwide headlines last night with claims that they had found the “strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the Solar System”. The scientists say that a distant planet called K2-18 b has one or more molecules in its atmosphere that might have been generated by living things1.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01264-z

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