'Life molecule' found on another planet?

[Kyng]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66786611

Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope may have discovered tentative evidence of a sign of life on a faraway planet.

It may have detected a molecule called dimethyl sulphide (DMS). On Earth, at least, this is only produced by life.

The researchers stress that the detection on the planet 120 light years away is "not robust" and more data is needed to confirm its presence.

Researchers have also detected methane and CO2 in the planet's atmosphere.

Detection of these gases could mean the planet, named K2-18b, has a water ocean.

---

Okay - so, we're still several steps away from being able to conclude that there's life on this planet. First of all, we don't know that this molecule is even present - and secondly, even if it is there, we don't know that it's being produced by life (there might be a geological process that produces it there, even if there's no such process on Earth).

Nevertheless, it is intriguing circumstantial evidence !

[ZandraJoi]

I've said before, other planets may have differing views on what "life" is like. Heck, we have that hear on Earth! Different definitions.
Still, it's unique.

[Kyng]

I've said before, other planets may have differing views on what "life" is like. Heck, we have that hear on Earth! Different definitions.
Still, it's unique.

Indeed: that's often the thing about our search for life on other planets. We're only searching for signs of "life as we know it", because that's the only form of life that we know about .

Doesn't mean there aren't other kinds of life out there (but it's a bit hard to search for them when we don't know what to look for!)

[Pyrite]

I'd be interested to know what form of (presumably) spectroscopy was used to detect a DMS signature. But yes, there is as yet a vast chasm to jump from "a signature might have been detected" to "intelligent life".