--- title: "Scientist Behind Venus Life Claim Describes It as “Crazy”" description: "In a CNN opinion piece, Sarah Seager, member of the team that announced it had found evidence for life on Venus, argues that the discovery is \"crazy.\"" date: "2020-09-15" modified: "2020-09-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/scientist-behind-venus-life-claim-crazy" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "alien life" - "mit" - "Venus" - "venus express" - "venus life" --- # Scientist Behind Venus Life Claim Describes It as “Crazy” ![In a CNN opinion piece, Sarah Seager, member of the team that announced it had found evidence for life on Venus, argues that the discovery is "crazy."]() *\Image: Image via NeedPix/Victor Tangermann\* The [discovery of phosphine]() in the atmosphere of Venus — a colorless and odorless gas that researchers say is a possible sign of life — made a huge splash in science and space media yesterday. The findings bolster the idea that microorganisms could survive in the planet's atmosphere, despite the hostile conditions — a hypothesis that famed astronomer Carl Sagan [put forward]() over 50 years ago. But was it just hype — or is it really possible that organic life can survive there? In a new [*CNN* opinion piece](), MIT researcher and member of the international team that announced yesterday's [findings]() in the journal *Nature Astronomy* Sarah Seager writes that the finding forces a pair of extraordinary conclusions. She wrote that "my takeaway is that it indicates there is something highly unusual going on to produce phosphine — either some completely unknown chemistry, or possibly some kind of microbial-type life." "Each explanation, somehow, seems equally crazy," she added. The phosphine detection, a project led by Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in the UK, came as a shock to Seager. "When I first learned of Jane's finding I simply didn't believe it," she wrote. "The finding is so astonishing because phosphine should not be present in Venus' atmosphere," Seager argues. "Phosphine needs lots of hydrogen and the right temperatures and pressures to form — conditions found on Jupiter and Saturn but not at all on Venus." The researcher also acknowledges that conditions on Venus would give alien life a really hard time, from the scorchingly hot surface to an extremely acidic environment. In fact, "the acid environment is billions of times more acidic than the most acidic environments on Earth," Seager explained. Yet there is a sweet spot in Venus's clouds, 30 to 37 miles above the surface, "where the temperature is not too hot, not too cold, but just right for life." To Seager, it means that "our finding of phosphine gas now raises Venus as just one more place to take seriously in the search for life beyond Earth — maybe not so crazy after all." The discovery made such a big splash, it drew the attention of NASA as well. "It's time to prioritize Venus," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in [a tweet]() following the announcement. **READ MORE:** [Our crazy finding suggesting life on Venus]() \[*CNN*\] **More on the discovery:** *[Researchers Discover Signs of Life on Venus]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()