Will We Meet Our Alien Neighbors in 2031?

Will we find life alive in our very own solar system? Neil deGrasse Tyson dives into one of the most exciting frontiers of astrobiology: ocean worlds beyond Earth, exploring the Europa clipper, and the search for life in our own backyard with astrobiologist and planetary scientist Kevin Hand. Are we alone in the universe?

Scientists have been captivated by the mysterious activity beneath Europa’s frozen surface, eventually discovering that the outer solar system harbors multiple ice-covered worlds with subsurface oceans. But could these alien oceans support life? While the search for life on Mars focuses on ancient, fossilized life forms, Europa and Enceladus could host extant life—living organisms thriving beneath their icy crusts. We explore how these moons upended our beliefs about habitability and where life can be found. We discuss what life could look like on these moons, pondering whether evolution is contingent on specific events (like the extinction of dinosaurs) or if useful traits might evolve independently across the universe.

The conversation shifts to Titan, a moon with liquid methane lakes, and the possibility of methane-based life. Can a liquid other than water sustain life? We explore how water's polarity makes it essential for dissolving life-supporting compounds, whereas methane’s non-polar nature complicates this idea. Learn about extreme life forms on Earth, from hydrothermal vents to underground microbes.

We take a look at NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will perform flybys just 25 kilometers above the moon's surface, the hosts marvel at the engineering feat of sending a spacecraft so far from Earth. Discover how The Clipper’s onboard instruments will give us an unprecedented glimpse into the chemistry of Europa’s hidden ocean, analyzing plumes of water vapor that escape through cracks in the ice. Could we find more than just water down there—perhaps even signs of life?

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Kevin Hand at JPL
01:40 - Why Europa?
05:26 - Contingent & Convergent Evolution on Other Worlds
09:24 - Life Beyond the “Habitable Zone”
14:05 - Can A Liquid Besides Water Sustain Life?
24:04 - The Europa Clipper Mission
32:33 - How Life Could Be Sustained on Europa

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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[StarTalk]

If there were alien creatures swimming in Europa’s high-pressure ocean, would they look like glow-in-the-dark jelly blobs, armored squids, or deep-sea critters with superpowers?

[thatbeardedguy]

The amount in which Dr Tyson corrects people must be super exhausting for the guests.

[gouripriya]

Sometimes I feel that Dr Tyson interrupts the speakers way too much while they speak 😬

[kikoskater]

Tyson is a know it all.. doesn’t miss an opportunity to give his input… a little humility would be appreciated by all

[amberwilliams]

I appreciate Dr. Tyson's questions and comments during the interviews because he asks questions I wouldn't know to ask. He also clarifies a lot for laypeople in a way that the person being interviewed is not expected to do. Neil is doing his job and doing it well.

[Blitzkrieg]

Tyson is the best interviewer in the world. He asks questions and answer himself as well!

Come on Mr Tyson, please let your guest talk a bit too! 😂

[Darkflowerchyld]

I remember the first time I saw Neil say he wanted to go ice fishing in Europa. It was the moment that sparked my fascination with the Jovian system. The look in Neil's eyes, the thought of actually having a critter come up and lick the camera. It was exactly the right string of words at exactly the right moment that inspired my young mind 🩵

[alaanasr]

"Life's job in the universe is to accelerate the production of entropy" 20:47
This sentence opened my mind up so wide!

[RajendraYadavMD]

I am a big fan of StarTalk and truly appreciate the vast knowledge Neil brings to the world. While occasional interruptions can indeed add to the conversation’s dynamic, in this particular episode, I noticed that Neil may have interrupted a bit more than usual. I agree with others who have expressed a similar sentiment, and respectfully suggest passing along our sincere request for Neil to allow the other speakers a bit more uninterrupted time to share their insights. Of course, a few well-timed interjections are always welcome.

[DaveBerthiaume]

I really enjoy discussions on these topics. I just wish Neil would interrupt less frequently and let his guests do more of the talking.

[patrowan]

Kudos to Neil for bringing us these interviews. Just one suggestion: find an AI assistant that can sit on Neil's shoulder and gently remind him to let his guests answer each question before he moves on to his next....

[jeffhallock]

For anyone wondering, the quote from 2010: Odyssey Two was "ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS, EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE. USE THEM TOGETHER. USE THEM IN PEACE.” Kind of interesting that, more than 40 years ago, Clarke was calling that shot that Europa might be a point of life that we should not interfere with. So amazing we are going to be exploring this moon in the near future! Thanks for the amazing episodes Dr. Tyson!

[thechurchofdave]

I enjoy these talks but if Neil could please not interrupt the other people so much it would be easier to watch.

[GBEZ]

"Imagine telling that to Gallileo.What a priviledge." What a wonderful perspective on this, sir.

[megamike]

I see tons of negative comments about Tyson interrupting but if you think about it the channel is called Startalk so they should both be talking. I would also give him a break because he is clearly just so enthused by the subject he is clearly just genuinely talking about the things he loves.

[soulfilcher]

Dinosaurs ARE a very successful branch in the tree of life because birds are part of that branch. Keep in mind that they've been around since that time.

[MadScientistDude]

And just for the record he barely interrupted for anything besides clarity.. and Dr. Kevin Hand had no issue following, clarifying/confirming the clarification, and then continuing on.. if you can’t keep up maybe that’s a you problem. I love this conversation.

[kierankress]

Putting an advertisement inside an advertisement is a devious activity

[pastorstevenwberry]

The word clipper comes from the old English word clip. To fly or run swiftly. So a clipper is anything that moves swiftly. Love your show and the knowledge you provide.

[Lord_Runes]

Edward Norton thinks he can fool us as Kevin Hand