The Challenge

Extraterrestrial life detection using biosignatures can be difficult, especially determining which signals and molecules indicate the presence of life when detected in faraway exoplanets. Your challenge is to devise a set of signatures that would demonstrate the presence of life and justify the parameters or metrics used for this selection.

Background

There are many reasons why scientists are interested in searching for evidence of alien life. Some people believe that it could help us to better understand our place in the universe, while others are interested in the possibility of finding new forms of life that could help us to learn more about the origins of life on Earth.

While there are many ways that scientists search for evidence of life, the most used approach is studying the atmospheres of other planets or moons to look for gasses or other molecular components that might be produced by living organisms. They do this analyzing the transition of the planet in front of its host star. As explained in the infographic, when a planet passes in front of its host star, the light from the star will pass through its atmosphere, and looking at how the light changes, scientists can reconstruct the composition of the atmosphere. This way, we can detect certain components that might be produced by living organisms, and therefore, could be evidence of alien life.

Objective

Your challenge is to select a set of signatures or atmospheric components that would prove, in your opinion, the past or current presence of life. What would we look for in order to say “we have found alien life”?Note that in the process, you must justify which resources or parameters you took into account for your selection and why you have chosen those specific components.
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Potential Considerations
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As you develop your solution, you may (but are not required to) consider the following:

Identifying biosignatures that are indicative of life: One of the most important considerations when selecting biosignatures is that they should be indicative of life as we know it. This means that the biosignatures should be unique to living organisms and not found in non-biological processes.
Signatures that can be detected from a distance: Another consideration is that the biosignatures should be able to be detected from a distance. This means that the biosignatures should be relatively large and easy to detect, such as atmospheric gases or large organic molecules.
Signatures that are unlikely to be produced by non-biological processes: It is also important to select biosignatures that are unlikely to be produced by non-biological processes. This means that biosignatures should not be easily replicated by abiotic processes, such as geochemical reactions.
Signatures that are specific and not ambiguous: Lastly, the biosignatures should be specific and not ambiguous, meaning that they should not be subject to misinterpretation. The biosignatures should be robust and not be easily confused with other signals.

Resources

ESA - Webb reveals an exoplanet atmosphere as never seen before .
NASA Astrobiology Institute: This institute conducts research on the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. They have a wide range of resources available, including research papers and educational materials.
Taxi from AnothSETI Institute: The SETI Institute is a non-profit organization that searches for signs of extraterrestrial life. They have a wealth of information on the topic, including research papers and educational materials.er Planet: Conversations with Drivers about Life in the Universe, Charles S. Cockell.
The Planetary Society: This organization is dedicated to the exploration of the solar system and the search for life beyond Earth. They have a wide range of resources available, including articles, videos, and educational materials.
The Kepler Project: This project is dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and has a wide range of resources on the topic, including research papers, educational materials, and interactive tools.
The European Space Agency: This agency conducts research on a wide range of topics, including the search for life beyond Earth. They have a number of resources available, including research papers and educational materials.
The METI International: This organization is focused on sending messages to extraterrestrial civilizations, and have resources on the topic, including research papers and educational materials.

INTERESTING READING

The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Arik Kershenbaum.
Taxi from Another Planet: Conversations with Drivers about Life in the Universe, Charles S. Cockell.
Astrobiology: Understanding Life in the Universe, Charles S. Cockell.

Stay tuned!

Additional resources will be added soon

Challenge sponsors

Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation

The Detecting Alien Life Challenge commemorates the Joan Oró Year and is officially sponsored by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation

Joan Oró is a Catalan scientist who is one of the most important scientists of the 20th century. He devoted his career to the study of the origin of life and discovered the abiotic synthesis of adenine, one of the building blocks of DNA, in Houston. With his work, he has made significant contributions to various space missions, including NASA’s Apollo and Viking missions. In the course of his studies, Oró developed a model, pioneering a way to explain how the basic components from which life was made had arrived on Earth. His scientific researches are currently included as resources for this challenge.
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Teams in the the Detecting Alien Life Challenge are encouraged to utilize his scientific research and models. The Winning Team for the Challenge will be given an award, which will be presented by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation during the Closing Day.