Would we even recognize alien life? NASA astrobiologist explains

From Big Think.

This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

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Watch Kaçar’s next interview ► The ocean is evolving, and it’s not based on the ‘survival of the fittest’ https://youtu.be/nl_-nmZ4_Xc

What’s the best way to understand ancient life on Earth? Replicate the conditions it survived in.

NASA astrobiologist Betül Kaçar is recreating conditions from 3 billion years ago to study how microbes have evolved throughout history. By studying the way life once endured a frozen, unstable planet, Kaçar and her team are hoping to find clues for how we might face environmental challenges today and prepare for what’s coming next.

Read the video transcript ►https://bigthink.com/the-well/earths-ancient-microbes?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description_bigthink

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About Betül Kaçar:
Dr. Betül Kaçar is a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and NASA-funded research leader exploring life’s early evolution. Her team has developed methods to uncover ancient biological innovations. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Emory and trained at Harvard in Evolutionary Biology.

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