Extreme heat, crushing air pressure, and toxic clouds. Venus may not seem like a hospitable place.
But the discovery of a certain chemical, phosphine, in that planet’s atmosphere has raised new questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Scientists wonder if a living organism could possibly be creating this unexpected chemical.
This hour, we sit down Martha Gilmore, a Wesleyan professor. She’s a planetary geologist and Venus expert.
What questions do you have about Venus or our solar system?
GUEST:
- Martha Gilmore - Seney Professor of Geology and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT
Cat Pastor contributed to this show.
Thursday evening, producer Carmen Baskauf will moderate a virtual discussion with paleontologist Julia Clarke, who studies the evolution of dinosaurs-- including birds--for the Peabody Museum in New Haven. Register here.
