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Join this 35-minute conversation between communications specialist Beth Johnson and Dr. Anastasia Yanchilina, Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, exploring how life might emerge or be mistaken for in environments beyond Earth. Discover how Dr. Yanchilina studies abiotic mineral structures called "chemical gardens" that resemble biological life but form entirely through non-living processes. Learn about her research recreating these systems under conditions similar to hydrothermal vents on ocean worlds such as Enceladus and Mars to investigate how to distinguish between life and non-life, and what this means for understanding the origin of life on Earth. Explore how minerals, organics, and UV light interact in these experiments and how this research helps refine the search for biosignatures across the solar system, providing crucial insights into astrobiology and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life.
