1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:29,769 [Music] 2 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:31,700 greetings friends of astrobiology 3 00:00:35,780 --> 00:00:34,170 welcome to a brand new episode of ask an 4 00:00:37,490 --> 00:00:35,790 astrobiologists a show where we 5 00:00:39,530 --> 00:00:37,500 celebrate science and celebrate 6 00:00:40,670 --> 00:00:39,540 scientists my name is Sanjay zoom and 7 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:40,680 this program is made possible by 8 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:42,450 contributions from the NASA Astrobiology 9 00:00:47,150 --> 00:00:44,850 program and the non profit blue mobile 10 00:00:49,369 --> 00:00:47,160 space today we were extremely lucky to 11 00:00:51,650 --> 00:00:49,379 welcome dr. Jennifer glass was a 12 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:51,660 professor of biogeochemistry at the 13 00:00:55,459 --> 00:00:53,250 Georgia Institute of Technology as our 14 00:00:58,069 --> 00:00:55,469 guest but first it's your favorite 15 00:01:00,080 --> 00:00:58,079 monthly background quiz last month we 16 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:00,090 had a picture of a beautiful sight Mike 17 00:01:06,140 --> 00:01:02,930 if you can put it up for a few seconds 18 00:01:09,170 --> 00:01:06,150 it was of course the beautiful Mono Lake 19 00:01:11,390 --> 00:01:09,180 which is east of Yosemite National Park 20 00:01:14,719 --> 00:01:11,400 in California in the United States and 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:14,729 the person who got it right is Marian 22 00:01:19,820 --> 00:01:17,250 Denton Marian congratulations you'll be 23 00:01:21,950 --> 00:01:19,830 winning the full set of the ask an 24 00:01:24,530 --> 00:01:21,960 astrobiologist or other the astrobiology 25 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:24,540 graphic novels as well as some and NASA 26 00:01:29,810 --> 00:01:27,450 stickers congratulations next month's 27 00:01:31,580 --> 00:01:29,820 your job is to guess what is behind me 28 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:31,590 it's a little bit harder this time but 29 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:32,490 enjoy it 30 00:01:37,580 --> 00:01:35,310 Mono Lake is a fantastic Lake Inn in 31 00:01:40,399 --> 00:01:37,590 California it's a very alkaline and had 32 00:01:42,590 --> 00:01:40,409 is these beautiful towers of calcium 33 00:01:43,969 --> 00:01:42,600 carbonate called tufas and they are 34 00:01:45,530 --> 00:01:43,979 formed and they testified to the 35 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:45,540 presence of underwater springs to 36 00:01:50,510 --> 00:01:48,450 deliver calcium which react react 37 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:50,520 chemically was the carbonate that's in 38 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:52,890 the water to form those towers and so 39 00:01:57,289 --> 00:01:55,770 when the lake levels fell those reveals 40 00:01:59,179 --> 00:01:57,299 those beautiful towers so if you get a 41 00:02:00,859 --> 00:01:59,189 chance to head down to Mono Lake highly 42 00:02:02,780 --> 00:02:00,869 recommend it it is really a feast for 43 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:02,790 the eyes have also some other exciting 44 00:02:08,059 --> 00:02:05,250 news together with ask an astrobiologist 45 00:02:11,150 --> 00:02:08,069 and Signet we welcome dr. Graham Lau who 46 00:02:12,410 --> 00:02:11,160 is in the chat room right now dr. Lau is 47 00:02:13,790 --> 00:02:12,420 an astrobiologist and a research 48 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:13,800 scientist at the 49 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:15,270 space institute of science and he will 50 00:02:19,610 --> 00:02:17,940 be co-hosting askin astrobiologists with 51 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:19,620 me so we'll be alternating more or less 52 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:21,690 who presents the show and it's going to 53 00:02:26,540 --> 00:02:23,610 be a wonderful experience to welcome him 54 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:26,550 on board but enough enough about us this 55 00:02:31,730 --> 00:02:29,310 program is meant to focus on a fantastic 56 00:02:33,620 --> 00:02:31,740 scientist of astrobiology and with that 57 00:02:37,420 --> 00:02:33,630 we have a dr. Jennifer glass with us 58 00:02:45,490 --> 00:02:37,430 today Jennifer how are you today great 59 00:02:47,330 --> 00:02:45,500 wonderful you're a professor of 60 00:02:49,220 --> 00:02:47,340 biogeochemistry at the Georgia Institute 61 00:02:52,030 --> 00:02:49,230 of Technology in the city of Atlanta in 62 00:02:55,550 --> 00:02:52,040 America and could you tell us what is 63 00:02:59,990 --> 00:02:55,560 biogeochemistry to begin with yes well 64 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:00,000 as you know we like to in astrobiology 65 00:03:05,740 --> 00:03:03,090 sometimes it's kind of like in a German 66 00:03:09,230 --> 00:03:05,750 these string these words together and so 67 00:03:12,770 --> 00:03:09,240 obviously it's biogeochemistry right is 68 00:03:17,470 --> 00:03:12,780 the kind of intermingling of biology and 69 00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:17,480 geology and chemistry and also physics 70 00:03:22,850 --> 00:03:20,550 is needed in there as well so it's 71 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:22,860 essentially kind of at all Sciences 72 00:03:29,330 --> 00:03:26,850 merged together and like astrobiology is 73 00:03:31,940 --> 00:03:29,340 as well so sometimes I call myself an 74 00:03:35,900 --> 00:03:31,950 astrobiologist sometimes biogeochemistry 75 00:03:38,150 --> 00:03:35,910 on microbiologist it's hard to kind of 76 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:38,160 come up with a single name because it's 77 00:03:42,980 --> 00:03:40,410 such an interdisciplinary field but 78 00:03:45,770 --> 00:03:42,990 basically what biogeochemistry 79 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:45,780 interested in is thinking about how 80 00:03:53,660 --> 00:03:49,590 chemical elements how the elements on 81 00:03:56,690 --> 00:03:53,670 the periodic table cycle through earth 82 00:03:58,220 --> 00:03:56,700 systems and also especially in 83 00:04:02,240 --> 00:03:58,230 astrobiology we like to think about 84 00:04:06,290 --> 00:04:02,250 other planetary systems as well and that 85 00:04:08,330 --> 00:04:06,300 often comes down to microbial reactions 86 00:04:10,220 --> 00:04:08,340 because the microbes are actually who 87 00:04:12,350 --> 00:04:10,230 can really catalyze a lot of this 88 00:04:15,170 --> 00:04:12,360 chemistry much faster than the abiotic 89 00:04:19,010 --> 00:04:15,180 processes and so that's the connection 90 00:04:21,170 --> 00:04:19,020 into microbiology as well so you look at 91 00:04:22,580 --> 00:04:21,180 microbes you look at gases you think 92 00:04:23,150 --> 00:04:22,590 about the atmosphere you think about 93 00:04:24,980 --> 00:04:23,160 rocks 94 00:04:26,810 --> 00:04:24,990 you're a true astrobiologists right you 95 00:04:27,590 --> 00:04:26,820 can't do modern astrobiology by being 96 00:04:29,420 --> 00:04:27,600 focused on a 97 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:29,430 particular discipline even most science 98 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:35,370 today one could say that indeed so 99 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:37,530 presumably you weren't a six-year-old 100 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:39,570 looking at Iraq and thinking I want to 101 00:04:43,670 --> 00:04:41,850 become a bio geochemist but could you 102 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:43,680 tell us the story perhaps an irrigated 103 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:45,690 what triggered this interest in science 104 00:04:49,910 --> 00:04:47,610 and discuss your career path and how to 105 00:04:53,030 --> 00:04:49,920 become a bio geochemist interested in 106 00:04:57,490 --> 00:04:53,040 astrobiology I was really fortunate to 107 00:05:00,770 --> 00:04:57,500 grow up in the beautiful states where 108 00:05:03,140 --> 00:05:00,780 darksome and I also happen to have gone 109 00:05:05,330 --> 00:05:03,150 to school at the same time he as a 110 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:05,340 graduate student and myself as an 111 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:06,450 undergraduate at University of 112 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:09,810 Washington and I grew up in Olympia 113 00:05:14,780 --> 00:05:13,170 Washington and which is for those of you 114 00:05:16,460 --> 00:05:14,790 who haven't visited the Pacific 115 00:05:19,790 --> 00:05:16,470 Northwest of the United States before 116 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:19,800 it's a beautiful place it's there's 117 00:05:26,450 --> 00:05:23,730 volcanoes there's rain tempering forests 118 00:05:30,590 --> 00:05:26,460 on the Olympic Peninsula it's kind of a 119 00:05:34,820 --> 00:05:30,600 marvelous wonderland of biogeochemistry 120 00:05:36,740 --> 00:05:34,830 and biodiversity and I think that I was 121 00:05:39,650 --> 00:05:36,750 I was very fortunate to grow up in a 122 00:05:43,670 --> 00:05:39,660 place that I think naturally just gets 123 00:05:48,290 --> 00:05:43,680 you thinking about Earth processes and I 124 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:48,300 actually did my first year of college at 125 00:05:53,990 --> 00:05:52,530 UC Santa Cruz and I know maybe we'll 126 00:05:55,700 --> 00:05:54,000 talk later about mentors and how 127 00:05:57,550 --> 00:05:55,710 important they are because there were 128 00:06:00,080 --> 00:05:57,560 some mentors there that really 129 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:00,090 encouraged me and drew me into actually 130 00:06:05,300 --> 00:06:03,810 oceanography and then I basically alter 131 00:06:08,150 --> 00:06:05,310 undergrad it was really hard for me to 132 00:06:12,410 --> 00:06:08,160 decide what to major in because I was 133 00:06:14,030 --> 00:06:12,420 interested in everything but I'm you 134 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:14,040 know I've interested in all Natural 135 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:16,890 Sciences basically and biology and 136 00:06:24,260 --> 00:06:20,250 chemistry but I really like the applied 137 00:06:27,290 --> 00:06:24,270 side of it um and so that's how I came 138 00:06:29,780 --> 00:06:27,300 to geosciences and I've always been in 139 00:06:33,050 --> 00:06:29,790 geosciences ever since and the beauty of 140 00:06:36,469 --> 00:06:33,060 geosciences is that they let us it's 141 00:06:40,550 --> 00:06:36,479 it's pretty interdisciplinary as well as 142 00:06:40,999 --> 00:06:40,560 increasingly really all of science is we 143 00:06:42,999 --> 00:06:41,009 have to be 144 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:43,009 more interdisciplinary because of the 145 00:06:48,859 --> 00:06:45,330 intersections is really where the 146 00:06:50,450 --> 00:06:48,869 interesting problems and answers are so 147 00:06:52,929 --> 00:06:50,460 I've been fortunate to be able to do 148 00:06:56,629 --> 00:06:52,939 this very interdisciplinary science in 149 00:06:57,950 --> 00:06:56,639 Geoscience departments ever ever since I 150 00:07:00,079 --> 00:06:57,960 was in college 151 00:07:02,149 --> 00:07:00,089 wonderful so you go to your 152 00:07:04,730 --> 00:07:02,159 undergraduate degree in geology and then 153 00:07:07,429 --> 00:07:04,740 you moved to Arizona State University 154 00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:07,439 for your doctorate how was that 155 00:07:12,859 --> 00:07:10,800 transition yeah well I was fortunate to 156 00:07:14,869 --> 00:07:12,869 have wonderful mentors at University of 157 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:14,879 Washington and some of some of whom we 158 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:19,110 share talked about and there was a 159 00:07:23,689 --> 00:07:21,270 wonderful astrobiology program as well 160 00:07:26,269 --> 00:07:23,699 and so that was I really got interested 161 00:07:29,149 --> 00:07:26,279 originally in astrobiology and that was 162 00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:29,159 how I found out about Arizona State and 163 00:07:34,219 --> 00:07:30,960 some of the really exciting research 164 00:07:36,049 --> 00:07:34,229 going on there so it was well the 165 00:07:38,779 --> 00:07:36,059 transition to graduate school is a 166 00:07:41,179 --> 00:07:38,789 really is a challenging one I think for 167 00:07:45,980 --> 00:07:41,189 a lot of people and it was challenging 168 00:07:48,110 --> 00:07:45,990 for me as well especially going from it 169 00:07:50,959 --> 00:07:48,120 like you said the geosciences and then 170 00:07:55,189 --> 00:07:50,969 trying to learn basically this whole new 171 00:07:58,939 --> 00:07:55,199 world of microbiology and also a fair 172 00:08:01,399 --> 00:07:58,949 bit of biochemistry as well and it took 173 00:08:04,579 --> 00:08:01,409 its take I'm still in the process of 174 00:08:06,199 --> 00:08:04,589 doing that you never stop learning 175 00:08:08,629 --> 00:08:06,209 that's the beauty of the site to take 176 00:08:10,759 --> 00:08:08,639 disciplinary yeah that's a good thing 177 00:08:13,969 --> 00:08:10,769 exactly I'll never be done 178 00:08:15,499 --> 00:08:13,979 transy you know transitioning around 179 00:08:18,049 --> 00:08:15,509 between those and I've just been 180 00:08:19,639 --> 00:08:18,059 fortunate to be able to do that in this 181 00:08:22,009 --> 00:08:19,649 community and to be able to work on 182 00:08:22,790 --> 00:08:22,019 quite a number of different different 183 00:08:25,519 --> 00:08:22,800 problems 184 00:08:28,100 --> 00:08:25,529 that's just naturally how what I like to 185 00:08:29,570 --> 00:08:28,110 do I get excited about a lot of 186 00:08:31,279 --> 00:08:29,580 different things I try to focus on 187 00:08:34,909 --> 00:08:31,289 something long enough to finish it 188 00:08:36,889 --> 00:08:34,919 please get some papers out but we can 189 00:08:38,839 --> 00:08:36,899 talk more about that about what I'm 190 00:08:41,209 --> 00:08:38,849 excited about late lately yeah yeah 191 00:08:42,709 --> 00:08:41,219 absolutely azzam is like oozing out of 192 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:42,719 the screen that I have in front of me 193 00:08:46,519 --> 00:08:44,250 it's wonderful but let's talk about 194 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:46,529 mentors a little bit let's talk about 195 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:47,910 mentors a little bit because the 196 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:50,490 scientific path through school is not 197 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:52,410 the easiest path one can choose to get a 198 00:08:56,820 --> 00:08:54,490 degree in and get multiple degrees and 199 00:08:58,380 --> 00:08:56,830 and people might think that they're not 200 00:08:59,820 --> 00:08:58,390 smart enough not good enough to do this 201 00:09:01,530 --> 00:08:59,830 carrier but of course it's it's 202 00:09:04,019 --> 00:09:01,540 incorrect all of us who have gone 203 00:09:06,180 --> 00:09:04,029 through the the school in the sciences 204 00:09:07,949 --> 00:09:06,190 have benefited from mentors and I 205 00:09:10,139 --> 00:09:07,959 wondering if you could share some some 206 00:09:11,630 --> 00:09:10,149 stories about the the people and perhaps 207 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:11,640 even give them a little shout out who 208 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:14,250 encouraged you over the years yes 209 00:09:18,180 --> 00:09:16,330 absolutely and there's more than I can 210 00:09:20,579 --> 00:09:18,190 possibly talk about here but I want to 211 00:09:23,310 --> 00:09:20,589 go all the way back to K through 12 212 00:09:25,230 --> 00:09:23,320 because it's really I think especially 213 00:09:28,110 --> 00:09:25,240 in the states which is what I can speak 214 00:09:32,490 --> 00:09:28,120 to and in the public school systems in 215 00:09:35,150 --> 00:09:32,500 the states you know our teachers work so 216 00:09:38,970 --> 00:09:35,160 amazingly hard for very little money and 217 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:38,980 I was so so blessed to have such amazing 218 00:09:43,019 --> 00:09:40,930 science teachers in school because it 219 00:09:44,550 --> 00:09:43,029 was really my middle school science 220 00:09:48,389 --> 00:09:44,560 teachers who were both women actually 221 00:09:51,660 --> 00:09:48,399 and especially my really both of them my 222 00:09:53,910 --> 00:09:51,670 7th grade science teacher Carol Sardar 223 00:09:56,910 --> 00:09:53,920 and then my 8th grade science teacher 224 00:09:59,460 --> 00:09:56,920 Mattie Martin they both really directed 225 00:10:03,930 --> 00:09:59,470 me Carol very much on the Natural 226 00:10:07,319 --> 00:10:03,940 Sciences side and then miss Martin I'll 227 00:10:08,610 --> 00:10:07,329 call her more on the track for going 228 00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:08,620 forward 229 00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:10,620 I don't think I would be where I am 230 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:15,880 without those two amazing women and then 231 00:10:21,510 --> 00:10:18,370 after that I'll just name four amazing 232 00:10:24,810 --> 00:10:21,520 women and then I'll I can give many 233 00:10:27,210 --> 00:10:24,820 probably hundreds more but then my first 234 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:27,220 year of college actually I was like I 235 00:10:34,889 --> 00:10:30,850 said I I wasn't sure what I wanted to do 236 00:10:37,530 --> 00:10:34,899 I was very much interested in saving the 237 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:37,540 planet that's what I wanted to do I 238 00:10:43,230 --> 00:10:39,520 wanted to save the planet just you know 239 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:43,240 whooping so what do you see Santa Cruz 240 00:10:46,579 --> 00:10:44,110 because they have a really good 241 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:46,589 environmental science program and 242 00:10:54,510 --> 00:10:50,890 amazingly the summer before I started at 243 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:54,520 UC Santa Cruz I got an email out of the 244 00:11:00,600 --> 00:10:57,810 blue from a faculty member who is 245 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:00,610 professor on a Christina Ravello at UC 246 00:11:06,180 --> 00:11:04,330 Santa Cruz saying you know I saw your 247 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:06,190 undergraduate application and I was 248 00:11:11,610 --> 00:11:07,750 really impressed and would you like to 249 00:11:14,579 --> 00:11:11,620 come work in my lab and that was I mean 250 00:11:16,290 --> 00:11:14,589 you can imagine how honored so you know 251 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:16,300 the year I spent there I ended up 252 00:11:21,329 --> 00:11:18,610 transferring to University of Washington 253 00:11:24,810 --> 00:11:21,339 after that but the year I spent in her 254 00:11:27,990 --> 00:11:24,820 lab at UC Santa Cruz that absolutely 255 00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:28,000 made me with huge in terms of getting me 256 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:30,100 interested in oceanography she works on 257 00:11:38,010 --> 00:11:32,310 her group works on Haley oceanography 258 00:11:40,230 --> 00:11:38,020 and you know just being in a lab group 259 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:40,240 for the first time as a freshman in 260 00:11:46,590 --> 00:11:42,250 college and just kind of seeing the 261 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:46,600 inside track there and I remember I was 262 00:11:51,780 --> 00:11:49,930 working with her graduate student who's 263 00:11:54,570 --> 00:11:51,790 now at Stanford 264 00:11:59,579 --> 00:11:54,580 there was also you know I was supposed 265 00:12:02,280 --> 00:11:59,589 to be talking about mentors and then 266 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:02,290 I'll just move on from there and jump 267 00:12:05,670 --> 00:12:03,850 forward a little bit because I want to 268 00:12:08,819 --> 00:12:05,680 give a big shout-out to police a wolf 269 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:08,829 Simon who actually was my mentor my 270 00:12:16,730 --> 00:12:11,770 first year at RAL on bars lab at Arizona 271 00:12:21,030 --> 00:12:16,740 State University and Felisa was 272 00:12:23,220 --> 00:12:21,040 absolutely the best mentor I think I can 273 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:23,230 say I've ever had I hope she's watching 274 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:27,310 this but I want to say thank you Felisa 275 00:12:34,860 --> 00:12:31,810 because I'm gonna choke because we had 276 00:12:37,829 --> 00:12:34,870 um you know she was just amazing to me 277 00:12:40,170 --> 00:12:37,839 and she really taught me what I know 278 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:40,180 about you know definitely growing 279 00:12:45,060 --> 00:12:42,250 cyanobacteria that's for sure we grow a 280 00:12:46,769 --> 00:12:45,070 lot of cyanobacteria in that lab in the 281 00:12:49,980 --> 00:12:46,779 basement and of Phoenix 282 00:12:53,670 --> 00:12:49,990 getting liquid nitrogen in the 120 283 00:12:56,389 --> 00:12:53,680 degrees took a while so I wanna yeah 284 00:12:58,470 --> 00:12:56,399 save a huge thank you to police' 285 00:13:00,060 --> 00:12:58,480 this illustrates that the scientific 286 00:13:02,340 --> 00:13:00,070 career is an emotional world as well 287 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:02,350 which is important to grow in that in 288 00:13:08,250 --> 00:13:05,890 that that facets so after your PhD at 289 00:13:10,139 --> 00:13:08,260 Arizona State you did a postdoc at the 290 00:13:11,850 --> 00:13:10,149 California Institute of Technology and 291 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:11,860 now you have your own lab at Georgia 292 00:13:17,250 --> 00:13:14,650 Institute of Technology and the I guess 293 00:13:17,940 --> 00:13:17,260 the title of your lab is Mars methane 294 00:13:29,870 --> 00:13:17,950 and 295 00:13:33,300 --> 00:13:29,880 M's tell us about what your lab does its 296 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:33,310 methane microbes and metals like they 297 00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:36,130 microbes we switch in and out so you're 298 00:13:40,220 --> 00:13:38,110 right maybe I couldn't I don't know if I 299 00:13:42,900 --> 00:13:40,230 can call myself enough of a Mars person 300 00:13:45,150 --> 00:13:42,910 Portland's trying to beef up on my Mars 301 00:13:48,569 --> 00:13:45,160 but you're right yes metals methane and 302 00:13:51,210 --> 00:13:48,579 microbes like and we do more than that 303 00:13:52,710 --> 00:13:51,220 now but that was a fun alliteration that 304 00:13:55,230 --> 00:13:52,720 I came up with actually you know I think 305 00:14:01,639 --> 00:13:55,240 I have that idea at at Brad Cohn in 306 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:04,970 what was your question what does your 307 00:14:11,850 --> 00:14:08,430 alliterative lab do what do we do okay 308 00:14:15,780 --> 00:14:11,860 right and so we're interested in 309 00:14:21,210 --> 00:14:15,790 thinking about the cycling through space 310 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:21,220 and time to mostly to greenhouse gases 311 00:14:26,519 --> 00:14:24,250 we co2 a lot of people work on so we 312 00:14:29,610 --> 00:14:26,529 work on the kind of a little bit more 313 00:14:33,199 --> 00:14:29,620 neglected ones that are methane and 314 00:14:37,590 --> 00:14:33,209 nitrous oxide the second and third most 315 00:14:40,079 --> 00:14:37,600 important greenhouse gases after co2 and 316 00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:40,089 so we're really interested in how 317 00:14:45,689 --> 00:14:42,910 microbes cycle those those greenhouse 318 00:14:48,030 --> 00:14:45,699 gases but also how interactions between 319 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:48,040 chemistry and the microbes can be really 320 00:14:55,740 --> 00:14:51,990 important for those for those gases so 321 00:14:58,139 --> 00:14:55,750 methane and nitrous oxide laughing gas 322 00:14:59,670 --> 00:14:58,149 as it's known we're really important to 323 00:15:01,410 --> 00:14:59,680 warm the ancient earth 324 00:15:03,540 --> 00:15:01,420 you know several billion years ago at 325 00:15:05,069 --> 00:15:03,550 that time as we know the Sun was fainter 326 00:15:07,230 --> 00:15:05,079 so we needed those greenhouse gases to 327 00:15:09,059 --> 00:15:07,240 keep the planet warm and so right now 328 00:15:11,189 --> 00:15:09,069 those gases are not so present in our 329 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:11,199 atmosphere so the wonderful discipline 330 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:12,850 of atmospheric evolution is probably 331 00:15:16,650 --> 00:15:14,290 what you're interested in as well and 332 00:15:18,389 --> 00:15:16,660 practically that transition around 2.4 333 00:15:20,670 --> 00:15:18,399 billion years ago when the earth 334 00:15:22,559 --> 00:15:20,680 transitioned to have a oxygen in the 335 00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:22,569 atmosphere and that changed quite a bit 336 00:15:27,990 --> 00:15:25,110 decomposition of the air as well as the 337 00:15:29,550 --> 00:15:28,000 effects on microbes so when we think 338 00:15:31,170 --> 00:15:29,560 about the evolution of the air we have 339 00:15:33,740 --> 00:15:31,180 to think about your fusion of the land 340 00:15:38,450 --> 00:15:33,750 when micros comes contributed hence the 341 00:15:42,780 --> 00:15:38,460 biogeochemistry I think exactly exactly 342 00:15:44,460 --> 00:15:42,790 yeah and your oh go ahead sooner talk 343 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:44,470 about one of your papers that's coming 344 00:15:48,690 --> 00:15:46,930 out in in very soon in geobiology 345 00:15:51,570 --> 00:15:48,700 talking about a new interpretation or 346 00:15:53,430 --> 00:15:51,580 new explanation for it is for this 347 00:15:56,460 --> 00:15:53,440 laughing gas in the atmosphere earth 348 00:15:59,340 --> 00:15:56,470 several billion years ago yes and the 349 00:16:01,620 --> 00:15:59,350 first author is Chloe Stanton who spent 350 00:16:04,830 --> 00:16:01,630 four years in my lab as an undergraduate 351 00:16:07,470 --> 00:16:04,840 here in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 352 00:16:10,260 --> 00:16:07,480 at Georgia Tech and then now it's gone 353 00:16:12,690 --> 00:16:10,270 on to work at Penn State in their 354 00:16:15,210 --> 00:16:12,700 astrobiology group so I'm really really 355 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:15,220 proud of her 356 00:16:22,740 --> 00:16:19,170 and this is also this study is funded by 357 00:16:26,850 --> 00:16:22,750 NASA Astrobiology and specifically the 358 00:16:28,770 --> 00:16:26,860 alternative Earth's team that's based 359 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:28,780 out of UC Riverside and we also have a 360 00:16:34,230 --> 00:16:31,650 node here at Georgia Tech so basically 361 00:16:36,810 --> 00:16:34,240 we were interested and this kind of 362 00:16:39,540 --> 00:16:36,820 dates back my interest in nitrogen 363 00:16:42,150 --> 00:16:39,550 actually dates back to essentially when 364 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:42,160 I first met Sanjoy which which was I 365 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:46,450 think what 2004 is sure so there abouts 366 00:16:54,740 --> 00:16:50,170 uh-huh maybe fifteen years ago I don't 367 00:16:59,040 --> 00:16:54,750 know what something like that yeah yeah 368 00:17:01,950 --> 00:16:59,050 and so at University of Washington 369 00:17:05,100 --> 00:17:01,960 actually and we had a shared mentor 370 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:05,110 Roger Buick who maybe yeah many of you 371 00:17:11,250 --> 00:17:08,650 know and a wonderful mentor and so this 372 00:17:14,820 --> 00:17:11,260 is originally actually I think it this 373 00:17:17,430 --> 00:17:14,830 hypothesis as far as I can tell of this 374 00:17:22,199 --> 00:17:17,440 laughing gas atmosphere is was really 375 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:22,209 originated with Roger Buick and he came 376 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:25,930 up with this idea that maybe laughing 377 00:17:31,650 --> 00:17:28,450 gas which is a quite a potent greenhouse 378 00:17:34,230 --> 00:17:31,660 gas was more abundant in this middle 379 00:17:37,710 --> 00:17:34,240 period of Earth history and so we're 380 00:17:40,710 --> 00:17:37,720 really really focused on that same topic 381 00:17:42,510 --> 00:17:40,720 and in terms of which is what a lot of 382 00:17:43,970 --> 00:17:42,520 my lab is is kind of focused on is 383 00:17:47,539 --> 00:17:43,980 thinking how 384 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:47,549 a really metal rich ocean specifically 385 00:17:52,909 --> 00:17:50,610 iron but also manganese 386 00:17:55,039 --> 00:17:52,919 we know that the ocean it could have had 387 00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:55,049 up to millimolar levels maybe a little 388 00:17:59,630 --> 00:17:56,460 lower there's a lot of debate about that 389 00:18:02,570 --> 00:17:59,640 but there was it was loaded with ferrous 390 00:18:04,460 --> 00:18:02,580 iron soluble ferrous iron and there was 391 00:18:08,060 --> 00:18:04,470 a lot of rapid cycling through the 392 00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:08,070 ferris wheel of redox cycling so how 393 00:18:13,549 --> 00:18:10,710 would that iron rich ocean have affected 394 00:18:15,710 --> 00:18:13,559 the nitrogen cycle and actually it's 395 00:18:19,630 --> 00:18:15,720 long been known in the soil literature 396 00:18:23,900 --> 00:18:19,640 that if you react oxidized nitrogen 397 00:18:26,390 --> 00:18:23,910 species like nitrite and nitric oxide if 398 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:26,400 there's a lot of iron around they react 399 00:18:30,590 --> 00:18:28,710 and they make nitrous oxide actually 400 00:18:34,580 --> 00:18:30,600 chemically this doesn't and it's very 401 00:18:37,130 --> 00:18:34,590 quick and it it so that's been long 402 00:18:39,860 --> 00:18:37,140 known and we we basically did 403 00:18:42,590 --> 00:18:39,870 experiments in the lab to show that you 404 00:18:45,860 --> 00:18:42,600 can very rapidly get a lot of conversion 405 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:45,870 to nitrous oxide just from that iron 406 00:18:51,490 --> 00:18:48,330 chemistry essentially and so that's kind 407 00:18:54,820 --> 00:18:51,500 of our new proposed mechanism for a 408 00:18:57,830 --> 00:18:54,830 potential laughing gas Buick atmosphere 409 00:19:00,260 --> 00:18:57,840 with implications as well that I can 410 00:19:04,039 --> 00:19:00,270 talk about if you're interested for the 411 00:19:07,490 --> 00:19:04,049 evolution of aerobic respiration what 412 00:19:09,799 --> 00:19:07,500 we're doing right now fascinating yeah I 413 00:19:11,810 --> 00:19:09,809 mean this is this whole amount or 414 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:11,820 abundance of metals in the ocean is 415 00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:13,530 important because prior to the earth 416 00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:16,110 having oxygen atmosphere the ocean also 417 00:19:19,850 --> 00:19:18,000 didn't have any oxygen inside it and so 418 00:19:22,190 --> 00:19:19,860 the iron could accumulate and as oxygen 419 00:19:24,950 --> 00:19:22,200 started to rise all the iron can oxidize 420 00:19:26,690 --> 00:19:24,960 which for metals and fell down and also 421 00:19:28,490 --> 00:19:26,700 the oxygen in the atmosphere kind of 422 00:19:30,470 --> 00:19:28,500 prevented large amounts of metal 423 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:30,480 flushing down into the oceans was 424 00:19:34,130 --> 00:19:32,730 changed the amount of copper and I know 425 00:19:38,570 --> 00:19:34,140 nickel that you're interested in as well 426 00:19:40,460 --> 00:19:38,580 and bacteria use these metals in the 427 00:19:43,340 --> 00:19:40,470 enzymes in their proteins they used to 428 00:19:45,230 --> 00:19:43,350 change the chemistry of nitrogen all the 429 00:19:47,630 --> 00:19:45,240 way back to n2 which is what we breathe 430 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:47,640 and copper was very important in that 431 00:19:52,490 --> 00:19:49,890 last step as you were mentioning and was 432 00:19:54,530 --> 00:19:52,500 a lack of coppered perhaps it's a 433 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:54,540 hypothesis bacteria could not go from 434 00:19:57,680 --> 00:19:57,330 that last step nitrous oxide to n2 and 435 00:19:59,389 --> 00:19:57,690 so the 436 00:20:01,639 --> 00:19:59,399 mr. stay that nitrous-oxide resist 437 00:20:03,350 --> 00:20:01,649 fascinate so you you bring in the 438 00:20:05,749 --> 00:20:03,360 importance of ayran in that story which 439 00:20:08,930 --> 00:20:05,759 is cool right yes 440 00:20:10,970 --> 00:20:08,940 and just as an alternative pathway 441 00:20:14,590 --> 00:20:10,980 essentially for how to get the nitrous 442 00:20:17,330 --> 00:20:14,600 oxide now in terms of how they how the 443 00:20:19,669 --> 00:20:17,340 you know how much of that nitrous oxide 444 00:20:22,399 --> 00:20:19,679 the organisms could actually breathe is 445 00:20:25,850 --> 00:20:22,409 another question whether it was copper 446 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:25,860 limitation that controlled it there's 447 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:27,570 actually new data kind of showing that 448 00:20:32,210 --> 00:20:29,970 copper has been pretty consistent that's 449 00:20:34,940 --> 00:20:32,220 the latest I heard so that's a little 450 00:20:37,580 --> 00:20:34,950 you know questionable there but if a 451 00:20:39,409 --> 00:20:37,590 regardless it's very important to 452 00:20:41,570 --> 00:20:39,419 understand that last step because that 453 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:41,580 last step the last two steps of 454 00:20:49,340 --> 00:20:44,129 denitrification merged together and 455 00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:49,350 became how we breathe oxygen so that's 456 00:20:54,850 --> 00:20:52,470 what really has me excited lately is 457 00:21:00,619 --> 00:20:54,860 thinking about the evolution of 458 00:21:03,740 --> 00:21:00,629 cytochrome C oxidase a huge interest 459 00:21:06,889 --> 00:21:03,750 obviously that's super important enzyme 460 00:21:08,659 --> 00:21:06,899 for all us humans well tell us more 461 00:21:12,889 --> 00:21:08,669 about this evolution of this aerobes 462 00:21:16,190 --> 00:21:12,899 yeah yeah and so what is an arrow yeah 463 00:21:18,889 --> 00:21:16,200 what's an intro so an arrow is an 464 00:21:22,129 --> 00:21:18,899 organism like we are arrows so we are 465 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:22,139 using oxygen we're breathing oxygen 466 00:21:28,730 --> 00:21:26,610 right but there are maybe your next 467 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:28,740 shoot is gonna be what's in what's an 468 00:21:34,610 --> 00:21:32,730 anaerobic so there's there's actually 469 00:21:36,970 --> 00:21:34,620 what what is less well known of course 470 00:21:40,940 --> 00:21:36,980 we've all kind of maybe heard of 471 00:21:42,879 --> 00:21:40,950 breathing oxygen hopefully but maybe not 472 00:21:45,499 --> 00:21:42,889 everybody knows that a lot of 473 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:45,509 microorganisms can breathe all kinds of 474 00:21:50,659 --> 00:21:48,090 other stuff sized oxygen so they can 475 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:50,669 breathe all kinds of accidents and their 476 00:21:56,659 --> 00:21:54,210 oxidant does not have to be oxygen and 477 00:21:59,419 --> 00:21:56,669 so those are called anaerobes when 478 00:22:04,970 --> 00:21:59,429 they're breathing not ox something other 479 00:22:07,159 --> 00:22:04,980 than oxygen that leads us to methane for 480 00:22:10,129 --> 00:22:07,169 example because you have some microbes 481 00:22:11,750 --> 00:22:10,139 that breathe carbon dioxide to reduce 482 00:22:14,780 --> 00:22:11,760 hydrogen to form methane 483 00:22:16,850 --> 00:22:14,790 which is we find in bogs kind of on 484 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:16,860 earth if you kind of go in a muddy bog 485 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:18,930 and tap the the mud and see those 486 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:20,610 bubbles come out as typically methane 487 00:22:25,370 --> 00:22:22,650 and nothing is cool because it's been 488 00:22:26,540 --> 00:22:25,380 discovered in the atmosphere of Mars and 489 00:22:28,550 --> 00:22:26,550 I know that somebody has asked a 490 00:22:31,250 --> 00:22:28,560 question which reminds me to ask all of 491 00:22:33,590 --> 00:22:31,260 you that if you have a question use 492 00:22:34,970 --> 00:22:33,600 hashtag ask Astro bio on Twitter for dr. 493 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:34,980 glass or write it directly on the same 494 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:38,370 units and we will answer them and so 495 00:22:42,950 --> 00:22:40,650 methane you work directly we're trying 496 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:42,960 to understand the methane cycle as well 497 00:22:47,750 --> 00:22:45,510 right yeah that's right 498 00:22:51,470 --> 00:22:47,760 yeah and it's it's really exciting their 499 00:22:54,710 --> 00:22:51,480 recent results back from Mars right to 500 00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:54,720 try to figure out where and Enceladus 501 00:22:59,600 --> 00:22:56,760 you know there's it seems like more and 502 00:23:01,340 --> 00:22:59,610 Pluto right lately there's also Pluto 503 00:23:05,060 --> 00:23:01,350 well these are all different different 504 00:23:08,750 --> 00:23:05,070 for there's also methane dunes on it 505 00:23:10,460 --> 00:23:08,760 blows my mind on Pluto right so yeah 506 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:10,470 there's a lot of recent exciting methane 507 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:12,330 discoveries and are in our solar system 508 00:23:20,030 --> 00:23:17,490 and and probably beyond as well so yes 509 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:20,040 yeah let's talk about Mars because it's 510 00:23:23,990 --> 00:23:21,690 it's closer to home and they said we 511 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:24,000 have a Rover and a couple in fact on the 512 00:23:28,010 --> 00:23:25,890 surface of Mars in particular curiosity 513 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:28,020 on Gale Crater as an instrument I was 514 00:23:31,970 --> 00:23:29,730 able to detect parts-per-billion 515 00:23:33,470 --> 00:23:31,980 concentrations of methane on the surface 516 00:23:35,450 --> 00:23:33,480 now we know that there are biological 517 00:23:37,220 --> 00:23:35,460 ways of creating methane and their 518 00:23:38,510 --> 00:23:37,230 geological ways of creating methane 519 00:23:42,650 --> 00:23:38,520 nonetheless the fact that there is 520 00:23:45,590 --> 00:23:42,660 methane there is really exciting and and 521 00:23:48,140 --> 00:23:45,600 Mike I think you showed up the picture 522 00:23:50,090 --> 00:23:48,150 of the cycle there of methane on Mars as 523 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:50,100 we're getting be able to understand more 524 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:51,330 and more I'm just wondering what are 525 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:52,890 your thoughts you think it's it's life 526 00:23:59,660 --> 00:23:57,690 on Mars dead so and I think the latest 527 00:24:03,320 --> 00:23:59,670 discovery right is that there's seasonal 528 00:24:06,590 --> 00:24:03,330 variation as well it's very small 529 00:24:10,130 --> 00:24:06,600 quantities right its orders of magnitude 530 00:24:13,490 --> 00:24:10,140 lower than what we have we have what 531 00:24:16,430 --> 00:24:13,500 almost 2 ppm get that right and then 532 00:24:18,890 --> 00:24:16,440 this is like 10 ppb parts that's parts 533 00:24:20,540 --> 00:24:18,900 per million and parts per billion right 534 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:20,550 so three orders of magnitude different 535 00:24:25,790 --> 00:24:23,010 but still the fact that there's seasonal 536 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:25,800 variation really has struck people 537 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:29,010 and okay you know that you know on earth 538 00:24:34,340 --> 00:24:32,210 right seasonal variation with co2 that's 539 00:24:38,410 --> 00:24:34,350 biology that's the earth breathing 540 00:24:41,060 --> 00:24:38,420 literally that's respiration and 541 00:24:43,790 --> 00:24:41,070 photosynthesis right that controls those 542 00:24:45,290 --> 00:24:43,800 seasonal variations and so I think those 543 00:24:49,940 --> 00:24:45,300 seasonal variations let a lot of people 544 00:24:51,890 --> 00:24:49,950 to think yeah could this be biologic 545 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:51,900 though think about methane is something 546 00:24:59,870 --> 00:24:56,490 like 90% of the methane cycle on earth 547 00:25:02,660 --> 00:24:59,880 in today is biologic so it's really 548 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:02,670 amazing how biology and specifics not 549 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:05,490 just by all a biology it's a specific 550 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:09,330 clade of archaea not bacteria they're 551 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:11,730 archaea the third domain of life who 552 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:16,290 make methane on earth so you know the 553 00:25:19,730 --> 00:25:17,610 question is and there's been a lot of 554 00:25:21,950 --> 00:25:19,740 work in our field in astrobiology doing 555 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:21,960 experiments right about taking cultures 556 00:25:27,260 --> 00:25:24,930 of these archaea obviously earth 557 00:25:29,780 --> 00:25:27,270 cultures of the archaea and growing them 558 00:25:33,830 --> 00:25:29,790 under these conditions that can mimic 559 00:25:35,810 --> 00:25:33,840 it's like on Mars or Enceladus and in 560 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:35,820 fact they found you know some recent 561 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:39,090 reports have found that you know some of 562 00:25:44,750 --> 00:25:42,330 these Earth's archaea can actually live 563 00:25:46,820 --> 00:25:44,760 under pretty close conditions to what 564 00:25:48,860 --> 00:25:46,830 you know we find on these other planets 565 00:25:51,380 --> 00:25:48,870 so it's really it's not kind of not 566 00:25:54,470 --> 00:25:51,390 crazy anymore to really think that hmm 567 00:25:58,220 --> 00:25:54,480 maybe maybe that could actually be like 568 00:25:59,960 --> 00:25:58,230 tiny trickle of little now I'm not 569 00:26:01,970 --> 00:25:59,970 saying obviously Mars is not like a 570 00:26:07,580 --> 00:26:01,980 flourishing ecosystem I think we can 571 00:26:10,250 --> 00:26:07,590 agree on that today but hey but the fact 572 00:26:13,630 --> 00:26:10,260 you know if there even is a tiny tiny 573 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:13,640 low film somewhere that still 574 00:26:19,580 --> 00:26:15,810 fundamentally would change right our 575 00:26:22,310 --> 00:26:19,590 whole view on the universe right the 576 00:26:25,550 --> 00:26:22,320 underlying premise and I think it's I 577 00:26:30,530 --> 00:26:25,560 think a lot of given the excitement I've 578 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:30,540 seen just amongst the public I think 579 00:26:36,350 --> 00:26:32,930 that a lot of us share that enthusiasm 580 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:36,360 it's just such a inspiring time I think 581 00:26:41,910 --> 00:26:38,530 it's so it's so fun to be 582 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:41,920 hang on something that just gets people 583 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:44,050 excited that's a positive 584 00:26:51,570 --> 00:26:49,330 that's just mind bogglingly cool 585 00:26:54,390 --> 00:26:51,580 basically you know how fortunate we are 586 00:26:55,950 --> 00:26:54,400 so absolutely absolutely I think that's 587 00:26:57,150 --> 00:26:55,960 one of the reasons I like astrobiology 588 00:26:59,280 --> 00:26:57,160 so much is because all these 589 00:27:00,840 --> 00:26:59,290 philosophically repercussions about you 590 00:27:02,220 --> 00:27:00,850 know if we do find life else or what 591 00:27:03,660 --> 00:27:02,230 does that mean to be human and if we 592 00:27:05,970 --> 00:27:03,670 don't let what does that mean about our 593 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:05,980 responsibilities of of stewardship you 594 00:27:10,980 --> 00:27:08,530 know it's very interesting and so you're 595 00:27:13,290 --> 00:27:10,990 a primarily a terrestrial biogeochemist 596 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:13,300 but I know you're getting involved in 597 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:16,210 some workshops and some groups that are 598 00:27:20,970 --> 00:27:18,610 discussing how to explore for life on 599 00:27:24,890 --> 00:27:20,980 icy worlds and those are moons of 600 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:24,900 Jupiter like like like Europa 601 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:27,610 wow how did I forget that and Enceladus 602 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:28,930 which is a moon of Saturn of course 603 00:27:32,430 --> 00:27:30,130 could you tell us a little bit about 604 00:27:35,070 --> 00:27:32,440 your involvement and what are the 605 00:27:37,350 --> 00:27:35,080 thoughts there yes yes so I have an 606 00:27:40,470 --> 00:27:37,360 amazing colleague here at Georgia Tech 607 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:40,480 who hopefully a lot of you already know 608 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:41,050 about 609 00:27:47,850 --> 00:27:43,330 she's amazing is Brittany Schmidt here 610 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:47,860 just just upstairs one level and ever 611 00:27:51,510 --> 00:27:49,810 since I've been here and I also got to 612 00:27:52,020 --> 00:27:51,520 know Brittany a bit because we have this 613 00:27:57,090 --> 00:27:52,030 amazing 614 00:27:59,250 --> 00:27:57,100 early career astrobiology community and 615 00:28:02,250 --> 00:27:59,260 so even before that I knew I knew her 616 00:28:04,410 --> 00:28:02,260 from our ab grad comms and things but 617 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:04,420 working with Brittany here has just been 618 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:07,090 amazing because you know her group is 619 00:28:12,570 --> 00:28:09,730 designing robots that could actually be 620 00:28:15,150 --> 00:28:12,580 used on your robot in the future when 621 00:28:17,580 --> 00:28:15,160 there's a Europa a lander mission which 622 00:28:20,130 --> 00:28:17,590 is in the works right in the in the 623 00:28:20,910 --> 00:28:20,140 future being planned and so they've got 624 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:20,920 a plan 625 00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:22,690 they've got a you know go practice these 626 00:28:27,780 --> 00:28:25,480 things on earth so her group it has 627 00:28:29,850 --> 00:28:27,790 built this vehicle called ice bin I 628 00:28:32,190 --> 00:28:29,860 think it has a Twitter account and an 629 00:28:35,550 --> 00:28:32,200 Instagram account so go go search ice 630 00:28:37,290 --> 00:28:35,560 bin on the social media and you'll see a 631 00:28:38,130 --> 00:28:37,300 bunch of amazing pictures of them down 632 00:28:42,450 --> 00:28:38,140 in Antarctica 633 00:28:47,210 --> 00:28:42,460 so they're using under the Ross Ice 634 00:28:50,850 --> 00:28:47,220 Shelf as an analog for Europa and 635 00:28:52,530 --> 00:28:50,860 testing their their robot down there and 636 00:28:54,470 --> 00:28:52,540 looking at 637 00:28:58,320 --> 00:28:54,480 the conditions and habitability 638 00:29:01,289 --> 00:28:58,330 comparison to Europa and so I haven't 639 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:01,299 been to Antarctica yet but I do get to 640 00:29:04,799 --> 00:29:02,770 play with the samples when they come 641 00:29:07,169 --> 00:29:04,809 back I get to help her graduate student 642 00:29:09,090 --> 00:29:07,179 Justin Lawrence with some of the 643 00:29:11,909 --> 00:29:09,100 analyses and so we'll be looking at the 644 00:29:15,510 --> 00:29:11,919 microbial ecology of those of those 645 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:15,520 samples so we're told that and I was 646 00:29:21,930 --> 00:29:19,330 gonna mention also that my very I was 647 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:21,940 gonna say Mike when I felt most like an 648 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:23,770 astrobiologist was when I got to sit in 649 00:29:31,470 --> 00:29:26,770 on her conference call when she's some 650 00:29:34,710 --> 00:29:31,480 she's organizing a paper on the 651 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:34,720 planetary protection of Europa and she's 652 00:29:42,150 --> 00:29:39,010 she's I either in charge of she's you 653 00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:42,160 know part of this community in charge of 654 00:29:47,190 --> 00:29:44,710 that and I just thought you know just 655 00:29:48,870 --> 00:29:47,200 the fact that I get to be sitting in on 656 00:29:50,610 --> 00:29:48,880 this conference call and author on this 657 00:29:55,770 --> 00:29:50,620 paper I get to be thinking about how to 658 00:29:57,990 --> 00:29:55,780 protect your ropa from cells coming from 659 00:30:00,570 --> 00:29:58,000 Earth I mean this is just surreal you 660 00:30:05,039 --> 00:30:00,580 know this is the best literally the best 661 00:30:09,780 --> 00:30:05,049 job you know ever so it's yeah I just 662 00:30:13,020 --> 00:30:09,790 can't say enough how fortunate and and 663 00:30:15,919 --> 00:30:13,030 that brings me to wanting to also help 664 00:30:18,870 --> 00:30:15,929 the next generation to become 665 00:30:20,669 --> 00:30:18,880 astrobiologists I will talk about that 666 00:30:23,039 --> 00:30:20,679 but we've been chatting for half an hour 667 00:30:24,690 --> 00:30:23,049 so I want to open up the floor to our 668 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:24,700 audience who are who are watching and 669 00:30:29,159 --> 00:30:26,410 listening again if you have a question 670 00:30:30,690 --> 00:30:29,169 for dr. glass please use hashtag ask a 671 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:30,700 strobe I on Twitter or ask the questions 672 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:33,250 directly on the chat on Sega nerd org 673 00:30:37,830 --> 00:30:36,250 and the first question is it regards to 674 00:30:40,350 --> 00:30:37,840 the methane on Mars and it's from 675 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:40,360 Michael Wong and he's curious how would 676 00:30:45,390 --> 00:30:42,610 you design a mission to be able to tell 677 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:45,400 whether or not the methane is geologic 678 00:30:56,060 --> 00:30:53,530 or biology I think that this is this is 679 00:31:02,490 --> 00:30:56,070 coming up in future missions I imagine 680 00:31:04,470 --> 00:31:02,500 and so there are you know so I'll 681 00:31:06,269 --> 00:31:04,480 probably rely on some of you for help 682 00:31:07,709 --> 00:31:06,279 with this question too because 683 00:31:11,450 --> 00:31:07,719 I think this has been worked on so I 684 00:31:14,879 --> 00:31:11,460 don't want to mislead here but there's 685 00:31:17,459 --> 00:31:14,889 characteristic isotopic composition so 686 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:17,469 the ratio of carbon so there's two 687 00:31:21,330 --> 00:31:19,570 different isotope just for those of you 688 00:31:26,940 --> 00:31:21,340 that I know we have a bunch of different 689 00:31:29,299 --> 00:31:26,950 backgrounds here right so the carbon in 690 00:31:32,129 --> 00:31:29,309 the central atom of methane right can be 691 00:31:34,820 --> 00:31:32,139 carbon-12 which is the more abundant or 692 00:31:38,489 --> 00:31:34,830 carbon 13 and the ratio of those two 693 00:31:39,869 --> 00:31:38,499 isotopes of carbon can be diagnostic for 694 00:31:40,950 --> 00:31:39,879 where the methane has come from 695 00:31:43,259 --> 00:31:40,960 especially if you can also 696 00:31:47,070 --> 00:31:43,269 simultaneously do a measurement of the 697 00:31:50,519 --> 00:31:47,080 hydrogen composition as well and so and 698 00:31:53,479 --> 00:31:50,529 I believe that's already being done or 699 00:31:57,570 --> 00:31:53,489 in the works I think some of that uh 700 00:32:01,200 --> 00:31:57,580 anybody help me out on this 701 00:32:02,999 --> 00:32:01,210 but so that is is the isotopic 702 00:32:07,619 --> 00:32:03,009 composition is definitely something that 703 00:32:09,599 --> 00:32:07,629 would be important to do and also I was 704 00:32:11,729 --> 00:32:09,609 going to mention as well what I'm 705 00:32:15,329 --> 00:32:11,739 something else I'm really excited in 706 00:32:18,690 --> 00:32:15,339 about is drill is the drilling into the 707 00:32:20,969 --> 00:32:18,700 subsurface to see if we can and maybe 708 00:32:24,899 --> 00:32:20,979 not even drilling maybe just doing 709 00:32:27,299 --> 00:32:24,909 ground penetrating rate radar also to 710 00:32:29,959 --> 00:32:27,309 get really kind of better a better 711 00:32:32,789 --> 00:32:29,969 understanding of the methane hydrate 712 00:32:35,249 --> 00:32:32,799 structures as well because there's this 713 00:32:37,589 --> 00:32:35,259 hypothesis that the methane that we see 714 00:32:39,629 --> 00:32:37,599 this seasonal cycle might be coming from 715 00:32:41,969 --> 00:32:39,639 methane hydrates and I'm actually very 716 00:32:44,999 --> 00:32:41,979 interested in the methane hydrates as an 717 00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:45,009 ecosystem for organisms we are studying 718 00:32:50,129 --> 00:32:46,809 that in my lab right now because there's 719 00:32:52,529 --> 00:32:50,139 very unique communities that live only 720 00:32:54,029 --> 00:32:52,539 in methane hydrates and so if we can get 721 00:32:56,310 --> 00:32:54,039 you know there's gonna be sample return 722 00:32:59,009 --> 00:32:56,320 I don't know if we'll be able to get 723 00:33:01,440 --> 00:32:59,019 that methane cars nothin hydrate back 724 00:33:03,839 --> 00:33:01,450 that would be obviously the very best 725 00:33:05,849 --> 00:33:03,849 thing is to drill a chunk of that and 726 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:05,859 then take it all the way back to earth 727 00:33:12,869 --> 00:33:10,690 and analyze the heck out of it but we 728 00:33:14,249 --> 00:33:12,879 probably might not be able to do that in 729 00:33:16,769 --> 00:33:14,259 our light although we might in our 730 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:16,779 lifetime maybe fingers crossed that 731 00:33:19,860 --> 00:33:19,570 would be pretty great to be able to do 732 00:33:24,180 --> 00:33:19,870 so 733 00:33:28,530 --> 00:33:24,190 better understanding of the structure of 734 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:28,540 the methane hydrates on Mars yeah that's 735 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:32,050 still controversial the currents are 736 00:33:35,730 --> 00:33:33,670 over on Mars is not really a life 737 00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:35,740 detection Rover it's a actually 738 00:33:39,300 --> 00:33:37,360 environments mission and so perhaps a 739 00:33:41,610 --> 00:33:39,310 next generation of missions will be 740 00:33:45,450 --> 00:33:41,620 focused on life detection will include 741 00:33:47,580 --> 00:33:45,460 instruments the Mars that's my 742 00:33:49,650 --> 00:33:47,590 understanding from Mars 2020 right is 743 00:33:51,810 --> 00:33:49,660 that and forward from there is that 744 00:33:57,450 --> 00:33:51,820 we're moving in that direction right so 745 00:33:59,220 --> 00:33:57,460 okay beagle 2 which was a European 746 00:34:01,590 --> 00:33:59,230 Lander that unfortunately not make it 747 00:34:04,580 --> 00:34:01,600 had had such an instrument so we have to 748 00:34:07,110 --> 00:34:04,590 try and Mars is hard but we'll get to it 749 00:34:09,870 --> 00:34:07,120 the next question I think is one you 750 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:09,880 want to touch on as well Luke is asking 751 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:12,010 about hunks 752 00:34:15,900 --> 00:34:13,930 he's asking about some advice you would 753 00:34:18,830 --> 00:34:15,910 have for incoming students who are 754 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:18,840 interested in a career in astrobiology 755 00:34:26,310 --> 00:34:23,050 yes well first of all thank you for your 756 00:34:29,450 --> 00:34:26,320 interest and welcome and and we are 757 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:29,460 interested in you being on board and so 758 00:34:35,790 --> 00:34:33,970 by all means join Sagan net this is 759 00:34:39,030 --> 00:34:35,800 being hosted through so you should have 760 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:39,040 easy access to the website there and 761 00:34:44,190 --> 00:34:41,650 link up with a mentor because the very 762 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:44,200 most important thing even if you're say 763 00:34:48,690 --> 00:34:45,970 you're at a university that doesn't have 764 00:34:51,270 --> 00:34:48,700 as far as you know any astrobiology 765 00:34:53,490 --> 00:34:51,280 let's assume you know that you can't 766 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:53,500 really find anybody that's interested in 767 00:34:57,900 --> 00:34:56,050 it best case there's tons of people and 768 00:35:00,330 --> 00:34:57,910 it's gonna be easier but let's say you 769 00:35:02,970 --> 00:35:00,340 don't have access to that then you're 770 00:35:05,070 --> 00:35:02,980 gonna need to rely much more on the 771 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:05,080 internet but you have hopefully the 772 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:08,050 internet fairly available at your 773 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:11,890 fingertips and so get on you know that's 774 00:35:16,770 --> 00:35:13,810 the beauty of having social media now is 775 00:35:19,860 --> 00:35:16,780 that I'm always on Twitter and so who 776 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:19,870 are a lot of us and if product and say 777 00:35:23,820 --> 00:35:22,210 your net as well and so get a mentor 778 00:35:28,830 --> 00:35:23,830 through there 779 00:35:30,630 --> 00:35:28,840 to email now that I am well I'm not 780 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:30,640 through the tenure process I'm up for 781 00:35:34,650 --> 00:35:32,650 tenure as we speak 782 00:35:36,900 --> 00:35:34,660 fingers crossed Mike can your baguette 783 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:36,910 so I keep saying I'm gonna do it after 784 00:35:40,380 --> 00:35:38,770 tenure that's what we all say right so I 785 00:35:43,110 --> 00:35:40,390 have a lot of things to do now after ten 786 00:35:46,350 --> 00:35:43,120 years so I would love to do more 787 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:46,360 mentoring as well hold me to that Sandra 788 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:51,850 I will so but yeah so that's like 789 00:35:56,700 --> 00:35:54,130 scenario if you do not already have a 790 00:35:59,160 --> 00:35:56,710 program now on Sagan that you can see 791 00:36:01,290 --> 00:35:59,170 there are a bunch of universities in the 792 00:36:04,110 --> 00:36:01,300 US and internationally that do have 793 00:36:06,270 --> 00:36:04,120 programs and so by all means ask your 794 00:36:09,210 --> 00:36:06,280 professors some of them might be like 795 00:36:10,980 --> 00:36:09,220 you know you know some people the first 796 00:36:13,350 --> 00:36:10,990 time they hear us for biology they think 797 00:36:14,990 --> 00:36:13,360 you know we're they don't quite 798 00:36:17,550 --> 00:36:15,000 understand what it's about we have to 799 00:36:21,090 --> 00:36:17,560 teach them that it's not little green 800 00:36:23,820 --> 00:36:21,100 man or anything but hopefully you can 801 00:36:26,730 --> 00:36:23,830 find you know regardless of what you end 802 00:36:30,090 --> 00:36:26,740 up doing in your career having the 803 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:30,100 mentors is so so so essential that's the 804 00:36:36,030 --> 00:36:32,650 one thing I've learned and my my life is 805 00:36:38,490 --> 00:36:36,040 how essential it is so you know really 806 00:36:40,710 --> 00:36:38,500 get you know for the classes that you're 807 00:36:43,050 --> 00:36:40,720 really interested in going to the office 808 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:43,060 hours asking to work in the labs if 809 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:44,890 you're really interested in that group 810 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:48,610 by all means you know ask to work if 811 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:50,050 they have a research lab which you could 812 00:36:54,030 --> 00:36:51,850 work in that research lab and get some 813 00:36:56,490 --> 00:36:54,040 research experience and then that'll 814 00:36:58,710 --> 00:36:56,500 just kind of snowball from there you can 815 00:37:00,840 --> 00:36:58,720 do summer programs right you can do our 816 00:37:03,330 --> 00:37:00,850 use and there's astrobiology summer 817 00:37:04,740 --> 00:37:03,340 programs you can apply to so but you 818 00:37:07,110 --> 00:37:04,750 need to kind of get your foot in the 819 00:37:09,750 --> 00:37:07,120 door and what I want to emphasize is 820 00:37:12,870 --> 00:37:09,760 that that foot in the door does not have 821 00:37:14,370 --> 00:37:12,880 to be a program at your University 822 00:37:16,260 --> 00:37:14,380 because that's gonna limit a lot of 823 00:37:18,270 --> 00:37:16,270 people from getting in the door right 824 00:37:19,950 --> 00:37:18,280 because there's something like 20 or 30 825 00:37:21,390 --> 00:37:19,960 programs we're starting one here at 826 00:37:23,670 --> 00:37:21,400 Georgia Tech but there's other places 827 00:37:26,490 --> 00:37:23,680 that might not so by all means get your 828 00:37:28,550 --> 00:37:26,500 foot in the door online if you don't if 829 00:37:30,660 --> 00:37:28,560 you don't see your university up there 830 00:37:33,450 --> 00:37:30,670 obviously you know you see a lot of 831 00:37:36,660 --> 00:37:33,460 University of ba-ba-ba-ba-ba but there 832 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:36,670 are many many many more schools and you 833 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:40,090 know we recognize that and and there's 834 00:37:43,110 --> 00:37:41,170 one thing I've learned about this 835 00:37:45,750 --> 00:37:43,120 community this astrobiology community is 836 00:37:47,849 --> 00:37:45,760 how inclusive it is how 837 00:37:51,060 --> 00:37:47,859 - its early career people and how 838 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:51,070 amazingly inclusive and welcoming it is 839 00:37:58,200 --> 00:37:55,810 and that's something to be really really 840 00:38:00,540 --> 00:37:58,210 proud of and to really really want to 841 00:38:03,060 --> 00:38:00,550 keep keep going and we have amazing 842 00:38:07,859 --> 00:38:03,070 people to leadership in this community 843 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:07,869 to thank for really fostering that so so 844 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:11,050 yeah come to a second net and oh I'll 845 00:38:16,620 --> 00:38:14,770 try to mentor I want to return your 846 00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:16,630 shoutouts to you Jennifer because you 847 00:38:21,450 --> 00:38:18,730 are very active in promoting diversity 848 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:21,460 and science and women in science I was 849 00:38:25,140 --> 00:38:22,570 wondering if you could tell us a bit 850 00:38:29,340 --> 00:38:25,150 more about these these efforts that 851 00:38:31,500 --> 00:38:29,350 you're doing yeah so a lot of those had 852 00:38:36,060 --> 00:38:31,510 to do honestly I'll just be very candid 853 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:36,070 I guess with um me white woman not I'd 854 00:38:41,130 --> 00:38:38,650 say white feminist five years ago kind 855 00:38:42,750 --> 00:38:41,140 of moving to Atlanta and learning a lot 856 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:42,760 in the process 857 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:45,490 I honestly you know grew up in Olympia 858 00:38:52,380 --> 00:38:48,130 it's a very pretty kind of white small 859 00:38:55,740 --> 00:38:52,390 town there were not there was not much 860 00:38:57,599 --> 00:38:55,750 diversity in my most of the programs 861 00:39:00,960 --> 00:38:57,609 where I was in school and I was pretty 862 00:39:03,810 --> 00:39:00,970 oblivious to that in what I was more 863 00:39:05,010 --> 00:39:03,820 passionate was kind of feminism but I'm 864 00:39:07,410 --> 00:39:05,020 gonna be honest and say it was probably 865 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:07,420 a pretty white feminism looking back on 866 00:39:11,910 --> 00:39:09,490 it cuz I wasn't thinking very broadly 867 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:11,920 like now I don't say women and 868 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:14,290 minorities I say white women and you 869 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:16,330 know cuz that's true it's it's white 870 00:39:21,510 --> 00:39:18,570 women and minorities otherwise you're 871 00:39:23,340 --> 00:39:21,520 you know assuming that women are white 872 00:39:27,690 --> 00:39:23,350 women and there's a lot more women than 873 00:39:31,170 --> 00:39:27,700 just white women so so it's basically 874 00:39:36,630 --> 00:39:31,180 been me trying to learn ever since I 875 00:39:38,220 --> 00:39:36,640 moved to Atlanta really trying to first 876 00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:38,230 of all learn cuz I had a lot to learn 877 00:39:44,580 --> 00:39:41,230 and then trying to change the system 878 00:39:49,230 --> 00:39:44,590 which i rapidly learned and learning how 879 00:39:50,580 --> 00:39:49,240 how challenging that can be but also but 880 00:39:53,070 --> 00:39:50,590 I think it's really important for me to 881 00:39:54,810 --> 00:39:53,080 understand how challenging that isn't 882 00:39:56,849 --> 00:39:54,820 just in the in the process of kind of 883 00:39:58,600 --> 00:39:56,859 talking about how challenging it is I 884 00:40:01,150 --> 00:39:58,610 think that back 885 00:40:04,300 --> 00:40:01,160 maybe that can be really productive 886 00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:04,310 maybe in and of itself is talking about 887 00:40:09,700 --> 00:40:07,250 what the barriers are and for me to 888 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:09,710 understand what those barriers are as 889 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:12,170 well a lot of times maybe the barriers 890 00:40:18,010 --> 00:40:15,170 are hidden from those of us who you know 891 00:40:19,810 --> 00:40:18,020 especially frankly white people those 892 00:40:21,250 --> 00:40:19,820 there they might not see those barriers 893 00:40:25,270 --> 00:40:21,260 they probably don't see those barriers 894 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:25,280 so you know first of all learning about 895 00:40:30,490 --> 00:40:27,530 those barriers and how to them basically 896 00:40:31,990 --> 00:40:30,500 rip them down that's part of those 897 00:40:35,430 --> 00:40:32,000 saving to planet efforts so you're 898 00:40:39,820 --> 00:40:38,170 so talk to you a little bit about those 899 00:40:42,340 --> 00:40:39,830 methane hydrates cause they're super 900 00:40:44,110 --> 00:40:42,350 interesting could you describe what what 901 00:40:47,050 --> 00:40:44,120 what are methane hydrates to begin with 902 00:40:49,240 --> 00:40:47,060 oh yes yes I love methane hydrates I've 903 00:40:51,820 --> 00:40:49,250 been in love with methane hydrates ever 904 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:51,830 since I was at University of Washington 905 00:40:56,260 --> 00:40:54,050 I actually got assigned to write a term 906 00:40:57,700 --> 00:40:56,270 paper on them and I fell in love with 907 00:40:59,680 --> 00:40:57,710 them then and I was determined to work 908 00:41:02,620 --> 00:40:59,690 on them and I got to and I got to be 909 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:02,630 like six years later as a postdoc I got 910 00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:05,450 to actually CDs of what are these these 911 00:41:11,350 --> 00:41:08,390 are basically that it's basically ice 912 00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:11,360 it's water ice but it's it's a cage of 913 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:15,710 water ice at encasing methane molecules 914 00:41:19,390 --> 00:41:17,450 and they're packed together so it 915 00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:19,400 basically looks like ice but it's got 916 00:41:26,110 --> 00:41:22,460 methane in the middle and these occur 917 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:26,120 under low temperatures and high 918 00:41:33,940 --> 00:41:31,250 pressures so on earth they are in the 919 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:33,950 mud and the sea floor under the sea 920 00:41:39,790 --> 00:41:37,370 floor of continental slopes basically 921 00:41:43,690 --> 00:41:39,800 like you can just go right out off of 922 00:41:47,380 --> 00:41:43,700 the Carolinas and see them maybe not see 923 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:47,390 them but if you go down to the sea floor 924 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:49,250 you might see them and then especially 925 00:41:53,770 --> 00:41:51,890 off the west coast right off of where we 926 00:41:56,140 --> 00:41:53,780 were right up or again there's just 927 00:42:00,580 --> 00:41:56,150 that's the system I've been working on 928 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:00,590 ever since I was a postdoc and that I've 929 00:42:03,550 --> 00:42:01,970 probably continued to work on it my 930 00:42:05,260 --> 00:42:03,560 whole life because they're just so many 931 00:42:07,540 --> 00:42:05,270 discoveries to be made there especially 932 00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:07,550 about what's happening with the microbes 933 00:42:11,790 --> 00:42:09,650 that are living in the methane you know 934 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:11,800 we've studied there's whole groups 935 00:42:17,010 --> 00:42:14,770 like Victoria orphans group and it has 936 00:42:19,580 --> 00:42:17,020 done amazing work on the communities 937 00:42:22,350 --> 00:42:19,590 that are right at that seawater 938 00:42:24,060 --> 00:42:22,360 interface that are oxidizing the methane 939 00:42:28,790 --> 00:42:24,070 that's coming up through the seafloor 940 00:42:30,630 --> 00:42:28,800 and so we cuz I'm glutton for punishment 941 00:42:34,620 --> 00:42:30,640 wanted to figure out what was happening 942 00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:34,630 like you know seven meters down beneath 943 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:36,730 it and actually were able to get samples 944 00:42:44,310 --> 00:42:38,770 from the international ocean drilling 945 00:42:45,660 --> 00:42:44,320 program of some of the sediments that 946 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:45,670 had hydrate in them 947 00:42:53,130 --> 00:42:48,850 hydrate had long since dissipated but 948 00:42:56,520 --> 00:42:53,140 the DNA from the the microbial cells was 949 00:42:58,710 --> 00:42:56,530 still in the mud DNA actually lasts a 950 00:43:01,310 --> 00:42:58,720 really long time if you keep it you know 951 00:43:04,980 --> 00:43:01,320 really if you if you preserve it right 952 00:43:08,340 --> 00:43:04,990 and so we've been studying I've been 953 00:43:10,890 --> 00:43:08,350 studying those genomes for year 954 00:43:13,700 --> 00:43:10,900 literally years because it was not the 955 00:43:17,130 --> 00:43:13,710 answer the you know we were expecting 956 00:43:19,230 --> 00:43:17,140 naively I was expecting to get this 957 00:43:20,970 --> 00:43:19,240 beautiful signature of all these genes 958 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:20,980 in the methane cycle and it was gonna 959 00:43:24,810 --> 00:43:22,690 make perfect sense and they were all 960 00:43:29,850 --> 00:43:24,820 these novel claims we're gonna be making 961 00:43:37,950 --> 00:43:29,860 methane and end of story right but my in 962 00:43:41,850 --> 00:43:37,960 in my scientific career I tend to wrong 963 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:41,860 and so sure enough that I couldn't find 964 00:43:45,930 --> 00:43:44,530 any methane related genes in there so 965 00:43:47,430 --> 00:43:45,940 now we're trying to where what we've 966 00:43:49,170 --> 00:43:47,440 been doing is constructing this 967 00:43:52,110 --> 00:43:49,180 completely different story 968 00:43:53,700 --> 00:43:52,120 about something I really knew very very 969 00:43:56,100 --> 00:43:53,710 little about and kind of hush-hush about 970 00:43:59,970 --> 00:43:56,110 it because we haven't well really it's 971 00:44:03,150 --> 00:43:59,980 because I'm I want peer reviewers to bet 972 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:03,160 for it before I put it out there because 973 00:44:07,650 --> 00:44:05,170 it's really it's it's really fascinating 974 00:44:10,530 --> 00:44:07,660 but basically it comes down to you know 975 00:44:11,250 --> 00:44:10,540 how do microbes survive in essentially 976 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:11,260 brines 977 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:14,410 right in in in these little pockets 978 00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:16,450 these little water pockets amongst the 979 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:18,250 methane hydrate we just kind of actually 980 00:44:23,910 --> 00:44:22,050 a pretty amazing analog for perhaps 981 00:44:28,230 --> 00:44:23,920 subsurface 982 00:44:31,260 --> 00:44:28,240 Mars or other other planetary bodies and 983 00:44:33,330 --> 00:44:31,270 so it's pretty exciting yeah indeed and 984 00:44:35,220 --> 00:44:33,340 one might think of methane clathrates as 985 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:35,230 being this specialized topic but they're 986 00:44:38,490 --> 00:44:36,850 usually important for the climate on 987 00:44:40,050 --> 00:44:38,500 earth right because they contain the 988 00:44:41,970 --> 00:44:40,060 methane that is a very powerful 989 00:44:43,620 --> 00:44:41,980 greenhouse gas and because it contained 990 00:44:45,690 --> 00:44:43,630 an ice on the sea floor as the ocean 991 00:44:47,220 --> 00:44:45,700 goes up those could be released so they 992 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:47,230 would have some dramatic impact on the 993 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:49,210 climate right and they're also being 994 00:44:53,310 --> 00:44:51,250 absolutely yes that's true and they're 995 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:53,320 also being looked into actually by 996 00:44:58,830 --> 00:44:56,890 countries like Japan and Norway or who 997 00:45:02,820 --> 00:44:58,840 have long coastlines and don't have very 998 00:45:06,500 --> 00:45:02,830 much fossil fuels - as potentially an 999 00:45:08,610 --> 00:45:06,510 energy source in the future as well now 1000 00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:08,620 speaking of controversial you know 1001 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:11,530 that's certainly controversial but you 1002 00:45:18,570 --> 00:45:13,450 know it's probably it's in the process 1003 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:18,580 of happening so yeah I stay aware of 1004 00:45:23,010 --> 00:45:20,410 methane clathrates in the news folks 1005 00:45:24,780 --> 00:45:23,020 because that's a big deal but returning 1006 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:24,790 to the questions I could ask so many of 1007 00:45:30,210 --> 00:45:27,370 them um there's a question from Marnie 1008 00:45:31,950 --> 00:45:30,220 who asks about partly the paper that 1009 00:45:33,630 --> 00:45:31,960 came out stating that the there's 1010 00:45:35,430 --> 00:45:33,640 possibility of life on the moon three 1011 00:45:38,030 --> 00:45:35,440 and a half billion years ago what are 1012 00:45:40,740 --> 00:45:38,040 your thoughts on life on the moon oh 1013 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:40,750 goodness 1014 00:45:47,430 --> 00:45:45,490 I don't know that paper and I will have 1015 00:45:49,740 --> 00:45:47,440 to look at that because I don't honestly 1016 00:45:51,630 --> 00:45:49,750 know that papers she goes to show that I 1017 00:45:54,570 --> 00:45:51,640 as a professor don't always keep a lot 1018 00:45:58,370 --> 00:45:54,580 of turquoise well I did it's a student 1019 00:46:01,680 --> 00:45:58,380 so much cool stuff but I guess 1020 00:46:05,060 --> 00:46:01,690 potentially I don't know I guess is do 1021 00:46:09,050 --> 00:46:05,070 you know this paper or anything about it 1022 00:46:12,390 --> 00:46:09,060 the impact that kind of created the moon 1023 00:46:17,100 --> 00:46:12,400 before then whether life could have 1024 00:46:19,890 --> 00:46:17,110 emerged on the moon kind of in in 1025 00:46:21,950 --> 00:46:19,900 knowing in 100s of millions and years 1026 00:46:26,250 --> 00:46:21,960 after that they said three point five 1027 00:46:27,950 --> 00:46:26,260 yeah my guess is that yeah maybe it's 1028 00:46:30,270 --> 00:46:27,960 because you know there's there's this 1029 00:46:31,980 --> 00:46:30,280 hypothesis that during you know around 1030 00:46:33,810 --> 00:46:31,990 that time period is a period called the 1031 00:46:36,240 --> 00:46:33,820 late heavy bombardment on earth and 1032 00:46:37,560 --> 00:46:36,250 those large meteor strikes could you 1033 00:46:39,390 --> 00:46:37,570 know throw out rocks 1034 00:46:42,030 --> 00:46:39,400 from the earth into the solar system and 1035 00:46:43,350 --> 00:46:42,040 those rocks on earth earth was very much 1036 00:46:45,270 --> 00:46:43,360 alive you know it's really half million 1037 00:46:46,500 --> 00:46:45,280 years ago so maybe those rocks then 1038 00:46:48,930 --> 00:46:46,510 impacted the moon that could potentially 1039 00:46:56,250 --> 00:46:48,940 see the moon but there's just no watch 1040 00:46:59,370 --> 00:46:56,260 on the moon actually I've heard that 1041 00:47:01,740 --> 00:46:59,380 hypothesis before yeah so whether that's 1042 00:47:03,930 --> 00:47:01,750 actually growing on the moon at the time 1043 00:47:06,390 --> 00:47:03,940 or whether it was kind of ejected and 1044 00:47:08,370 --> 00:47:06,400 then I ended up on the moon and but I'll 1045 00:47:12,870 --> 00:47:08,380 have to check out that paper so sorry I 1046 00:47:15,510 --> 00:47:12,880 can't comment more on that it's an 1047 00:47:18,450 --> 00:47:15,520 interesting there's a question by dr. 1048 00:47:20,730 --> 00:47:18,460 Graham Lau hi Graham who asks what is 1049 00:47:32,580 --> 00:47:20,740 your favorite living thing on the earth 1050 00:47:36,870 --> 00:47:32,590 and why question I mean I love the 1051 00:47:39,210 --> 00:47:36,880 microbes but you know I'm such a 1052 00:47:41,640 --> 00:47:39,220 westcoast er I think I probably have to 1053 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:41,650 say a tree I'd probably say the redwoods 1054 00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:43,810 you know I'd probably say the dawn 1055 00:47:51,150 --> 00:47:48,250 redwood because it was thought to be 1056 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:51,160 extinct right it's this this really kind 1057 00:47:56,970 --> 00:47:54,570 of prehistoric looking redwood 1058 00:47:58,440 --> 00:47:56,980 subspecies I believe I think the dawn 1059 00:47:59,850 --> 00:47:58,450 redwood is my father that's just what 1060 00:48:03,420 --> 00:47:59,860 I'm coming up with off the top of my 1061 00:48:05,130 --> 00:48:03,430 head but I do love the microbes I'm 1062 00:48:06,900 --> 00:48:05,140 especially excited right now about beta 1063 00:48:10,230 --> 00:48:06,910 proteobacteria and who really you know 1064 00:48:15,420 --> 00:48:10,240 get a bad rap I think I mean but thank 1065 00:48:18,210 --> 00:48:15,430 you thank you stupid you know bring make 1066 00:48:22,770 --> 00:48:18,220 Veda Proteobacteria cool again or 1067 00:48:26,370 --> 00:48:22,780 something there's a question I think 1068 00:48:29,610 --> 00:48:26,380 that I saw briefly about the possibility 1069 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:29,620 that we one would not have to drill into 1070 00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:32,370 Europa to find a possibility of life 1071 00:48:37,290 --> 00:48:36,250 about life detection on Europa yes yes 1072 00:48:40,170 --> 00:48:37,300 I'll do my best 1073 00:48:43,590 --> 00:48:40,180 this is Brittany's habitat but but my 1074 00:48:45,900 --> 00:48:43,600 understanding is that the Clipper you 1075 00:48:49,500 --> 00:48:45,910 know which will when is that happening 1076 00:48:50,599 --> 00:48:49,510 in the not to do is from Yale right a 1077 00:48:52,729 --> 00:48:50,609 couple years from now 1078 00:48:56,229 --> 00:48:52,739 is going to be able to assess whether 1079 00:48:58,849 --> 00:48:56,239 there might be pockets actually of water 1080 00:49:00,309 --> 00:48:58,859 in the ice so that we wouldn't have to 1081 00:49:02,359 --> 00:49:00,319 is that correct 1082 00:49:04,700 --> 00:49:02,369 so that we wouldn't have to drill all 1083 00:49:06,829 --> 00:49:04,710 the way down you know into through the 1084 00:49:08,779 --> 00:49:06,839 ice all the way to the ocean but could 1085 00:49:15,049 --> 00:49:08,789 actually you know potentially these 1086 00:49:17,359 --> 00:49:15,059 little pockets of water that might like 1087 00:49:21,349 --> 00:49:17,369 I was talking about before you know 1088 00:49:24,380 --> 00:49:21,359 these little pockets of water you know 1089 00:49:28,460 --> 00:49:24,390 it could be potential habitats right and 1090 00:49:30,829 --> 00:49:28,470 so maybe that's what you know but they 1091 00:49:32,390 --> 00:49:30,839 we have to be careful too because we 1092 00:49:33,769 --> 00:49:32,400 have to make sure arts whatever we're 1093 00:49:35,690 --> 00:49:33,779 sending to Europe it doesn't start 1094 00:49:38,299 --> 00:49:35,700 growing in those little pockets or else 1095 00:49:42,650 --> 00:49:38,309 we'll get beta program on earth made a 1096 00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:42,660 Proteobacteria azaria sir yeah that will 1097 00:49:47,900 --> 00:49:44,730 do a good job in that they won't survive 1098 00:49:48,799 --> 00:49:47,910 the flight anyway but you know you have 1099 00:49:52,370 --> 00:49:48,809 to let people 1100 00:49:53,509 --> 00:49:52,380 telogen just to make sure yeah a lot of 1101 00:49:55,279 --> 00:49:53,519 people are thinking about that problem 1102 00:49:56,839 --> 00:49:55,289 it's very important and I mean if you 1103 00:49:58,099 --> 00:49:56,849 look at the the surface of Europe by 1104 00:50:00,410 --> 00:49:58,109 it's all cracked and there's evidence 1105 00:50:03,859 --> 00:50:00,420 for overturning so the ice is not static 1106 00:50:06,589 --> 00:50:03,869 static it's definitely moving and we had 1107 00:50:08,630 --> 00:50:06,599 dr. dr. Schmitz on ask an astrobiologist 1108 00:50:10,039 --> 00:50:08,640 I think he's old 11 if I remember right 1109 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:10,049 it was her it was a wonderful 1110 00:50:16,759 --> 00:50:13,650 conversation on life on ice use because 1111 00:50:20,359 --> 00:50:16,769 dr. Schmidt has a new center here called 1112 00:50:22,339 --> 00:50:20,369 oceans across space and time and I'm I'm 1113 00:50:23,749 --> 00:50:22,349 proud to be a member of that and so 1114 00:50:25,210 --> 00:50:23,759 they'll be doing a lot more work on that 1115 00:50:27,170 --> 00:50:25,220 here at Georgia Tech 1116 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:27,180 I'm involved in that too and I'm very 1117 00:50:37,729 --> 00:50:33,450 excited so we're getting close to the 1118 00:50:40,849 --> 00:50:37,739 hour out is a new question what is the 1119 00:50:43,489 --> 00:50:40,859 Twitter handles of ice fin I think it's 1120 00:50:46,460 --> 00:50:43,499 just at ice fin right this summer and 1121 00:50:48,650 --> 00:50:46,470 Mikey boy is asking that is that right 1122 00:50:53,150 --> 00:50:48,660 the Twitter handle for you I mean oh 1123 00:51:00,470 --> 00:50:53,160 look I can look it's all good we'll put 1124 00:51:02,930 --> 00:51:00,480 it on the on the chat wow yeah yeah no 1125 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:02,940 no I got it I got it I spit at I spin 1126 00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:04,490 robot 1127 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:14,130 yeah Instagram or Facebook - there's an 1128 00:51:18,350 --> 00:51:15,690 is that I think there's a nice last 1129 00:51:20,180 --> 00:51:18,360 question here by Kavita who asked is 1130 00:51:22,820 --> 00:51:20,190 what isn't is not attached to university 1131 00:51:25,070 --> 00:51:22,830 but still interested in astrobiology um 1132 00:51:27,950 --> 00:51:25,080 how can one get you know more 1133 00:51:31,670 --> 00:51:27,960 information get more involved yeah and 1134 00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:31,680 so I would say again social media 1135 00:51:36,110 --> 00:51:33,810 because we all talk on there all the 1136 00:51:38,690 --> 00:51:36,120 time and it's a very inclusive community 1137 00:51:41,720 --> 00:51:38,700 and by all means I mean I ask questions 1138 00:51:44,450 --> 00:51:41,730 all the time to the whole who has ever 1139 00:51:46,630 --> 00:51:44,460 listening on the Twitter's and it's 1140 00:51:49,460 --> 00:51:46,640 amazing people will just end and 1141 00:51:50,660 --> 00:51:49,470 sometimes I don't even know they don't 1142 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:50,670 even have their you don't even have to 1143 00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:52,890 use your room right so sometimes people 1144 00:51:56,810 --> 00:51:55,170 just come out of the woodwork and just 1145 00:51:59,660 --> 00:51:56,820 have the most amazing questions and 1146 00:52:02,210 --> 00:51:59,670 answers so by all means please please be 1147 00:52:05,570 --> 00:52:02,220 involved in and you know you can go 1148 00:52:07,910 --> 00:52:05,580 through by tagging say Gannett you could 1149 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:07,920 or is it sagan org that's your handle 1150 00:52:14,060 --> 00:52:11,210 yeah that might be a good way or hashtag 1151 00:52:17,630 --> 00:52:14,070 astrobiology right or tag me and own 1152 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:17,640 retweet it so that's I guess that's what 1153 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:19,410 I'd say just the simple answer and then 1154 00:52:30,590 --> 00:52:22,050 from that obviously you can also get 1155 00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:30,600 directed to well Sagan net or abside 1156 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:33,690 Khan and have grad con depending on you 1157 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:35,850 know if you are thinking but being a 1158 00:52:43,220 --> 00:52:37,770 student or kind of associated with 1159 00:52:45,230 --> 00:52:43,230 schools that would be AB grad Khan so I 1160 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:45,240 don't know social media is just gonna be 1161 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:47,370 my answer mostly there but if that's the 1162 00:52:50,420 --> 00:52:48,690 place you can get your foot in the door 1163 00:52:52,430 --> 00:52:50,430 right and then kind of go from there 1164 00:52:54,530 --> 00:52:52,440 there's lots of opportunities of of 1165 00:52:57,020 --> 00:52:54,540 different summer schools and things as 1166 00:52:58,550 --> 00:52:57,030 well and you're very active on Twitter I 1167 00:53:00,790 --> 00:52:58,560 know that for a fact you tweet does 1168 00:53:04,970 --> 00:53:00,800 activate former 1169 00:53:06,860 --> 00:53:04,980 je and at the end and then I I know 1170 00:53:08,420 --> 00:53:06,870 you're extremely busy scientist has been 1171 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:08,430 clear in this conversation and I'm so 1172 00:53:11,450 --> 00:53:10,170 grateful that you took the time to chat 1173 00:53:13,580 --> 00:53:11,460 with us today it was a wonderful 1174 00:53:16,310 --> 00:53:13,590 conversation for those of you who are 1175 00:53:17,420 --> 00:53:16,320 watching make sure you keep looking at 1176 00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:17,430 Twitter for more 1177 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:19,050 updates and if you have any questions 1178 00:53:23,540 --> 00:53:22,050 for us put it there and look forward to 1179 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:23,550 our another episode of ask and 1180 00:53:27,380 --> 00:53:26,010 astrobiologists and Jen any last words 1181 00:53:31,099 --> 00:53:27,390 of wisdom before we close the doors 1182 00:53:33,079 --> 00:53:31,109 today have you banded iron formations so 1183 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:33,089 you can I think it chance to talk about 1184 00:53:38,980 --> 00:53:35,130 these but these are proof that there was 1185 00:53:41,299 --> 00:53:38,990 really a lot of iron in the ocean 1186 00:53:43,520 --> 00:53:41,309 billions of years ago and so I'll just 1187 00:53:49,790 --> 00:53:43,530 say goodbye with the banded iron 1188 00:53:51,950 --> 00:53:49,800 formations best goodbye prop ever 1189 00:53:53,900 --> 00:53:51,960 everyone I wish you all a wonderful week 1190 00:53:55,940 --> 00:53:53,910 month and we'll see you next time on ask 1191 00:53:56,450 --> 00:53:55,950 and astrobiologist until then do stay 1192 00:53:57,590 --> 00:53:56,460 curious