UMass Amherst microbiologist James Holden brings decades of expertise in rare microbes to a NASA mission searching for life on Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. Popular culture often imagines alien life as small green beings with oversized, oval heads. However, scientists agree that if life exists elsewhere in our solar system, it is far more likely […]



Summary

UMass Amherst microbiologist James Holden is leveraging his extensive knowledge of extremophile microbes for NASA’s Europa mission. While popular culture depicts aliens as humanoid figures, scientists believe that if life exists on Europa, it will likely be microscopic. Holden’s expertise with microbes thriving in extreme conditions, like those found deep within Earth’s oceans, is crucial for understanding what life could potentially look like and how it might survive in Europa’s icy, potentially ocean-bearing environment. His contribution highlights a shift from fantastical alien representations to a more scientifically grounded search for microbial life beyond Earth.

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