
Ancient Martian microbes left behind a chemical "fingerprint" (with Dr. Katie Stack Morgan)
From Looking Up by Dean Regas
April 10, 2026 · 19 min
About this episode
Dean Regas discusses the discovery of a potential biosignature on Mars with Dr. Katie Stack Morgan.
Last fall, NASA announced that it found something incredible in a rock on Mars. A core sample obtained by the Mars Perseverance rover discovered a potential biosignature. In other words, a potential sign of ancient life on Mars. Dean Regas chats with Kathryn Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, about this chemical "fingerprint."
People in this episode
Host: Dean Regas
Guest: Dr. Katie Stack Morgan
Topics covered
- Mars exploration
- ancient life
- biosignatures
- NASA
- chemical analysis
Keywords
- Mars
- Perseverance rover
- biosignature
- ancient life
- chemical fingerprint
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Places: Mars, Mars Perseverance rover
More episodes of Looking Up
- Is most of the universe actually invisible? (with Dr. Stacy McGaugh) · June 5, 2026 · 20 min
- 3000 Astronomers, One Thrilling Event · May 22, 2026 · 15 min
- FROM THE ARCHIVE: Can Elon Musk Even Go to Mars? (with Oliver Morton) · May 8, 2026 · 17 min
- FROM THE ARCHIVE: Problem Solving in Space (with Andy Weir) · April 24, 2026 · 23 min
- Searching for Life in Mars' Watery Past (with Dr. Andy Czaja) · March 27, 2026 · 18 min
- Somewhere Over the Moonbow (with Jeff Pfaller) · March 13, 2026 · 17 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Looking Up podcast page.