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Clara Sousa-Silva

researcher

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biosignatures intelligent life spectroscopy quantum astrochemistry extraterrestrial life

Clara Sousa-Silva is an astrochemist who is a research scientist at Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Sousa-Silva is an expert on phosphine. She has contributed to investigations of the possibility of life on Venus, working with Jane Greaves and others. Sousa-Silva also directs the Harvard-MIT Student Research Mentoring Program, which pairs high school students with astronomers to conduct research.

Across 1 conversation, Clara Sousa-Silva ranges across biosignatures, intelligent life, spectroscopy. Phosphine's detection on Venus suggests potential life, but its data reliability is debated due to weak signals. Phosphine, a toxic molecule, is a potential biosignature as it's hard to produce abiotically, indicating life in oxygen-poor environments.

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RASCAL, developed by Clara Sousa-Silva, uses historical molecular data for rapid spectral calculations, addressing the lack of spectral data for 96% of potential biosignature molecules.

#195Clara Sousa-Silva: Searching for Signs of Life on Venus and Other Planets

Clara Sousa-Silva's work suggests that only 4% of the 16,000 molecules relevant for detecting alien biosignatures are well understood, highlighting a significant gap in spectral data.

#195Clara Sousa-Silva: Searching for Signs of Life on Venus and Other Planets

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