David Kipping

Analysis of a single transit with James Webb pointed to a possible moon around exoplanet Kepler-167e. But a slow brightness drift scrambled the clues: it could be a starspot. A new transit in 2027 will settle the case.

The brightest astronomical discoveries involve rare and extreme objects. First contact with aliens will likely also happen thanks to a civilization experiencing a brief but immensely powerful flash — possibly its final one. To be noticed, a civilization must release at least 1% of its total energy.

The search for extraterrestrial life is like an unreliable medical test: a single positive result means nothing if the error rate is unknown. A new approach sidesteps this problem by dividing worlds into groups—much like patients with different risk factors. Statistical comparison dramatically reduc