Does Venus Have Life? With Dr. Janusz Petkowski

Does Venus Have Life? With Dr. Janusz Petkowski

Author: John Michael Godier April 16, 2026 Duration: 1:01:49

Is There Life on Venus?Last week a team from MIT and Cardiff University announced the detection of Phosphine in the atmosphere at Venus our nearest neighbor. Phosphine (PH3) gas in Venus’s atmosphere should be in oxidized forms. Dr. Janusz Petkowski from the MIT team lead by Sara Seager, joins John Michael Godier on Event Horizon to discuss this finding in detail. Thank you to our many Patreons who submitted questions for this interview!John MathiasJames StricklandLink:Janusz Petkowski websitehttps://www.januszpetkowski.com/JMG video Have we Found Life at Venus?https://youtu.be/aDL0jbOnTtALife on Venus? Phosphine found in the Clouds Featuring R.J. Graham https://youtu.be/7YNxMVJN-HkPapers:Phosphine gas in the cloud decks of Venushttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4Phosphine on Venus Cannot be Explained byConventional Processeshttps://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.06499.pdfSilicon Life:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/6/84The Venusian Lower Atmosphere Haze as a Depot for Desiccated Microbial Life: A Proposed Life Cycle for Persistence of the Venusian Aerial Biospherehttps://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ast.2020.2244Phosphine as a Biosignature Gas in ExoplanetAtmosphereshttps://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1910/1910.05224.pdfWant to support the channel?Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EventHorizonShowFollow us at other places!Website: https://www.eventhorizonshow.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmgeventhorizonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmgeventhorizon/Music featured on Event Horizonhttps://stellardrone.bandcamp.com/https://migueljohnson.bandcamp.com/https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/https://aeriumambient.bandcamp.com/THUMBNAIL: ESO/M. Kornmesser/L. Calçada & NASA/JPL/CaltechFOOTAGE:NASAESA/HubbleESO - M.KornmesserESO - L.CalcadaESO - Jose Francisco Salgado (josefrancisco.org)NAOJUniversity of WarwickGoddard Visualization StudioLangley Research CenterPixabay


Curiosity about the cosmos often starts with a simple question, and that's where John Michael Godier's Event Horizon finds its rhythm. Hosted by author and futurist John Michael Godier, this podcast delves into the profound and the perplexing at the edges of our understanding. Each episode builds a narrative, weaving together discussions on astronomy, astrophysics, and the latest space science news with broader themes of technology, history, and futurism. The conversations are grounded by special guests who bring expertise and diverse perspectives, turning complex ideas into engaging explorations. You'll find the dialogue moves from the concrete details of scientific discovery to the speculative implications for our future, all with a thoughtful and accessible tone. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep dive into the context and consequences of what we're learning about the universe. For anyone who looks up at the night sky and wonders about black holes, the potential for life elsewhere, or where our technology might take us next, this podcast offers a compelling space to linger on those big ideas. The production emphasizes clarity and depth, making even the most daunting topics feel within reach. Tune in for a regular journey to the frontiers of science and human thought.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

John Michael Godier's Event Horizon
Podcast Episodes
Urban Legends From Space with Author Bob King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:00
Is Jupiter a failed star? Does a hidden star called Nemesis cause mass extinction events?No. How do these and many other urban legends from space get started and why do they persist?John Michael Godier spoke to Author Bo…
Do We Really Want to Solve Fermi's Paradox? with Stephen Webb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
Where are all the aliens?Is there a solution to the fermi paradox?Joining John Michael Godier is Dr. Stephen Webb, astronomer and author of 'If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Seventy Five Sol…
The Growing List of Solutions to the Fermi Paradox with Stephen Webb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:53
Where is everybody?How many solutions to the Fermi Paradox are there?Joining John Michael Godier is Dr. Stephen Webb, astronomer and author of 'If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Seventy Five…
The Mystery of Planet Nine with Robert Finch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:38
Where is Planet Nine?What is Planet Nine's orbit?The ongoing search for planet nine continues to heat up as evidence accumulates that a large planet exists somewhere in the outer solar system.John Michael Godier is joine…
Searching for Alien Megastructures with Dr. Jason Wright [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:56
Is it possible to build a Dyson Sphere?How do we search for Dyson Swarms in the universe?Jason Wright is a professor of Astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State. His more recent paper titled, Dyson Spheres, looks at the…