Worklife with Adam Grant ReThinking: Searching for life on other planets with astrophysicist Sara Seager
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Feb 17, 2026 
Sara Seager, astrophysicist and exoplanet pioneer, explains how planets beyond our solar system are found and why trillions may exist. She discusses where simple life might be hiding nearby, how AI aids discovery, and why detecting intelligent life soon is unlikely. The conversation also considers the cultural stakes of finding life and the practical value of pure science.
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Transit Method Requires Vast Surveys
- The dominant exoplanet detection method watches star brightness over time to catch tiny periodic drops from transits.
- Because transit alignment is rare, astronomers must monitor hundreds of thousands to millions of stars continuously.
Apply AI For Speed And Discovery
- Use AI to do routine tasks faster and more uniformly in science workflows.
- Also aim to develop AI that finds patterns or approaches humans haven't discovered yet.
Planets Are Everywhere
- Every star appears to have a planetary system, implying hundreds of billions of planets in our galaxy alone.
- That scale makes it highly plausible life exists somewhere beyond Earth.
