We are delighted to bring back Dr. Mike Wong to the podcast to talk about the ethics of space exploration! If you care about science-fiction, space travel, science, or RPGs, this chat is for you. Engage! @miquai.bsky.social #space #ethics #startrek #scifi #rpg podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Recently had an absolutely delightful conversation with @miquai.bsky.social about Star Trek: Lower Decks for an upcoming @dslovepod.bsky.social ep. It was a fun reminder of how much I love connecting other fans in the Trek community, especially when the world feels grim. Look for the ep. soon!

Last night on the Mall: a little too cloudy for good astronomical observing, perfectly cloudful for sunset 😌

The best part of my job is the people I get to work with 🪐💙

When the government can silence one artist, it threatens freedom for all. #picard #startrek

NASA cancelled VIPER last year. Now it's got another lease on life—flying to the Moon with Blue Origin in 2027. This is a *massive* win for lunar science.

Are you writing something? Need a developmental editor, book coach, or beta reader? My sister has you covered! Check out her new website 😊

I went on @kjzz.org to chat about my @highcountrynews.org story on saguaro flowers!

I don’t always read the physical copy of Nature, but when I do, I prefer to read about astrobioethics 👍🏼 @chelseaharamia.bsky.social

I tried to get a COVID shot in DC yesterday and failed. Here's why. (Good thing Maryland is close by!)

New book! New book! My space exploration extravaganza The Giant Leap hits shelves Oct 21st but you can get 20% off with a pre-order direct from the publisher (use code LEAP25) 🙂 www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/caleb...

#OverheardOnZoom: "Whenever you see a headline that says 'scientists say...' they *never* said that."

Awesome review! Keith Cooper's blend of sci-fi and science is fascinating. "Science fiction is the literature of ideas." What was your favorite concept in the book? 🪐📚 #ScienceFiction #BookReview

I wrote a review of Keith Cooper's new book "Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science Fact" for @americanscientist.org!

ASTROBIOLOGY AND… Life, The Cosmos & the Human Story Short talks by all the NASA/Library of Congress Astrobiology Chairs DC area folks - This will be an amazing event next Wednesday (9/17) afternoon at NASA HQ - open to the public, not live-streamed. Attendance limited. Please RSVP & attend! 🧪

Cover art!!! Hits bookshelves February 10, 2026 😊

The landmark roadless rule is on the chopping block, endangering 59 million acres of Forest Service lands that still retain some of their wild character. Experts say it's as bad of an idea as it sounds for wildlife. Now that you know, go forth and comment! You have until Sept. 19. to do so.

Chicago things 🌃

Has Perseverance found a biosignature on Mars? It's complicated. Interpreting the data is tricky because other non-biological processes could account for the findings. arstechnica.com/science/2025...

I have a line at the beginning of my Research Statement about how many exoplanets we've discovered so far. Every year I write faculty applications, I have to update that number. I swear, whatever that number is the year I finally get a job will become my new favorite number.

Our paper "Predicting Exoplanet Occurrence Using Association Analysis" is out! This was an idea that @anirudhprabhu.bsky.social and I developed about 3 years ago and was brought to fruition by our fantastic @carnegiescience.bsky.social summer intern, Vasu Gatne! iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...

Building Made of Sky, Chicago 2025

Did you know that ALIFE 2025 has an official mascot-themed merch shop!? You can purchase a wide variety of Meiko-themed items for ALIFE 2025! - www.cafepress.com/shop/MeikoShop ⬇️ ⬇️

Golden State sunrise 😍

Happy Friday. You deserve this soothing sunset color palette 😌

Berkeley things 🌟

In the mountains with @goesbykim.bsky.social ⛰️

Teaching A.I. to Detect Life: Carnegie Scientist Co-Leads NASA-Funded Effort astrobiology.com/2025/08/teac... #astrobiology #AI #biosignatures @miquai.bsky.social @calebscharf.bsky.social @carnegiescience.bsky.social

A new 5-year mission begins! I'm so grateful to everyone at NASA Astrobiology for this opportunity to advance our search for life in the universe with @calebscharf.bsky.social and our team of amazing colleagues at @carnegiescience.bsky.social, NASA Ames, and beyond!

“What’s being undercut isn’t just NASA’s technical ability to carry out missions, although that would be bad enough. It is America’s—and the world’s—capacity to wonder, to believe, to know.”

I love how working with philosophers challenges me to see my research from totally new angles 🙃

You may have heard people say things like, "Mars is a failed Earth." What if, instead, we took the view that Mars didn’t fail at becoming Earth, but succeeded at becoming Mars?

Should we really be talking about the prebiotic chemistry of Pluto? How about Titan? In this perspective paper, we consider whether we ought to distinguish between the concepts of "chemistry that happens *before* life" and "chemistry that happens *on the way to* life."

I’m at Fort Collins Comic Con this weekend talking about how our search for life in the universe changes how we perceive life right here at home. Also handing out new podcast stickers! #fc3

Mentoring@EPSC is back by phenomenal demand! This scheme connects early career researchers (within 7 years of their last degree) with experienced attendees to help them make the most of their EPSC experience. Sign up as a mentor or mentee now! #EPSCDPS2025

Hot off the press! My essay on mentorship and Star Trek: Lower Decks is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, and I’m elated that it’s part of this incredible collection. Thank you to everyone who helped make it so 🖖🏼

When I visited 🌵 NP in April, I found the saguaro flowers so surreal. Against the saguaro's austerity, they looked decadent, dressing cactuses in flapper chic. Flowers on the cactus arms looked like bouquets offerings to passers-by. I'm so glad @highcountrynews.org let me indulge my curiosity.

#OverheardOnZoom: “I think that department is allergic to exoplanets.”

Page proofs of a new paper applying association analysis to exoplanet occurrences! So proud of our former @carnegiescience.bsky.social intern Vasu Gatne for bringing us to this point! 💫

TODAY: Artificial Intelligence, Exoplanets, & the Future of Astrobiology with Dr. Megan Ansdell Aug 14, 2025 (#NASA LIVE) www.youtube.com/watch?v=xioQ... #astrobiology

"Though it is heartening that some scientists will rebuild their careers in more welcoming environments, the scale of the crisis is overwhelming. Even if every European institution offered refuge, they could not absorb all the scientists whose work is now at risk."

Some friends and I are creating a website to facilitate interactions and spark collaborations between artists and scientists 🎨🤝🧪 Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know when it launches! You might even be able to help us test drive an early version!

#OverheardOnZoom: "Don’t get it right. Get it written."

@caltechipac.bsky.social is featuring me in their "Meet the Scientists" profiles! Check it out to learn more about how I became an astronomer, what I work on, and how I ended up at IPAC! www.ipac.caltech.edu/meet-the-sta... #exoplanets 🔭🧪

I'm on Short Wave from NPR talking about hydrothermal vents and whether they could be incubators for life on early Earth and elsewhere in the solar system!

#OverheardOnZoom: "Why is philosophy more lit than any other field?"

Back in the lab, searching for carbonaceous clues 🧪

Collaborate with researchers globally. Chart your transdisciplinary path. Apply to SFI's 2026 Complexity Postdoctoral Fellowships. Competitive pay, research funds, and generous benefits to become a leader in transdisciplinary research. Deadline: Oct 1, 2025 Apply: santafe.edu/sfifellowship

Ideas for minerals to compete in #MinCup2025? Nominate them now! www.mineralcup.org/nominations Want to be part of this year’s organizing team? We love volunteers! www.mineralcup.org/volunteer

I just registered for the @planetarysociety.bsky.social's upcoming Day of Action, Oct. 5 & 6, to meet with elected officials in DC and advocate for NASA science funding. You can too!