Paula Welander

Microbiologist Paula Welander, a professor at Stanford University, dives into the world of ancient life forms. She reveals how fossilized microbes provide insights into Earth's earliest days and their potential connections to life on other planets. Welander discusses the extraction of lipid 'chemical fossils' from rocks and the significance of extremophiles in understanding early biosignatures. She also addresses the challenges of interpreting findings from Mars and emphasizes the importance of basic research in exploring life's origins.