Sara Seager’s research led to the first discovery of an atmosphere on a planet outside our solar system. Now she’s on the hunt for a twin Earth.

Why you should listen

Having helped pave the way for the current torrent of discoveries of planets outside of our solar system (or exoplanets), 2013 MacArthur Fellow Sara Seager is now preparing to fulfill her life dream of discovering a planet with nearly identical conditions to our own.

Seager’s present research and discovery mission projects include Earth-orbiting nanosatellite telescopes as well as the Starshade, a sunflower-shaped giant screen to block intrusive starlight, allowing a space telescope to zoom in on the small exoplanets that have thus far eluded our sight.

What others say

“Thanks to her research, vast outer space is starting to feel within humanity’s grasp again.” — OZY.com

Sara Seager’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Sara Seager

In Brief

The Great Thanksgiving Listen, a new “Goldilocks” planet, and the White House Demo Day

August 18, 2015

The TED community has been doing some big things over the past few weeks. Below, some newsy highlights. Let’s interview our elders. This Thanksgiving, high school students across the United States will have an important assignment: Interview a grandparent or elder using the StoryCorps app. The Great Thanksgiving Listen — a partnership of StoryCorps, TED, […]

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