In-person Location: Sidgwick Site, West Road, Cambridge. More location information The search for life elsewhere is a major frontier in modern science. Hycean worlds are a new class of exoplanets with ocean-covered surfaces and hydrogen-rich atmospheres. Recently, atmospheric observations of a possible Hycean world, K2-18 b, with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) led to the first detections of multiple carbon-bearing molecules in its atmosphere. In this session, Professor Nikku Madhusudhan will present the JWST observations and the insights they provide on K2-18b, discussing new observational and theoretical developments regarding Hycean worlds, their potential for habitability and biological activity, and their prospects in the search for life beyond Earth. Speakers Professor Nikku Madhusudhan Nikku Madhusudhan is a Professor of Astrophysics and Exoplanetary Science at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy. Renowned for pioneering atmospheric retrieval methods for exoplanets, his recent work identified Hycean worlds—planets with ocean-covered surfaces and hydrogen-rich atmospheres.In 2023, he led the first discovery of carbon-bearing molecules in a possible Hycean world using the James Webb Space Telescope. He earned his PhD in Physics from MIT and held postdoctoral positions at MIT, Princeton, and Yale before joining Cambridge in 2013. Madhusudhan has received numerous awards, including the Young Scientist Medal in Astrophysics from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the MERAC Prize in Theoretical Astrophysics from the European Astronomical Society, and the Pilkington Prize for excellence in teaching at Cambridge. In-person lectures at the Sidgwick Site as part of Alumni Festival cost £15 per person. Contact information Alumni Festival Team Email: festival@alumni.cam.ac.uk Location Sidgwick Site, West Road Cambridge CB3 9DP United Kingdom 52.202699, 0.107744 Directions on Google Maps
