Scientists have detected signs of molecules usually produced by simple organisms on Earth in the atmosphere of a distant planet called K2-18b, marking the strongest evidence yet of potential extraterrestrial life.

The Details: A Cambridge University team studying K2-18b's atmosphere found the chemical signature of at least one of two molecules associated with life: dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these gases are produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria. The amount of this gas in the atmosphere was estimated to be thousands of times higher than on Earth. However, the team and independent astronomers stress that more data is needed to confirm these results.

Key Quote: The lead researcher, Professor Nikku Madhusudhan of Cambridge University said, "This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years."

For Context: K2-18b is two-and-a-half times the size of Earth and is 700 trillion miles, or 124 light years away. The planet was first discovered by NASA's Kepler mission in 2015 and was found to be in the 'Goldilocks zone' around its host star, where temperatures are appropriate for water - a presumed building block of all life.

How the Media Covered It: BBC (Center bias) emphasized the cautious optimism of the researchers, noting that while the results were promising, they were not conclusive proof of life. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) focused on the excitement of the discovery, with quotes from the research team calling it a "revolutionary moment". NPR (Lean Left bias) quoted other astronomers who called for more evidence before making claims of life on other planets.

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