Michael Wong

Come for the ancient biomolecules, stay for the wasp nests.

Thanks for covering our latest paper for @sciam.bsky.social, @leebillings.bsky.social!

Munazza Alam – The City University of New York 26 Colleges. One University.

Dr. Munazza Alam, an assistant astronomer at STScI, was named in The City University of New York's 50 Under 50 alumni awards in 2025. Each year the school celebrates a class of distinguished graduates who have made headway in their respective fields over the past year. 👏

Thanks for covering our recent scientific findings in the @economist.com, @eaterofsun.bsky.social!

Unexpected Evidence of Life Found in 3.3-Billion-Year-Old Rocks Using AI Learn how researchers traced chemical evidence of early life in ancient rocks and found signs of photosynthesis nearly a billion years earlier than expected.

“Ancient rocks are full of interesting puzzles that tell us the story of life on Earth, but a few of the pieces are always missing. Pairing chemical analysis and machine learning has revealed biological clues about ancient life that were previously invisible.”

—Katie Maloney

Hey, that's our study! 😄

A screenshot of Time’s Second Arrow on Apple Books’ “most anticipated books of winter 2026” page

Time’s Second Arrow is one of Apple Books’ most anticipated books of winter 2026! Pre-order your copy today! wwnorton.com/books/978132...

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been much more interested in what was above my head than what was below my feet. But this project showed me that looking down and back in time can be an important step toward the future of how we study worlds beyond.

We haven’t yet, but I’d absolutely love to!

Organic geochemical evidence for life in Archean rocks identified by pyrolysis–GC–MS and supervised machine learning | PNAS Throughout Earth’s history, organic molecules from both abiogenic and biogenic sources have been buried in sedimentary rocks. Most of these organic...

This discussion is based on our brand-new paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

A must listen…!

Episode 192: Whispers of Life in Ancient Rocks Guest: Dr. Anirudh Prabhu Mike brings aboard Dr. Anirudh Prabhu to discuss an exciting new study of theirs that uses machine learning trained on organic chemical data to detect the

New podcast episode! 🪨🧪🤖🎙🖖

Dr. @anirudhprabhu.bsky.social joins me to discuss how we use machine learning trained on organic chemical data to detect the "whispers" of life—specifically photosynthetic life—in ancient rocks.

Organic geochemical evidence for life in Archean rocks identified by pyrolysis–GC–MS and supervised machine learning | PNAS Throughout Earth’s history, organic molecules from both abiogenic and biogenic sources have been buried in sedimentary rocks. Most of these organic...

Our new biosignatures paper is out in @pnas.org! This time we're using machine learning trained on organic chemical data to identify signs of life—including photosynthetic life—in ancient rocks.

#OverheardOnZoom: "Sometimes the less you know about something, the more you yell about it."

Thanks, Dr. @calebscharf.bsky.social, for visiting @carnegiescience.bsky.social earlier this month to share why space is the next frontier in the evolution of life!

📷 Katy Cain / Carnegie Science

#OverheardOnZoom: "I can't say no to someone with such a cool Zoom background."

U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students

This is lunacy. The Chinese scholars I know are among the hardest working, most selfless people I've ever encountered. They want to contribute to our intellectual endeavors, and they make our research teams better.

Book swap with Professor @dagomardegroot.bsky.social, whose new book “Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean” tells the story of how environmental change throughout the cosmos has shaped human civilization 💫📖

#OverheardOnZoom: "Try not to miss the random forest for the trees."

Great to join @miquai.bsky.social and the folks at @carnegiescience.bsky.social this morning to talk about Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean and, among other things, the existential risk of #SolarStorms. Check out Mike’s forthcoming book - an argument for a new force of nature! #Space

YouTube video by Carnegie Science The Giant Leap

New video! My full presentation about The Giant Leap to a live audience at @carnegiescience.bsky.social is now online! We grappled with science, philosophy, and the meaning of life! www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG1V...

Time's Second Arrow A distinguished geoscientist and rising-star astrobiologist offer a stunning new theory upending 150 years of established science—and an inspiring new vision of our universe., Time's Second Arro...

Pre-Order "Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature" by Robert M. Hazen and yours truly ⬇️

If you don't already listen to @seanmcarroll.bsky.social's Mindscape Podcast, I highly recommend it!

Episode 191: Mike on Sean Carroll's Mindscape Mike beams aboard Sean Carroll's Mindscape Podcast to talk about astrobiology, the origins of life, complexity, and the proposal for a

On the latest Strange New Worlds, I share my conversation with @seanmcarroll.bsky.social on his Mindscape Podcast, where we talk about astrobiology, the origins of life, and complexity.

Caleb giving a lecture

Caleb’s signature on the title page of his new book, The Giant Leap

“Space exploration is not about ignoring Earth’s problems. It’s about creating chances for us to do better.”

@calebscharf.bsky.social’s optimism is infectious and his perspective of humanity as an astrobiological experiment is profound. I’m so grateful to be able to call him my colleague!

#OverheardAtCarnegie: "Here's some unsolicited wine advice."

The Giant Leap NASA Astrobiologist and author Caleb Scharf explores how humanity’s expanding reach into space marks a pivotal moment in life’s evolution—revealing what it means for a species to step beyond its home ...

For the 1st time in 4 billion years, life has escaped its home planet!

Join NASA Ames astrobiologist @calebscharf.bsky.social as we venture into the void to see how space exploration is reshaping our next great leap.

🗓️ 11/6 | 6:30 PM EST
📍 Carnegie Science, NW DC & Online
🎟️ RSVP → bit.ly/4qxBBT7

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum [McCormack, Una] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum

Good morning America! Today is the paperback publication day of my #StarTrekSNW novel Asylum! It's such a belter they gave it an award. #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds #UnaByUna

www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-St...

#OverheardAtCarnegie:

“Well, to make a long story short—“

“—It’s too late for that.”

What Searching For Aliens Reveals About Ourselves | NOEMA Looking for life beyond Earth changes the way we perceive life right here at home.

“The same principles that allow us to hunt for alien Earths also allow us to comprehend the biosphere as a planetary phenomenon.”

An essay of epic proportions by @miquai.bsky.social for @noemamag.com

www.noemamag.com/what-searchi...

Potentially contentious idea: space exploration is less about ignoring Earthly problems and more about giving ourselves a chance to do better...