JWST spotted two sulfur‑bearing gases (DMS and DMDS) in the atmosphere of hycean exoplanet K2‑18 b (8.6 × Earth’s mass, 124 ly away), a combination that on Earth is made only by marine microbes—making this the strongest potential biosignature detected so far, though follow‑up observations are needed to rule out non‑biological sources.

All life on Earth can be traced back to a Last Universal Common Ancestor, or LUCA—and it likely lived on Earth only 400 million years after its formation.

The discovery of Obelisks challenges existing definitions of life and expands our knowledge of the range of self-replicating genetic elements that exist in nature. While viruses are traditionally considered "not alive," Obelisks may demonstrate how that distinction may be overly simple, and that a spectrum of replicative strategies may exist at the boundary between living cells and purely chemical biological entities. It emphasizes that our understanding of biology is constantly evolving and there's more complexity than we can imagine. The implications of this discovery could be profound, requiring us to reconsider fundamental ideas about life and its origins.