Are We Alone? Discovering New Worlds - Dr Jerome de Leon

"We only know life as we know it." In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jerome de Leon, an astrophysicist who has helped discover dozens of exoplanets using telescopes like Kepler, TESS, and Subaru. He is a Project Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo and an astronomer–data scientist leading international teams on new exoplanet discoveries. In this episode, we explore how scientists detect planets we can’t see directly, why exoplanets have such unusual names, and what makes a planet “habitable.” Dr. De Leon also shares his inspiring journey from the Philippines to some of the most remote observatories in the world. Whether you’re curious about life beyond Earth or just love space, this episode will bring the universe a little closer to you.