Part 5/8:
Despite the exhilarating prospect of finding life on K218B, the scientific community maintains a cautious approach. The evidence of life, while promising, is not conclusively established. The findings currently yield a confidence level of about 99.7%, still shy of the 99.999% certainty—termed "5 sigma"—required for definitive claims in scientific practice.
Experts point out that alternative pathways could exist for DMS and DMDS's presence. Non-biological geological processes—such as volcanic activity—might also generate these compounds, as argued by skeptics like Katherine Hay and Cássio Barbosa.