1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: My name is Robert lamp and my name is Julie 4 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: Tuglas Um Julie. I was over the weekend I caught 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: the film John Carter that came out. Are you familiar 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: with this one at all? I am? Uh, you know, 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: the some dudes of Pixar behind at Disney behind it 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: based on Edgar Rice Burrows stories of Mars, in which 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: this character, John Carter ends up traveling there and having 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: all sorts of squash buckling, princess laden adventures. And uh, 11 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: it's a fun flick. I recommend people see it if 12 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: that's the kind of thing you're into it into McNulty 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: from The Wire shows up as the villain, which is fun. 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: But but but what really got me thinking and how 15 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: it ties into this podcast is that it really calls 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: back to an age when the science fiction of the 17 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: day uh is emerging from this idea that Mars could 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: conceivably the habitated world, or a world that had been 19 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: habitated by a a civilization, not just some organism living 20 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: deep in the soil, but it could have had civilization 21 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: on it. In the past or even in the present. 22 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: And it's just amazing to think back to that time. 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: It's and and and try to imagine that being possible 24 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: in your mind. Whereas today we have this, Uh, we 25 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: know that Mars is virtually lifeless and if even if 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: even if it has life in it, it is Uh, 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: it's not cities, it's not things that can think in 28 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: a way that we understand, you know, it's not it's 29 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: not that that vision of swashbuckling adventure that Edgar Rice 30 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: Burrows had. Instead, we're we're looking even farther out. We're 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: we're looking, we're having to cast our dreams even farther 32 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,639 Speaker 1: to try and imagine other worlds that could be like Earth, 33 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: because that's it's kind of a simple thing. We kind 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: of want on on this very basic level. We want 35 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: to find that other Earth. We want to find our 36 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: twin out there in the galaxy. And no, that we 37 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: are not alone. Right, That's always been the other question, right, 38 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: are are we alone? Um? You know, is there extraterrestrial 39 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: life out there? Um? We've talked about even SETTI, the 40 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: organization that is committed to trying to find a form 41 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: of life out there. And as you said, it's really 42 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: interesting to think that at one point all of this 43 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: just sort of existed in our minds, this idea of 44 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: what is out there in the cosmos, not really knowing, 45 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: not having the sort of data or the technology to 46 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: substantiate um are our theories. And you know, we just 47 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: talked about Prometheus and we talked about how they were 48 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: journeying to an extra planet or an extrasolar planet. The 49 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: idea that it's just it's a planet. It is encircling 50 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: another star, which is not despite what you see in 51 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,239 Speaker 1: Star Trek and and everything, it's not not in every 52 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: and not every star is going to have planets, right right, 53 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: an extra planet too, I mean the planets beyond our 54 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: solar system. This used to be just a theory as well, right, 55 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: So it's it's in context of of thinking about seventeen 56 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: years ago, it's pretty amazing that we know what we 57 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: know now, and it does the question now doesn't isn't 58 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: are their exp planets? The question is where is that 59 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: earth like planet and doesn't contain life. That's that's where 60 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: we're going towards now. Seventeen years ago that we're looking 61 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: back to hubble Right and cast Star gaze out outward 62 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: into the stars and was able to identify what planet 63 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: candidates based on distance stars. Well, first of all, they 64 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: identified two hundred billion star systems, so this was news. 65 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: It wasn't like, hey, here's our solar system and then 66 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: nothing the two hundred billion star systems and um. And 67 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: they did this by gathering light for hundreds of hours 68 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: and staring into deep space and taking all these calculations 69 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: and figuring this out and it was amazing. So then 70 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: they took that information and the Kepler mission, which we'll 71 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: talk about a little bit um, was able, as you say, 72 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: to identify twenty three hundred UM possible planets extra planets. 73 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: We say possible because we don't know enough information about 74 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: and actually call them planet candidates. And they haven't made 75 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: it past the candidates, and they haven't made it passive. Yeah, 76 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: they haven't been vetted yet. But of these we know 77 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: the dimensions and weight of two hundred planets, okay, and um, 78 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: we actually have the composition of atmospheres for twelve planets. 79 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: This is amazing stuff. And we're particularly interested in those 80 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: planets that fall within that habitable zone, that sort of 81 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: goldielike zone, because you look at our planets we have 82 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: and we went into this on the Stuff to Blow 83 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: your Kid's Mind video series. You have you have Venus, 84 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: which is uh to have to have the atmospheres to pressurize, 85 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: and it's too hot. You go over to Mars, you know, 86 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: a little far too far to the right, and you 87 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: find not enough atmosphere and intense cold. But right there 88 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: in the little Earth, it's just right the we live 89 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: in this golden zone. Yeah, we evolved, lack is evolved 90 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: as we know it to exist within these very slim 91 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: parameters that we're specifically talking about the orbital distance from 92 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: a star where liquid water on a planet could exist. 93 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: That's just one of the things that needs to be 94 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: going on UM. So yeah, I mean, we we now 95 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: have seven hundred confirmed exoplanets UM. Just out of that 96 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: all the other data, I just want to mention that 97 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: we do have seven hundred confirmed exoplanets UM and it's 98 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: amazing that we're at this point in the Kepler mission 99 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: is actually looking at a tiny region of the Milky Way, 100 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: in a very small fraction of stars in the galaxy UM. 101 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: And because the stars are being sampled by Kepler, are 102 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: very similar to predominant types of stars in the Milky 103 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: Way galaxy. Uh, we are getting basically, in a sense, 104 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: just narrow little pencil beam of stars that may or 105 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: may not be earth like or that we discover. So 106 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: that perspective is pretty mind blowing in and of itself 107 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: because it's just that tiny little point that they're looking at, 108 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: and what else could the universe contain beyond that? So, 109 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: like I mentioned before, like every solar system is not 110 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: going to be a situation of oh, we have planet one, two, three, four, 111 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: and five around a single star. You have, it's not 112 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: gonna look like ours per se. You have a variety 113 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: of exoplanets in a variety of solar systems. Right. You 114 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: have planets that are orbiting multiple stars where you would 115 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: conceivably have if you had a planet you could stand 116 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: out in that system. You might have to. You would 117 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,119 Speaker 1: have two sons in the sky at the same time 118 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: or at different times, depending on how things are, how 119 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: the celestial mechanics are panning out. Um, you have planets 120 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 1: that don't orbit stars at all, which sounds kind of 121 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: crazy to just kind of rogue. Yeah, it's just on 122 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: their own. Um. And then you have at least one 123 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: that is is areas styrofoam. Yeah, yeah, And this is 124 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: what they're calling the planetary zoo because they're talking about 125 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: that the variety of planets that they're discovering and their 126 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: atmospheres and their their weights and dimensions. And it turns 127 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: out that there are smaller, more smaller plants and then 128 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: there are large ones at least in the area that 129 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: they're looking in. But it does point to this diversity 130 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: and this idea that things don't always work the way 131 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: we think they do, and so we probably need to 132 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: reframe the way that we're approaching things sometimes, and we 133 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: may even need to reconsider what the habitable habitable zone is. 134 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: A super Earth is basically a planet that is more 135 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: massive than Earth that is still expected to be predominantly rocky. 136 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: And that's something that we want right when we're talking 137 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: about an earthlike planet, we want it to be rocky 138 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: like ours and not gaseous and hot. Um. And this 139 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: is a quote from Sarah Seeger. She is um an 140 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: amazing UM speaker, and she's actually an astrophysicist and and 141 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: um a planet hunter. Her say, and she says, the 142 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: diversity of exto planets has really forced us to reconsider 143 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: what the habitable zone really is. For example, some of 144 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: these super Earth's are massive enough that they could retain 145 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: a different atmosphere than we have on Earth. These super 146 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: earths may hold onto the light gases hydrogen and helium. 147 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: In this case, if they have a massive atmosphere, they 148 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: could have a massive greenhouse effect. So this could actually 149 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: increase the range of habitable zone in a planetary system. 150 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: So it's a little bit different than what we've thought of. 151 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: We thought, Okay, you have to have the exact conditions 152 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: that we have here on Earth. There's this I can't 153 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: help but think, and I imagine some of our listeners 154 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: are probably thinking of this as well. There was a 155 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: there was a PC game back in the day called 156 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: Masters of Orion. They did two of them. Oh they 157 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: did third one that was supposedly not that good, But 158 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: they did two of these things, and it's uh. We 159 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: have different space faring races, and you're exploring new systems. 160 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: In each system you discover will have a range of planets, 161 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: and some of them will be too rocky, someone will 162 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: be gases only some of some of them can be 163 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: colonized with a certain extent and others not so much. 164 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: And a lot of thought. Wind of the game is 165 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: a very smart early um computer game, but but even 166 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: even it managed to feel like it misses the mark 167 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: and just the vast variety. Because if this game of 168 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: Masters a Ryan lined up with what we know now 169 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: about the layout of of other solar systems and the 170 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: existence of extraplanets, you would encounter a lot of these 171 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: systems that we just have nothing in them, right, yeah, yeah, again, 172 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: you know, we have this idea that you know, other 173 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: solar systems were supposed to be like ours, but yeah, 174 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: they're vastly different. Some of them are spinning in what 175 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: we think of is the wrong direction, um, like Australian 176 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: one that don't really a line up to the science 177 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: all that well, but but still backwards rotating solar systems. Yeah, yeah, 178 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: So actually I was just thinking, like, how cool would 179 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: it be if they had a planetary Zoo Tycoon game 180 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: similar to sort of what you're saying. If you've ever 181 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: played Zoo Tycoon, you know this is again another way 182 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: to to think about well at least start understanding of 183 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: what's out there. It would be very interesting. Yeah, if 184 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,599 Speaker 1: they if they took that sort of that basic expansion 185 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: and colonization computer game model and really made it match 186 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: up with with what we know now and what the 187 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: conceivable uh near to long term future of of exploration is. 188 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking, you put some really cool graphics of 189 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: like pandas and giraffe planets and get kids to sort 190 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: through the data for you. You can have like a 191 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: million kids playing these games and inadvertently like punching some 192 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: data for you. It could it could be a win 193 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: win um. Alright, So here's the question, how are these 194 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: far flung planets actually inferred? How do we know that 195 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: they're out there? We suspect they're out there. They don't 196 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: actually say definitively out there, they say inferred. Well, you 197 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: have two types of detection. Basically, you have you have 198 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: direct detection and indirect detection, all right, Um, With direct 199 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: detection detection, and it's one thing to detect a star, 200 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: but it's another thing to detect the planet. The visible 201 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: light output by a planet like Jupiter is one billion 202 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: that of its star, but if you shift into the 203 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: infrared spectrum, the contrast is merely a few thousands, all right, 204 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: So it helps to to shift the shift out of 205 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: that visible light spectrum. You can also block out starlight 206 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: and just focus on the corona, that outer plasma region 207 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: of the star's atmosphere, and then you can catch the 208 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: shine of the planets. Um. Direct imaging is the only 209 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: way to access some of the really important qualities of 210 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: an exoplanet, like how much water it has on its surface. 211 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: But then there are these indirect detection methods, and some 212 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: of these are are are pretty pretty crazy, like uh 213 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: another crazy that they're they're really they're really fascinating because 214 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: it's not a direct method of detection. You kind of 215 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: have to find have to find a work around to 216 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: detect the presence of this planet. Yeah, are you talking 217 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: about the biosignature gasses. Yes, that's one of the methods 218 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: that pops up. UM. I love this because it's like 219 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: a game of clue, you know. Um. This is where 220 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: different chemicals absorb or they take a bite out of 221 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: the photons and light at different parts of the spectrum 222 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: and can be used as a fingerprint um of the 223 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: atmosphere of this planet. So if we imagine the planet, 224 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: we can run the light given off from it through 225 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: a machine called a spectrograph, which analyzes the data determine 226 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: the chemicals and the planet's atmosphere um some chemicals which 227 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: science is called biomarkers. Biomarkers may hint at life on 228 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: a planet. At least, that doesn't mean that there's life. 229 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: It just means that if you have certain chemicals that 230 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: are taking a bite out of that light spectrum and 231 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: you can see it missing, then you can start to 232 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: ascertain the percentages of chemicals in the atmosphere. And I 233 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: think that is amazing. Yeah, there's also the wheat gravity 234 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 1: of a planet pulls the star into the small circular 235 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: orbit and induces a minute wobble that can be detected 236 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,559 Speaker 1: using radial velocity tracking, which is which is pretty cool. 237 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: And then there's a there's also this scenaria where the 238 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 1: planet moves between a star and the observer and the 239 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 1: luminosity shifts. There's a that's that's the transit method, and 240 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: that's actually what the Kepler telescope is using. And just 241 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: to go back to the Kepler mission, we're talking about 242 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 1: basically a giant ninety eight megapixel digital camera that is 243 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: taking these photos. Like you were saying, when it crosses 244 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: the star, you're basically going to see um that a 245 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: little bit of the light is blocked out and then 246 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: the camera will measure a dip in the star's brightness, 247 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: and if a planet is really what's causing that dip, 248 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: it'll come around and cause the same kind of dip 249 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: again and again and again. So a lot of this 250 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: is pointing toward this idea that you have to have 251 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: a ton of patients if you are a planet hunter. Yeah, because, 252 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: like I said, it's one thing to find a start. Um. 253 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: We can sometimes detect things like black holes, for instance, 254 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: or potential black holes with gravitational lensing, where we see 255 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: the way that the mass of an object causes light 256 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: to bend around it. Well, then there's gravitational micro lensing 257 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: where you're kind of you're you're you're observing the way 258 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: that the star is causing light to bend. But then 259 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: you're also on top of that observing the way that 260 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: that stars planets are adding, uh, in a smaller sense 261 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: to the bending of that light. Yeah. What I like 262 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: about this too, this planet hunting, is that it kind 263 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: of pulls in so many different disciplines. And you have astrophysicists, physicists, 264 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: you have astrobiologists who are really interested in trying to 265 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: figure out what the atmosphere looked like in the early days, 266 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: because having that sort of data can help us then 267 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: look at another planet and say, well, this could be 268 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: an earth light planet perhaps in four billion years, because 269 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: it really matches what we think the Earth look like 270 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: back in the day um or maybe it's halfway to 271 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: that point or so. It's really interesting that everybody is 272 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: sharing all of this data and trying to to get 273 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: to the to the answer to the question, which is 274 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: is there another Us out there? Yeah? And you mentioned 275 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: clue earlier, and I keep coming back to that because 276 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: because it's kind of like this, it reminds me a 277 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: lot of high tech movie TV show crime scene where 278 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: you have like people are coming in. You have your 279 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: botanists that are looking at what what what plants are doing? 280 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: You have you know, biologists, you have entomologists coming in, 281 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: think of for an experts, people are shining lasers. All 282 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: of these different disciplines are coming together, all of these 283 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: different technologies coming together to put a face on this 284 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: question mark you know, where who is the killer? And uh? 285 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: And we see a similar thing here with it with 286 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: the question mark being is there another Earth? Is there 287 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: is there another planet out there that that resembles us? Yeah, 288 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: and I like that that you pointed out that way 289 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: that is sort of backing up into the equation and 290 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: taking all that data and trying to reconstruct the crime 291 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: scene or the scene of the life, I guess, the 292 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: scene of possible life. Um, let's take a quick break 293 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: and then when we get back, we'll talk about trying 294 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: to find a true Earth twin. So we're back, and uh, yeah, 295 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: the idea of finding a true Earth twin. It reminds 296 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: me a lot of house hunting because you're looking at 297 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: potential houses, and some houses are not on the market 298 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: at all, so there's not even you know, like much 299 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: like these solar systems or even non solar systems, where 300 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: there's just nothing resembling a planet, uh that we're interested in. Uh. 301 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: And then you have then you have planets. I mean, 302 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: then you have houses that are either they're either too 303 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: expensive or you get to look at them and they're 304 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: just to run down, or or they look good at first, 305 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: but then you find out that they have some sort 306 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: of major problem like uh, you know, it's a part 307 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: of the house is collapsing, or it's uh, it's atmosphere 308 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: is too heavy and won't allow life to exist. In 309 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: it that you see what I'm saying here, it becomes this. 310 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: It's like the Goldilocks scenario, except with a far pickier 311 00:16:55,040 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: Goldilocks and so many more um unacceptable containers of poor it. Well, 312 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: if you are Sarah Seg, you're the planetary scientists, um 313 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: an astrophysicists, you do kind of want a mystery house, 314 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: at least for her. She she says, she that we 315 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: want to look at an atmosphere in search for things 316 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: that are unusual. So our own atmosphere is oxygen by volume. 317 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: If she says, an alien civilization is looking at us 318 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: from four light years away, presumably with an awesome telescope, 319 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: and it knows something about chemistry, then it will know 320 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: that we have millions to billions of times more oxygen 321 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: than we should if there were no life on Earth. 322 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: So that should be a clue to them. There's something 323 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: going on here through further synthesis, through the interaction of 324 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: oxygen and carbon dioxide, that that is not fitting uh 325 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: in line with what its composition should be, and so 326 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: we're looking for something that's not right. We're looking in 327 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: the same way to the murder investigation is ends up 328 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: chasing after individuals that are suspicious in some way, shape 329 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: or form, whose story doesn't quite add up. We're doing 330 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: looking for that planet with a story that doesn't quite 331 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: add up. Why does it have this much oxygen? Why 332 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 1: was it spotted leaving it's a it's apartment at the 333 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 1: three in the morning garbage bag. That's right to fear 334 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 1: the planetary dick detective. Then these are the questions that 335 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 1: they're asking and UM, And what I think is interesting 336 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: is that these these seventeen years, so much of this 337 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: has just been an exercise. And let's let's comb through 338 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: the data and let's try to take measurements. First. That 339 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: was the first thing that they wanted to do. Can 340 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 1: we take measurements of these planets? Um? The second thing 341 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: is can we figure out what's in them the habitable zone? 342 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: Can we start to really figure out whether native? Are 343 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: they hot and gassie or they rocky? And then it 344 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: became well, let's really see what's taking a bite out 345 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: of the atmosphere here. Let's see if if the composition 346 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: can give us um a clue as to an earth 347 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: like twin for us And now Seeger and obviously others 348 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: in her labs are looking much more specifically at that 349 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: data set that Kepler has given them, those twenty three 350 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: hundred planetary candidates, And she is actually helping to build 351 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: a prototype nano satellite that will be launched in and 352 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: she says that instead of looking at a hundred and 353 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: fifties six thousand distant stars, we hope to survey the 354 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: very nearest sunlight star for transitting Earth sized planets. So 355 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: the return to studying individual extra planets will be for 356 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: those orbiting stars that are close enough for detailed follow up. 357 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: So they just keep honing in more and more on 358 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: this idea that we can answer this question in this generation, 359 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: and then coming in ten, we have a James Webb 360 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: telescope which is going to just even look more laser 361 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: focused at those habitable zones. Yeah, and Singer was on 362 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 1: a panel at the World Science Festival about exp planets 363 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: along with Natalie to Halla. She's a physicist and team 364 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: leader the Kepler YEP, and that Mountain, the director of 365 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: the Space Telescope Science Institute. Now, they all it was 366 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,479 Speaker 1: a very spirited conversation and they all had different ideas 367 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: about how to go about planet hunting, but I think 368 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: they all degree agree that UM this is something that 369 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: is going to happen in our generation, and they're pretty 370 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: much hamstrung by the technology. Now they could do it. 371 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: They could find an earthlike planet if they had every 372 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: dollar at their disposal, because they could build the right 373 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 1: sort of UM instruments to do this with it. But 374 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: they are saying that it's very hopeful that you have 375 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: space X, that you have asteroid mining and basically some 376 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: private companies coming in and creating the technology which will 377 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: allow them, just like the nano satellite that seekers working on, 378 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: to really get in and study it much further. And 379 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,160 Speaker 1: it's I think it's just really exciting time to know that, um, 380 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: you know, again, this earthlike planet might be identified, Would 381 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: we travel to it? Would there being aliens that consume us? 382 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, it's I think I've missed this before, 383 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: but things like this kind of remind me of of 384 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: that day when I first started out stuff works and 385 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: the news head hit that some guys in World, Georgia 386 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: had a cooler with a big foot in it, an 387 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: actual dead sasquatch, And for a split second there I 388 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: was kind of like, is this really going to happen? 389 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: Is this really gonna turn out to be Bigfoot, and 390 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: of course it didn't. But but there was a moment 391 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: there of possibility, and with our search for exoplanets, that 392 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 1: moment of possibility continues to to draw out. Um, you 393 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: can draw out to the point where some people perhaps 394 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: lose interest in it and they just tend to think, oh, well, 395 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: I guess the rest of the universe is empty because 396 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: we haven't found uh, that magic planet yet. But you know, 397 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: some people would say that there are a lot of 398 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: fish in the sea, there are a lot of planets 399 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: uh out there in the universe, and if we look 400 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: long enough, uh, we will find it. Well. And what 401 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: they said on the panel is if, if, if anything, 402 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: scientists are patient and they will come for the data 403 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: and they will find that needle in the haystack. It's 404 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: just a matter of time, um Seeker said. And I 405 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: thought this was interesting. If you want to look back 406 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: to what we remember hundreds of years ago, inevitably it 407 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: is the great explorers, Christopher Columbus didn't know what he 408 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: was going to find, and he came across North America. 409 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: Many of us working in the field of exoplanets believe 410 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: that thousands of years from now, when people look back 411 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: at our generation in the early twenty first century, they 412 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: will remember the discovery of other earths as one of 413 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: our most significant accomplishments. That is the beginning of what's 414 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 1: out there? What are the what are the planets? Known? 415 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: And in the future, we hope that our descendants will 416 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: find signs of life. I don't know, Yeah, there you go. Um. 417 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: I certainly hope to see it, and I think that 418 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: would just be a super exciting thing. Yeah, I think 419 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: it would be tremendous. And again, it's what I love 420 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: about stuff like this is that it forces us to 421 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: recast our understanding of the universe, universe in our place 422 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: in it, and we've talked a lot about that. So 423 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: if it comes to fruition, that's pretty awesome. Coo, Well, 424 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: let's call the robot over. We well, we didn't call 425 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: him over in the Prometheus episode because it was super 426 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: long and all, so we had some some rather complex 427 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,880 Speaker 1: thoughts to convey about the nature of AI and yeah, 428 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: basically you boot him on the room because we didn't 429 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,159 Speaker 1: want to give him any funny ideas about how he 430 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: could emulate David. So all right, let's see what we 431 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: have here from listeners. Well, this one was exciting because 432 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: we got hats. We did. Some of the podcasters also 433 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: received these and like them. We will will have to 434 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: get a snapshot here of us wearing them. But we 435 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: heard from Adam. Adam wrote in to say, first I 436 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: have to say I've been a lawyer a lawyer. I've 437 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: been a loyal listener since the stuff you missed in 438 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: science class days um, and you actually read a listener 439 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: of feedback. I wrote about the oil industry on the 440 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: Old Show, how it's not as luxurious as the rig 441 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: on the rigs as people think, though the platforms are nicer. 442 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: As an engineer out of practice, your episodes captivate the 443 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 1: inner scientist and geek within me. Thank you for that. 444 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: Switching gears. For the past ten months, I've been traveling 445 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: through Latin America on what I call the Happy Nomad Tour. 446 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: After being miserable quote unquote living the dream of living 447 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: working in worry free Denmark for a wind power company, 448 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: I finally started asking myself what my passions are, what 449 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: my dreams are, and what I want out of life. 450 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: I call this process the happiness plunge um, which also 451 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: sounds like maybe like a novelty dessert that you would get. 452 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: I can't throw yourself back into a refreshing pool of tea, 453 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: but as anyway, he continues, MY goal as a traveler 454 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: is to leave each place better than how I found it, 455 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: which I do by volunteering everywhere I go. I've had 456 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: volunteering experiences such as feeding the elderly at nursing homes 457 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: in Mexico, installing solar panels and rural hunduras, attracting book 458 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: donations for a rural library project in Peru, playing with 459 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: kids at orphanages in Costa Rica and Ecuador, designing a 460 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 1: financial strategy for a new NGO in El Salvador, and 461 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: marketing an organization that turns donated to use bikes into 462 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: bike machines, washing machines, blenders, water well pumps, etcetera. In Guatemala. 463 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,160 Speaker 1: There's a lot I can offer as an engineer NBA. 464 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: I listened to quite a few hs W podcast on 465 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: my ten to twenty our bus rides and wanted to, 466 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: in a very small way, thank you for what you've 467 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 1: given me. Peru is my last stop in Latin America, 468 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: and I thought these all pack out wool Julio's Julio's 469 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: feel there's one pronunciation different pronunciation to me, then we'll 470 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: call him Julia. We're a great way to say things. 471 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: And no, it doesn't get too cold. I know it 472 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: doesn't get too cold in Atlanta, but still I wanted 473 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: to protect those knowledge filled noggats. I'm at home now, 474 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 1: visiting my family and preparing for the Asian leg of 475 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: the Happy Nomad Tour. I look forward to listening to 476 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: you guys on the other side of the planet very soon. 477 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: Once again, thank you for all you've taught me. I 478 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: hope you know how appreciated you are. You're super fan Adam, 479 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,360 Speaker 1: and he also shares a couple of links here, um 480 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: Happiness Plunge one word dot com that's the website for 481 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: this and crazy Hair Fundraiser dot com Crazy z Hair 482 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: fund Raiser h A I R not h R e Um. Yeah, 483 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: thank you, Adams. Really cool. Actually, even though it's eighty 484 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: six degrees in Atlanta today, I was wearing my hat 485 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: this morning, so I appreciate that, and I appreciate your thoughts. Yeah, 486 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,159 Speaker 1: and it really it sounds like, I mean, it's an 487 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: awesome thing that you're doing, so yeah, keep it up. Yeah, 488 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: I mean, gosh, some people take off little time rest, 489 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: do you your you're no? Uh low fer there, I'll 490 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: say that and uh and thanks for the hat. Thanks 491 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 1: for writing in. If you guys would like to share 492 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: something with us, UM, especially if it's the kind of 493 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: thing you can post on Facebook, you can find us 494 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: on Facebook, where we are Stuff to Blow Your Mind. 495 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, where our handle is 496 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: blow the Mind. Let us know what you think about 497 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: the search for exoplanets. What do you think it's gonna 498 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: be like the day that that breaks on the local 499 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: news channel. How is it going to be interpreted by 500 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: pundits on various cable news channels. I don't know. We'll 501 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: see what happened shut some thoughts on that will be interesting. UM. 502 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: You can also send us your thoughts via email at 503 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: Blow the Mind at Discovery dot com. Be sure to 504 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 1: check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 505 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,120 Speaker 1: Join How Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 506 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.