1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:29,290 [Music] 2 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:31,250 greetings friends of astrobiology 3 00:00:34,910 --> 00:00:33,210 welcome to a brand new episode of ask an 4 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:34,920 astrobiologist a show where we celebrate 5 00:00:39,139 --> 00:00:37,770 science and celebrate scientists my name 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:39,149 is Sanjay some and this program is made 7 00:00:43,069 --> 00:00:40,890 possible by contributions from the NASA 8 00:00:46,670 --> 00:00:43,079 Astrobiology program and the non profit 9 00:00:48,619 --> 00:00:46,680 blue mobile space last month my fiercely 10 00:00:51,139 --> 00:00:48,629 beard energy co-host dr. Graham Lau 11 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:51,149 known as the Cosmo biologist interviewed 12 00:00:56,420 --> 00:00:53,850 dr. Jill Charter and we talked about the 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:00:56,430 value and the necessity of exploring for 14 00:01:00,709 --> 00:00:59,010 life beyond our home planets this month 15 00:01:03,470 --> 00:01:00,719 we have a really exciting guest and we 16 00:01:05,539 --> 00:01:03,480 will continue this conversation dr. Sara 17 00:01:08,060 --> 00:01:05,549 Rue Kaymer she is a fellow at the 18 00:01:10,820 --> 00:01:08,070 University of Oxford outstanding 19 00:01:12,740 --> 00:01:10,830 astronomer riveting dancer fearless 20 00:01:14,330 --> 00:01:12,750 Mountaineer and we're gonna be talking 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:14,340 about all these topics in a little bit 22 00:01:19,850 --> 00:01:16,650 but first it's time for your monthly 23 00:01:22,550 --> 00:01:19,860 background quiz so last month Mike if 24 00:01:24,679 --> 00:01:22,560 you could put the picture up we had this 25 00:01:26,450 --> 00:01:24,689 beautiful picture behind dr. Graham 26 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:26,460 laughs and simply you got it right it is 27 00:01:33,050 --> 00:01:30,329 of course badwater basin in the state of 28 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:33,060 California in the United States it is a 29 00:01:37,910 --> 00:01:36,329 basin at minus 86 meters below sea level 30 00:01:40,910 --> 00:01:37,920 so it is the lowest point in North 31 00:01:43,429 --> 00:01:40,920 America and just about 100 miles from 32 00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:43,439 there you can see Mount Whitney which is 33 00:01:50,749 --> 00:01:47,600 the tallest mountain in the lower 48 at 34 00:01:54,109 --> 00:01:50,759 4420 meters so quite a big distinction 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:54,119 in elevation there so those of you got 36 00:02:00,679 --> 00:01:56,850 it right congratulations the third-place 37 00:02:03,649 --> 00:02:00,689 winner will get the NASA stickers 38 00:02:08,330 --> 00:02:03,659 congratulations the second-place winner 39 00:02:10,999 --> 00:02:08,340 will get the stickers and the graphic 40 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:11,009 novels and the first place winner wind 41 00:02:14,619 --> 00:02:12,650 it all with the stick 42 00:02:17,649 --> 00:02:14,629 of graphic novels and the Signet fine 43 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:17,659 class congratulations all right it's my 44 00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:19,370 great privilege to introduce to you dr. 45 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:20,390 Sarah Ruby Hamer 46 00:02:25,089 --> 00:02:22,970 so you're an astronomer and I was 47 00:02:27,069 --> 00:02:25,099 wondering if this interest in science 48 00:02:29,140 --> 00:02:27,079 that later blossom into a career in 49 00:02:31,030 --> 00:02:29,150 astronomy and astrology is that 50 00:02:37,750 --> 00:02:31,040 something you had in mind early on as a 51 00:02:41,349 --> 00:02:37,760 kid short answer no the long answer is I 52 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:41,359 did there was a moment in my childhood 53 00:02:47,319 --> 00:02:43,730 where I liked astronomy but quite 54 00:02:48,729 --> 00:02:47,329 frankly I swore to my dad when I was in 55 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:48,739 high school I said I'm never gonna take 56 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:51,650 a physics class as long as I live and 57 00:02:55,059 --> 00:02:52,940 that's because he's a physics professor 58 00:02:58,690 --> 00:02:55,069 and my brother is also a physics 59 00:03:00,910 --> 00:02:58,700 professor and basically all of my 60 00:03:04,330 --> 00:03:00,920 brothers and sisters have a degree in 61 00:03:05,710 --> 00:03:04,340 physics of some sort and so I said I'm 62 00:03:09,129 --> 00:03:05,720 gonna do something different you know 63 00:03:11,830 --> 00:03:09,139 and so I decided to take accounting 64 00:03:15,399 --> 00:03:11,840 instead and it was really boring and the 65 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:15,409 only class so let me switch into that 66 00:03:19,599 --> 00:03:17,690 late in the physics latley and the term 67 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:19,609 was physics so I ended up taking physics 68 00:03:23,979 --> 00:03:21,410 in high school despite my declaration 69 00:03:26,409 --> 00:03:23,989 that I wouldn't and I enjoyed it but I 70 00:03:28,180 --> 00:03:26,419 was never gonna major in it never at all 71 00:03:29,830 --> 00:03:28,190 and so when I got to college I was 72 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:29,840 thinking about doing other things you 73 00:03:34,180 --> 00:03:32,090 know and I got through my first year and 74 00:03:38,259 --> 00:03:34,190 I was thinking what did I enjoy and I'm 75 00:03:42,009 --> 00:03:38,269 like I really I liked physics and so 76 00:03:43,330 --> 00:03:42,019 then I did a major in physics realizing 77 00:03:45,610 --> 00:03:43,340 that it was stupid not to major in it 78 00:03:47,830 --> 00:03:45,620 just because my family has a lot of 79 00:03:49,780 --> 00:03:47,840 physicists in it but I swore I would 80 00:03:51,729 --> 00:03:49,790 never do astronomy so then like all 81 00:03:54,430 --> 00:03:51,739 through undergrad I said I'm never gonna 82 00:03:55,599 --> 00:03:54,440 do astronomy because it's squiggly lines 83 00:03:58,089 --> 00:03:55,609 all day long I mean that was the 84 00:04:00,009 --> 00:03:58,099 impression I had of astronomy I went on 85 00:04:04,089 --> 00:04:00,019 a summer undergrad research project and 86 00:04:06,699 --> 00:04:04,099 I watched my fellow summer undergrad 87 00:04:07,809 --> 00:04:06,709 students doing astronomy projects and 88 00:04:11,830 --> 00:04:07,819 they were literally just going through 89 00:04:13,599 --> 00:04:11,840 like 700 quasar spectra a day going 90 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:13,609 yes-no yes-no kind of double-checking 91 00:04:18,370 --> 00:04:16,010 the pipeline it looked to me to be the 92 00:04:21,699 --> 00:04:18,380 most single boring job on the planet and 93 00:04:23,290 --> 00:04:21,709 so I said I will never go into astronomy 94 00:04:23,930 --> 00:04:23,300 I never took a single astronomy class 95 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:23,940 and then 96 00:04:30,050 --> 00:04:27,210 like not at all I didn't go to any 97 00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:30,060 extremity talks or anything and and I 98 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:32,670 even had a professor and undergrad try 99 00:04:38,630 --> 00:04:34,050 to get me to do an astronomy project 100 00:04:40,370 --> 00:04:38,640 with him and I refused many times and he 101 00:04:41,780 --> 00:04:40,380 pushed me so hard I was I just don't 102 00:04:43,550 --> 00:04:41,790 want to look at squiggly lines all day 103 00:04:45,500 --> 00:04:43,560 is what I said to him and now what do i 104 00:04:47,780 --> 00:04:45,510 do is i generate spectra and look at 105 00:04:49,670 --> 00:04:47,790 squiggly lines all today and you know 106 00:04:52,370 --> 00:04:49,680 it's what the lines mean but when I was 107 00:04:55,370 --> 00:04:52,380 in my you know youth I was not so smart 108 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:55,380 and did not realize that so it took a 109 00:04:59,930 --> 00:04:57,210 while of me saying never many times 110 00:05:02,480 --> 00:04:59,940 before I got here so tell us a little 111 00:05:03,980 --> 00:05:02,490 bit what a spectroscopy does what is the 112 00:05:07,970 --> 00:05:03,990 spectra why is that important in 113 00:05:10,010 --> 00:05:07,980 astronomy I mean so again it's like 114 00:05:12,260 --> 00:05:10,020 these squiggly lines it's what they mean 115 00:05:14,930 --> 00:05:12,270 so lines absorb at very specific 116 00:05:16,670 --> 00:05:14,940 wavelengths of light molecules absorb a 117 00:05:18,260 --> 00:05:16,680 very specific wavelengths of light and 118 00:05:21,050 --> 00:05:18,270 so by looking at that we can actually 119 00:05:23,630 --> 00:05:21,060 see what's out in the universe whether 120 00:05:27,110 --> 00:05:23,640 it's a star and interstellar dust or on 121 00:05:29,390 --> 00:05:27,120 an exoplanet and so it's it's amazing to 122 00:05:31,010 --> 00:05:29,400 me now sitting from this position of 123 00:05:33,830 --> 00:05:31,020 being an astronomer it's quite amazing 124 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:33,840 how much we can do by just passively 125 00:05:38,420 --> 00:05:36,810 collecting light on earth how much we 126 00:05:40,820 --> 00:05:38,430 can tell about the universe and its 127 00:05:43,130 --> 00:05:40,830 origin all the way to you know planets 128 00:05:46,490 --> 00:05:43,140 and stars and and other planets that are 129 00:05:48,710 --> 00:05:46,500 orbiting other stars and so my interest 130 00:05:50,990 --> 00:05:48,720 in astronomy is particularly could we 131 00:05:53,710 --> 00:05:51,000 tell if there's life in an exoplanet 132 00:05:56,090 --> 00:05:53,720 from Earth could we how could we tell 133 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:56,100 it's gonna be difficult because we can't 134 00:06:00,080 --> 00:05:58,050 send you know a microscope to the 135 00:06:02,570 --> 00:06:00,090 surface and look for little things you 136 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:02,580 know ask wiggling around and in the 137 00:06:07,159 --> 00:06:05,130 ocean so we have to do this all by just 138 00:06:08,780 --> 00:06:07,169 looking at what's imprinted on in the 139 00:06:10,130 --> 00:06:08,790 atmosphere and how you do that is 140 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:10,140 through spectroscopy and what 141 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:11,910 wavelengths get absorbed by a bit 142 00:06:16,940 --> 00:06:14,730 different molecules so that's because 143 00:06:18,470 --> 00:06:16,950 biology on a planetary surface would 144 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:18,480 operate in such a way to completely 145 00:06:23,540 --> 00:06:21,510 change the air or what the air is made 146 00:06:25,820 --> 00:06:23,550 of I mean if we think about the earth 147 00:06:29,330 --> 00:06:25,830 today the the air that we breathe would 148 00:06:30,710 --> 00:06:29,340 be nothing like it is if biology had not 149 00:06:33,050 --> 00:06:30,720 evolved on the planet in the first place 150 00:06:36,150 --> 00:06:33,060 so what about the what about the air on 151 00:06:39,030 --> 00:06:36,160 a planet that's alive is the 152 00:06:40,770 --> 00:06:39,040 Prinze and how can you detect that right 153 00:06:42,930 --> 00:06:40,780 well so as you said I mean in some ways 154 00:06:44,940 --> 00:06:42,940 Earth has been many planets you know 155 00:06:46,410 --> 00:06:44,950 through its history we often think of 156 00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:46,420 Earth as just being a single planet but 157 00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:48,310 it's gone through such a dramatic change 158 00:06:52,500 --> 00:06:50,710 from its formation to today that if you 159 00:06:54,420 --> 00:06:52,510 were to take a snapshot at any given 160 00:06:57,390 --> 00:06:54,430 point it would look very different and 161 00:06:59,340 --> 00:06:57,400 so sure we breathe air and and it has a 162 00:07:00,690 --> 00:06:59,350 heavy imprint of life on the atmosphere 163 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:00,700 and that's the only hope we really have 164 00:07:06,990 --> 00:07:04,930 of seen life around another star if the 165 00:07:08,580 --> 00:07:07,000 life is really subsurface and not really 166 00:07:09,930 --> 00:07:08,590 interacting a lot with the atmosphere 167 00:07:12,330 --> 00:07:09,940 we're just not going to be able to see 168 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:12,340 it you know I'm case on point Mars might 169 00:07:15,870 --> 00:07:14,410 have life living in the subsurface and 170 00:07:17,820 --> 00:07:15,880 we can't tell and we're right next door 171 00:07:19,650 --> 00:07:17,830 so we're an exoplanet we're trying to 172 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:19,660 see like is this planet have a whole 173 00:07:23,940 --> 00:07:21,970 global biosphere an atmosphere where 174 00:07:26,340 --> 00:07:23,950 that life is interacting with the 175 00:07:28,650 --> 00:07:26,350 atmosphere and then it's leaving 176 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:28,660 fingerprints of different molecules in 177 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:30,930 that was feared things like oxygen 178 00:07:38,070 --> 00:07:35,370 methane nitrous oxide methyl chloride 179 00:07:40,710 --> 00:07:38,080 all sorts of different molecules that we 180 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:40,720 might try to look for to try to tease 181 00:07:46,710 --> 00:07:44,050 out could that happen from just geology 182 00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:46,720 and physics and chemistry or does it 183 00:07:50,700 --> 00:07:48,820 really means something like life that's 184 00:07:53,370 --> 00:07:50,710 driving it and so that's the ultimate 185 00:07:55,050 --> 00:07:53,380 goal are you looking for specific 186 00:07:58,770 --> 00:07:55,060 compounds and more like mixtures of 187 00:08:01,260 --> 00:07:58,780 compounds I would say ultimately we need 188 00:08:03,210 --> 00:08:01,270 to see more than one molecule so one 189 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:03,220 single bio signature gas will not be 190 00:08:07,470 --> 00:08:05,530 enough and this is because even if you 191 00:08:09,870 --> 00:08:07,480 were to detect oxygen we know now of 192 00:08:12,330 --> 00:08:09,880 many ways to get oxygen without life and 193 00:08:13,950 --> 00:08:12,340 so you have to look for other ways to 194 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:13,960 distinguish between those false 195 00:08:21,290 --> 00:08:15,490 positives other molecules in the 196 00:08:23,460 --> 00:08:21,300 atmosphere and and look for other 197 00:08:24,990 --> 00:08:23,470 combinations of gases so the strut one 198 00:08:26,310 --> 00:08:25,000 of the most commonly excited and 199 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:26,320 strongest combinations would be 200 00:08:29,820 --> 00:08:27,970 something like oxygen or ozone with 201 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:29,830 methane because both of those gases 202 00:08:34,650 --> 00:08:31,450 together would be difficult to maintain 203 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:34,660 at concentrations in less produced by 204 00:08:39,450 --> 00:08:36,610 life and so that's so that's a target 205 00:08:41,430 --> 00:08:39,460 that is often talked about well that's a 206 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:41,440 big step from going to college and not 207 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:43,450 wanting to take an astronomy class to 208 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:45,970 being able to detect compounds in 209 00:08:49,890 --> 00:08:47,710 planetary atmospheres that are not the 210 00:08:52,470 --> 00:08:49,900 earth tell us about that journey 211 00:08:56,670 --> 00:08:52,480 to end up and at this time stage of your 212 00:09:00,360 --> 00:08:56,680 career yes so maybe I'm being too honest 213 00:09:02,910 --> 00:09:00,370 but I'll say I went to a undergrad ru 214 00:09:04,769 --> 00:09:02,920 program in Hawaii for astronomy mainly 215 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:04,779 because it was Hawaii not because of the 216 00:09:11,519 --> 00:09:09,370 astronomy and and I and I really like 217 00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:11,529 that also didn't convince me after that 218 00:09:16,110 --> 00:09:14,710 summer I remember my my adviser asking 219 00:09:17,460 --> 00:09:16,120 me if I thought it might want you grad 220 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:17,470 school and a strong and I was like well 221 00:09:21,420 --> 00:09:19,510 not really you know and I still was just 222 00:09:24,030 --> 00:09:21,430 really dead-set against astronomy at 223 00:09:25,860 --> 00:09:24,040 that point and I was gonna do an MD PhD 224 00:09:27,450 --> 00:09:25,870 that was what I was leaning towards and 225 00:09:29,810 --> 00:09:27,460 more of the work that I had done in 226 00:09:32,250 --> 00:09:29,820 undergrad was more Medical Physics and 227 00:09:34,710 --> 00:09:32,260 then what basically what happened is 228 00:09:37,650 --> 00:09:34,720 because of that are you in Hawaii I went 229 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:37,660 to a conference a double-a s conference 230 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:39,850 the next summer so this is after I 231 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:43,170 graduated and I took a year off between 232 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:46,450 undergrad and grad school and so in that 233 00:09:50,340 --> 00:09:47,890 summer that first summer after I 234 00:09:52,050 --> 00:09:50,350 graduated I presented my summer research 235 00:09:54,150 --> 00:09:52,060 findings at this conference and I sat in 236 00:09:55,769 --> 00:09:54,160 on a session on astrobiology and 237 00:09:58,800 --> 00:09:55,779 detecting life on another planet and I 238 00:10:00,360 --> 00:09:58,810 just was like what you know we can do 239 00:10:01,860 --> 00:10:00,370 this like this is a question that could 240 00:10:04,140 --> 00:10:01,870 be answered in my scientific lifetime 241 00:10:06,210 --> 00:10:04,150 like no one told me you know and I was 242 00:10:07,620 --> 00:10:06,220 so excited like that and honestly like I 243 00:10:08,910 --> 00:10:07,630 never looked back from that point and I 244 00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:08,920 still think it's just by far the most 245 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:11,910 interesting area of science and then I 246 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:15,730 came across a book and a teaching 247 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:19,690 company series by Bob Hazen called well 248 00:10:23,610 --> 00:10:21,490 the book is called Genesis the 249 00:10:25,620 --> 00:10:23,620 scientific quest for life's origins it's 250 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:25,630 this book I highly recommend it it goes 251 00:10:30,750 --> 00:10:28,510 through a lot of prebiotic chemistry and 252 00:10:32,970 --> 00:10:30,760 I just got really excited about not only 253 00:10:35,130 --> 00:10:32,980 how to detect life on an exoplanet but 254 00:10:38,670 --> 00:10:35,140 you know trying to tease out the origins 255 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:38,680 of life on Earth and when I realized 256 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:41,260 that for the first time in the history 257 00:10:44,460 --> 00:10:42,850 of humanity and we've had this question 258 00:10:46,769 --> 00:10:44,470 of are we alone what's our place in the 259 00:10:49,019 --> 00:10:46,779 universe we can begin to answer this 260 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:49,029 from a scientific standpoint I just was 261 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:50,770 hooked and so then I only applied to 262 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:53,050 grad school in astronomy and when I 263 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:54,430 showed up I felt really out of place 264 00:10:58,500 --> 00:10:56,140 because I hadn't taken any astronomy 265 00:11:00,270 --> 00:10:58,510 undergraduate classes and astronomers 266 00:11:03,150 --> 00:11:00,280 use all sorts of weird units that are 267 00:11:04,110 --> 00:11:03,160 not si like herbs and and you know a you 268 00:11:06,030 --> 00:11:04,120 and I 269 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:06,040 completely lost by the jargon for the 270 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:08,650 first six months and and almost dropped 271 00:11:13,650 --> 00:11:12,010 out frankly from that feeling of just 272 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:13,660 being like oh my god what's happening 273 00:11:19,710 --> 00:11:17,290 but I I'm here today so I empathize I 274 00:11:21,269 --> 00:11:19,720 saw her grad school in in geology heaven 275 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:21,279 they could never taken a geology class 276 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:24,250 so the first first year was tough but we 277 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:26,650 survived actually we asked your 278 00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:29,170 biological aspect of astronomy that got 279 00:11:35,190 --> 00:11:32,440 you excited into the field 100% yeah no 280 00:11:36,690 --> 00:11:35,200 I mean yeah I I like the rest of 281 00:11:39,870 --> 00:11:36,700 astronomy now but really it's 282 00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:39,880 astrobiology I'm here for so you went to 283 00:11:43,380 --> 00:11:41,380 graduate school at Harvard if I'm not 284 00:11:45,210 --> 00:11:43,390 mistaken tell us how that experience was 285 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:45,220 like particularly because you're you 286 00:11:49,140 --> 00:11:47,290 didn't feel exactly where they're not 287 00:11:51,269 --> 00:11:49,150 belong there so I'm sure you relied on 288 00:11:53,010 --> 00:11:51,279 some mentors and friends like how did 289 00:11:54,329 --> 00:11:53,020 you in grad school is not easy how did 290 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:54,339 you how did you do it 291 00:11:59,460 --> 00:11:57,330 yeah absolutely it it was really hard 292 00:12:01,530 --> 00:11:59,470 mainly I fell a place for a couple 293 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:01,540 reasons one is I hadn't had the 294 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:02,890 astronomy background every other person 295 00:12:07,380 --> 00:12:05,050 in my class knew that they wanted to be 296 00:12:10,829 --> 00:12:07,390 an astronomer for a lot longer and kind 297 00:12:12,930 --> 00:12:10,839 of already had the background as well as 298 00:12:15,810 --> 00:12:12,940 they had all gone to fancy undergrads by 299 00:12:17,910 --> 00:12:15,820 and large and so I had gone to a 300 00:12:21,660 --> 00:12:17,920 community college first in Montana and 301 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:21,670 then to a school in Calgary in Canada 302 00:12:28,949 --> 00:12:25,810 for my undergrad and so I just really 303 00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:28,959 felt quite out of place you know and I 304 00:12:33,570 --> 00:12:31,690 remember about six times that first six 305 00:12:35,460 --> 00:12:33,580 months calling my dad and just saying I 306 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:35,470 just want to drop out I just I don't you 307 00:12:40,650 --> 00:12:37,570 know I don't feel like I'm smart enough 308 00:12:42,060 --> 00:12:40,660 to be here I don't feel like long and my 309 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:42,070 dad was like just give us some time 310 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:45,970 you'll be okay you know and and it those 311 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:48,490 feelings faded but that feeling of the 312 00:12:53,070 --> 00:12:50,890 imposter syndrome which really hit me 313 00:12:55,350 --> 00:12:53,080 strongest in grad school and most people 314 00:12:57,180 --> 00:12:55,360 it impacts them the first time really in 315 00:12:58,740 --> 00:12:57,190 a big way in grad school was very 316 00:13:01,740 --> 00:12:58,750 present and and part of that narrative 317 00:13:03,210 --> 00:13:01,750 was having not come from you know MIT 318 00:13:06,060 --> 00:13:03,220 Princeton you know all these other 319 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:06,070 places and then it combined with the 320 00:13:10,230 --> 00:13:07,450 fact that I didn't know anything about 321 00:13:11,970 --> 00:13:10,240 astronomy so I was you know lost I 322 00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:11,980 remember in my first day in my first 323 00:13:17,970 --> 00:13:16,570 class my my supervisor Dimitar Salah was 324 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:17,980 teaching said Oh 325 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:19,210 guys already know hydrostatic 326 00:13:22,140 --> 00:13:20,530 equilibrium so we're just gonna skip 327 00:13:23,670 --> 00:13:22,150 that and that was never covered in any 328 00:13:26,550 --> 00:13:23,680 of my physics classes and I'm just like 329 00:13:27,870 --> 00:13:26,560 oh my god I hope quick we're just 330 00:13:30,420 --> 00:13:27,880 skipping all of this stuff and I don't 331 00:13:32,220 --> 00:13:30,430 even know where we are so and then he 332 00:13:35,070 --> 00:13:32,230 said units and things that I'd never 333 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:35,080 heard and all these acronyms I remember 334 00:13:39,630 --> 00:13:37,690 not knowing that Hubble was HST and so 335 00:13:40,590 --> 00:13:39,640 people were talking HST HST and I'm like 336 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:40,600 what I'm like 337 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:42,490 Oh Hubble oh okay okay okay okay I got 338 00:13:47,340 --> 00:13:45,370 it you know but it was just really like 339 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:47,350 all this lingo that I didn't know and I 340 00:13:53,490 --> 00:13:48,910 felt really quite out of place for the 341 00:13:56,190 --> 00:13:53,500 first the first year or so so I'm sure 342 00:13:57,630 --> 00:13:56,200 you you you had some good friends there 343 00:13:59,340 --> 00:13:57,640 I notice that Sarah Ballard somebody 344 00:14:01,020 --> 00:13:59,350 you're close to and you guys did a blog 345 00:14:06,270 --> 00:14:01,030 together but we still have that blog 346 00:14:07,590 --> 00:14:06,280 going so tell us about that to answer 347 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:07,600 the second part of the question how did 348 00:14:15,420 --> 00:14:11,290 I survive so it was really the cohort of 349 00:14:18,660 --> 00:14:15,430 people I came in with I I just really 350 00:14:20,490 --> 00:14:18,670 had a great experience of the other 351 00:14:23,130 --> 00:14:20,500 students in my program and we were all 352 00:14:25,890 --> 00:14:23,140 very supportive of each other and Sarah 353 00:14:27,390 --> 00:14:25,900 Ballard in particular when I would open 354 00:14:28,590 --> 00:14:27,400 up about how I just felt out of place I 355 00:14:30,870 --> 00:14:28,600 don't feel I'm smart enough I'm not 356 00:14:32,010 --> 00:14:30,880 gonna do well she would just say you 357 00:14:35,940 --> 00:14:32,020 have the impostor syndrome 358 00:14:38,460 --> 00:14:35,950 the impostor syndrome and I literally 359 00:14:41,070 --> 00:14:38,470 thought she was just making up an entire 360 00:14:43,050 --> 00:14:41,080 psychological syndrome herself that she 361 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:43,060 called the imposter syndrome I didn't 362 00:14:47,730 --> 00:14:46,210 think it was a real deal and so she said 363 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:47,740 this to me I don't know 14 times or 364 00:14:50,820 --> 00:14:49,090 something and then I was texting a 365 00:14:52,140 --> 00:14:50,830 friend from undergrad I was like yeah my 366 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:52,150 friend called with the imposter syndrome 367 00:14:55,470 --> 00:14:54,010 and he said oh you know that's a real 368 00:14:58,380 --> 00:14:55,480 deal with a Wikipedia page and 369 00:15:00,810 --> 00:14:58,390 everything right and I said what and I 370 00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:00,820 went to the Wikipedia page and I found 371 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:03,760 the woman who termed impostor syndrome 372 00:15:07,950 --> 00:15:05,530 and I started writing her an email and 373 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:07,960 I'm like I get how you observe this in 374 00:15:11,730 --> 00:15:10,210 people however I think that I am 375 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:11,740 actually and then I just realized she 376 00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:13,570 wouldn't believe me look about at that 377 00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:15,910 point in my email of me trying to tell 378 00:15:19,290 --> 00:15:17,710 her why I was the one true imposter and 379 00:15:21,630 --> 00:15:19,300 everyone else's fake imposters I 380 00:15:24,030 --> 00:15:21,640 realized that she would laugh at that so 381 00:15:26,870 --> 00:15:24,040 then I never sent that email to if to 382 00:15:28,910 --> 00:15:26,880 valerie young but that was kind of how i 383 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:28,920 first heard about the imposter syndrome 384 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:31,210 it was through really the strength that 385 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:31,930 the other graduate 386 00:15:35,790 --> 00:15:34,210 students and support that that kept me 387 00:15:38,370 --> 00:15:35,800 going and then Sarah Ballard and I 388 00:15:41,310 --> 00:15:38,380 lashed a podcast that we run called self 389 00:15:44,070 --> 00:15:41,320 care with doctors clurel Sarah because 390 00:15:45,540 --> 00:15:44,080 we're both named Sarah and so we talked 391 00:15:48,420 --> 00:15:45,550 about all sorts of things to do with 392 00:15:51,660 --> 00:15:48,430 maintaining mental health physical 393 00:15:53,639 --> 00:15:51,670 health in grad school in postdoc years 394 00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:53,649 for junior faculty applications we 395 00:15:58,650 --> 00:15:56,350 talked about conferences we talked about 396 00:16:00,990 --> 00:15:58,660 surviving grad school we talked about a 397 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:01,000 lot about the imposter syndrome we 398 00:16:07,139 --> 00:16:05,010 talked about cognitive distortions 399 00:16:09,750 --> 00:16:07,149 exercising all sorts of things you know 400 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:09,760 in in our podcast and yes we are indeed 401 00:16:13,790 --> 00:16:11,770 still still going through years strung 402 00:16:17,010 --> 00:16:13,800 so check it out on iTunes or SoundCloud 403 00:16:21,630 --> 00:16:17,020 pretty but is the name again at self 404 00:16:24,090 --> 00:16:21,640 care with doctors Sarah and like I said 405 00:16:28,769 --> 00:16:24,100 you can find it on iTunes or SoundCloud 406 00:16:31,170 --> 00:16:28,779 and have a listen send us send us any we 407 00:16:32,730 --> 00:16:31,180 love getting questions that people have 408 00:16:34,019 --> 00:16:32,740 or feedback or things that they wanted 409 00:16:36,930 --> 00:16:34,029 to talk about as well so we give a 410 00:16:38,519 --> 00:16:36,940 there's a email that we always give at 411 00:16:41,699 --> 00:16:38,529 the end then you can tweet at us and all 412 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:41,709 that stuff so beyond science you're 413 00:16:47,730 --> 00:16:44,680 pursuing a fair breadth of interests I 414 00:16:49,620 --> 00:16:47,740 you tango dancer your Mountaineer how do 415 00:16:54,570 --> 00:16:49,630 you have time to do all this and and 416 00:16:55,019 --> 00:16:54,580 science I do the other things not all at 417 00:16:58,590 --> 00:16:55,029 once 418 00:16:59,910 --> 00:16:58,600 so they come in phases so for example 419 00:17:02,100 --> 00:16:59,920 like I'm not climbing mountains every 420 00:17:03,750 --> 00:17:02,110 day I climb mountains like once every 421 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:03,760 year and a half I'll take you know maybe 422 00:17:08,220 --> 00:17:06,730 two weeks to go and do that and then 423 00:17:10,710 --> 00:17:08,230 I've climbed some really tall ones you 424 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:10,720 know that are like aconcagua in South 425 00:17:16,679 --> 00:17:12,610 America but that's like a whole trip 426 00:17:18,900 --> 00:17:16,689 that I just reserved and trained for at 427 00:17:20,549 --> 00:17:18,910 home but it's it's not really a lot of 428 00:17:24,929 --> 00:17:20,559 time because if they happen so 429 00:17:26,610 --> 00:17:24,939 infrequently dancing again I do a lot of 430 00:17:28,260 --> 00:17:26,620 ballroom dance Argentine tango I 431 00:17:29,820 --> 00:17:28,270 competed in Irish dance for a long time 432 00:17:33,150 --> 00:17:29,830 but those have come at different phases 433 00:17:37,020 --> 00:17:33,160 and so I I do them in my evenings or 434 00:17:38,970 --> 00:17:37,030 weekends to relax and and whatnot but I 435 00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:38,980 don't do everything all the time that's 436 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:41,110 what it boils down to you seem like it's 437 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:43,450 an important aspect of keeping a solid 438 00:17:49,260 --> 00:17:45,490 mental health facility this 439 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:49,270 oneself from inside right or have other 440 00:17:53,910 --> 00:17:51,850 interests I mean I do find when someone 441 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:53,920 says oh I only do science I'm like 442 00:17:59,340 --> 00:17:56,770 really all right we're gonna have a 443 00:18:00,900 --> 00:17:59,350 short conversation and you know because 444 00:18:03,180 --> 00:18:00,910 there's so many other things that are 445 00:18:05,250 --> 00:18:03,190 interesting I do think you need to take 446 00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:05,260 that mental break and then you it helps 447 00:18:08,310 --> 00:18:06,640 your science because you come back and 448 00:18:10,380 --> 00:18:08,320 you are more refreshing you can think 449 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:10,390 about things again then and what not so 450 00:18:14,940 --> 00:18:13,090 I try to maintain those but again they 451 00:18:17,460 --> 00:18:14,950 come and go depending on how busy things 452 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:17,470 are and I certainly haven't done all of 453 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:18,570 them all the time 454 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:21,370 cool so in addition to listening to your 455 00:18:25,919 --> 00:18:23,710 podcast will be like the your one piece 456 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:25,929 of advice for some of our listeners and 457 00:18:30,150 --> 00:18:27,850 viewers who might be feeling impostor 458 00:18:31,890 --> 00:18:30,160 syndrome and in class not even maybe at 459 00:18:33,750 --> 00:18:31,900 university maybe even you know earlier 460 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:33,760 than that yeah 461 00:18:39,030 --> 00:18:36,490 so I actually two pieces of advice and 462 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:39,040 and I gave both of those pieces of 463 00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:41,290 advice and a commencement address at the 464 00:18:45,299 --> 00:18:42,790 community college I went to so you guys 465 00:18:47,190 --> 00:18:45,309 can also see that YouTube video if you 466 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:47,200 searched my name and commencement 467 00:18:52,470 --> 00:18:50,110 address it comes right up and it's about 468 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:52,480 halfway through the video that my 469 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:53,770 commencement address starts but 470 00:18:58,290 --> 00:18:56,170 basically in that I always give roughly 471 00:18:59,400 --> 00:18:58,300 two pieces of advice one is don't say no 472 00:19:00,990 --> 00:18:59,410 to yourself 473 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:01,000 so don't self select out of 474 00:19:05,970 --> 00:19:03,610 opportunities I almost didn't apply to 475 00:19:08,669 --> 00:19:05,980 Harvard because I didn't think there was 476 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:08,679 a chance I could get in to Harvard and I 477 00:19:14,549 --> 00:19:11,710 remember sitting at the screen on the 478 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:14,559 application submit button for like five 479 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:16,090 minutes because it was a 90 dollar 480 00:19:20,430 --> 00:19:18,010 application fee and I remember thinking 481 00:19:23,370 --> 00:19:20,440 I could go to dinner three times for $90 482 00:19:25,770 --> 00:19:23,380 like nice thanks dinner you know and and 483 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:25,780 that was I just was like why should I 484 00:19:29,460 --> 00:19:27,730 spend this on a school I have zero 485 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:29,470 chance of being in two and I almost 486 00:19:33,540 --> 00:19:32,050 didn't click Submit and and that 487 00:19:36,390 --> 00:19:33,550 happened so many times like I almost 488 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:36,400 don't apply you know for a fellowship or 489 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:37,510 whatever cuz I'm like well I'm not gonna 490 00:19:42,180 --> 00:19:39,850 get it anyway so why bother applying you 491 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:42,190 know and and in the end I have to apply 492 00:19:46,169 --> 00:19:44,410 to maybe ten times as many things as as 493 00:19:48,330 --> 00:19:46,179 you get in academia that's very common 494 00:19:49,620 --> 00:19:48,340 you know with fellowships and faculty 495 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:49,630 you just have to apply a lot 496 00:19:54,030 --> 00:19:52,570 so my advice there is just don't say no 497 00:19:55,770 --> 00:19:54,040 to yourself let someone else say no to 498 00:19:58,560 --> 00:19:55,780 you someone else can tell you know but 499 00:19:59,299 --> 00:19:58,570 you don't be the filter that stops you 500 00:20:01,380 --> 00:19:59,309 from applying 501 00:20:04,409 --> 00:20:01,390 because the imposter syndrome can really 502 00:20:06,990 --> 00:20:04,419 do that and my second piece of advice is 503 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:07,000 that you really like self-care comes 504 00:20:11,669 --> 00:20:08,890 first you can't be a good scientist if 505 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:11,679 you are not taking care of your mental 506 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:15,130 and physical health and so and this is 507 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:16,210 something I learned strongly in 508 00:20:20,850 --> 00:20:18,010 mountaineering as well like you have to 509 00:20:23,070 --> 00:20:20,860 take care of your body first so that 510 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:23,080 means you know sleep comes first 511 00:20:28,650 --> 00:20:26,290 exercise comes first eating well comes 512 00:20:30,180 --> 00:20:28,660 first and often you know social 513 00:20:31,260 --> 00:20:30,190 connection maintaining good social 514 00:20:33,659 --> 00:20:31,270 connection comes first 515 00:20:35,220 --> 00:20:33,669 and these things are often the things 516 00:20:36,780 --> 00:20:35,230 that go by the wayside when we're most 517 00:20:39,090 --> 00:20:36,790 stressed but those are the things that 518 00:20:41,850 --> 00:20:39,100 are also the best buffers against stress 519 00:20:43,710 --> 00:20:41,860 and and can help you function at your 520 00:20:46,110 --> 00:20:43,720 peak level there's a lot of research on 521 00:20:47,580 --> 00:20:46,120 this and so I go into a bit more detail 522 00:20:49,470 --> 00:20:47,590 about it but in the commencement address 523 00:20:51,419 --> 00:20:49,480 but those are my two pieces of advice is 524 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:51,429 you know you gotta take care taking care 525 00:20:56,430 --> 00:20:53,650 of yourself is a prerequisite to success 526 00:20:59,580 --> 00:20:56,440 and don't say no to yourself let someone 527 00:21:00,870 --> 00:20:59,590 else say no yeah wise words thank you I 528 00:21:03,180 --> 00:21:00,880 was actually going to ask you about the 529 00:21:05,610 --> 00:21:03,190 overlap between starting and finishing a 530 00:21:07,650 --> 00:21:05,620 scientific project and starting and 531 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:07,660 ending a climb of a mountain but you 532 00:21:13,530 --> 00:21:10,330 addressed that already a little bit yeah 533 00:21:15,650 --> 00:21:13,540 so yeah I like to dive it a little bit 534 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:15,660 on the science a few more minutes before 535 00:21:22,710 --> 00:21:18,790 before I to share you with our audience 536 00:21:24,570 --> 00:21:22,720 in terms of the QA it's regarding again 537 00:21:27,150 --> 00:21:24,580 those these atmospheres of exoplanets 538 00:21:29,220 --> 00:21:27,160 are we at a stage now that we can 539 00:21:34,049 --> 00:21:29,230 actually measure the composition of air 540 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:34,059 on other worlds not for planets like 541 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:36,490 Earth we can do it for planets that are 542 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:39,490 a bit bigger a little bit closer so a 543 00:21:46,350 --> 00:21:42,490 bit warmer so we have some measurements 544 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:46,360 of GJ 1214b as atmosphere but these 545 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:48,610 planets are you know maybe 500 Kelvin 546 00:21:54,090 --> 00:21:50,890 you know so that's a couple hundred 547 00:21:56,039 --> 00:21:54,100 degrees warmer than our planet so 548 00:21:58,740 --> 00:21:56,049 they're not they're not like earth yet 549 00:22:01,940 --> 00:21:58,750 so we're starting to be able to do this 550 00:22:04,380 --> 00:22:01,950 for bigger closer and warmer planets 551 00:22:06,930 --> 00:22:04,390 really with James Webb Space Telescope 552 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:06,940 launched in 2021 that'll be the first 553 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:09,370 pass of being able to do this for 554 00:22:12,539 --> 00:22:12,010 earth-like planets and even with James 555 00:22:13,529 --> 00:22:12,549 Webb 556 00:22:15,299 --> 00:22:13,539 we're only going to be able to 557 00:22:17,789 --> 00:22:15,309 characterize the atmospheres of a 558 00:22:19,019 --> 00:22:17,799 handful of planets not that many and so 559 00:22:21,419 --> 00:22:19,029 we're still not going to be able to have 560 00:22:24,209 --> 00:22:21,429 the statistical sample of planets that 561 00:22:27,389 --> 00:22:24,219 we ultimately would like which is why 562 00:22:31,199 --> 00:22:27,399 I'm also interested in these future 563 00:22:32,579 --> 00:22:31,209 missions like levar and and have exome 564 00:22:35,699 --> 00:22:32,589 and some of the other ones that are 565 00:22:38,339 --> 00:22:35,709 being proposed as at next stage where we 566 00:22:41,190 --> 00:22:38,349 can then start to detect hundreds 567 00:22:43,079 --> 00:22:41,200 planets atmospheres that are like earth 568 00:22:45,810 --> 00:22:43,089 so we're just getting there we're close 569 00:22:48,799 --> 00:22:45,820 but we're not there right yet there's 570 00:22:52,259 --> 00:22:48,809 the sequence James Webb Space Telescope 571 00:22:56,749 --> 00:22:52,269 move our fingers crossed and then have X 572 00:23:02,249 --> 00:23:00,119 new born have X are both proposals for 573 00:23:05,009 --> 00:23:02,259 that next telescope after all I said 574 00:23:08,369 --> 00:23:05,019 so James Webb is is gonna launch let's 575 00:23:11,940 --> 00:23:08,379 hope you know fingers crossed it's it's 576 00:23:15,209 --> 00:23:11,950 had a rocky rocky year but I think the 577 00:23:19,589 --> 00:23:15,219 launch date some marched 2021 if I 578 00:23:21,659 --> 00:23:19,599 remember and that will be really very 579 00:23:23,039 --> 00:23:21,669 exciting and I think we'll get a lot of 580 00:23:24,839 --> 00:23:23,049 exoplanet science out of it we'll be 581 00:23:26,129 --> 00:23:24,849 able to detect a lot of atmospheres but 582 00:23:29,489 --> 00:23:26,139 they might not be earth-like planet 583 00:23:31,499 --> 00:23:29,499 atmospheres and then so so really but we 584 00:23:33,329 --> 00:23:31,509 will be able to do a handful of 585 00:23:35,310 --> 00:23:33,339 earth-like planet atmospheres and we'll 586 00:23:38,339 --> 00:23:35,320 certainly prioritize some targets maybe 587 00:23:40,829 --> 00:23:38,349 like the traffice system planets which 588 00:23:43,499 --> 00:23:40,839 have been in the news a lot and we'll 589 00:23:46,289 --> 00:23:43,509 hopefully get some information about 590 00:23:48,060 --> 00:23:46,299 those those atmospheres but it'll be 591 00:23:50,819 --> 00:23:48,070 really follow-up missions that we'll be 592 00:23:52,499 --> 00:23:50,829 able to detect lots of planets and in 593 00:23:57,329 --> 00:23:52,509 any number that's more statistically 594 00:23:59,489 --> 00:23:57,339 relevant I'm gonna ask you one last 595 00:24:01,889 --> 00:23:59,499 question before I open it up to the 596 00:24:04,169 --> 00:24:01,899 audience and to my colleagues are 597 00:24:07,489 --> 00:24:04,179 working in the ether please channel the 598 00:24:09,839 --> 00:24:07,499 questions to my screen so I can see them 599 00:24:14,249 --> 00:24:09,849 do you think you'll have a chance in 600 00:24:18,089 --> 00:24:14,259 your career to contribute and actually 601 00:24:22,619 --> 00:24:18,099 detect life on other worlds I hope so I 602 00:24:24,209 --> 00:24:22,629 mean that's why I'm here I think at the 603 00:24:26,070 --> 00:24:24,219 you know it's kind of like anything they 604 00:24:28,290 --> 00:24:26,080 show you that graph of how 605 00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:28,300 you are you know and it buries in time 606 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:29,950 and it's like you go from you know yeah 607 00:24:32,850 --> 00:24:31,330 I can totally do this to own it it's 608 00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:32,860 never gonna happen till I go maybe you 609 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:34,870 know and I feel like I'm in the oh maybe 610 00:24:38,490 --> 00:24:36,970 part you know it's it's it's gonna be 611 00:24:41,310 --> 00:24:38,500 hard I think it's gonna be really hard 612 00:24:43,110 --> 00:24:41,320 to know you know and we're probably 613 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:43,120 never gonna know with a hundred percent 614 00:24:48,570 --> 00:24:45,730 certainty we're gonna just try to get a 615 00:24:50,670 --> 00:24:48,580 statistical idea and and try to tick off 616 00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:50,680 all the boxes that we can think of that 617 00:24:55,380 --> 00:24:53,110 we know that could have produced those 618 00:24:57,180 --> 00:24:55,390 signatures without life but without 619 00:24:58,590 --> 00:24:57,190 absence of going to the planet or 620 00:25:00,480 --> 00:24:58,600 without getting some sort of steady 621 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:00,490 intelligent like hello here we are 622 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:03,370 signal it's gonna be really difficult to 623 00:25:09,150 --> 00:25:07,330 tell and and so I'm really excited about 624 00:25:10,830 --> 00:25:09,160 it I think it's absolutely a hundred 625 00:25:14,790 --> 00:25:10,840 percent worth dedicating all of my 626 00:25:17,220 --> 00:25:14,800 career to and I really hope that I get 627 00:25:19,830 --> 00:25:17,230 to be part of that in my lifetime I 628 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:19,840 think it'll be you know a little you 629 00:25:25,380 --> 00:25:22,690 know the most optimistic is ten years 630 00:25:28,110 --> 00:25:25,390 that we find something pretty good I 631 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:28,120 think I'd put more money on the sort of 632 00:25:32,940 --> 00:25:31,090 twenty five to forty year timeframe and 633 00:25:34,770 --> 00:25:32,950 if it's on the earlier side of that 634 00:25:37,020 --> 00:25:34,780 timeframe then I'll still probably be 635 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:37,030 kicking around if it's like forty years 636 00:25:41,550 --> 00:25:39,610 from now I don't you know I'll also be 637 00:25:43,050 --> 00:25:41,560 alive but I don't know if I'll still be 638 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:43,060 doing science we'll see 639 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:46,770 Oh rubbish I've positive that you will 640 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:49,570 enthusiasm is like oozing out of the 641 00:25:54,090 --> 00:25:51,130 screen right now you'll be doing science 642 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:54,100 in 40 years all right it's time for the 643 00:25:59,850 --> 00:25:56,050 questions where my favorite part of the 644 00:26:02,790 --> 00:25:59,860 show the first questions are is from our 645 00:26:05,820 --> 00:26:02,800 user sleeping in react which comes from 646 00:26:08,030 --> 00:26:05,830 reddit and the person asks what do you 647 00:26:10,770 --> 00:26:08,040 think is a chance we could find 648 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:10,780 multicellular life on another planet in 649 00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:14,610 our solar system in our solar system 650 00:26:20,850 --> 00:26:16,710 interesting what are the chance while I 651 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:20,860 dia as far as like a number I do think 652 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:25,450 going to Europa is very interesting 653 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:27,850 because Europa has liquid water that's 654 00:26:31,950 --> 00:26:30,130 been stable on the surface or I mean 655 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:31,960 under the subsurface of ice but 656 00:26:36,150 --> 00:26:33,730 interacting with rock and mineral 657 00:26:38,660 --> 00:26:36,160 gradients and hydrothermal vent type 658 00:26:42,170 --> 00:26:38,670 environments and so it's been how 659 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:42,180 for you know four billion years it's 660 00:26:45,890 --> 00:26:43,530 very difficult to get to because it's 661 00:26:48,170 --> 00:26:45,900 under this huge you know 10 to 100 662 00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:48,180 kilometer thick ice layer how do we 663 00:26:52,580 --> 00:26:50,910 figure out if anything's under that ice 664 00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:52,590 and get that data back but I think you 665 00:26:59,090 --> 00:26:55,110 rope is a absolutely amazing place to 666 00:27:00,560 --> 00:26:59,100 look and on Mars I would assume probably 667 00:27:03,020 --> 00:27:00,570 the life is going to be more unicellular 668 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:03,030 and subsurface we've been you know 669 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:05,610 roaming around on the Martian surface 670 00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:08,850 and and even you know recently with with 671 00:27:13,130 --> 00:27:11,190 the death of our dear Rover friend on 672 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:13,140 Mars but we you know there's no 673 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:14,970 kangaroos bouncing around on Mars so 674 00:27:19,250 --> 00:27:17,010 it's a life is probably microbial and 675 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:19,260 subsurface if it still exists today 676 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:21,450 so for multicellular life I probably 677 00:27:28,310 --> 00:27:24,690 would go for Europa as as the most 678 00:27:32,930 --> 00:27:28,320 habitable place to look I think that 679 00:27:36,590 --> 00:27:32,940 would be Mike that as well next question 680 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:36,600 is by Marian Denton on Twitter and she 681 00:27:41,390 --> 00:27:39,570 asks he as you know earth atmosphere has 682 00:27:43,610 --> 00:27:41,400 changed a lot by biology as a result of 683 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:43,620 the great oxidation of it so she asks 684 00:27:47,810 --> 00:27:45,050 thinking about how cyanobacteria 685 00:27:50,390 --> 00:27:47,820 facilitate facilitated the goe by 686 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:50,400 producing o2 and causing the extinction 687 00:27:57,830 --> 00:27:55,050 of many anaerobic microbes why would the 688 00:28:03,590 --> 00:27:57,840 atmosphere of a planet be if a goe 689 00:28:05,930 --> 00:28:03,600 situation never happens right so perhaps 690 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:05,940 you just have a lot of nothing and then 691 00:28:11,660 --> 00:28:08,210 the the question is can you tease out 692 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:11,670 say methane versus just methane produced 693 00:28:17,990 --> 00:28:15,330 from volcanism so methanogenesis is a 694 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:18,000 pretty easy relatively easy metabolism 695 00:28:23,300 --> 00:28:21,050 it seems to arisen very quickly 696 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:23,310 ultimately life tends to use the same 697 00:28:28,730 --> 00:28:25,890 redox energy gradients that also geology 698 00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:28,740 tends to use and and because life uses 699 00:28:34,130 --> 00:28:32,430 those same redox gradients those are 700 00:28:35,810 --> 00:28:34,140 also false positives because geology can 701 00:28:40,340 --> 00:28:35,820 use them so methane is a good example of 702 00:28:43,670 --> 00:28:40,350 this so on the other hand earth life 703 00:28:46,490 --> 00:28:43,680 produces you know 30 times the the 704 00:28:48,380 --> 00:28:46,500 amount of methane that that the planet 705 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:48,390 just would otherwise produce so there's 706 00:28:52,279 --> 00:28:50,250 some thought to maybe if we were to 707 00:28:55,279 --> 00:28:52,289 detect 708 00:28:56,659 --> 00:28:55,289 enough methane and know more about the 709 00:28:58,909 --> 00:28:56,669 UV environment of the star and other 710 00:29:00,940 --> 00:28:58,919 indicators on the planet that we might 711 00:29:03,859 --> 00:29:00,950 be able to say maybe that planet has 712 00:29:06,799 --> 00:29:03,869 methanogenesis going on it but it is 713 00:29:13,129 --> 00:29:06,809 more difficult because that's a pathway 714 00:29:15,590 --> 00:29:13,139 that's also used by geology cool yeah 715 00:29:17,479 --> 00:29:15,600 among super exciting signs of the 716 00:29:21,220 --> 00:29:17,489 question the next is from Julia the 717 00:29:24,950 --> 00:29:21,230 marina's who's asking from Signet and 718 00:29:27,169 --> 00:29:24,960 she asks what are the best gas 719 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:27,179 combinations to look for other than 720 00:29:31,210 --> 00:29:30,450 methane and oxygen right well that's 721 00:29:34,220 --> 00:29:31,220 difficult 722 00:29:36,470 --> 00:29:34,230 so best gas combinations there are some 723 00:29:38,989 --> 00:29:36,480 that are that have been proposed in it 724 00:29:41,590 --> 00:29:38,999 and I'm blanking on them now I'd have to 725 00:29:44,389 --> 00:29:41,600 send you an email Julia but I think 726 00:29:48,919 --> 00:29:44,399 there are some interesting single 727 00:29:50,749 --> 00:29:48,929 molecules that might be might be good 728 00:29:54,109 --> 00:29:50,759 strong guy signatures like methyl 729 00:29:56,029 --> 00:29:54,119 chloride and 2o has been put forward as 730 00:29:59,419 --> 00:29:56,039 a good bio signature however we're also 731 00:30:02,509 --> 00:29:59,429 finding ways of producing n2o from a 732 00:30:04,129 --> 00:30:02,519 biotic Lea methyl chloride at some of 733 00:30:06,590 --> 00:30:04,139 these other more niche molecules 734 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:06,600 dimethyl sulfide they're produced in 735 00:30:12,139 --> 00:30:09,690 really small quantities so and often 736 00:30:14,779 --> 00:30:12,149 only by a single or a few microbes that 737 00:30:17,810 --> 00:30:14,789 produce them and so they that what is 738 00:30:19,070 --> 00:30:17,820 the chance that another you know planet 739 00:30:20,419 --> 00:30:19,080 with life would produce those same 740 00:30:24,859 --> 00:30:20,429 molecules because they're often very 741 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:24,869 niche molecules is difficult to say and 742 00:30:29,239 --> 00:30:27,330 would they imprint the atmosphere would 743 00:30:30,590 --> 00:30:29,249 they be a big enough constituent of the 744 00:30:32,149 --> 00:30:30,600 atmosphere for us to look for them 745 00:30:34,369 --> 00:30:32,159 but I think that's absolutely worth 746 00:30:36,889 --> 00:30:34,379 checking out because those molecules are 747 00:30:38,810 --> 00:30:36,899 more uniquely identified with life so 748 00:30:40,970 --> 00:30:38,820 they'd be really strong by a signature 749 00:30:42,919 --> 00:30:40,980 but they might be harder to detect Sara 750 00:30:44,419 --> 00:30:42,929 Seager has some papers on this where 751 00:30:45,859 --> 00:30:44,429 she's looking at like all of the 752 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:45,869 possible molecules that life could 753 00:30:49,489 --> 00:30:47,970 produce trying to disentangle which of 754 00:30:51,590 --> 00:30:49,499 them have jitta geological false 755 00:30:53,629 --> 00:30:51,600 positives or photochemical false 756 00:30:56,629 --> 00:30:53,639 positives which of them are produced by 757 00:30:57,470 --> 00:30:56,639 life which of them have spectra and all 758 00:30:59,960 --> 00:30:57,480 that stuff and it's something like 759 00:31:02,029 --> 00:30:59,970 sixteen thousand possible molecules that 760 00:31:04,909 --> 00:31:02,039 life might produce on an exoplanet and 761 00:31:05,930 --> 00:31:04,919 we have spectra 4.0 four percent of 762 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:05,940 those molecule 763 00:31:11,570 --> 00:31:08,250 so there's a lot of work to do to even 764 00:31:13,820 --> 00:31:11,580 be able to detect molecules that are on 765 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:13,830 exoplanets because we really only have a 766 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:16,050 detailed spectra for not that many 767 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:17,730 molecules kind of big ones that we think 768 00:31:25,370 --> 00:31:21,050 of co2 water you know we have a lot of 769 00:31:27,260 --> 00:31:25,380 you know ozone oxygen methane we have a 770 00:31:33,140 --> 00:31:27,270 lot of lines but to get lines for some 771 00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:33,150 of these more niche gases we need to do 772 00:31:37,250 --> 00:31:35,550 a lot of theoretical or laboratory work 773 00:31:40,070 --> 00:31:37,260 to get even though spectra to be able to 774 00:31:42,590 --> 00:31:40,080 detect them at an exoplanet it's worth 775 00:31:45,580 --> 00:31:42,600 mentioning that it is an extremely 776 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:45,590 active area of research yessuh yeah yes 777 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:48,450 are really important you know so and we 778 00:31:51,860 --> 00:31:50,130 need to fund that and this is something 779 00:31:53,090 --> 00:31:51,870 that I think we don't appreciate because 780 00:31:57,590 --> 00:31:53,100 we all use lineless 781 00:31:58,940 --> 00:31:57,600 and but it's not a sexy to fund line 782 00:32:00,890 --> 00:31:58,950 list you know because it's it's like 783 00:32:02,420 --> 00:32:00,900 this basic science and this is something 784 00:32:04,460 --> 00:32:02,430 I think we need to change it's just kind 785 00:32:06,380 --> 00:32:04,470 of a society where we fund more of this 786 00:32:09,170 --> 00:32:06,390 basic research which will have a lot of 787 00:32:12,110 --> 00:32:09,180 implications for the future but it's not 788 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:12,120 like the it's not it's you know you see 789 00:32:15,860 --> 00:32:14,010 these proposals and it's like do you did 790 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:15,870 choose the one that's like I'm gonna 791 00:32:20,150 --> 00:32:18,090 detect you know X number of planets or I 792 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:20,160 need to make some line list and often 793 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:22,890 that science gets not funded as much as 794 00:32:28,580 --> 00:32:25,050 it should and we all rely on that data 795 00:32:31,100 --> 00:32:28,590 so that that is becoming more echoed in 796 00:32:35,090 --> 00:32:31,110 our community and we're recognizing how 797 00:32:36,830 --> 00:32:35,100 even for you know Jupiter type planets 798 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:36,840 like just having better methane lines 799 00:32:41,450 --> 00:32:39,570 really changes the observations and so 800 00:32:43,910 --> 00:32:41,460 we're starting to get that message and 801 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:43,920 have more resources but we do need a lot 802 00:32:51,620 --> 00:32:49,170 more of that indeed I grew that next 803 00:32:55,010 --> 00:32:51,630 question is by Tom Caruso from Facebook 804 00:32:56,780 --> 00:32:55,020 and he firsts thanks you Sarah for the 805 00:33:00,200 --> 00:32:56,790 time and all the efforts you have done 806 00:33:02,690 --> 00:33:00,210 for women in stem in particular and his 807 00:33:06,340 --> 00:33:02,700 question is about remote ice-covered 808 00:33:10,630 --> 00:33:06,350 ocean worlds orbiting hot gas giants 809 00:33:13,150 --> 00:33:10,640 brown dwarf temperatures yeah and he is 810 00:33:16,970 --> 00:33:13,160 asking about is it possible to establish 811 00:33:18,990 --> 00:33:16,980 rough atmospheric parameters connected 812 00:33:21,250 --> 00:33:19,000 perhaps or the internal geology 813 00:33:22,990 --> 00:33:21,260 in an attempt to work with like 814 00:33:25,899 --> 00:33:23,000 instrument design or how can you tune 815 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:25,909 instruments to detect us stuff that's 816 00:33:30,970 --> 00:33:27,890 interesting and those ice-covered ocean 817 00:33:34,450 --> 00:33:30,980 codes right so ice-covered ocean worlds 818 00:33:36,009 --> 00:33:34,460 have one of two main problems so ocean 819 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:36,019 worlds in general even if they're not 820 00:33:40,389 --> 00:33:38,210 covered with ice have one problem which 821 00:33:43,029 --> 00:33:40,399 is often ignored by astronomers which is 822 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:43,039 concentration mechanisms how do the 823 00:33:46,210 --> 00:33:44,090 molecules come together in 824 00:33:48,039 --> 00:33:46,220 concentrations that can create life 825 00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:48,049 that's something that is probably 826 00:33:52,389 --> 00:33:50,480 difficult but when you add also ice on 827 00:33:55,029 --> 00:33:52,399 top of it you're you're protected you 828 00:33:58,240 --> 00:33:55,039 press shielding a lot of that from the 829 00:33:59,560 --> 00:33:58,250 atmosphere so the only way we're going 830 00:34:02,649 --> 00:33:59,570 to be able to detect something as an 831 00:34:04,779 --> 00:34:02,659 exoplanet is if there's enough gas 832 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:04,789 exchange between the atmosphere and the 833 00:34:10,629 --> 00:34:07,490 planet and life on the planet producing 834 00:34:13,240 --> 00:34:10,639 a lot of molecule and gas composition in 835 00:34:15,849 --> 00:34:13,250 the atmosphere so for something again I 836 00:34:17,859 --> 00:34:15,859 would go to our own solar system Europa 837 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:17,869 is practically our next-door neighbor 838 00:34:22,899 --> 00:34:20,210 compared to anything else you know and 839 00:34:24,669 --> 00:34:22,909 we can't tell from here if your oppa has 840 00:34:27,430 --> 00:34:24,679 life on it we're gonna have to drill 841 00:34:29,020 --> 00:34:27,440 through you know this ice layer to 842 00:34:30,579 --> 00:34:29,030 detect it and we have orbiters flying 843 00:34:33,399 --> 00:34:30,589 around you're open we still can't tell 844 00:34:36,070 --> 00:34:33,409 so if there's life on on Europa so I 845 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:36,080 really do think that these ice-covered 846 00:34:40,599 --> 00:34:38,570 ocean worlds as an exoplanet are 847 00:34:46,119 --> 00:34:40,609 probably not going to be targets that 848 00:34:48,399 --> 00:34:46,129 we're going to be able to to go for next 849 00:34:50,079 --> 00:34:48,409 to that the next question and we have a 850 00:34:51,849 --> 00:34:50,089 lot of them this is awesome 851 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:51,859 thank you all for all these incredible 852 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:53,570 questions the next question is from 853 00:34:58,630 --> 00:34:56,330 Alperin kaya who's our third-place 854 00:35:01,510 --> 00:34:58,640 winner for this month photo contest she 855 00:35:04,890 --> 00:35:01,520 asks how do we decide that a molecule is 856 00:35:07,510 --> 00:35:04,900 actually a bio signature yes so there's 857 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:07,520 so one is it has to be produced by life 858 00:35:11,470 --> 00:35:09,770 I think that's that's that's clear but 859 00:35:12,970 --> 00:35:11,480 then we also want something that doesn't 860 00:35:16,780 --> 00:35:12,980 have a lot of geochemical false 861 00:35:19,420 --> 00:35:16,790 positives and or if they are geochemical 862 00:35:21,490 --> 00:35:19,430 false positives we want to know what 863 00:35:23,740 --> 00:35:21,500 other ways can meet what other gases can 864 00:35:26,650 --> 00:35:23,750 be used to discriminate whether this is 865 00:35:28,630 --> 00:35:26,660 a from life or not from life and and so 866 00:35:32,020 --> 00:35:28,640 as I mentioned from Sarah Spears work 867 00:35:35,550 --> 00:35:32,030 life produces literally tens 868 00:35:37,810 --> 00:35:35,560 thousands of molecules you know and so 869 00:35:39,670 --> 00:35:37,820 there's a couple of questions and when 870 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:39,680 you see all of the molecules that life 871 00:35:43,690 --> 00:35:41,930 can produce well could it produce them 872 00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:43,700 in quantities that would leave a 873 00:35:47,170 --> 00:35:45,710 spectral imprint on the atmosphere for 874 00:35:49,090 --> 00:35:47,180 most of them the answer's no you know 875 00:35:50,890 --> 00:35:49,100 there's just not even if you had the 876 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:50,900 entire planet covered with this microbe 877 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:53,330 there wouldn't be enough of that gas in 878 00:35:57,460 --> 00:35:54,770 the atmosphere to leave a spectral 879 00:35:58,960 --> 00:35:57,470 fingerprint so you want to see is it 880 00:36:01,800 --> 00:35:58,970 stable in the atmosphere is the molecule 881 00:36:05,890 --> 00:36:01,810 stable is it gonna be in the atmosphere 882 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:05,900 for a long time is it doesn't have other 883 00:36:11,650 --> 00:36:09,290 false positives and could we disentangle 884 00:36:14,770 --> 00:36:11,660 those false positives of false positives 885 00:36:17,140 --> 00:36:14,780 if it does so biosignatures are not 886 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:17,150 necessarily 100% proofs of life 887 00:36:23,340 --> 00:36:19,850 but they have to be signs of life that 888 00:36:25,690 --> 00:36:23,350 were hopefully then through other gas 889 00:36:27,850 --> 00:36:25,700 combinations in the atmosphere have a 890 00:36:30,820 --> 00:36:27,860 more clear indication that yes that that 891 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:30,830 is probably on earth the classic example 892 00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:32,330 would be like oxygen and methane as I 893 00:36:36,970 --> 00:36:34,310 already mentioned and 2o dimethyl 894 00:36:39,930 --> 00:36:36,980 chloride our methyl chloride and 895 00:36:43,420 --> 00:36:39,940 dimethyl sulfide these gases all are 896 00:36:47,710 --> 00:36:43,430 produced they have spectral fingerprints 897 00:36:51,940 --> 00:36:47,720 and we can tell that it's not geology so 898 00:36:54,610 --> 00:36:51,950 that's kind of the idea go the next one 899 00:36:57,310 --> 00:36:54,620 is from Elizabeth Hutton on Twitter and 900 00:36:59,320 --> 00:36:57,320 she's wondering what are the so what are 901 00:37:00,940 --> 00:36:59,330 some of the most pressing problems in 902 00:37:02,590 --> 00:37:00,950 bio signature detection I can give 903 00:37:04,570 --> 00:37:02,600 address a little bit of them and or 904 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:04,580 early Earth modelling this early Earth 905 00:37:12,670 --> 00:37:08,450 is an exoplanet essentially right yeah I 906 00:37:14,380 --> 00:37:12,680 mean there's a number of I think 907 00:37:15,820 --> 00:37:14,390 exciting avenues of research I would say 908 00:37:18,820 --> 00:37:15,830 probably the most pressing problem is 909 00:37:20,730 --> 00:37:18,830 lineless right now to be honest that's I 910 00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:20,740 think it's a really important one I 911 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:25,310 think also getting a better 912 00:37:29,650 --> 00:37:27,170 understanding of time dependence and 913 00:37:32,110 --> 00:37:29,660 flaring and activity of stars which is 914 00:37:34,150 --> 00:37:32,120 more my area I think is important so 915 00:37:36,100 --> 00:37:34,160 that might seem self-serving but I do 916 00:37:42,460 --> 00:37:36,110 think it's a it's an avenue of research 917 00:37:45,170 --> 00:37:42,470 that's important I I think yeah I would 918 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:45,180 say probably those as well as just 919 00:37:52,099 --> 00:37:47,970 better understanding of false-positives 920 00:37:53,780 --> 00:37:52,109 mechanisms and our you know so how bad 921 00:37:55,490 --> 00:37:53,790 can you get like right now most of the 922 00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:55,500 false positive mechanisms have been for 923 00:37:58,609 --> 00:37:56,730 single gases that could you have a 924 00:38:02,780 --> 00:37:58,619 combination of gases produced in a 925 00:38:04,490 --> 00:38:02,790 positive way you know just can't what 926 00:38:06,589 --> 00:38:04,500 what's the worst case scenario you can 927 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:06,599 envision that a planet it's producing 928 00:38:09,650 --> 00:38:07,890 something that looks like life but it's 929 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:09,660 actually a vadik's so kind of teasing 930 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:11,490 out more of that parameter space to see 931 00:38:15,020 --> 00:38:13,650 just to have a better handle on when we 932 00:38:16,730 --> 00:38:15,030 start launching these telescopes that 933 00:38:19,309 --> 00:38:16,740 can do this we're not going to be 934 00:38:21,829 --> 00:38:19,319 confused or fool ourselves by what we're 935 00:38:24,079 --> 00:38:21,839 seeing and then of course I think yeah 936 00:38:26,180 --> 00:38:24,089 just getting more of a handle on what 937 00:38:28,490 --> 00:38:26,190 other types of gases life could produce 938 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:28,500 I think there's kind of two main 939 00:38:32,630 --> 00:38:30,510 questions in bio signatures there's the 940 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:32,640 technological hurdle of just detecting 941 00:38:36,890 --> 00:38:34,770 these that's like one major hurdle can 942 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:36,900 you detect oxygen whether it's from life 943 00:38:41,450 --> 00:38:39,690 or not in an exoplanet atmosphere that's 944 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:41,460 one huge hurdle and then the second 945 00:38:45,829 --> 00:38:44,010 hurdle is can you tell if that is from 946 00:38:48,349 --> 00:38:45,839 life or not and those are kind of 947 00:38:50,569 --> 00:38:48,359 separate questions and some in some way 948 00:38:52,039 --> 00:38:50,579 and so I think we're a lot of the 949 00:38:53,780 --> 00:38:52,049 development right now is on the 950 00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:53,790 technological hurdle and a lot of the 951 00:38:57,109 --> 00:38:55,710 theoretical modeling from early earth 952 00:38:59,599 --> 00:38:57,119 atmosphere as well is trying to get a 953 00:39:01,520 --> 00:38:59,609 handle on the interpretation model 954 00:39:03,589 --> 00:39:01,530 simultaneously so that when we get to 955 00:39:07,750 --> 00:39:03,599 the ability of detecting these will will 956 00:39:10,370 --> 00:39:07,760 understand it better don't make sense 957 00:39:13,510 --> 00:39:10,380 yeah next question are quite like from 958 00:39:17,150 --> 00:39:13,520 Stanley Sario Donati on Facebook and 959 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:17,160 they asked if there is any research you 960 00:39:24,559 --> 00:39:19,770 would like to do if you had unlimited 961 00:39:26,569 --> 00:39:24,569 funding unlimited time I mean if I had 962 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:26,579 unlimited funding I would just go and 963 00:39:32,690 --> 00:39:29,250 fly something like TPS now you know or 964 00:39:34,339 --> 00:39:32,700 like Lubar or in a have X or Darwin or 965 00:39:36,470 --> 00:39:34,349 any of these missions I would just like 966 00:39:38,780 --> 00:39:36,480 take that you know twelve billion 967 00:39:42,859 --> 00:39:38,790 dollars yes thank you here let's go 968 00:39:45,410 --> 00:39:42,869 build this telescope if I could make 12 969 00:39:48,620 --> 00:39:45,420 billion dollars quickly and in a moral 970 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:48,630 way that's responsible that's what I 971 00:39:51,559 --> 00:39:50,490 would do I'd like try to try to get this 972 00:39:57,020 --> 00:39:51,569 so we can actually have this answer 973 00:39:59,170 --> 00:39:57,030 sooner yeah I think so for the unlimited 974 00:40:01,059 --> 00:39:59,180 money that's what I would do I would 975 00:40:02,950 --> 00:40:01,069 I did build the best telescope possible 976 00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:02,960 because sometimes it's depressing when 977 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:04,579 you look at national budgets and I think 978 00:40:08,380 --> 00:40:06,290 in Jim cassings book once there's this 979 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:08,390 footnote and he says the entire budget 980 00:40:12,460 --> 00:40:10,970 for a TPF like this this telescope that 981 00:40:15,460 --> 00:40:12,470 could do like hundreds of these planets 982 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:15,470 is two weeks of air conditioning during 983 00:40:22,839 --> 00:40:18,410 the Iraq war is what we spent you know 984 00:40:24,549 --> 00:40:22,849 so it's yeah it's sad you know so I mean 985 00:40:26,079 --> 00:40:24,559 these like they're expensive but they're 986 00:40:31,089 --> 00:40:26,089 not expensive if you know what I mean 987 00:40:33,490 --> 00:40:31,099 so I think that it would be great to get 988 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:33,500 these telescopes actually funded and 989 00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:36,530 launched through through government 990 00:40:40,630 --> 00:40:37,730 through private sector however it works 991 00:40:42,549 --> 00:40:40,640 and and that would be if I had unlimited 992 00:40:45,579 --> 00:40:42,559 time if I had our unlimited money if I 993 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:45,589 had unlimited time I guess I you know if 994 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:47,210 I'd unlimited time I would probably also 995 00:40:50,410 --> 00:40:48,650 do more of my hobbies I would do more 996 00:40:52,359 --> 00:40:50,420 mountaineering some more dancing do some 997 00:40:54,180 --> 00:40:52,369 more writing and I'd probably do the 998 00:40:56,470 --> 00:40:54,190 same science you know because I think 999 00:40:59,620 --> 00:40:56,480 that's what makes me happy is having 1000 00:41:03,010 --> 00:40:59,630 kind of a full and life with lots of 1001 00:41:05,650 --> 00:41:03,020 different things going on in it and it 1002 00:41:07,990 --> 00:41:05,660 shows so assuming you have your 12 1003 00:41:10,390 --> 00:41:08,000 billion dollar mission it's flying the 1004 00:41:12,549 --> 00:41:10,400 next question from Jacob back misra on 1005 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:12,559 twitter asks and you think of any 1006 00:41:16,630 --> 00:41:14,930 spectral biosignatures that would 1007 00:41:22,329 --> 00:41:16,640 uniquely indicate the presence of 1008 00:41:22,900 --> 00:41:22,339 complex life or the next planet hmm yeah 1009 00:41:26,109 --> 00:41:22,910 interesting 1010 00:41:28,900 --> 00:41:26,119 so there is this is not really a good 1011 00:41:30,309 --> 00:41:28,910 area of my area of expertise there are 1012 00:41:32,049 --> 00:41:30,319 some technical bio signatures that's 1013 00:41:34,450 --> 00:41:32,059 been a little more further afield like 1014 00:41:36,990 --> 00:41:34,460 signs of intelligent our civilization 1015 00:41:41,589 --> 00:41:37,000 life some people put forward like 1016 00:41:42,809 --> 00:41:41,599 chlorofluorocarbons you know and signs 1017 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:42,819 like that 1018 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:45,650 Dyson's but even like plants or fungi or 1019 00:41:51,670 --> 00:41:49,490 animals right yes for those I don't 1020 00:41:53,650 --> 00:41:51,680 really see I mean on earth it's like 1021 00:41:54,819 --> 00:41:53,660 mostly microbes you can't distinguish 1022 00:41:56,349 --> 00:41:54,829 like if you were to just look at Earth 1023 00:41:58,059 --> 00:41:56,359 you won't necessarily be able to tell 1024 00:42:00,069 --> 00:41:58,069 that there's human life here versus 1025 00:42:03,099 --> 00:42:00,079 there's microbial life can't think of 1026 00:42:06,069 --> 00:42:03,109 anything that's definitively you know 1027 00:42:07,630 --> 00:42:06,079 but between technological signatures and 1028 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:07,640 just microbial life that would be a 1029 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:11,210 unique bio signature other than I do 1030 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:12,770 think there's some energy 1031 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:14,330 arguments to be made that you have to 1032 00:42:20,740 --> 00:42:17,410 have oxygen so you just get so much more 1033 00:42:24,580 --> 00:42:20,750 energy from oxygen respiration than any 1034 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:24,590 other redox gradient that that seems to 1035 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:26,650 be a necessary precondition for 1036 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:30,290 multicellular life and so that doesn't 1037 00:42:32,980 --> 00:42:31,250 answer the question because you would 1038 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:32,990 have oxygen without multicellular life 1039 00:42:38,109 --> 00:42:34,250 as well because that comes from oxygen 1040 00:42:40,510 --> 00:42:38,119 exposure synthesis and from microbes so 1041 00:42:42,250 --> 00:42:40,520 I but I can't think of anything between 1042 00:42:43,590 --> 00:42:42,260 kind of going straight to like techno 1043 00:42:45,010 --> 00:42:43,600 bio signatures that would indicate 1044 00:42:48,310 --> 00:42:45,020 multicellular life 1045 00:42:50,830 --> 00:42:48,320 that's an interesting conclusion um 1046 00:42:53,740 --> 00:42:50,840 the next question is from Bruno pilotage 1047 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:53,750 on cygnets and he asks is there an 1048 00:43:02,260 --> 00:42:55,970 online database with exoplanets and 1049 00:43:05,230 --> 00:43:02,270 their atmospheres spectra so for example 1050 00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:05,240 on my website I have all the structure 1051 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:07,250 that I produced for my model so I have 1052 00:43:10,359 --> 00:43:09,050 grids of different types of earth-like 1053 00:43:12,150 --> 00:43:10,369 planets around different stars and 1054 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:12,160 different time points in Earth's history 1055 00:43:17,070 --> 00:43:14,570 you can go download them play around 1056 00:43:20,099 --> 00:43:17,080 with them plot them on your computer 1057 00:43:24,910 --> 00:43:20,109 there's links to it on my professional 1058 00:43:30,790 --> 00:43:24,920 website so so that's easy to find and 1059 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:30,800 and as far as other planets there's you 1060 00:43:34,570 --> 00:43:33,170 know a lot of the exoplanets dot-eu and 1061 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:34,580 exoplanets like some of those main 1062 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:36,770 exoplanet websites have a lot of the 1063 00:43:40,180 --> 00:43:38,450 parameters just for various known 1064 00:43:42,010 --> 00:43:40,190 exoplanet it's not necessarily their 1065 00:43:44,349 --> 00:43:42,020 atmospheres but you know mass radius 1066 00:43:49,330 --> 00:43:44,359 density kind of other things that you 1067 00:43:54,910 --> 00:43:52,330 next question is from Jim pass on 1068 00:43:56,980 --> 00:43:54,920 Twitter and I think it follows well 1069 00:43:59,710 --> 00:43:56,990 we've been discussing in what ways can 1070 00:44:04,810 --> 00:43:59,720 discovery the bio signatures lead to 1071 00:44:06,340 --> 00:44:04,820 those of TechKnow significance right so 1072 00:44:08,140 --> 00:44:06,350 yeah I'm not really an expert in techno 1073 00:44:10,599 --> 00:44:08,150 signatures I though I did download the 1074 00:44:11,590 --> 00:44:10,609 PDF on my computer to read that just 1075 00:44:17,859 --> 00:44:11,600 came out about Tessa 1076 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:17,869 techno signatures I I think just being 1077 00:44:21,870 --> 00:44:19,850 able to discriminate so some you they're 1078 00:44:24,070 --> 00:44:21,880 gonna be the same sorts of fundamental 1079 00:44:26,690 --> 00:44:24,080 technological hurdles to do either and 1080 00:44:29,569 --> 00:44:26,700 we're gonna need high quality 1081 00:44:30,980 --> 00:44:29,579 line spectra to do either so one aspect 1082 00:44:33,740 --> 00:44:30,990 that we have talked about that I think 1083 00:44:36,740 --> 00:44:33,750 is really important is some of the high 1084 00:44:38,809 --> 00:44:36,750 resolution spectroscopy techniques and 1085 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:38,819 being able to detect bio signatures from 1086 00:44:42,620 --> 00:44:41,130 the ground so earlier and up to this 1087 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:42,630 point in the conversation we've only 1088 00:44:47,390 --> 00:44:44,970 focused on face space missions but you 1089 00:44:49,849 --> 00:44:47,400 can actually detect atmospheres from the 1090 00:44:51,799 --> 00:44:49,859 surface of earth with big ground-based 1091 00:44:54,130 --> 00:44:51,809 telescopes that are maybe 40 meters kind 1092 00:44:57,529 --> 00:44:54,140 of like the e-elt the extremely large 1093 00:44:59,660 --> 00:44:57,539 telescope that's by the Europeans so 1094 00:45:01,579 --> 00:44:59,670 that that telescope with a 1095 00:45:04,970 --> 00:45:01,589 high-resolution spectrometer can 1096 00:45:07,039 --> 00:45:04,980 actually see the Doppler shift of the 1097 00:45:09,980 --> 00:45:07,049 planet as it's going around its star so 1098 00:45:11,450 --> 00:45:09,990 the lines and it can tease out Earth's 1099 00:45:13,309 --> 00:45:11,460 atmosphere so Earth's atmosphere 1100 00:45:15,109 --> 00:45:13,319 effectively we're just looking through 1101 00:45:16,519 --> 00:45:15,119 our column of atmosphere and then it's 1102 00:45:19,609 --> 00:45:16,529 looking at that exoplanet and that 1103 00:45:21,470 --> 00:45:19,619 exoplanets moving compared to us and so 1104 00:45:22,819 --> 00:45:21,480 you can see even if you are looking 1105 00:45:25,099 --> 00:45:22,829 through all of our atmosphere you can 1106 00:45:26,539 --> 00:45:25,109 see it still see oxygen and that 1107 00:45:29,599 --> 00:45:26,549 exoplanet atmosphere because you see 1108 00:45:32,390 --> 00:45:29,609 those oxygen lines going back and forth 1109 00:45:34,609 --> 00:45:32,400 like a Doppler shift you know like a 1110 00:45:36,079 --> 00:45:34,619 siren engine you know and it's pitch 1111 00:45:38,210 --> 00:45:36,089 changing you see the same thing with 1112 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:38,220 these lines and I think that's really 1113 00:45:42,140 --> 00:45:39,930 exciting so by taking high resolution 1114 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:42,150 from the ground we can get through our 1115 00:45:48,740 --> 00:45:45,930 own atmosphere and see the Doppler shift 1116 00:45:51,170 --> 00:45:48,750 of atmospheric lines around exoplanets 1117 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:51,180 for even earth sized temperate 1118 00:45:57,319 --> 00:45:54,930 exoplanets and and not only that the 1119 00:45:59,509 --> 00:45:57,329 thing that like blew my mind the most in 1120 00:46:03,109 --> 00:45:59,519 the last year was you can detect 1121 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:03,119 isotopes isotopes in the atmosphere of 1122 00:46:08,390 --> 00:46:06,690 an exoplanet and and that just never did 1123 00:46:10,789 --> 00:46:08,400 I think that that would be possible so 1124 00:46:16,430 --> 00:46:10,799 you can detect things like H do instead 1125 00:46:18,259 --> 00:46:16,440 of h2o or c-13 know instead of Co in an 1126 00:46:21,740 --> 00:46:18,269 exoplanet and there's some great papers 1127 00:46:22,819 --> 00:46:21,750 by Paul Moliere and Ignace Snellen which 1128 00:46:26,420 --> 00:46:22,829 I'd recommend if people are interested 1129 00:46:28,450 --> 00:46:26,430 in that and so for techno signatures 1130 00:46:30,859 --> 00:46:28,460 often these molecules they're probably 1131 00:46:32,059 --> 00:46:30,869 not going to be huge imprints in the 1132 00:46:34,309 --> 00:46:32,069 atmosphere if you look at Earth's own 1133 00:46:35,900 --> 00:46:34,319 atmospheres us as humans 1134 00:46:38,900 --> 00:46:35,910 we're influenced and of course the 1135 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:38,910 atmosphere with co2 however co2 is also 1136 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:40,530 produced naturally so that wouldn't be 1137 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:42,210 unique sign of Technology right so 1138 00:46:45,410 --> 00:46:43,410 you're looking for these more niche 1139 00:46:47,630 --> 00:46:45,420 molecules you'll need a lot of good 1140 00:46:50,210 --> 00:46:47,640 resolution spectra and I think maybe 1141 00:46:51,770 --> 00:46:50,220 high resolution spectroscopy from the 1142 00:46:54,260 --> 00:46:51,780 ground is going to be the way to detect 1143 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:54,270 those that would be my guess so it's 1144 00:46:58,370 --> 00:46:55,530 essentially an engineering problem at 1145 00:47:01,250 --> 00:46:58,380 this point yeah yeah and also kind of 1146 00:47:03,650 --> 00:47:01,260 imagining like we you know we thought 1147 00:47:05,750 --> 00:47:03,660 with study that radio waves are the the 1148 00:47:07,610 --> 00:47:05,760 big deal right because you know we've 1149 00:47:09,860 --> 00:47:07,620 produced radio waves and abundance they 1150 00:47:11,870 --> 00:47:09,870 travel very far but now most of our 1151 00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:11,880 communications are going in five rocky 1152 00:47:15,170 --> 00:47:13,770 cables under the ocean you know we're 1153 00:47:16,850 --> 00:47:15,180 not even producing a lot of those 1154 00:47:19,910 --> 00:47:16,860 anymore so I think it's hard to predict 1155 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:19,920 what a technological civilization will 1156 00:47:24,140 --> 00:47:22,650 be producing would be the other thing 1157 00:47:25,580 --> 00:47:24,150 but if you if we have enough 1158 00:47:27,140 --> 00:47:25,590 high-resolution spectra of these 1159 00:47:29,060 --> 00:47:27,150 different molecules and we see something 1160 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:29,070 really bizarre you know that's just like 1161 00:47:33,470 --> 00:47:31,770 oh that's not yeah that's not a molecule 1162 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:33,480 you get in anything you know from 1163 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:35,850 chemistry then then that could be an 1164 00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:38,130 interesting follow up right maybe a 1165 00:47:45,140 --> 00:47:40,650 civilization is only know emitting for a 1166 00:47:46,850 --> 00:47:45,150 short period of their life stem or 1167 00:47:49,010 --> 00:47:46,860 they're then doing entirely different 1168 00:47:51,020 --> 00:47:49,020 things that were we're really it's it's 1169 00:47:53,930 --> 00:47:51,030 we're kind of necessarily hamstrung by 1170 00:47:55,340 --> 00:47:53,940 our own experience you know and and so 1171 00:47:58,610 --> 00:47:55,350 we first have to look for things that we 1172 00:48:00,620 --> 00:47:58,620 can recognize before we get like warp 1173 00:48:02,660 --> 00:48:00,630 drive and a Starship Enterprise and we 1174 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:02,670 can just like jump around and see the 1175 00:48:07,010 --> 00:48:04,770 whole you know galaxies and start really 1176 00:48:10,730 --> 00:48:07,020 exploring in that way we're kind of 1177 00:48:13,070 --> 00:48:10,740 limited to trying to tease out what we 1178 00:48:14,990 --> 00:48:13,080 could detect which is inherently going 1179 00:48:16,940 --> 00:48:15,000 to be more similar to earth in that a 1180 00:48:18,890 --> 00:48:16,950 more carbon-based biochemistry so to 1181 00:48:22,130 --> 00:48:18,900 speak stuff like that I'm glad you 1182 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:22,140 brought up enterprise because this month 1183 00:48:28,970 --> 00:48:25,290 we had a faithful little spaceship from 1184 00:48:32,660 --> 00:48:28,980 our dear little opportunity that after 1185 00:48:35,150 --> 00:48:32,670 14 years of hard work did not call home 1186 00:48:37,780 --> 00:48:35,160 after being covered by dust it was very 1187 00:48:39,980 --> 00:48:37,790 sad perhaps you can talk about the 1188 00:48:42,260 --> 00:48:39,990 importance of such missions to like 1189 00:48:45,140 --> 00:48:42,270 inspire the scientific community to like 1190 00:48:47,390 --> 00:48:45,150 trigger new questions as we take 30 1191 00:48:50,900 --> 00:48:47,400 seconds to or remember a little obvious 1192 00:48:53,220 --> 00:48:50,910 I know I'm I'm really sad 1193 00:48:53,970 --> 00:48:53,230 had a good run better run 1194 00:48:56,120 --> 00:48:53,980 one could have thought I think 1195 00:48:59,940 --> 00:48:56,130 commission lifetime was what 90 days 1196 00:49:02,840 --> 00:48:59,950 later I loved the cartoons that people 1197 00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:02,850 made about it but yeah no I mean I think 1198 00:49:08,550 --> 00:49:07,450 especially for astrobiology there's so 1199 00:49:09,900 --> 00:49:08,560 many different avenues that are 1200 00:49:11,190 --> 00:49:09,910 interesting which is why you should all 1201 00:49:13,290 --> 00:49:11,200 go into astrobiology because you can go 1202 00:49:15,240 --> 00:49:13,300 from any direction from provided 1203 00:49:18,210 --> 00:49:15,250 chemistry biology whatnot and it's all 1204 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:18,220 fascinating and when I think about it 1205 00:49:21,180 --> 00:49:19,570 from a planetary perspective there's 1206 00:49:22,740 --> 00:49:21,190 exoplanets which is cool but then 1207 00:49:24,270 --> 00:49:22,750 there's solar system planets which are 1208 00:49:26,849 --> 00:49:24,280 also awesome and those are the ones that 1209 00:49:29,550 --> 00:49:26,859 we can actually go and visit and you 1210 00:49:31,620 --> 00:49:29,560 know actually find out does Mars have 1211 00:49:32,849 --> 00:49:31,630 life on it today or did it have it in 1212 00:49:34,470 --> 00:49:32,859 the past the only way we're going to 1213 00:49:37,470 --> 00:49:34,480 know is by going there because it's not 1214 00:49:39,599 --> 00:49:37,480 Mars is not a global atmospheric bio 1215 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:39,609 signature case right we would have known 1216 00:49:45,870 --> 00:49:43,090 that by now already so so the only way 1217 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:45,880 to find that out is to go there to drill 1218 00:49:50,790 --> 00:49:49,210 you know to figure out what's happening 1219 00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:50,800 on the planet and I really hope we do 1220 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:51,250 that 1221 00:49:57,660 --> 00:49:55,450 my personal you know pitch to Elon Musk 1222 00:49:59,550 --> 00:49:57,670 should he be listening is please don't 1223 00:50:02,000 --> 00:49:59,560 send humans before we've answered this 1224 00:50:05,250 --> 00:50:02,010 question and before we've ever coldly 1225 00:50:07,170 --> 00:50:05,260 contaminated the planet I know that we 1226 00:50:08,910 --> 00:50:07,180 need to be multiplanetary at some point 1227 00:50:12,590 --> 00:50:08,920 but we have one chance not to screw up 1228 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:12,600 Mars let's not screw it up please please 1229 00:50:17,849 --> 00:50:15,850 okay yeah I think we are we're further 1230 00:50:19,980 --> 00:50:17,859 ahead in the engineering of space 1231 00:50:21,270 --> 00:50:19,990 exploration than we are in sociology and 1232 00:50:23,340 --> 00:50:21,280 ethics and space exploration 1233 00:50:25,740 --> 00:50:23,350 I know and I like if I have ten minutes 1234 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:25,750 with Elon that is gonna be that it's 1235 00:50:30,330 --> 00:50:28,570 gonna be my pitch you know should I ever 1236 00:50:32,970 --> 00:50:30,340 get that opportunity but yes so I do 1237 00:50:35,130 --> 00:50:32,980 think going to these solar system like 1238 00:50:37,800 --> 00:50:35,140 solar system science is amazing not for 1239 00:50:39,300 --> 00:50:37,810 just detecting is there life then you 1240 00:50:41,070 --> 00:50:39,310 can maybe answer is it a secondary 1241 00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:41,080 origin or it was it transported from 1242 00:50:44,490 --> 00:50:42,730 Earth that's also interesting I think 1243 00:50:46,590 --> 00:50:44,500 secondary origin to me is the most 1244 00:50:49,530 --> 00:50:46,600 exciting but also planetary transfer is 1245 00:50:51,420 --> 00:50:49,540 super exciting too and then say you find 1246 00:50:54,090 --> 00:50:51,430 life and Titan you know unlike the 1247 00:50:56,450 --> 00:50:54,100 liquid methane lakes of Titan that's 1248 00:50:59,130 --> 00:50:56,460 like an entirely different 1249 00:51:00,390 --> 00:50:59,140 biochemistry than Earth so the only way 1250 00:51:03,270 --> 00:51:00,400 that we're going to be able to 1251 00:51:05,970 --> 00:51:03,280 understand different biochemistry from 1252 00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:05,980 Earth for an exoplanet is to kind of get 1253 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:06,530 a handle 1254 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:08,090 of them on a place that we can 1255 00:51:11,350 --> 00:51:09,530 understand more either in the lab 1256 00:51:13,780 --> 00:51:11,360 through synthetic biology or like in 1257 00:51:15,790 --> 00:51:13,790 Titan to see them in real life if they 1258 00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:15,800 exist so I think solar system 1259 00:51:20,320 --> 00:51:17,810 exploration is immensely important for 1260 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:20,330 figuring out kind of more of the unknown 1261 00:51:25,260 --> 00:51:22,370 unknowns that we don't even know you 1262 00:51:28,590 --> 00:51:25,270 know from our limited viewpoint on earth 1263 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:28,600 the only way to start addressing those 1264 00:51:33,820 --> 00:51:32,330 is in part by going to the solar system 1265 00:51:38,110 --> 00:51:33,830 and looking at places like Enceladus 1266 00:51:41,380 --> 00:51:38,120 Europa Titan Mars and and I think all of 1267 00:51:44,800 --> 00:51:41,390 that is equally also exciting you know 1268 00:51:48,010 --> 00:51:44,810 so yeah I don't know sigh solar system 1269 00:51:50,620 --> 00:51:48,020 is full of opportunities yeah pardon 1270 00:51:53,950 --> 00:51:50,630 pardon the pun um the next question is 1271 00:51:57,580 --> 00:51:53,960 from mr. David time tunnel 1272 00:51:59,560 --> 00:51:57,590 on Twitter and he asks do you think we 1273 00:52:01,540 --> 00:51:59,570 might be able to capture an asteroid to 1274 00:52:04,090 --> 00:52:01,550 put into orbit around Earth as a new 1275 00:52:05,550 --> 00:52:04,100 moon is that possible is that likely is 1276 00:52:09,310 --> 00:52:05,560 that just plain silly 1277 00:52:13,060 --> 00:52:09,320 what do you think well so asteroid 1278 00:52:14,470 --> 00:52:13,070 capture I mean I think at some point 1279 00:52:18,250 --> 00:52:14,480 we're gonna be able to move asteroids 1280 00:52:20,500 --> 00:52:18,260 and go to visit asteroids as humans and 1281 00:52:22,690 --> 00:52:20,510 maybe even do asteroid mining you know 1282 00:52:24,580 --> 00:52:22,700 and and one of the main reasons for that 1283 00:52:26,740 --> 00:52:24,590 is because they're undifferentiated so 1284 00:52:29,830 --> 00:52:26,750 more of the rare earth metals that have 1285 00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:29,840 sunk to our core are still in much 1286 00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:31,730 higher abundances on asteroids so that's 1287 00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:33,770 like the economic reason I think we'll 1288 00:52:38,650 --> 00:52:37,130 have the technology to do that I don't 1289 00:52:39,820 --> 00:52:38,660 think you know we want to create like 1290 00:52:41,410 --> 00:52:39,830 well we're not going to like move 1291 00:52:44,380 --> 00:52:41,420 another moon sized object I mean the 1292 00:52:46,210 --> 00:52:44,390 moon is huge for our earth for stuff but 1293 00:52:47,650 --> 00:52:46,220 I do think we can probably nudge some 1294 00:52:49,660 --> 00:52:47,660 asteroids and also I think it's kind of 1295 00:52:50,890 --> 00:52:49,670 important going back to the at some 1296 00:52:53,080 --> 00:52:50,900 point it would be good to be 1297 00:52:55,090 --> 00:52:53,090 multiplanetary just hopefully not before 1298 00:52:59,470 --> 00:52:55,100 we've adequately scientifically probed 1299 00:53:02,500 --> 00:52:59,480 Mars a huge asteroid impact is still an 1300 00:53:04,990 --> 00:53:02,510 existential threat that we don't we 1301 00:53:07,870 --> 00:53:05,000 don't really have the technology yet to 1302 00:53:09,100 --> 00:53:07,880 avert that crisis should it happen we 1303 00:53:11,070 --> 00:53:09,110 would have to know about that asteroid 1304 00:53:13,690 --> 00:53:11,080 really really far in advance and and 1305 00:53:15,970 --> 00:53:13,700 build a nudge it from a very far orbit 1306 00:53:18,490 --> 00:53:15,980 in order to prevent it from from hitting 1307 00:53:20,180 --> 00:53:18,500 Earth you know kind of the Armageddon 1308 00:53:24,170 --> 00:53:20,190 sort of movie scenario 1309 00:53:25,460 --> 00:53:24,180 is unlikely so so I think that this is 1310 00:53:28,460 --> 00:53:25,470 something that we should devote some 1311 00:53:32,569 --> 00:53:28,470 resources and to doing just to help our 1312 00:53:35,089 --> 00:53:32,579 own you know avoid catastrophe and 1313 00:53:36,349 --> 00:53:35,099 extinction the chance of that is low but 1314 00:53:38,329 --> 00:53:36,359 I think we should spend some time on 1315 00:53:41,900 --> 00:53:38,339 that and in doing so I'm sure we'll be 1316 00:53:43,640 --> 00:53:41,910 manipulating these asteroids thanks yeah 1317 00:53:46,220 --> 00:53:43,650 I think it's a promising future for 1318 00:53:48,079 --> 00:53:46,230 Humanity to take advantage of the the 1319 00:53:52,220 --> 00:53:48,089 resources that are and are in our solar 1320 00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:52,230 system absolutely big plug can I just 1321 00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:54,450 say big plug to the expanse series if 1322 00:53:58,490 --> 00:53:55,770 you have not watched the expanse series 1323 00:54:00,890 --> 00:53:58,500 and anyone watching that's like wow so 1324 00:54:02,120 --> 00:54:00,900 good just gets better and better give it 1325 00:54:03,289 --> 00:54:02,130 the first 4 or 5 episodes because 1326 00:54:07,779 --> 00:54:03,299 they're kind of slow and then it just 1327 00:54:10,010 --> 00:54:07,789 takes off all right good play good plug 1328 00:54:12,140 --> 00:54:10,020 next question is by richard gordon on 1329 00:54:14,420 --> 00:54:12,150 sega nets and you asked more about the 1330 00:54:16,490 --> 00:54:14,430 scientific process of getting data back 1331 00:54:19,490 --> 00:54:16,500 from telescopes how is it decided who 1332 00:54:20,930 --> 00:54:19,500 gets to analyze the data the spectra 1333 00:54:25,490 --> 00:54:20,940 that comes back from those space 1334 00:54:27,740 --> 00:54:25,500 telescopes so typically what happens is 1335 00:54:30,370 --> 00:54:27,750 we put in telescope observing proposals 1336 00:54:34,339 --> 00:54:30,380 for these space telescopes time 1337 00:54:37,210 --> 00:54:34,349 something like well if you look at the 1338 00:54:40,819 --> 00:54:37,220 cost of the mission right and and then 1339 00:54:42,799 --> 00:54:40,829 average average that over its time in 1340 00:54:46,130 --> 00:54:42,809 the mission lifetime it's about a dollar 1341 00:54:48,859 --> 00:54:46,140 a second so it's very very pricey so you 1342 00:54:51,380 --> 00:54:48,869 have to competitively petition for that 1343 00:54:52,910 --> 00:54:51,390 time you know so you're not paying that 1344 00:54:54,079 --> 00:54:52,920 that was already funded in the launch 1345 00:54:55,970 --> 00:54:54,089 out of it and whatnot 1346 00:54:59,299 --> 00:54:55,980 but the the point is that they're very 1347 00:55:01,190 --> 00:54:59,309 competitive the these missions so you 1348 00:55:02,930 --> 00:55:01,200 probably only roughly ten percent of 1349 00:55:04,640 --> 00:55:02,940 telescope proposals are accepted you 1350 00:55:05,809 --> 00:55:04,650 propose to look at a certain target you 1351 00:55:08,390 --> 00:55:05,819 give a good science case you tell 1352 00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:08,400 exactly how long we need to observe it 1353 00:55:13,370 --> 00:55:09,930 to get the science out that we want and 1354 00:55:16,069 --> 00:55:13,380 then if your proposal is accepted you 1355 00:55:17,660 --> 00:55:16,079 get proprietary access to that data for 1356 00:55:20,510 --> 00:55:17,670 a period of time before it becomes 1357 00:55:22,490 --> 00:55:20,520 public data and so you can then write 1358 00:55:25,130 --> 00:55:22,500 your paper on it or or use that and 1359 00:55:27,170 --> 00:55:25,140 study it so I am a theorist so I don't 1360 00:55:31,010 --> 00:55:27,180 do this myself but I am a kowai on 1361 00:55:32,870 --> 00:55:31,020 several successful Hubble proposals and 1362 00:55:33,890 --> 00:55:32,880 and that's essentially what happens is 1363 00:55:38,210 --> 00:55:33,900 you have 1364 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:38,220 data and you can analyze it and then you 1365 00:55:42,230 --> 00:55:40,290 publish it and then it gets released at 1366 00:55:44,660 --> 00:55:42,240 some point it's all archived so you can 1367 00:55:45,350 --> 00:55:44,670 go on NASA's website and look at you 1368 00:55:47,180 --> 00:55:45,360 know the iue 1369 00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:47,190 which is a satellite that I use a lot 1370 00:55:51,650 --> 00:55:49,890 that's that's all archive data you can 1371 00:55:55,010 --> 00:55:51,660 go you can download it you can plot it 1372 00:55:58,340 --> 00:55:55,020 you can have fun with it cool thank you 1373 00:56:00,340 --> 00:55:58,350 for that so we're really close at our 1374 00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:00,350 mark Sarah it's been an absolute joy 1375 00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:03,210 perhaps like I'd like to close this this 1376 00:56:06,650 --> 00:56:04,770 this beautiful interview with perhaps 1377 00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:06,660 you have some some final thoughts on 1378 00:56:11,030 --> 00:56:09,330 perhaps to our youngest audience and how 1379 00:56:13,910 --> 00:56:11,040 to get involved in astrobiology in the 1380 00:56:16,190 --> 00:56:13,920 first place right so don't do what I did 1381 00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:16,200 which is not take a breath of science 1382 00:56:20,060 --> 00:56:18,690 courses I didn't take a single astronomy 1383 00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:20,070 course for example and I didn't take a 1384 00:56:24,620 --> 00:56:22,650 lot of chemistry and and I think that if 1385 00:56:26,990 --> 00:56:24,630 I could go back in time I would take 1386 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:27,000 more of everything you know I would take 1387 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:30,170 more geology more chemistry more biology 1388 00:56:37,730 --> 00:56:35,370 and just realize that science is it 1389 00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:37,740 doesn't have these barriers that we put 1390 00:56:40,850 --> 00:56:39,450 in it between these disciplines like 1391 00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:40,860 most of the interesting science is 1392 00:56:44,060 --> 00:56:42,690 happening at the intersections of these 1393 00:56:47,270 --> 00:56:44,070 borders and biochemistry and 1394 00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:47,280 astrobiology as being the you know the 1395 00:56:50,330 --> 00:56:48,690 quintessential I think example of 1396 00:56:53,570 --> 00:56:50,340 combining all of the sciences together 1397 00:56:55,570 --> 00:56:53,580 so I think as a as a young scientist 1398 00:56:58,010 --> 00:56:55,580 starting out wanting to do astrobiology 1399 00:57:00,970 --> 00:56:58,020 while I'm sure there's a certain area 1400 00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:00,980 that interests you and pursue that area 1401 00:57:05,810 --> 00:57:03,330 try not to do what I did which is say oh 1402 00:57:07,730 --> 00:57:05,820 but squiggly lines are boring and ignore 1403 00:57:09,740 --> 00:57:07,740 everything to do with astronomy as a 1404 00:57:11,210 --> 00:57:09,750 result and then feel completely out of 1405 00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:11,220 place when you decide that's what you 1406 00:57:17,420 --> 00:57:14,010 want to do so take just a breadth of 1407 00:57:20,270 --> 00:57:17,430 science courses I recommend I really do 1408 00:57:22,100 --> 00:57:20,280 like Genesis the scientific quest for 1409 00:57:23,750 --> 00:57:22,110 life's origins by Bob Hazen he also has 1410 00:57:26,960 --> 00:57:23,760 some other books like story of Earth and 1411 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:26,970 and just read about all the yeah a lot 1412 00:57:32,120 --> 00:57:29,210 of the cool astrobiology 1413 00:57:35,930 --> 00:57:32,130 sort of broad survey books that have 1414 00:57:38,330 --> 00:57:35,940 come out and yeah go into it it's so 1415 00:57:42,170 --> 00:57:38,340 exciting I will I just have never looked 1416 00:57:45,020 --> 00:57:42,180 back it's been an amazing time a destiny 1417 00:57:47,390 --> 00:57:45,030 but I think it's a wonderful foot place 1418 00:57:48,829 --> 00:57:47,400 to to close his interview Sarah for 1419 00:57:50,510 --> 00:57:48,839 personal perspective it was just an 1420 00:57:52,130 --> 00:57:50,520 incredible adventure having this 1421 00:57:53,870 --> 00:57:52,140 conversation with you we went through so 1422 00:57:55,549 --> 00:57:53,880 many topics everything was fascinating I 1423 00:57:57,890 --> 00:57:55,559 hope those of you who are watching had a 1424 00:57:59,900 --> 00:57:57,900 similar good experience don't forget to 1425 00:58:02,750 --> 00:57:59,910 tune in next month for ask an 1426 00:58:04,789 --> 00:58:02,760 astrobiologists don't forget yes what is 1427 00:58:06,589 --> 00:58:04,799 the picture behind me until then 1428 00:58:07,210 --> 00:58:06,599 everybody stay curious