"Asteroid Could Hit in 2032?!" & Did Webb Telescope Just Spot Aliens?
Brian Keating dives into some of the universe's biggest mysteries, from the search for extraterrestrial life and the nature of the Big Bang to cutting-edge discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope. Joined by Young and Alive, they explore how scientific beliefs are constantly evolving, how astronomers confront existential threats like asteroids, and why a sense of wonder drives the quest to understand our place in the cosmos.
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47:02
Killing Pluto, Finding Planet Nine: Mike Brown’s Journey to Redefine the Solar System
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What really happened during the controversy over the discovery of Haumea? Why was Pluto actually demoted? And is there a hidden Planet Nine lurking in the outer solar system?
I’m joined today by none other than the Pluto Killer himself, Mike Brown. Mike is an astronomer and professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His groundbreaking discoveries of dwarf planets like Eris, Haumea, and Makemake shook up the astronomy world and led to the controversial redefinition of what constitutes a planet.
In this gripping episode of Into the Impossible, Mike opens up about the ethical challenges he faced in his career, including the Haumea data theft that caused a massive controversy, the truth behind the demotion of Pluto, and the ongoing search for Planet Nine.
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
01:26 How Mike killed Pluto
03:50 Defining planets
08:48 Being an astronomer
13:31 Controversy over the discovery of Haumea
29:56 The search for Planet Nine
39:14 Balancing high and low-risk research
43:43 Did Neil deGrasse Tyson kill Pluto?
44:34 Planet Nine’s effects on the solar system’s evolution
46:47 The relevance of exoplanets
52:52 Outro
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Additional resources:
➡️ Learn more about Mike Brown:
💻 Website: https://mikebrown.caltech.edu/
📚 How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming: https://a.co/d/9jQp3nt
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
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58:47
Dick Bond: Entropy in a Coherent Universe: Quantum Information Flows in the Cosmic SuperWeb
Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥
Dick Bond is a theorist who has helped reshape our understanding of dark matter, entropy, and quantum mechanics. Dick is a renowned astrophysicist known for his significant contributions to cosmology and the study of the universe's large-scale structure. He has worked extensively on topics such as dark matter, dark energy, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and quantum cosmology.
As a treat for all my members, Dick has graced us with a lecture titled Entropy in a Coherent Universe: Quantum Information Flows in the Cosmic SuperWeb. Don’t miss out!
Join my YouTube membership to watch the full 90-minute lecture recording: Join this channel
Additional resources:
➡️ Learn more about Dick Bond:
💻 Website: https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~bond/
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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23:51
The Hype and Skepticism of Finding Life on Exoplanet K2-18b
Brian Keating explores the buzz around a possible sign of alien life on exoplanet K2-18 b, discussing the detection of dimethyl sulfide—a molecule that on Earth is linked only to biology. He urges caution, explaining that while the findings are exciting and headline-grabbing, the evidence is not yet conclusive and scientific skepticism is essential.
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10:20
Entropy and Coherence Could Change Everything We Know About the Universe! w/ Dick Bond [Ep. 487]
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Could entropy and coherence change everything we know about the universe? How does quantum information flow in the cosmic superweb? And will quantum mechanics reveal our universe’s deepest secrets?
Today, I’m joined by the one and only Dick Bond, a theorist who has helped reshape our understanding of dark matter, entropy, and quantum mechanics, to discuss how every aspect of the universe could be a result of quantum mechanics. Dick is a renowned astrophysicist known for his significant contributions to cosmology and the study of the universe's large-scale structure. He has worked extensively on topics such as dark matter, dark energy, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and quantum cosmology.
We also have a treat for you at the end of the episode, as Dick will grace us with a lecture titled Entropy in a Coherent Universe: Quantum Information Flows in the Cosmic SuperWeb. Don’t miss out!
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 Intro
01:29 Lecture preview
06:42 Training the next generation of scientists
10:59 Influences and early career
15:18 The role of entropy and coherence in quantum mechanics
20:41 Challenges in communicating science
31:32 The multiverse and quantum mechanics
36:22 The role of information in physical reality
40:34 The Hubble tension and dark energy
47:10 Outro
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Additional resources:
➡️ Learn more about Dick Bond:
💻 Website: https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~bond/
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
—
Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A podcast about how we understand the world, scientifically and as humans. Each conversation brings together visionaries from the worlds of arts, sciences, humanities, and technology discussing the nature of reality and how we collaborate to create the future. Hosted by Dr Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego. For show notes go to: https://briankeating.com/podcast
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