Exoplanets: The Search for New Worlds

A few decades ago, we knew of no other planets beyond those in our solar system. Today, astronomers have confirmed over 700 planets circling other suns and believe billions more lay undiscovered. These new worlds have smashed conventional assumptions, revealing planets orbiting multiple stars, planets that don’t orbit stars at all, and at least one as airy as Styrofoam. The incredible boom in planetary diversity raises tantalizing prospects for an Earth analog that could harbor life—as we know it, and as we never imagined it.

This program is part of The Big Idea Series, made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation.

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Original Program Date: June 2, 2012
MODERATOR: Dan Harris
PARTICIPANTS: Natalie Batalha, Matt Mountain, Sara Seager

Dan Harris's Introduction 00:00

Participant Introductions 1:06

Finding the first exoplanet. 2:36

Carbon and water... the building blocks for life. 6:30

Have you found any exoplanets that are just like earth? 12:45

What is the habitable zone? 17:25

How do we get to these exoplanets? 24:30

Is finding life on other planets important? 33:20

How do you find an exoplanet? 42:00

Transiting planets are very valuable for measurements. 50:14

What is the political side to finding exoplanets? 55:00

How do planets form? 1:00:57

What planets has Kepler discovered so far? 1:06:08

What makes you want to do science? 1:12:04

Does spending your time thinking big take away some of the small? 1:16:54

We are in a unique period of discovery. 1:21:15

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[shafikhan]

I used to be a mountain guide in Himalaya and one-night i was on a plateau in wild far from the civilisation and midnight i came out from my tent then i saw a dark night with lots of stars and i saw the Milkyway too it was so beautiful that I sleep out side of my tent. After a little while i feel the rotation and the dark night was no longer very dark it became dark blues because of the stars light i guess, by keep watching night sky I also feel the gravity and the sensation was like falling but very beautiful way, first thought was space must be like this for astronaut then second thought was this is a space and i am on one very big ship. Queries its looks like our fundamental needs. Then again how i know i been to school first time when i was 37 years old and still not finish.

[jonathanlebon]

@8:52 the guy controlling the mic volumes woke up from his nap...

[username-izel]

2018 came and went but finally it just launched December 24th 2021 during this horrid pandemic. Congratulations guys!!!

[oqsy]

Sara Seager seems extremely frustrated that she isn't in charge of the discussion, and becomes visibly pouty several times when she isn't allowed to control the responses of the other speakers. She would be better suited to speaking alone. Several points were lost due to her interruptions and attempts to redirect. If she'd stayed home this conversation could have gone in more in a more productive direction.

[luciusaquila]

Some people have commented on Sara Seager being a little frosty but her single minded drive is wonderful. We need more people like her if we are going to achieve these monumental goals.

[JoeyPuopolo]

Great video. Terrible mics and volume control though. Yikes

[zaboomafia]

Wow what a great answer to why we focus on exploring space as a human race: 1:15:25

[neptunethemystic]

Anyone know why isn't PSR1257&12 system (The planets found around the Pulsar in 1992) considered to be the first discovery of Exoplanets rather than the ones found in 1995?

[zapfanzapfan]

Natalie, you are flipping fantastic! ;-)

[luciusaquila]

It was a real shame that the Kepler telescope did not get past May 2013. Yes there will be lots of data still to analyse but another 2 years worth of data collection would have surely uncovered more earth size planets at greater orbital periods. I suspect that earth size planets that are in habitable zones closer to stars such as red dwarves will not be truly habitable due to high radiation levels.

[red]

Unfortunately could not continue watching. I’m not doubting for a moment Sara Seagal’s intelligence and expertise in this matter, but she is far to aggressive and over bearing and continually talking over the top of everybody else. At one point she was asked a question and replied we have already covered this. It should be friendly and informative and allow those with an interest too listen learn and enjoy.

[Jenab]

Using orbital period as an index for the conditions of planets has a flaw. Stars of different masses will have habitable zone distances that scale approximately as the star's mass raised to the power of 2.0 (for red dwarfs) to 2.5 (for sunlike stars).

[zaboomafia]

This host turned a science discussion into a big joke. I wish they had a different host for this. He needs to be back with the celebrity interviews not science...

[Rickwmc]

According to astronomer Frank Drake's equation, if there is on average one planet for each of the one hundred billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy then there are probably at least a million technological civilizations in our galaxy alone. 

[DarkMatterVisible]

This was a wonderful video and it definitely gets me excited, but I just have to say:
Natalie Batalha is smoking hot.

[my.video.channel]

Cool Discussion, but get a better Sound Engineer, please! The sound handling is terrible! :( You need a Compressor and a Limiter for the sound and addressing the Problem can be done in a Post-Production Process. It s not that expensive, believe me! ;)

[bothewolf]

Wow, is the host asking idiot questions, but, to be fair, he did claim he was not familiar with the subject. If you understand NOTHING about the subject, why be the host? Get your science reporter to mediate...

[twstf]

Two old men in a theater balcony;

"You think they'll ever find life on another planet?"

"What do you mean? You don't have a life on THIS planet!"

Hahahahaha!😂

[username-izel]

Man it sure seems like there's some tension between those two. I'm sure anyone who reads this can figure out whom.