Let's Do The Science of The Expanse S02E09 'The Weeping Somnambulist'

Examining the science behind The Expanse Season 2, Episode 9 "The Weeping Somnambulist". Careful for spoilers! Commentary on depictions of science in this weeks episode. Add your comments, observations and be sure to use this weeks hashtag!

Table of Contents
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Intro 0:10
Adapting to Earth & Comparing Planets 0:45
The Drake Equation & Fermi Paradox 3:45
Jupiter's Moon Cyllene 8:05
Landing with a Fusion Drive 10:31

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CREDITS

MUSIC

[CharlesBlazer]

#MyTheory
"If these civilizations were so numerous and had been broadcasting their signals everywhere for so long, then we should see signs of them everywhere we look. Instead we get nothing. No signals. No signs. Nothing." Well... if the logical premise is that we should see signs of them everywhere we look, then perhaps the logical consequence is that we do. In other words, everything we see could be the signs of civilization. One theoretical corollary of the Kardashev scale is that the activity of a Kardashev Type IV civilization would be indistinguishable from "natural" phenomena, because such a civilization might have mastery over the manufacture of stellar bodies, or even whole galaxies. Does an ant look upon a human house and see it as the construct of an intelligence? Or does the ant simply see the house as part of the "natural" environment?

[Empiro]

One fun touch they had in the show is that they said Jupiter has 80+ moons. Today, there are 67 known moons of Jupiter, and it's very possible we'll discover more in the future.

[AEGIPAN]

I'm a 27-year-old man and I squealed with glee when he brought the Drake Equation up on the screen. That's why I love this show - it speculates on a plausible future for humanity without skipping over the history of astronomy and space exploration that's already been established. I enjoyed the position Dr. Iturbi put forward, that intelligent life can choose not to drive itself towards extinction. We *can* choose not to kill each other, but we're a species driven by emotions (many of which are primal) and pure logic must be attained to instead of being an inherent gift. Thanks for your videos, I just discovered them!

[killersalmon]

RE: Water being abundant on Ceres - early in the history of the colony on Ceres, a LOT of that water was strip-mined and ended up going to Mars. So - more reason why the Belters are kind of miffed by the people from the inner planets.

[EricTrang]

instead of the great filter, we probably have many small filters. We can go through each one of them at 80% chance. But if you consider the number of the filters, we could still end up with very few advanced civilizations out there. So, lets keep hope and go on~~

[halonkin]

According to the books Epstein drive exhaust is radioactive and extremely hot, furthermore it was mentioned that you can't use it near the stations because it can damage objects far behind it (don't remember exact numbers) in case of the show I think they made more of an artistic choice to show that scene.

[poisontoad]

If the first message we receive is 'stop broadcasting, you are in danger', we'll understand the Great Silence.

[Argon]

#MyTheory: Why there has been silence in the radio spectrum from alien civilizations.
1. Just as light shifts red from sources at distance moving away so too would radio (electromagnetic) waves shift downward in frequency until the amplitudes would be enormous (think in terms of hundreds of thousand to millions of kilometers) thus your receiving antenna possibly would have to span the solar system (see #2)
2. Kyper belt interference: our Solarsystem has a general collective magnetic field that serves to deflect cosmic rays but also acts as magnetic deflector (Fermi cage) (see #3)
3. Earths magnetic field / van Allen belt not only deflects solar winds and the suns remnants of its enormous electromagnetic flux bands around the earth also effects radio waves especially on the lower Hz (red shifted) as to drown them out from the natural stellar radio emitters.
I believe to rule out #3 we would need to establish a radio telescope array from Venus to the Uranus orbitals (perhaps even between and perpendicular to the planets orbital plane) staying in opposite locations well away from the gas giants own magnetospheres'. If a autonomous array consisting of a minimum of 3 to 13 (the more the merrier) robotic snap radioisotope powered telescopes was created with radio, optical, infrared thru xray detectors, at a minimum we could image Kuiper belt objects. .
To rule out #2 would necessitate creating a array simular to the previous described but placed outside our Kuiper belt into interstellar space. With that I believe we would be able to image Proxima-Centari, Bernard's Star, and Wolf359. If the radio-waves have indeed "red-shifted" the multi-million kilometer array would detect that.

Just postulating a hypothesis.

if i remember correctly, ceres had its water stripped by the first colonisation of the belt

[darwinjina]

Isaac Arthur (Youtube channel) has some specific videos about Fermi Paradox

[TKSSLCHN]

I think we just happen to be a relatively early species, with the distances being too large for many interspecies contacts to be established yet.

[jeffpatti]

At 27:30 into the episode, according to the time in netflix, there is a wide shot of Jupiter. In the show this occurs just after the Roci separates from the Somnambulist. Much to my surprise, none of Jupiter's moons are visible in that shot. Given that Jupiter's moons are so close to Jupiter and so bright even with amateur telescopes, I would have expected some of the moons to be visible. Do you also think some moons should have been visible in that shot?

[davidmaximo]

I have not heard my solution to fermi paradox but is touched upon in Drakes equation.
Drakes equation factors:Planet must be in habitable zone in both heat and radiation, (this should disqualify most stars in middle of galaxies doe to dense stars and lethal radiation)
Must have atmosphere therefore must have powerful magnetosphere (need more powerful for a close red dwarf than we have)
My Fermi Paradox great filter: Space weather radiation and cyclical changes in magnetosphere halt/prevent technology advancement. We ourselves are in process of losing our magnetosphere due to our very long 200, 000-400, 000yr polar reversal cycle, When we do lose our shield in next 10-60 years technology and society will collapse. If our planet cycle was 100yrs we never would have developed electronics. What is a normal pole reversal cycle of a planet that can sustain life? Perhaps our long cycle is abnormal and we are as high in technology as can (this may be due to extreme luck or intelligent design)
There are of course even more limiting factors concerning space weather limitations on life, technology but are more lengthy than have time for. Is reasonable to assume we are in our golden age of tech and probably only life in universe capable of doing it in our own technological universe horizon. Very soon we wont be able to communicate any farther than we can yell or wave a flag or smoke signals

[fizzoftheburn]

Great episode bud! Love that you're making these!

[annoyed]

After years of terraforming efforts, the Martian atmosphere, while still very thin, should be significantly thicker than what we observe today. Streamlining would have some value, even if it would not be essential. Titan has a very thick atmosphere, so I'm surprised that Mars does not have some small ships designed to deal with atmospheres.

[nickl]

There are no great filters but many smaller filters that block the development of live, the development multicellular life, the development of intelligent life, the development tool using life, the development of civilization, the development of technological civilization, the development of space going civilization and the development of space colonization

[benfredericson]

Awesome video! Please do more, I really love it.

[Ulmaramlu]

#Cyllene Another thing about the Cyllene Scene: Jupiter is WAY off tilt! (8:33) One of the poles is completely in darkness, the other in sunlight. Lots of artistic licence for those establishing shots.

[jamesp]

Hard Scfi has taught me so much, that's why I love it!

[EricTrang]

the first episode of the first season mentioned that Ceres had a lot of water could sustain generations. But it was stripped away by Mars and Earth. Mainly Mars.