China's Space Science, Colour of Neutron Stars, Sun's 11-Year Cycle | Overtime Q&A 7

Why does the Sun have an 11-year cycle? Would I rather have a Venus mission or a Jovian moon mission? Do black holes attract other black holes? Can Chinese astronomers use Hubble/Webb? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Overtime Q&A.

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00:00 Start
00:46 Why does the Sun have an 11-year cycle?
02:13 Do all stars have a stellar cycle?
02:57 Why no probe to Oumuamua?
03:56 What got me into space in the first place?
08:13 Is that my real name?
08:56 Would I rather have a Venus mission or Jovian moon mission?
09:21 How does China do space science?
13:37 Can Chinese astronomers use Hubble/Webb?
14:25 Do I play video games?
18:30 What color are neutron stars?
19:10 Could Starship lower flight times?
19:55 Do black holes attract other black holes?
21:23 Have I ever seen a moose?
22:20 Is AI proceeding too quickly?
26:57 Do I use a special space ChatGPT?

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[EarlyRains]

You really really have to give Starcraft Brood War a chance again, best strategy game ever

[YTEdy]

I remember those time-life books. The universe was my favorite one. The image that disturbed me was the sun expanding and the Earth becoming uninhabitable - in 4 or 5 billion years, but it still disturbed me, as a kid.

[I.amthatrealJuan]

I still remember the moments that got me to be interested in space. When I was very young, there were moments where I was fixated on the moon, wondering how far it is because of how it doesn't seem to move relative to you regardless of how much your position changed (I was tinkering with the concept of parallax even before I knew the term). I also had a kid's book with an overview of the planets, constellations and the Milky Way during my preschool days and I found them mesmerizing. I started to stare at the night sky and find the patterns among the stars. My first meteor showers were the Geminids when I was 9, and it was unforgettable. I got gifted a telescope at 12 and it just took off even more. I could talk about a lot more memories, but the main point is that my curiosity was nurtured, not suppressed, and I'm grateful for that.

[wayneosborne]

You just inspired me. I have a giant cosmos book just sitting on my book shelf for years, looking good but not looked at it for ages. Just gave it to my son as he always wants to look at it but I was afraid he’d damage it. Your story of being inspired just made me realise that it’s more important than a few dog eared pages. Thanks man. Amazing work btw. ❤

[Alienalloy]

Born in 68. was lucky enough to see the last moon mission, a little boy that crept down stairs at 4 am to turn on the TV wanting to watch cartoons, all alone in the middle of a winters night, in a small fishing village at the extremities of a windswept rainy Cornwall in the UK on a black and white TV, i watched in wonder as the LAM moved slowly away from the service module, that lasted forever. the serendipity is, i remember around the same time looking through a neighbours window at my first ever colour TV, and playing on that TV... Star Trek.


Iv said before possibly here and other places, i hope to see the first man step on mars before i die, that would book mark my life just nicely, where we go next i don't think about, that's a dream for younger people, hopefully another 4 year old that watches it on a 65 inch plasma screen in a shiny tower.

[agentdarkboote]

I hope you include the new image of Polaris in the next space bites!

[rogerdudra]

Greetings from the BIG SKY of Montana. Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner held revered places in my house during the 1960's.

[DanielVerberne]

Beautiful scenery around you, Fraser! You're a living, breathing, intelligent and respectful advertisement for the wonders of Canada.

[brucethomas]

Thank you for your wonderful work. All the best to you!

[isaacplaysbass]

Chad, Anton, and you Fraser all rock! Plus the Universe today crew and contributors.

[mysterycrumble]

amazing take on China. love it. so true.

[ApteraEV]

24:15 What does Smarter Look Like? More Loving? Less Suffering? Ok. I’ll Take That!❤

[skywatcher]

The fact that you and I happen to play the same games is hilarious but also makes a lot of sense, given how much I enjoy the show.

[PaulShanley]

“FRASER CAIN”: I don’t like when people Google my name.

“PAUL SHANLEY”: Hold my beer.

[DGaryGrady]

Great and informative as usual. One minor quibble: You're right that a Starship refilled in orbit would have major advantages over a typical upper stage. But at the same time. the tyranny of the rocket equation would make the advantage a lot less than one might hope. Consider a rocket that's has a 9:1 ratio of wet mass to dry mass versus one with a 99:1 ratio. All else being equal, the latter would have a delta-v only twice that of the former despite carrying 11 times the propellant mass. The intuitive reason for this is that adding more fuel means adding more mass that has to be accelerated.

(It's really worse than this. The extra propellant would probably required larger tanks to hold it, which means an even greater amount of rocket + propellant relative to payload.)

There are basically three ways to do better. One is to use a gravitational assist. Another is to increase the speed at which propellant is ejected from the rocket. (Specific impulse is really just a scaled version of that.) The third is not to carry propellant inside the spacecraft and instead shoot something at it, which could be anything from photons to little rubber balls.

[GadZookz]

Big shoutout to the Parker solar probe. Parker, You Rock!👍🏼

[PaulShanley]

20:27 You said “black hole sun”.. +1 Cain!

[aalhard]

24:44 ALL YOUR BANANAS ARE BELONG TO US😂😂

[vicenzor]

Frasier was a tremendous show. Once of the best of all time.

[WeglowySzowinista]

More thank once have I thought "that sounds like comic book character name". Very cool.