Warp Drive and Aliens: Bryan Gaensler Public Lecture

In his live public lecture at Perimeter Institute on February 5, 2020, astronomer Bryan Gaensler (Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto) explored the latest thinking on interstellar travel and on the search for alien life – including why he believes the frontiers of current research may be more exciting and visionary than any fictional stories we can imagine.

[oldowl]

This was recorded on my 50th birthday so thank you! One thing I'd like to point out about UFO's that Mr. Gaensler wholly neglects to consider is that while yes, we do have cell phones with somewhat decent cameras, they are mainly designed for close up shots and not distance. It is also very difficult, if not impossible, to focus them on small objects that are far away, and especially anything in bad lighting or at night. For example, watch a plane fly by up in the sky and try and get a good picture of it. It is difficult if not impossible even under good conditions.

Secondly, most of the recent incidents of the last two decades that have been tracked by the military and also seen by commercial pilots are often over the ocean and or at very high altitudes. Lastly, we cannot just dismiss what is actual recorded evidence by the military and pilots including radar records of objects moving in and then back out of our atmosphere at extreme speeds that we humans are not nearly capable of. There is in fact a lot of evidence that cannot be easily shrugged off.

While some events can of course be explained by professional skeptics such as Mick West, there are still many more events which cannot be simply dismissed as "anomalies". And to be clear, it's very disturbing that people like this, people who are apparently smart and dedicated to their profession, would so quickly and wantonly dismiss such incidents simply because it's not really within their area of study (when in fact it kinda, sorta actually is lol).

My point is that these may just be the droids we are looking for. And just because we haven't figured everything out yet, it doesn't mean other potentially advanced civilizations who could have a million-year jump or more of evolution over us...already have figured things out. Just like how we are exploring Mars with what is essentially a drone, so could an advanced civilization explore us with super-advanced drones, possibly ones that are completely autonomous free-thinking AI that have developed over tens of thousands of years.

Think about what we have accomplished just in the last 50 years with technology and now add 1, 000 or 100, 000 years to that and think where we could be. Therefore we simply cannot rule out the possibility, however extreme and unimaginable, that in various places of our galaxy we may have neighbors who are doing or have already done the same and much greater. It is estimated that there are 100 Billion or more Red Dwarf stars in our Galaxy. There's quite a lot of potential out there. So I say.. let’s keep the faith!

[IVANHOECHAPUT]

I'm an author on the LIGO project. The explosion did not shake the universe afterward. The vibration is what's recorded just before the two neutron stars or black holes joined. This is the result of the two bodies rotating around each other as they get closer and closer. Right afterward, there is no vibration and no gravitational waves are produced from an explosion.

[Cheeseboardv]

can’t wait to watch and listen and not understand anything

[wendykleeb]

I am so thankful for astronomers! I cannot explore every interest I have, but I can be joyful about the discoveries of others! Thank you!

[Tubluer]

Around the thirteen minute mark we get done with the usual aimless intros and ten minutes of the speaker talking about himself, his childhood and career.

[toffotin]

I have to say this video was a bit of a let down. The title is "Warp Drive and Aliens" and all he really says about warp drives is "pfft. they'll probably never work".

[edpistemic]

Love this guy's simple, humble enthusiasm for his subject. Really nice lecture.

[spaceinvader]

This is a renowned scientist. Might not be a good talker to many people but he knows what's going on and all the basic knowledge and recent facts/findings. We are lucky to have experts like them to explore/prove what we can dream of. Enjoyed the summary/brushup of modern astronomy. G'day from Downunder.

[makinawake]

I am better off having seen this video. Thank you.

That being said, when I was in high school a loooong time ago I was shown a picture of an atom and told this is what it looks like.

Many years later...I came to understand that we didn't actually know what it looked like.

I felt a bit betrayed, and then reflected back on the absolute arrogance of the establishment.

Be vigilant. We don't know what we don't know so please be careful stating absolutes...

Thanks again. Really enjoyed.

[stevecollins]

Keep banging the rocks together guy's.

[hlr]

Yesss, A movie of Rendezvous with Rama.... Really required.

[JR-qweb]

I listen to a lot of documentories and this one is by far the best I have ever viewed. I learned meny things that I have pondered over and will watch it some more times to grasp some of the things I may have missed. Thank you for hosting this and binging it to the public eye.

[jimmywhite]

The Cat : So, what is it?

Kryten : I've never seen one before - no one has - but I'm guessing it's a white hole.

Rimmer : A *white* hole?

Kryten : Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the Universe; a white hole returns it.

Lister : So, that thing's spewing time...

Lister : [donning his fur-lined hat] ... back into the Universe?

Kryten : Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.

The Cat : So, what is it?

Kryten : I've never seen one before - no one has - but I'm guessing it's a white hole.

Rimmer : A *white* hole?

Kryten : Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the Universe; a white hole returns it.

Lister : [minus the hat] So, that thing's spewing time...

Lister : [donning his fur-lined hat, again] ... back into the Universe?

Kryten : Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.

Lister : What time phenomena?

Kryten : Like just then, when time repeated itself.

The Cat : So, what is it?

[phantomjoad]

Wanted: Warp drive and alien theories.
Got: Comparison of Hollywood and reality.

[richk]

Bryan is a genuinely fantastic person, teacher, and speaker,

[dawtrek]

If the neutron stars colliding was "felt" through the entire universe - was that "shock wave" across the space time fabric at the speed of light such that it coincided with the visual observation of the neutron stars as they collided? Was the shock wave a gravitation force spike/notch tugging on the space/time fabric? Is this why you suggested a black hole was created momentarily? Why would gravity 'waves" propagate at the speed of light? Is there a connection therefore? Is the universe infinite in distance yet expanding at the same time? If so is a gravitation tug responsible for this accelerating expansion in all directions? Why is there no observable light based phenomena for this expansion force? Does phenomena in the universe share any similarities as we approach "infinitely" small and infinitely large phenomena? If so is there any commonality between black holes and this accelerating expansion force? Thanks.

[Markoss]

1850 - Me: "In 2020 we can have billions of videos in one place and everybody on the planet can watch them in real time."
Man from 1850: What is the video?

[Revo]

From my understanding Aliens are using antigravity and they bend space like a fabric to shorten the distance from point A to point B, creating temporary wormholes to travel through. They may be interdimensional as well as interstellar.

[tedwalford]

Teleportation of humans has a big problem: The person being "sent" is deconstructed (and thus killed), while the sent image, while perhaps a perfect reconstruction of the body of the "sent" person, will be a manufactured body, a different instance, either lifeless or a potential host for a different consciousness.

[mef]

Who edited this lecture? 1:09:57 shows a full screen of some cartoon-like drawings then 1:10:03 zooms out when an actual image of an exo-solar-system is shown.