Lex Fridman Podcast: #201 – Konstantin Batygin: Planet 9 and the Edge of Our Solar System

Lex Fridman Lex Fridman 7/19/21 - Episode Page

Konstantin Batygin is a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:

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EPISODE LINKS:

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Konstantin’s Website https://www.konstantinbatygin.com/

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OUTLINE:

Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) – Introduction

(07:17) – Overview of our Solar System

(22:14) – What is the Oort Cloud?

(27:10) – Life in the interstellar medium

(28:42) – Are there aliens out there?

(31:22) – How unique is Earth?

(34:02) – Did Jupiter destroy early planets?

(40:16) – How hard is it to simulate the Universe?

(44:49) – Quantum mechanics in evolution of objects in the Solar system

(49:15) – Simulating the first formations around the Sun

(55:02) – Will it be possible to simulate the full history of the Solar System?

(57:23) – How far should we go with the simulation?

(59:43) – Increasing immersion in video games

(1:06:09) – What is Planet Nine?

(1:12:37) – The origin of life

(1:15:02) – Evidence of Planet Nine

(1:17:32) – Discovery of Neptune

(1:18:42) – When will we find Planet Nine?

(1:21:21) – Planet Nine throws rocks into the Kuiper Belt

(1:25:15) – Could Planet Nine be a primordial black hole?

(1:35:20) – Commercial space revolution boosts science and the human condition

(1:42:46) – Solving sex in space

(1:43:24) – Would humans evolve if we couldn’t see the stars?

(1:49:08) – Military funding and science

(1:53:11) – Is Oumuamua space junk from a distant alien civilization?

(2:06:33) – Wild ideas create the future

(2:14:22) – The perfect place to die

(2:16:03) – Greatest song of all time

(2:22:34) – Music enables science for Konstantin

(2:24:51) – Music practice tips for busy people

(2:28:41) – Memories of 1990s Russia

(2:35:14) – Advice for young people

(2:41:10) – Meaning of life