Space Nuts Episode 502: Q&A on Black Holes, Cosmic Temperatures, and Starshot Missions
Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this engaging Q&A episode of Space Nuts, where they tackle a variety of intriguing questions from listeners around the globe. From the mysteries of black holes to the minimum temperature of space and the ambitious Starshot mission, this episode is packed with thought-provoking insights and lively discussions.
Episode Highlights:
- Black Hole Plasma Beams: Listener James from New Orleans sparks a fascinating discussion about plasma beams emanating from the M87 black hole and the recycling of matter in the universe. Andrew and Fred explore the implications of cooling plasma and its potential to change states.
- Minimum Temperature of Space: Buddy from Morgan raises a thought-provoking question about whether the minimum temperature of space will continue to drop as the universe expands. The duo dives into cosmic background radiation and its effects on the elements in the universe.
- Light and Gas Pressure: Jacob from Western Australia asks whether gas pressure can affect light. Andrew and Fred clarify the relationship between light, pressure, and the fascinating phenomenon of light refraction.
- Starshot Mission Hypotheticals: Ash from Brisbane presents a mind-bending hypothetical about launching a micro spacecraft to Alpha Centauri at a right angle to the galactic plane. The team calculates the time it would take to observe our galaxy from the outside, revealing the vastness of space travel.
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Stay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.
00:00 - Introduction and audience questions
02:15 - Discussion on black hole plasma beams
10:30 - Minimum temperature of space and its implications
18:00 - Light behavior under gas pressure
26:45 - Starshot mission hypothetical and calculations
30:00 - Listener Ash engagement and closing thoughts
✍️ Episode References
Hubble Telescope Observations of M87
https://www.nasa.gov/hubble (https://www.nasa.gov/hubble)
Cosmic Background Radiation Studies
https://www.nasa.gov/cosmic-background-radiation (https://www.nasa.gov/cosmic-background-radiation)
Starshot Mission Overview
https://www.breakthroughinitiatives.org/initiatives/starshot (https://www.breakthroughinitiatives.org/initiatives/starshot)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-exploring-the-cosmos--2631155/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-exploring-the-cosmos--2631155/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25980967?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hi there thanks for joining us on a Q&A
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 edition of Space Nuts my name is Andrew
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Dunley it's always good to have your
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 company thanks for joining us all right
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 uh what are we doing today we're
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 answering audience questions from all
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 around the place well mainly Australia
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 but one from New Orleans asking about
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 black holes and plasma
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 bursts uh and Jordy wants to know where
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 his food is we're also talking about the
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 minimum temperature of space the effect
00:00:27 --> 00:00:31 of gas on light and the starshot mission
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 that's all coming up in this edition of
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 Space Nuts 15 seconds guidance is
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 internal 10 9 ignition sequence start
00:00:41 --> 00:00:47 Space Nuts 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 5 Space
00:00:47 --> 00:00:51 Nuts asut reported feels good and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 joining us along with Jordy not jonty
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 Jordy uh it's Professor Fred Watson
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 astronomer at large hello Fred hello
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 Andrew uh yes John um J J's in the
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 back J's
00:01:04 --> 00:01:09 not yeah Jordi the dog J the que he's um
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 he's always welcome on the show always
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 welcome on the show yeah he had a good
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 walk with me this morning good F I'm
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 sure he did um now you're so tall and
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 he's so small I bet his legs go 20 to
00:01:21 --> 00:01:25 the Dozen quite cute to watch be like a
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 little wind
00:01:26 --> 00:01:30 up it's what he's like yeah absolutely
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 oh gosh um now I I we we we've got some
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 questions a couple of texts and a couple
00:01:35 --> 00:01:39 of audio now I must uh preempt this by
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 saying I had an ey check this morning
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 and I had to have my pupils dilated
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 right now what I'm looking at is
00:01:47 --> 00:01:51 absolute gobbly cook and it's very hard
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 for me to read so please do you want me
00:01:52 --> 00:01:56 to read it I have I'll give it a go give
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 it a go yeah everything's it's all
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 double vision and
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 blurry um but anyway let's let's see
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 what uh happens this this question comes
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 from Jim in New Orleans I read where the
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 Hubble telescope last fall I assume you
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 mean Autumn for the people in the rest
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 of the world um I read where the Hubble
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 telescope last fall observed what
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 appeared to be a plasma beam of 3
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 light years emanating from the black
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 hole at the center of Galaxy m87 doing
00:02:24 --> 00:02:28 well so far uh that black hole was
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 estimated to be 6.5
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 billion solar masses I realize that
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 questions concerning black holes are
00:02:35 --> 00:02:39 rather rare on the podcast however I
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 understand that when a plasma cools on
00:02:42 --> 00:02:43 Earth it can either return to its
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 original original gaseous Elemental
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 state or it can potentially reform into
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 completely different elements given the
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 near absolute zero temperatures in space
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 I believe that at some point the plasma
00:02:56 --> 00:03:00 beam from uh black hole uh at the black
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 hole at m87 will eventually cool rather
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 than being cursed as the ultimate
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 destroyer of matter in the universe
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 perhaps black holes should be considered
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 the ultimate Recyclers of matter instead
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 love the podcast uh all the best cheers
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 Jim in New
00:03:17 --> 00:03:21 Orleans uh is he on the money well it's
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 an interesting question yes uh I mean I
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 think he's he's right in the sense that
00:03:26 --> 00:03:30 the plasma when it cools um will
00:03:30 --> 00:03:34 will uh essentially turn you know but
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 what's a plasma a plasma is an ionized
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 gas so it's a gas with an electrical
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 charge it's an electrified gas yeah when
00:03:41 --> 00:03:45 it loses its charge it basically stays
00:03:45 --> 00:03:50 the same gas uh but is cooler uh now the
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 completely different elements idea would
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 involve nuclear processes uh because
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 that's the only way you can change the
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 elements despite what the what the
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 Alchemists used to try and do you can do
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 it with accelerators and it may well be
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 that the conditions in some plasmas like
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 the one from the m87 black hole maybe
00:04:12 --> 00:04:16 they do um have collisions between the
00:04:16 --> 00:04:20 uh the ionized atoms uh that are of such
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 high energy that you might split them or
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 something of that sort I'm not familiar
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 with that because I'm not a particle
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 physicist but in that regard yes if that
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 happens you've got nice recycling
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 process which um you know is what goes
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 on in the nuclear reactor as well uh but
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 nice to hear from your Jim glad you're
00:04:38 --> 00:04:42 enjoying the podcast too yeah um there's
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 so much happening when it comes to black
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 holes I mean there's just yes you know
00:04:46 --> 00:04:50 it's not just the plasma it's it's
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 um you know the hunger if I use that
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 term black holes are they get the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 munchies they probably smoke too much
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 pot um
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 that what happens when you smoke too
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 much part apparently I've been told yeah
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 yeah a medical paper
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 once I spent a lot of time reading those
00:05:11 --> 00:05:15 um but yeah they're very active um parts
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 of the the universe and there's so much
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 we know that they do but we don't know
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 so much more about them and uh we've
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 only in recent times been able to image
00:05:26 --> 00:05:30 them yep not so much photographs but uh
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 it was infrared wasn't it it's radio
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 signals and the Event Horizon telescope
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 that's right and that's where this image
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 comes from that that Jim's talking about
00:05:39 --> 00:05:44 okay so um yeah the and and we get so
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 very many questions about them they
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 they're one of the great
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 Mysteries um sorry and I'll just correct
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 what I just said uh the the Hubble
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 telescope is certainly um what observed
00:05:55 --> 00:06:00 that plasma beam uh but m87 of course
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 has had its its structure imaged by The
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 Event Horizon telescope sorry just just
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 correcting myself there that's okay it's
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 all good thank you Jim uh appreciate the
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 question H our next question comes from
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 one of our regulars uh buddy we'll see
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 what he's got on his mind this time well
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 hello space nuts this is Buddy from
00:06:21 --> 00:06:25 Morgan all right guys um I got one more
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 good one I'll leave you alone for a
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 while uh is the minimum temperature of
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 space like in the dark uh is that going
00:06:34 --> 00:06:38 to get lower as the universe spreads out
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 and if so is that going to affect how
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 things R in the universe react like is
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 that going to
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 make hydrogen or you know like turn
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 into a liquid or something um all right
00:06:50 --> 00:06:51 thanks
00:06:51 --> 00:06:55 guys uh thank you buddy um so as the
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 universe is expanding is the minimum
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 temperature of space going to get lower
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 and what effect might that have on the
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 elements I think that's sort of the
00:07:04 --> 00:07:09 pricey that's a nice pricey and uh Bud's
00:07:09 --> 00:07:13 rice it is getting lower oh uh so uh the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 minimum temperature of space
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 is essentially the temperature uh that
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 we record from the cosmic background
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 radiation which is 2.7 de above absolute
00:07:25 --> 00:07:29 zero uh so 2.7 de Kelvin is the temp
00:07:29 --> 00:07:33 temperature of space uh and uh if you
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 think about what that temperature was
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 when the universe was much younger than
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 it is
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 now uh certainly in the aftermath of the
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 big bang that temperature was you know
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 five six 7 degrees Kelvin so as the
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 universe has expanded that temperature
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 has fallen and so that 2.7 degrees is
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 what we have now and as the universe
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 continues to expand it will continue to
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 cool but not at a r that would ever be
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 detectable by human instruments but it
00:08:03 --> 00:08:07 is cooling um whether that changes the
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 you know the circumstances of clouds of
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 gas or whatever is a different question
00:08:12 --> 00:08:17 and I suspect the answer is no uh it may
00:08:17 --> 00:08:18 you know it would have a superficial
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 effect uh but I don't think it's got any
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 really fundamental effect on the makeup
00:08:24 --> 00:08:28 of the of the cosmos okay um let's focus
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 on the the Kelvin scale for a moment uh
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 it's it's a measure of temperature based
00:08:35 --> 00:08:39 on the absolute absolute zero lowest
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 temperature that that's right so and the
00:08:42 --> 00:08:46 and that temperature is defined by being
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 the temperature at which all motion of
00:08:49 --> 00:08:53 atoms stops right so temperature is
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 vibration of atoms so as a solid gets
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 warmer the atoms vibrate more as a
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 liquid gets warmer the atoms sort of
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 slush around more and as a gas gets
00:09:03 --> 00:09:07 warmer the atoms whiz around much faster
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 uh in in space so um the three states of
00:09:09 --> 00:09:14 matter there uh that's that's to say
00:09:14 --> 00:09:18 that um uh at at Zer degrees Kelvin uh
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 all Atomic motion stops okay and we know
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 it's Absolut zero I think um some Modern
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 Laboratories have got within a gazillion
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 of a degree of absolute zero but it's
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 one of those things you can never
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 actually reach uh and and get something
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 that's whose atoms have stopped as far
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 as I know um I might be wrong there they
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 might be physics Laboratories where
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 that's actually been done right well if
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 you have yeah chances are if you did
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 achieve it you'd never get home from
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 work quite you wouldn't be able to
00:09:46 --> 00:09:50 move to move yeah yeah so so obviously
00:09:50 --> 00:09:54 this is a dumb question but um if you
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 like when you freeze a tray of ice in
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 your fridge you got an oldfashioned
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 fridge like me with you have to actually
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 get the thing out fill it with water and
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 put it in wait we do that too yeah um
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 that's not absolute zero there's so
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 there's still movement yeah in the atoms
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 in the atoms yes that's right even
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 though the The Ice looks pretty inert uh
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 the fact that it's probably uh well
00:10:18 --> 00:10:22 absolute zero is minus 273 degrees C so
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 if you're cooling it down to you know
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 minus33 or something then you've still
00:10:26 --> 00:10:31 got another 260° P to go before you get
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 to absolute zero so there's still plenty
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 of movement in the atoms of your ice
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 yeah what about out in the depths of the
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 solar system where the ice is so cold
00:10:40 --> 00:10:44 that it's rock the same as rock here is
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 that is that anywhere near absolute zero
00:10:46 --> 00:10:51 it's about um uh minus 190 on the
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 surface of Titan which is where ice is
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 certainly effectively Rock it's as hard
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 as rock uh hard as Granite I think was
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 the way jonty described it last week
00:11:01 --> 00:11:05 yeah um but even then you're still you
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 know 83 degrees away from absolute zero
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 wow it's a very very cold temperature
00:11:11 --> 00:11:16 sure is um yeah I I it's hard to imagine
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 that kind of cold when the temperature
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 outside here gets to 9 degrees that's
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 enough for me
00:11:22 --> 00:11:26 yes yeah yeah uh so just to clarify one
00:11:26 --> 00:11:31 more point point um so absolute zero
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 even though the universe is cooling
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 absolute zero is still absolute zero
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 that's not going to water that's right
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 yes that's right and and the universe
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 isn't at that temperature yet it's 2.7
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 degrees above it still okay yeah and
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 that's the leftover heat of the Big Bang
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 right but it's slowly diminishing is as
00:11:51 --> 00:11:54 the universe expands that's right but it
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 could take a while to get down could it
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 ever get
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 down it it will probably as time you
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 know if the universe carries on behaving
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 as it does now uh as it continues to
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 expand yep the temperature will continue
00:12:06 --> 00:12:10 to go down uh it will never reach
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 absolute zero it might approach it
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 asymptotically which means it gets
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 nearer and nearer but takes longer and
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 longer to do that right okay very
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 interesting great question bud thanks
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 sending it in good to hear from you as
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 always this is Space Nuts Andrew Dunley
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 here with professor Fred
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 Watson let's take a short break from
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 Space Nuts to tell you about our sponsor
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00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 SPAC nuts you'll be very glad you did
00:14:28 --> 00:14:34 I'm sure now back to the show 3 2 1
00:14:34 --> 00:14:37 Space Nuts now if my eyes do not deceive
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 me I have a text question in front of me
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 or it could just be a message from my
00:14:40 --> 00:14:44 wife that I probably shouldn't read uh
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 no it's a question we know that light
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 travels at slightly different speeds in
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 different mediums uh we also see
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 different mediums affect light via
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 refraction since this is somewhat
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 related to the density of gas can
00:14:59 --> 00:15:03 pressure affect this uh if we go to the
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 extreme case is it possible for enough
00:15:05 --> 00:15:09 pressure of a gas I assume cloud or or
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 enough pressure over a gas in general to
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 push back on light itself and stop it
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 that comes from Jacob in Western
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 Australia um I assume Western Australia
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 it could be an American state that has
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 the abbreviation wa I believe there is
00:15:23 --> 00:15:28 one so could be either but um I this
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 reminds me of an experiment they did not
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 so long ago where they actually did
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 claim to have stopped light yeah that's
00:15:36 --> 00:15:40 right um it's so you can stop photons um
00:15:41 --> 00:15:45 and I'm not sure about the mechanism
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 that is used to do that it's not just
00:15:47 --> 00:15:50 pressure um there's more to it than that
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 I think it involves basically grabbing
00:15:52 --> 00:15:56 hold of photons using optical
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 tweezers uh to stop the light uh and so
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 you can stop light it's been done
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 exactly as you've said Andrew but it's
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 not just pressure pressures does have an
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 interesting I mean it does affect the
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 gas so refraction the refraction of gas
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 is invent is uh affected by the pressure
00:16:14 --> 00:16:19 of the gas um what also is affected is
00:16:19 --> 00:16:22 if you send light of a single
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 wavelength through a gas at high
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 pressure um it will spread into adjacent
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 wavelengths
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 uh it means that you know the way we see
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 it is as a spectrum line if you send
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 that light through a through a rain
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 sorry a a prism or something like that
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 uh you'll end up with a single line of
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 light corresponding to that color which
00:16:43 --> 00:16:46 corresponds to a certain wavelength
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 pressure actually broadens that and so
00:16:49 --> 00:16:52 these lines become wider uh the process
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 is called guess what pressure broadening
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 uh and um and that's what um that's what
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 we see uh and that's actually how we can
00:17:00 --> 00:17:04 use uh light from stars to measure the
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 pressure in the atmosphere of the star
00:17:06 --> 00:17:11 uh by how much the line line of light is
00:17:11 --> 00:17:16 broadened okay okay all right um I I was
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 just reading something that um because
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 we we were talking about the fact that
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 they have stopped light in a
00:17:23 --> 00:17:27 lab um the way they did it was um they
00:17:27 --> 00:17:31 used a as you said a special medium um
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 like a cloud of ultra cold atoms yes
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 that's right who trap the lights photons
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 and it effectively brought the light to
00:17:39 --> 00:17:42 a complete standstill for a brief period
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 and that was work that was pioneered by
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 physicists um lean
00:17:47 --> 00:17:52 how uh from the Bose Einstein
00:17:52 --> 00:17:56 um condensate condensate condensate yeah
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 condensate so yes my eyes out work
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 working yeah well you're doing well
00:18:00 --> 00:18:02 actually you're doing very well if I the
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 eyes that you've got at the moment I
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 couldn't read any of the stuff that
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 you're looking at um a Bose Einstein
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 condenser is
00:18:09 --> 00:18:14 basically uh a it say peculiar state of
00:18:14 --> 00:18:16 matter where it behaves as a single
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 Quantum
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 object uh so you know you you put all
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 the atoms together and they all behave
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 like one object it's a bit like
00:18:24 --> 00:18:27 entanglement right it's headachy stuff
00:18:27 --> 00:18:30 isn't it it is yeah a very heada
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 yeah um we gave jonty a lot of headaches
00:18:33 --> 00:18:37 while he was oh good well that's good he
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 complain keep every time he
00:18:39 --> 00:18:43 was constantly having headaches um all
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 right uh so we covered Jacob's question
00:18:46 --> 00:18:49 effectively I hope so um it's really all
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 I've got to say about it unless you want
00:18:51 --> 00:18:55 to throw in a couple of Oh no you're
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 getting into the realm of Science
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 Fiction if you asked me to start talking
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 about
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 that's all right that's perfectly
00:19:01 --> 00:19:06 acceptable thanks Jacob uh great
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 question okay we checked all four
00:19:08 --> 00:19:12 systems and It Go space Nets and our
00:19:12 --> 00:19:15 final question today comes from Ash in
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 Brisbane Fred and Andrew ash from
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 Brisbane
00:19:19 --> 00:19:22 here got a bit of a mind B agressive for
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 you I'm just wondering if we were to
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 take one of the Breakthrough star shot
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 micro spacecraft that we're going to
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32 send through D centor but launch it 90
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 degre to the plane of our
00:19:34 --> 00:19:37 galaxy how far and for how long would it
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 have to travel before it could look back
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 and see what our galaxy looks like from
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 the outside interested to hear your
00:19:43 --> 00:19:47 thoughts see you guys love the show bye
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 thank you Ash uh I'm thinking that
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 question came from one of
00:19:51 --> 00:19:54 the um hypotheticals that were thrown at
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 us recently asking if we could go
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 anywhere in the
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 universe and look at something what
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 would it be and and your answer was to
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 go outside our galaxy and look back at
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 it and see what it really looked like
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 yeah that's right I think that's where
00:20:10 --> 00:20:13 that one's come from yeah so if starshot
00:20:13 --> 00:20:15 was able to do that uh how long would it
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 take to get out there far enough for us
00:20:18 --> 00:20:21 to be able to look back and go oh look
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 there's our oh gosh we need to take the
00:20:22 --> 00:20:26 garbage out
00:20:26 --> 00:20:29 um um so uh
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 the answer rather remarkably Andrew is a
00:20:32 --> 00:20:35 number that you quoted in our last
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 400 years that's
00:20:39 --> 00:20:41 right so I'm doing that as a calculation
00:20:41 --> 00:20:46 in my head so star shot is the it's
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 breakthrough star shot is still just a
00:20:49 --> 00:20:52 concept uh investigator that the idea
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54 with the project breakthrough star shot
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 was to look at the possibilities of
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 accelerating a spacecraft smaller than
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 your mobile phone uh to something like a
00:21:01 --> 00:21:04 quarter of the speed of light so that
00:21:04 --> 00:21:08 you get to Alpha centu maybe in um
00:21:08 --> 00:21:12 rather than in you know 4.3 years um you
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 get there in 16 years or something like
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 that 4.3 years is how long it would take
00:21:16 --> 00:21:19 for light to get to us yeah uh you could
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 do it in 16 years if you were traveling
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 at four times quarter of the speed of
00:21:23 --> 00:21:26 light with conventional Rockets it takes
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 about 60 years so that's the
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 difference
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 so if you all right so you accelerate
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 your spacecraft to a quarter of the
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 speed of light I reckon you need to be
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 100 light years above the plane to
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 see our galaxy in all its Splendor
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 because that's its diameter it's 100
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45 light years in diameter so you you know
00:21:45 --> 00:21:50 push back um push out 400 100
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 light years you'll see the whole thing
00:21:52 --> 00:21:54 um at a quarter of the speed of light
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 that's going to take you 400 years
00:21:56 --> 00:22:00 so it's not a quick trip no no and um
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02 yeah it it makes it very hard to um to
00:22:02 --> 00:22:06 arrange really because time it's there
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 no one all remembered
00:22:08 --> 00:22:11 it why it was sent what it was and then
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 of course it sends back the photo it's
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17 800 years 800 years yeah that's
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20 right no um actually it's not it's no
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 it's
00:22:21 --> 00:22:23 500 because because the light
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 travels back at you know speed of light
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 speed of light of course half a million
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 half a million years for the the full
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 mission yeah that's doable I think
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 Andrew don't you oh you
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 know I I'm I'm a fairly patient person
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 I'm just sure I'm patient that patient
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 enough for that no me neither do you
00:22:42 --> 00:22:46 think star shot will happen though no um
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 I think I think the results that are
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 coming out are promising uh but the star
00:22:50 --> 00:22:54 shot is only a project to investigate
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 whether it's feasible uh so that will
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 wind up then somebody's got to put the
00:22:58 --> 00:23:01 money in yeah to not just build the
00:23:01 --> 00:23:04 spacecraft which is probably quite cheap
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 because it's small uh but to arrange for
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09 that myar light sale that's going to
00:23:09 --> 00:23:12 catch the Light of the laser and the Big
00:23:12 --> 00:23:15 Ticket item is the laser itself yeah we
00:23:15 --> 00:23:17 currently don't have a laser that's
00:23:17 --> 00:23:19 anywhere near powerful enough uh to
00:23:19 --> 00:23:22 accelerate something to the quarter of
00:23:22 --> 00:23:26 the speed of light which leads me to um
00:23:26 --> 00:23:28 a question without notice because we've
00:23:28 --> 00:23:30 actually I think in recent weeks or
00:23:30 --> 00:23:33 months had two or three questions
00:23:33 --> 00:23:37 directly related to sending a mission to
00:23:37 --> 00:23:41 Alpha centur using laser guided
00:23:41 --> 00:23:44 spacecraft um this this is not science
00:23:44 --> 00:23:47 fiction this is this is feasible yeah
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50 and and doable uh we've been doing all
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 sorts of experiments with spacecraft
00:23:51 --> 00:23:54 sitting send sending up wooden
00:23:54 --> 00:23:56 satellites and things like that but but
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 this would probably be
00:23:59 --> 00:24:01 one of the most efficient ways to send a
00:24:01 --> 00:24:04 long haul spacecraft to another place
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 yeah so so you're quite right it is
00:24:06 --> 00:24:08 doable it's feasible yeah uh but you
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10 need the technology which we don't have
00:24:10 --> 00:24:14 at the moment and um I mean we should
00:24:14 --> 00:24:17 put a footnote in that it has been done
00:24:17 --> 00:24:19 there as light sell experiments have
00:24:19 --> 00:24:22 already been done uh in orbit around the
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 Earth just by the spacecraft deploying a
00:24:24 --> 00:24:28 very large sheet of myar uh and the the
00:24:28 --> 00:24:31 ground controllers noticing the change
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 in the acceleration of the spacecraft as
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 a result of that that's that's been done
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 and I think you and I covered it
00:24:36 --> 00:24:40 actually on one of the shows um so so
00:24:40 --> 00:24:43 the principle Works uh light sale that's
00:24:43 --> 00:24:47 a principle that will actually work well
00:24:47 --> 00:24:51 uh but for the kind of figures that you
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 were talking about sending a spacecraft
00:24:52 --> 00:24:56 to alha centor you need such a big laser
00:24:56 --> 00:24:59 uh that we we simply don't at the moment
00:24:59 --> 00:25:02 and it may even you might even have to
00:25:02 --> 00:25:05 uh put it into orbit around the Earth
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 because if you had it on the ground it
00:25:06 --> 00:25:08 might fry the atmosphere or something
00:25:08 --> 00:25:10 like that oh that would be fun yeah yeah
00:25:10 --> 00:25:13 it would yeah we do yeah we really need
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 that
00:25:14 --> 00:25:18 um yeah I I love that it's feasible uh I
00:25:18 --> 00:25:21 I I have a a sneaking suspicion that we
00:25:21 --> 00:25:23 could never do it out of Australia
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 because of electricity prices and you're
00:25:25 --> 00:25:27 talking about leaving a light on for 16
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 years I mean let's face it yes and it's
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 a big light too not feasible in
00:25:31 --> 00:25:34 Australia not not not with what we pay
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 for we get a
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38 bill um another thing that uh has
00:25:38 --> 00:25:41 fascinated me in recent times uh and I
00:25:41 --> 00:25:43 read a couple stories like this when you
00:25:43 --> 00:25:47 were a away FR was uh the uh the ongoing
00:25:47 --> 00:25:50 development into new engine technology
00:25:50 --> 00:25:52 for space travel and I know NASA has
00:25:52 --> 00:25:54 been working on something called the
00:25:54 --> 00:26:00 deep space engine it's a um um it's a
00:26:00 --> 00:26:03 Thruster uh that is showing a heck of a
00:26:03 --> 00:26:06 lot of Promise uh in terms of its power
00:26:06 --> 00:26:08 uh it's a lowcost chemical compound
00:26:08 --> 00:26:11 engine uh it's
00:26:11 --> 00:26:13 lightweight uh and it promises to do
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15 some pretty amazing things if they can
00:26:15 --> 00:26:17 perfect it there's the we we're on the
00:26:17 --> 00:26:20 cusp of probably achieving breakthrough
00:26:20 --> 00:26:23 technology in terms of speed and and
00:26:23 --> 00:26:25 Long Haul space travel by the sound of
00:26:25 --> 00:26:28 it yeah I think we covered
00:26:28 --> 00:26:32 um some stories last year about the new
00:26:32 --> 00:26:34 Iron drives and plasma drives and things
00:26:34 --> 00:26:38 like that all very promising yeah I yeah
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 I think it's uh it's a pretty exciting
00:26:39 --> 00:26:42 time and uh there's a lot of development
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 going on a lot of money being poured
00:26:43 --> 00:26:46 into it because there are rewards to be
00:26:46 --> 00:26:50 gained if you can get out there yeah and
00:26:50 --> 00:26:52 you probably don't like the idea but
00:26:52 --> 00:26:55 they you know we've already spoken about
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 uh in the last episode or two about
00:26:57 --> 00:27:00 asteroids mining that's a um that's a
00:27:00 --> 00:27:03 mission test that's been um well as we
00:27:03 --> 00:27:06 talked about in the previous episode has
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08 fallen foul unfortunately but that
00:27:08 --> 00:27:10 that's just the beginning that's just
00:27:10 --> 00:27:12 going to be it will continue on and of
00:27:12 --> 00:27:15 course mining the moon for that um that
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 that mineral that's not so common on
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 Earth can't remember the name of it
00:27:19 --> 00:27:21 something called water I think no no
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 there's something El there something
00:27:22 --> 00:27:25 else up there that they well helium 3 is
00:27:25 --> 00:27:28 things that's it so there's a lot going
00:27:28 --> 00:27:33 on and um yeah I'm sorry to say that uh
00:27:33 --> 00:27:35 profits probably the driving force
00:27:35 --> 00:27:37 behind it in the end that's right it's a
00:27:37 --> 00:27:40 very human thing to do
00:27:40 --> 00:27:44 yep essentially all right thank you Ash
00:27:44 --> 00:27:46 uh thanks for the question great to hear
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48 from you and don't forget if you've got
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 questions for us you're always welcome
00:27:49 --> 00:27:53 to send them to us via our website Space
00:27:53 --> 00:27:56 Nuts podcast.com or SPAC
00:27:56 --> 00:27:59 nuts. and you just click on the little
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 thing at the top called amaama now I
00:28:00 --> 00:28:02 know some time ago someone said can you
00:28:02 --> 00:28:04 change it to something else so that we
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06 know where to send
00:28:06 --> 00:28:09 questions still working on that not sure
00:28:09 --> 00:28:11 where that's up to I'll have to check
00:28:11 --> 00:28:13 with you in the studio as to where
00:28:13 --> 00:28:16 that's up to but uh yeah the AMA button
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 at the top is the one you click on when
00:28:17 --> 00:28:19 you click on that which I'm doing right
00:28:19 --> 00:28:22 now you can send it a text question just
00:28:22 --> 00:28:24 um with your name email address and the
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00:28:27 --> 00:28:29 if you've got a a device with a
00:28:29 --> 00:28:32 microphone it's really quite simple and
00:28:32 --> 00:28:34 while you're on the website um just
00:28:34 --> 00:28:38 randomly click on all I don't know
00:28:38 --> 00:28:41 shop speaking about profitable humans
00:28:41 --> 00:28:43 and look at all the Space Nuts
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 paraphernalia you can get stickers you
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 can get t-shirts you can get mugs you
00:28:47 --> 00:28:51 can get uh polo shirts dad hats bucket
00:28:51 --> 00:28:53 hats uh for those of you that live in
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00:28:58 --> 00:29:01 all with the Space Nuts Space Nuts logo
00:29:01 --> 00:29:04 you can even get Space Nuts socks I need
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 one of those beanies for the next time
00:29:05 --> 00:29:08 we go the Arctic yes
00:29:08 --> 00:29:10 yes when we when we're up above the
00:29:10 --> 00:29:12 Arctic later this year even though it'll
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 be summer the temperatures that we don't
00:29:13 --> 00:29:16 get down to here in Winter essentially
00:29:16 --> 00:29:19 so we've bought e muffs so we should get
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21 some space nuts e muffs I reckon uh
00:29:21 --> 00:29:23 there's also the uh the Space Nuts
00:29:23 --> 00:29:26 hoodie that that's a fun item you if you
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 know if you want to scare people
00:29:28 --> 00:29:30 not just space nut but you got a space
00:29:30 --> 00:29:34 nut hoodie on that'll freak people
00:29:34 --> 00:29:37 out yeah so that's all on the Space Nuts
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 website and plenty of other things to
00:29:38 --> 00:29:40 see and do there and if you want to
00:29:40 --> 00:29:42 become a Space Nuts supporter you can do
00:29:42 --> 00:29:45 that on the Space Nuts Space Nuts
00:29:45 --> 00:29:47 website as well and thank you to all of
00:29:47 --> 00:29:50 our patrons uh we um we think you are
00:29:50 --> 00:29:53 awesome U thanks for getting behind
00:29:53 --> 00:29:57 us uh and did I say goodbye Fred I'm not
00:29:57 --> 00:29:59 sure whether you got there not thank you
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 Fred
00:30:00 --> 00:30:02 [Laughter]
00:30:02 --> 00:30:04 nice good to talk to you Andrew and we
00:30:04 --> 00:30:07 shall speak again soon we will indeed
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 and uh that's Professor Fred Watson
00:30:08 --> 00:30:10 astronomer at large and thanks to H in
00:30:10 --> 00:30:12 the studio who couldn't be with us today
00:30:12 --> 00:30:14 because he actually thought star shot
00:30:14 --> 00:30:17 was real and um he went bought a
00:30:17 --> 00:30:20 ticket only it cost him a million bucks
00:30:20 --> 00:30:23 so he's out doing his second and third
00:30:23 --> 00:30:25 job to pay it off from me Andrew Dunley
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 thanks for your coming in catch you on
00:30:26 --> 00:30:28 the next episode of Space Nuts until
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 then
00:30:29 --> 00:30:32 bye-bye you been listening to the Space
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