New Microbial Discoveries, Exoplanetary Controversies, and Music’s Cosmic Journey

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Language: en

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[Music]


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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, where we


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explore the vast frontiers of our


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universe and bring you the latest


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developments in space science and


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astronomical discoveries. And I know you


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were probably expecting to hear from


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Steve and Halley today, but


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unfortunately Steve has become a little


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busy and needs the day off. And


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consequently, Hie decided she'd do the


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same. So, I'm your host instead. My name


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is Anna, and I'm excited to share


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today's cosmic journey with you. We've


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got an incredible lineup of stories that


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highlight just how remarkable our quest


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to understand the universe truly is.


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From the microscopic to the massive,


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from nearby space stations to distant


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exoplanets, today's episode spans the


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full spectrum of space exploration. So,


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buckle up for a journey through the


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latest wonders and debates in astronomy


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and space exploration.


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In what might be one of the most


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intriguing discoveries in astrobiology


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this year, scientists have identified a


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completely new bacterium aboard China's


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Tiangong space station. This microscopic


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organism, which has been named Nalia


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Tiangongus, has never been documented on


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Earth before, raising fascinating


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questions about microbial adaptation and


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evolution in space


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environments. The discovery came through


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work led by Dr. Junia Yuen from the


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Shenzh Biotechnology Group in Beijing.


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Following detailed genetic and


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biochemical analysis of samples


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collected as part of the China space


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station habitation area microbiome


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program or CHAMP, researchers confirmed


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they were dealing with an entirely new


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species. What makes this tiny hitchhiker


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particularly interesting is how well


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suited it appears to be for life in


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orbit. The bacterium is rod-shaped and


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microscopic, but its most notable


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feature is its ability to form spores


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resilient structures that help certain


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microorganisms survive harsh conditions.


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This adaptation may be crucial for


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enduring the extreme radiation and


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microgravity environment hundreds of


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miles above Earth's surface. The


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researchers also noted that nalia


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tiangensis breaks down gelatin in a


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distinctive way which could be an


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important survival mechanism in the


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nutrient-l environment of a space


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station. This ability to efficiently


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process available resources might


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explain how the microbe has managed to


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thrive in such an isolated ecosystem.


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Space stations are essentially sealed


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habitats containing people, equipment,


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and countless microorganisms.


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Many of these microbes originate from


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crew members or cargo, making it


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challenging to determine whether this


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bacterium was a stowaway from Earth that


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developed new traits or if it somehow


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evolved in response to the unique


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conditions of space. Experts studying


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microbial behavior in orbit have


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previously observed how certain species


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can form bofilms, structured communities


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that increase resistance to


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environmental stressors. A NASA study on


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the International Space Station


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demonstrated that some microbes can


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develop heightened tolerance to the


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elevated radiation levels encountered in


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low Earth orbit. The new bacterium


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appears to be related to Nialia


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circulins, a known Earth microbe that


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can cause sepsis in people with


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compromised immune systems. However, it


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remains unclear whether this space


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station variant carries similar health


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risks or has acquired new properties


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that might affect its interaction with


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humans.


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This discovery underscores just how


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little we know about the vast array of


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microorganisms around us. While tens of


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thousands of bacterial species have been


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cataloged, billions more remain


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unidentified. The emergence of this


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space adapted bacterium serves as a


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reminder that life finds extraordinary


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ways to adapt to even the most extreme


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environments humans


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create. Next up, an update to a story we


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brought you some weeks ago. A scientific


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debate is heating up in the astronomy


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community over what would have been


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groundbreaking news, potential signs of


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life on an exoplanet. In 2023, a team


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from Cambridge University announced that


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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope had


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detected what appeared to be evidence of


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a liquid water ocean on


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K28b, a temperate subnune world about


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124 lighty years from Earth. Earlier


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this year, the same researchers doubled


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down on their claims, suggesting they


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had found even stronger evidence for


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possible alien life. The excitement


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centered around a tenative detection of


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dimethyl sulfide or DMS, a molecule that


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on Earth is produced exclusively by


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marine organisms. They also potentially


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identified DMDS, a close chemical


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relative that could similarly indicate


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biological processes. Combined with the


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possibility that K218b is what


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scientists call a highan world, a planet


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with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere above a


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liquid water ocean, these findings


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generated tremendous media attention and


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speculation about the first potential


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detection of alien life. However,


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independent research teams have been


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conducting their own analyses and the


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results are casting significant doubt on


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these claims. A new study led by Raphael


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Luke from the University of Chicago has


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re-examined the original data using a


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more comprehensive approach. Rather than


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analyzing data from each of web's


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instruments separately, Luke's team


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conducted a joint analysis using


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information from all three of the


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telescopes key instruments


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simultaneously. This approach ensures


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that scientists aren't telling what


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Luke's colleague, Michael Jen, calls


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contradictory stories about the same


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planet. When analyzing the combined data


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set, the researchers found that the


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signal for DMS or DMDS was much weaker


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than originally reported. So weak in


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fact that they described it as


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statistically


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insignificant. As team member Caroline


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Ple Gay explained, we never saw more


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than insignificant hints of either DMS


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or DMDS, and even these hints were not


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present in all data reductions. Their


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work suggests that the spectral features


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observed could be explained by other


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molecules commonly found in exoplanet


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atmospheres that aren't associated with


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life. This controversy highlights a


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fundamental challenge in the search for


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extraterrestrial life. The chemical


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signatures of potential bio signatures


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like DMS are incredibly subtle and can


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be easily confused with more common


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molecules. For instance, the difference


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between DMS and ethane, a common


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non-biological molecule in planetary


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atmospheres, is just one sulfur atom.


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While the web telescope represents a


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quantum leap in our observational


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capabilities, distinguishing between


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molecules with such similar structures


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remains extremely difficult, especially


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across distances measured in light


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years. As Ple Gore noted, until we can


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separate these signals more clearly, we


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have to be especially careful not to


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misinterpret them as signs of life.


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Okay, moving on to something a little


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more positive. Have you ever wondered


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how the light from stars billions of


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light years away manages to reach us


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without dimming into


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nothingness? This remarkable property of


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light was beautifully illustrated by an


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astrophysicist who captured images of


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the pinwheel galaxy from his San Diego


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backyard. When his wife asked if light


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gets tired during its 25 millionyear


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journey across 150 quintilion miles of


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space, it sparked a fascinating


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exploration of light's extraordinary


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nature. Light is fundamentally different


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from anything we encounter in our


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everyday lives. As electromagnetic


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radiation, it consists of coupled and


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magnetic waves traveling through


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spaceime. What makes light truly special


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is that it has no mass whatsoever. This


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seemingly simple characteristic has


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profound implications for how light


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behaves across cosmic


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distances. Because light is massless,


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it's not constrained by the limitations


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that affect physical objects. While


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everything with mass can only approach


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but never reach light speed, light


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itself travels at the universe's


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ultimate speed limit, approximately


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186,000 m/s, or nearly 6 trillion m. To


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put this incredible velocity into


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perspective, a single particle of light


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can circle our entire planet more than


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twice in the blink of an eye. When light


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travels unimpeded through the vacuum of


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space, it maintains this tremendous


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speed indefinitely without losing


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energy. This is counterintuitive to our


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everyday experience where moving objects


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eventually slow down due to friction or


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other. But in the vast emptiness between


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stars and galaxies, there's simply


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nothing to slow down.


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That's not to say that all light reaches


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us intact. Some photons do collide with


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interstellar dust particles or gas


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clouds along their journey, causing them


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to scatter or be absorbed. This is why


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distant celestial objects can appear


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dimmer or redder than they actually are,


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a phenomenon astronomers call


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extinction. However, the vast majority


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of photons travel through the nearly


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perfect vacuum of space without


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encountering any obstacles whatsoever.


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This ability to maintain energy over


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immense distances is directly tied to


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Einstein's theory of relativity.


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According to this revolutionary


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framework, time itself behaves


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differently depending on your speed and


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proximity to gravitational fields. For


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objects moving at extreme velocities,


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time actually slows down, a phenomenon


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called time dilation that has been


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repeatedly confirmed through precision


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experiments. For light, this time


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dilation reaches its theoretical


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maximum. If you could somehow ride


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alongside a photon, impossible since you


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have mass, you would experience


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something truly mindbending. From your


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perspective, time would completely stop.


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Meanwhile, space in your direction of


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travel would appear compressed to


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nothing. What we perceive as a journey


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of millions or billions of years would


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from the photon's frame of reference


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happen instantaneously.


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This peculiar relationship between light


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and spaceime explains how photons can


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travel such tremendous distances without


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degradation. From the photon's


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perspective, there is no journey at all.


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Just instantaneous transport from source


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to


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destination. Now imagine yourself as a


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photon, a massless particle of light


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traveling at the universe's speed limit.


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From your perspective, something truly


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extraordinary happens. Time completely


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stops. This isn't science fiction. It's


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a direct consequence of Einstein's


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theory of relativity that fundamentally


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changes how we must think about cosmic


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journeys. When we observe light from


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distant galaxies, we calculate travel


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times in the millions or billions of


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years. The photons reaching Earth from


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the pinwheel galaxy, for instance, have


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been traveling for 25 million years


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according to our earthbound clocks. But


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for the photon itself, this immense


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journey happens in an instant. Literally


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no time passes from its


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perspective. This mindbending reality


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occurs because as an object approaches


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the speed of light, time dilation


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becomes more pronounced. At exactly


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light speed, time dilation reaches its


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absolute maximum. If you could somehow


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attach a clock to a photon, which is


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impossible, that clock would never tick


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forward. The moment of emission and the


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moment of absorption would be the same


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moment. Even more strange is what


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happens to space from the photon's


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perspective. As velocity increases,


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space itself contracts in the direction


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of travel. For a photon moving at light


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speed, this contraction becomes


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complete. The entire distance between


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source and destination essentially


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shrinks to zero. So while we see vast


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gulfs of space separating cosmic objects


00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:30.310
from the photon's viewpoint, there is no


00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:32.949
separation at all. The star that emitted


00:11:32.959 --> 00:11:35.430
it and the telescope that detected it


00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.670
might be separated by billions of light


00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:39.750
in our reference frame. But to the


00:11:39.760 --> 00:11:42.190
photon, they occupy the same point in


00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:44.150
spaceime. This reveals something


00:11:44.160 --> 00:11:45.670
profound about the nature of our


00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:48.069
universe. The cosmic speed limit isn't


00:11:48.079 --> 00:11:50.470
just an arbitrary rule. It's woven into


00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.670
the fabric of reality itself. As objects


00:11:53.680 --> 00:11:55.670
approach this limit, the very concepts


00:11:55.680 --> 00:11:57.910
of time and distance transform in ways


00:11:57.920 --> 00:11:59.509
that preserve the consistency of


00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.790
physical laws throughout the


00:12:01.800 --> 00:12:04.790
universe. Next on our agenda today, a


00:12:04.800 --> 00:12:06.629
UK- based space propulsion startup


00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:08.629
called Pulsar Fusion has recently


00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:10.790
unveiled an ambitious concept that could


00:12:10.800 --> 00:12:12.150
revolutionize our approach to


00:12:12.160 --> 00:12:14.550
interplanetary travel. Their Sunbird


00:12:14.560 --> 00:12:16.870
migratory transfer vehicle represents a


00:12:16.880 --> 00:12:18.230
dramatic leap forward in space


00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.550
propulsion technology powered by what


00:12:20.560 --> 00:12:22.310
they call dual direct fusion drive


00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.910
engines or DDFD for short. What makes


00:12:25.920 --> 00:12:28.790
this concept truly revolutionary is the


00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:31.190
projected speed. According to Pulsar


00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.190
Fusion, the Sunbird could achieve


00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.350
velocities of up to 329,000 mph. To put


00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:39.990
that in perspective, that's over 150


00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.670
times faster than the International


00:12:41.680 --> 00:12:44.389
Space Station's orbital speed. If these


00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:46.710
projections hold true, the Sunbird would


00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:48.629
become the fastest self-propelled object


00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:50.269
ever engineered by


00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:52.629
humans. The key to this extraordinary


00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:55.110
performance is nuclear fusion, the same


00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.030
process that powers our sun and other


00:12:57.040 --> 00:12:59.430
stars. Unlike conventional chemical


00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:00.790
rockets that have fundamental


00:13:00.800 --> 00:13:03.269
limitations on exhaust velocity, these


00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:05.110
fusion engines could produce exhaust


00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.430
speeds of approximately 310 m/s or about


00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:10.750
500


00:13:10.760 --> 00:13:13.509
km/s. This represents a quantum leap


00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:16.389
beyond current propulsion capabilities.


00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:18.470
In a demonstration video, the company


00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.470
shows the Sunbird undocking from a space


00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.389
station, carefully maneuvering with


00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.310
eight thrusters to attach to a larger


00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:26.550
spacecraft resembling a SpaceX Starship


00:13:26.560 --> 00:13:28.870
upper stage before igniting its main


00:13:28.880 --> 00:13:31.069
engines and accelerating toward distant


00:13:31.079 --> 00:13:33.030
planets. Of course, significant


00:13:33.040 --> 00:13:35.030
engineering challenges remain before


00:13:35.040 --> 00:13:37.350
this concept becomes reality. Pulsar


00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:38.949
Fusion acknowledges they're still in


00:13:38.959 --> 00:13:41.269
development with plans to demonstrate


00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:43.030
essential components of the Fusion power


00:13:43.040 --> 00:13:44.949
system later this year.


00:13:44.959 --> 00:13:47.430
They've set an ambitious target of 2027


00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:50.069
for full inorbit testing, a timeline


00:13:50.079 --> 00:13:51.670
that would mark a historic achievement


00:13:51.680 --> 00:13:53.910
in both aerospace engineering and energy


00:13:53.920 --> 00:13:56.150
technology if successful. The


00:13:56.160 --> 00:13:58.230
implications for Mars exploration are


00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.949
particularly exciting. Current chemical


00:14:00.959 --> 00:14:02.790
propulsion systems require lengthy


00:14:02.800 --> 00:14:05.110
transit times to reach the red planet,


00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:07.030
typically 6 to9 months depending on


00:14:07.040 --> 00:14:09.910
planetary alignment. A fusionpowered


00:14:09.920 --> 00:14:11.350
vehicle could potentially cut this


00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.590
journey time dramatically, making Mars


00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:15.750
missions more feasible from both human


00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:18.389
factors and logistical perspectives.


00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:21.189
Beyond Mars, the technology could enable


00:14:21.199 --> 00:14:23.110
more rapid exploration throughout the


00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:25.590
solar system. Missions to the outer


00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:27.269
planets that currently take years could


00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.509
be accomplished in months, opening new


00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.670
possibilities for scientific discovery


00:14:31.680 --> 00:14:33.590
and potentially even resource


00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:36.310
utilization beyond Earth. What Pulsar


00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.069
Fusion is proposing isn't just an


00:14:38.079 --> 00:14:40.550
incremental improvement. It represents a


00:14:40.560 --> 00:14:42.550
fundamental shift in our capability to


00:14:42.560 --> 00:14:45.030
traverse the solar system, potentially


00:14:45.040 --> 00:14:47.509
transforming interplanetary space from a


00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:49.750
forbidding frontier into something more


00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:51.990
akin to a navigable ocean with


00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.189
established shipping lanes and regular


00:14:54.199 --> 00:14:56.629
traffic. The versatility of the system


00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:58.870
appears to be a key selling point.


00:14:58.880 --> 00:15:01.430
Pulsar Fusion envisions their technology


00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:03.910
powering missions ranging from deploying


00:15:03.920 --> 00:15:06.470
telescopes in deep space to transporting


00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.430
robotic probes throughout the solar


00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:11.110
system. As commercial interest in lunar


00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:13.509
and Martian resources continues to grow,


00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.829
having a reliable, relatively affordable


00:15:15.839 --> 00:15:17.750
transport system could accelerate


00:15:17.760 --> 00:15:20.069
development beyond Earth orbit. What's


00:15:20.079 --> 00:15:21.430
particularly interesting about this


00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.350
approach is how it mirrors historical


00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:26.069
patterns of transportation economics.


00:15:26.079 --> 00:15:27.430
Just as shipping containers


00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.189
revolutionized global trade by


00:15:29.199 --> 00:15:31.590
standardizing cargo transport, these


00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.750
fusionpowered spacecraft could create a


00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:35.350
standardized approach to moving


00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.590
materials beyond Earth. The


00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.750
establishment of regular shipping lanes


00:15:39.760 --> 00:15:42.269
between Earth, lunar colonies, Mars


00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:44.629
outposts, and even asteroid mining


00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.629
operations could create entirely new


00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:48.509
economic


00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:51.590
opportunities. Finally, today, I love


00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.670
this. In a beautiful intersection of


00:15:53.680 --> 00:15:55.990
classical music and space exploration,


00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.230
Johan Strauss's iconic composition, The


00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.389
Blue Danube, will soon be traveling


00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:03.030
among the stars. This month, to


00:16:03.040 --> 00:16:05.110
commemorate the 200th anniversary of the


00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:07.590
Austrian composer's birth, his famous


00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.069
waltz will be beamed into the cosmos in


00:16:10.079 --> 00:16:12.230
a special transmission organized by the


00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:15.030
European Space Agency. The celestial


00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:16.550
performance will feature the Vienna


00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:18.870
Symphony Orchestra with their rendition


00:16:18.880 --> 00:16:20.790
of the beloved walts being converted


00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:23.189
into radio signals and transmitted from


00:16:23.199 --> 00:16:24.829
Earth on May


00:16:24.839 --> 00:16:27.910
31st. This cosmic concert also serves as


00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:30.389
a celebration of the European Space Ay's


00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.110
50th anniversary, creating a meaningful


00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.590
connection between artistic heritage and


00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:37.749
scientific achievement. While the


00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.509
performance will be livereamed with


00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.829
public screenings in Vienna, Madrid, and


00:16:41.839 --> 00:16:44.710
New York, ESA is taking no chances with


00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.110
the actual space transmission. They'll


00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:48.949
relay a pre-recorded version from the


00:16:48.959 --> 00:16:50.710
orchestra's rehearsal to ensure


00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:52.710
technical perfection, while the live


00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.389
orchestral performance provides the


00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:55.550
Earthbound


00:16:55.560 --> 00:16:57.509
accompaniment. The radio signals


00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:59.189
carrying Strauss's masterpiece will


00:16:59.199 --> 00:17:01.430
depart Earth at the speed of light, an


00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:05.270
astonishing 670 million mph. This means


00:17:05.280 --> 00:17:07.270
the walts that once accompanied dancers


00:17:07.280 --> 00:17:09.510
across European ballrooms will hurdle


00:17:09.520 --> 00:17:11.390
past our moon in just one and a half


00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:13.909
seconds. It's a fitting cosmic journey


00:17:13.919 --> 00:17:15.750
for a piece that many associate with


00:17:15.760 --> 00:17:18.069
space thanks to its memorable appearance


00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:21.549
in Stanley Kubri's 2001 a space


00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:23.909
odyssey. The transmission represents


00:17:23.919 --> 00:17:25.669
something of a correction to a


00:17:25.679 --> 00:17:28.789
historical oversight. When NASA launched


00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.750
the Voyager probes in 1977 with their


00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:33.830
famous golden records containing sounds


00:17:33.840 --> 00:17:36.150
and music of Earth, Strauss's


00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.870
compositions were notably absent despite


00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.270
their cultural significance. Vienna's


00:17:41.280 --> 00:17:43.190
tourist board has characterized this


00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.430
transmission as rectifying that cosmic


00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:49.430
mistake, finally giving the Blue Danube


00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.789
its rightful place among the stars. ISA


00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:54.710
will use its powerful radio antenna in


00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.950
Spain, part of the AY's deep space


00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.190
network, to transmit the Walts. In a


00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.350
poetic touch, the dish will be pointed


00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:03.510
toward Voyager 1's location, sending


00:18:03.520 --> 00:18:05.270
Strauss's music in the direction of


00:18:05.280 --> 00:18:07.310
humanity's most distant


00:18:07.320 --> 00:18:09.909
spacecraft. This musical mission joins a


00:18:09.919 --> 00:18:11.750
tradition of transmitting human artistic


00:18:11.760 --> 00:18:14.470
achievements into space. In previous


00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.310
years, NASA has beamed the Beatles


00:18:16.320 --> 00:18:18.870
across the universe and Missy Elliot's


00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.029
The Rain toward distant celestial


00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:23.669
bodies, while the Mars rover Curiosity


00:18:23.679 --> 00:18:26.630
even relayed will. Reach for the stars


00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:29.830
back to Earth from the red planet. Assa


00:18:29.840 --> 00:18:32.070
Director General Yseph Ashbacher noted,


00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:33.990
"Music connects us all through time and


00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.549
space in a very particular way. In


00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:38.310
sending this timeless composition beyond


00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:40.390
our world, humanity continues its


00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:41.830
practice of sharing our cultural


00:18:41.840 --> 00:18:44.150
treasures with the cosmos. A gesture of


00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.150
artistic connection that extends far


00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.390
beyond the boundaries of Earth. The


00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.549
radio signals carrying Strauss's walts


00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:52.870
will travel at truly cosmic speeds,


00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.789
racing through our solar system and


00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:57.270
beyond. After passing the moon in just


00:18:57.280 --> 00:18:59.909
1.5 seconds, the beautiful melodies will


00:18:59.919 --> 00:19:02.950
reach Mars in only 4.5 minutes. Within


00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.830
37 minutes, Jupiter will hear the walts,


00:19:05.840 --> 00:19:08.230
and by the 4-hour mark, the music will


00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:09.990
have traveled beyond Neptune at the edge


00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.230
of our solar system. Perhaps most


00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.630
remarkably, within just 23 hours,


00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:16.310
Strauss's composition will have traveled


00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:18.870
as far from Earth as Voyager 1,


00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:20.870
humanity's most distant spacecraft,


00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:23.669
currently over 15 billion miles away in


00:19:23.679 --> 00:19:26.390
interstellar space. Music has even


00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:28.710
flowed in the opposite direction. In


00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.830
2012, NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars


00:19:31.840 --> 00:19:33.830
received Will Die AM's Reach for the


00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:36.390
Stars and then relayed it back to Earth,


00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.070
creating the first interplanetary


00:19:38.080 --> 00:19:40.710
musical transmission from another world.


00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.710
Unlike the routine melodies streamed


00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:44.390
between mission control and orbiting


00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:47.590
crews since the mid 1960s, these deep


00:19:47.600 --> 00:19:49.590
space transmissions represent deliberate


00:19:49.600 --> 00:19:51.590
attempts to share human culture with the


00:19:51.600 --> 00:19:54.470
cosmos. Whether anyone or anything will


00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:56.230
ever receive these musical messages


00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:58.630
remains unknown, but the gesture itself


00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:00.710
represents humanity's persistent desire


00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.950
to connect across the vastness of


00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.549
space. What a journey we've taken today


00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:09.510
across the cosmos. From the microscopic


00:20:09.520 --> 00:20:11.750
to the musical, our exploration reminds


00:20:11.760 --> 00:20:13.669
us that space science continues to


00:20:13.679 --> 00:20:15.510
surprise and inspire us in equal


00:20:15.520 --> 00:20:17.909
measure. The stories we've explored


00:20:17.919 --> 00:20:20.390
today span from bacterial adaptations to


00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:22.710
cosmic musical performances. Yet, they


00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.150
all share a common thread, human


00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:27.909
curiosity. Our desire to understand, to


00:20:27.919 --> 00:20:29.990
explore, and to connect across the


00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:32.470
vastness of space continues to drive us


00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:34.390
forward into an exciting future among


00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:36.710
the stars. Thank you for joining me on


00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:39.110
this cosmic journey. I'm Anna, and this


00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:41.029
has been Astronomy Daily. For more


00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:42.950
astronomy and space news, just visit our


00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.669
website at astronomydaily.io.


00:20:45.679 --> 00:20:47.510
Until next time, keep looking up.


00:20:47.520 --> 00:20:49.029
There's always something fascinating


00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.160
happening in our universe.


00:20:52.170 --> 00:21:00.870
[Music]


00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:03.320
The stories told.


00:21:03.330 --> 00:21:10.979
[Music]