Webb’s Cosmic Discoveries, Space Station Updates, and New Theories on Life’s Emergence: S04E40

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Language: en

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hello and welcome to astronomy daily I'm


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your host Anna and we have a big lineup


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of space discoveries and breakthroughs


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to share with you today we'll Journey


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Beyond Neptune where the James web Space


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Telescope has made remarkable findings


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about mysterious objects in our solar


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systems outer reaches we'll hear from


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astronauts aboard the International


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Space Station who want to set the record


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straight about their extended Mission


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we'll also explore a fascinating new


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theory that challenges everything we


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thought we knew about the emergence of


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intelligent life in the universe plus


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we'll examine groundbreaking analysis


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from asteroid benu samples Peak into


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Earth's surprisingly Dynamic intercore


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and look at Innovative new technology


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for exploring low gravity


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environments strap in for an exciting


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Journey Through the latest developments


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in space science and exploration let's


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get started NASA's James web Space


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Telescope has revolutionized our


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understanding of trans neptunian objects


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those mysterious celestial bodies


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orbiting Beyond Neptune's path in an


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unprecedent Ed study web has provided


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the first detailed look at the


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composition of these distant objects


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revealing surprising new insights about


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our solar systems formation trans


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neptunian objects or TNS include


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everything from dwarf planets like Pluto


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and ays to smaller bodies like aroth


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while scientists have known about these


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objects since Pluto's Discovery in 1930


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we've never been able to study their


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composition in such detail until now


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using web's near infrared spectrograph


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scientists have anal analyzed over 75 TN


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in the first 2 years of the telescope's


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operation what they found was completely


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unexpected these objects can be


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categorized into three distinct spectral


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classes based on their surface


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composition the first group dubbed B


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type shows strong signatures of water


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ice and some carbon dioxide along with


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silicate Rich dust the second


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classification called double dip reveals


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complex organic molecules mixed with


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carbon dioxide and carbon monox oide IES


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the third group known as Cliff type


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contains the most complex organic


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materials of all along with compounds


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like


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methanol this classification system


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isn't just about categorizing space


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rocks it's helping scientists piece


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together the story of our solar systems


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early days the theory is that these


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different compositions reflect where


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these objects originally formed with


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bold types developing closer to the Sun


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where temperatures were higher while


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double dips and cliffs formed in the


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colder outer regions particularly


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intriguing is that all objects found in


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undisturbed cold classical orbits belong


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to the cliff category this suggests


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these objects have remained largely


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unchanged since the solar systems


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formation making them invaluable time


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capsules of our Cosmic history web


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continues to study these fascinating


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objects with new observations planned to


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examine extreme tnos that Venture far


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into Interstellar space these ongoing


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studies promise to reveal even more


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about the materials and conditions that


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shaped our solar system billions of


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years


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ago next up let's pay a visit to the


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International Space Station for an


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update from our two favorite


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astronauts in recent months there's been


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quite a bit of attention on NASA


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astronauts Sunni Williams and Butch


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Wilmore who found themselves on an


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unexpectedly Extended Stay aboard the


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International Space Station while some


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media Outlets have painted this as a


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story of stranded astronauts the reality


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is quite different from these dramatic


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head lines the duo originally launched


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on Boeing Starliner spacecraft for what


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was planned as a 10-day Mission however


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when Starliner experienced Thruster


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issues during docking Maneuvers NASA


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made the decision to adjust their plans


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rather than rushing a solution they've


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Incorporated Williams and Wilmore into


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the ongoing crew rotation schedule


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specifically as part of spacex's crew 9


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Mission both astronauts have been quick


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to set the record straight about their


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situation as Wilmore recently explained


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to CNN's Anderson Cooper we don't feel


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abandoned we don't feel stuck we don't


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feel stranded in fact he emphasized that


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mission extensions are simply part of


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the job in human space flight where


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being prepared for contingencies is


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fundamental to their training what's


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particularly noteworthy is that both


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astronauts have maintained their regular


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duties throughout this Extended Stay


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Williams has even managed to break the


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record for most cumulative space walking


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Time by a woman during this period


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they've been fully fully integrated into


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the station's operations with access to


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all necessary supplies and equipment the


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situation gained additional attention


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when it became part of a political


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discussion but the astronauts have


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remained focused on their mission


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they're now scheduled to return to Earth


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in March following the arrival of crew


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10 as Wilmore puts it they're not


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stranded they're prepared and committed


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which is exactly what you'd expect from


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seasoned space professionals both


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Williams and Wilmore Veterans of


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previous long duration space missions


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have expressed their continued enjoyment


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of life in orbit as Williams noted it's


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just amazing how quickly you readapt to


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life in space she even admitted that


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when the time comes to return home


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they'll likely feel a touch of sadness


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at leaving their weightless environment


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behind and just a little side note how


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famous has that hair


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become all right let's get back on track


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new research from Penn State is


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challenging our long-held assumptions


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about the likelihood of intelligent life


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in the universe for decades scientists


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believe that Humanity's emergence was an


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incredibly rare Cosmic accident but this


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fresh perspective suggests something


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quite different the traditional view


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known as the hard steps Theory argued


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that the evolution of intelligent life


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required an unlikely series of fortunate


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events however this new study proposes


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that intelligence might be more of an


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inevitable outcome of planetary


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Evolution both on Earth and potentially


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on other worlds the researchers


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explained that that Earth's environment


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wasn't always hospitable to complex life


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forms instead it evolved through


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distinct phases creating what they call


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Windows of habitability for instance the


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development of complex animal life


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required specific oxygen levels in the


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atmosphere this didn't happen by chance


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it was a natural consequence of


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photosynthesizing microbes gradually


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changing Earth's atmosphere over time


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what's particularly intriguing is their


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suggestion that humans didn't evolve


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early or late in Earth's history but


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right on time when conditions were


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finally suitable as Dan Mills one of the


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study's authors explains it may simply


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be a matter of time before other planets


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achieve similar conditions with some


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potentially reaching these Milestones


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faster or slower than Earth did the team


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combining expertise from both


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astrophysics and geobiology argues that


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we should view Evolution through the


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lens of geological time scales rather


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than comparing it to the sun's lifespan


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this shift in perspective suggests that


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the development of intelligence might be


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more of a predictable process unfolding


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AS Global conditions allow This research


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opens up exciting possibilities about


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the prevalence of intelligent life in


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the universe if intelligence emerges


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naturally when planetary conditions are


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right rather than through an improbable


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series of accidents we might not be as


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alone in the cosmos as we once


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thought next an update from the mission


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that just keeps on giving in a


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remarkable scient scientific achievement


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NASA's Osiris Rex Mission has revealed


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groundbreaking discoveries from its


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sample collection of asteroid benu the


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mission which successfully returned


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approximately 120 gram of pristine


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asteroid material to Earth last


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September Is providing unprecedented


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insights into the early solar system


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analysis of the samples has yielded an


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extraordinary finding the presence of


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tiny crystals of salt minerals


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specifically halite and sylvite this


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discovery is particularly significant


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because is extremely rare in meteorites


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having been found in only three out of


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hundreds of thousands of known specimens


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on Earth the presence of these salt


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minerals suggests that water activity


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may have once existed on Ben's parent


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body the research team has also


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identified various other salt minerals


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including sodium carbonates phosphates


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sulfates and fluorides these minerals


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typically form through the evaporation


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of brins similar to the deposits we see


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in Earth's Salt Lakes this discovery


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provides compelling evidence of ancient


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water activity in the earliest days of


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our solar system but perhaps even more


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intriguing is what these salt minerals


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mean for the potential development of


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life's building blocks on Earth these


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minerals act as catalysts for forming


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organic compounds such as nucleo bases


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and nucleo sides the fundamental


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components of biological systems indeed


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further analysis of the benu samples


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revealed a diverse array of organic


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compounds including 14 of the 20 amino


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acids found in Earth's biological


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processes as well as all five nucleo


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bases present in RNA and DNA while this


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doesn't indicate the presence of life on


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benu it does suggest that the asteroid's


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parent body once provided an environment


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conducive to assembling life's essential


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components these findings could have


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significant implications for our


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understanding of similar environments


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elsewhere in the solar system


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particularly on bodies like Saturn's


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moon Enceladus and the dwarf planet


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series both of which are known to have


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sub surface brine


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oceans this pristine sample from benu


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continues to offer new insights as


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researchers delve deeper into its


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analysis potentially reshaping our


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understanding of the early solar system


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and the distribution of life's building


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blocks throughout


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space let's turn our attention to some


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fascinating new findings about Earth's


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inner core that are challenging our


00:09:51.079 --> 00:09:52.829
previous understanding of our planet's


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deepest layer Recent research has


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revealed that the inner core long


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thought to be a solid sphere of iron and


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nickel is actually far less rigid than


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scientists previously believed deep


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beneath our feet nearly 3,000 Mi below


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the surface scientists have detected


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unexpected structural changes in the


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inner cores near surface this discovery


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comes from analyzing seismic waves from


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121 repeating earthquakes near the South


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Sandwich Islands over a period spanning


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from 1991 to


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2024 what makes this particularly


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interesting is how it appears appears to


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interact with the outer core that


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swirling layer of liquid metal that


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surrounds it the turbulent motion of the


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outer core seems to be capable of


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actually deforming the inner core


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something we hadn't observed happening


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on human time scales before these


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findings have significant implications


00:10:46.800 --> 00:10:48.230
for our understanding of Earth's


00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.550
magnetic field which acts as our


00:10:50.560 --> 00:10:52.750
planet's protective shield against


00:10:52.760 --> 00:10:55.550
harmful solar radiation the interaction


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between the inner and outer core plays a


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crucial role in generating and


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maintaining this magnetic field if the


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inner core is more malleable than we


00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:05.990
thought it could help explain observed


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variations in the field strength and


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stability over time the research also


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supports previous observations


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suggesting that the inner core's


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rotation isn't constant some models


00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:19.269
indicate it may have slowed or even


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reversed direction around 2010 which


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aligns with observed changes in seismic


00:11:23.880 --> 00:11:24.750
wave


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patterns this could potentially


00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.230
influence subtle changes in Earth's


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rotation and even the length of our days


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this new understanding of our planet's


00:11:32.839 --> 00:11:34.910
core is forcing us to reconsider how


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Earth's internal engine works and opens


00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:39.430
up exciting new questions about the


00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:41.509
dynamic processes occurring deep within


00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:42.550
our


00:11:42.560 --> 00:11:45.550
planet in our final science story today


00:11:45.560 --> 00:11:47.150
we're looking at an Innovative new


00:11:47.160 --> 00:11:48.790
approach to exploring low gravity


00:11:48.800 --> 00:11:50.870
environments like asteroids and other


00:11:50.880 --> 00:11:53.910
celestial bodies researchers at UCLA's


00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:56.110
Robotics and mechanisms laboratory have


00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.269
developed a fascinating new robot system


00:11:58.279 --> 00:11:59.870
called splitter


00:11:59.880 --> 00:12:01.750
that's the space and planetary limed


00:12:01.760 --> 00:12:03.269
intelligent tether technology


00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.750
exploration robot what makes splitter


00:12:05.760 --> 00:12:08.509
unique is its design imagine two small


00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.230
four-legged robots connected by a tether


00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:13.350
working together like a high-tech


00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:16.150
version of the game Bola but don't let


00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:18.470
this simple description fool you the


00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.550
system employs sophisticated control


00:12:20.560 --> 00:12:22.750
mechanisms that allow it to move with


00:12:22.760 --> 00:12:25.750
remarkable stability even in airless


00:12:25.760 --> 00:12:27.910
environments the team chose a jumping


00:12:27.920 --> 00:12:29.829
Locomotion method rather than


00:12:29.839 --> 00:12:31.949
traditional wheeled Rovers because it's


00:12:31.959 --> 00:12:33.790
much more effective for navigating the


00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:36.990
jagged uneven terrain found on asteroids


00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.310
and unlike flying robots it doesn't need


00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:41.710
an atmosphere to operate each robot


00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:44.030
weighs just about 10 kg on Earth making


00:12:44.040 --> 00:12:46.350
them even more agile in low-g gravity


00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:48.629
environments what's particularly clever


00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:50.230
about splitter is how it maintains


00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.910
control during movement the system uses


00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:55.110
something called inertial morphing where


00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:56.509
the robots adjust their leg


00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:58.470
configurations and tether length to


00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.670
stabilize their motion this is managed


00:13:00.680 --> 00:13:02.189
through a sophisticated predictive


00:13:02.199 --> 00:13:04.269
control system that can calculate


00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.590
exactly how to position each component


00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:07.949
for optimal


00:13:07.959 --> 00:13:10.230
stability the robots can even work


00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.150
together for tasks like exploring cave


00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:15.189
systems with one robot anchoring itself


00:13:15.199 --> 00:13:17.389
while the other repels down using their


00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.949
connecting tether while splitter


00:13:19.959 --> 00:13:21.750
currently exists mainly as a computer


00:13:21.760 --> 00:13:24.030
model it represents an exciting New


00:13:24.040 --> 00:13:25.710
Direction in space exploration


00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:27.829
technology that could one day help us


00:13:27.839 --> 00:13:29.590
investigate some of the most challenging


00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.189
environments in our solar


00:13:32.199 --> 00:13:34.710
system well that brings us to the end of


00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:36.990
another fascinating episode of astronomy


00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.430
daily from web's groundbreaking


00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:41.550
discoveries Beyond Neptune to Innovative


00:13:41.560 --> 00:13:44.150
space exploration robots we've covered


00:13:44.160 --> 00:13:45.990
quite a journey through space science


00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.350
today if you'd like to stay up to dat


00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:50.230
with all these incredible developments


00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.590
in space and astronomy I encourage you


00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:55.030
to visit our website at astronomy


00:13:55.040 --> 00:13:57.509
daily. there you'll find our constantly


00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:59.790
updating news feed and can listen to all


00:13:59.800 --> 00:14:02.509
our previous episodes you can also


00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:04.749
connect with us on social media just


00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:08.030
search for Astro daily pod on Facebook X


00:14:08.040 --> 00:14:11.749
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00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.470
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00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:15.150
sharing the latest space discoveries


00:14:15.160 --> 00:14:17.629
with our growing Community to make sure


00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:19.870
you never miss an episode subscribe to


00:14:19.880 --> 00:14:21.910
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wherever you get your podcast


00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.069
this is Anna thank you for joining me


00:14:32.079 --> 00:14:34.509
today on astronomy daily keep looking up


00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:35.870
and I'll see you again next week for


00:14:35.880 --> 00:14:40.370
more amazing stories from the cosmos


00:14:40.380 --> 00:14:58.149
[Music]