Neil deGrasse Tyson: 3 mind-blowing space facts | Big Think

Summary

Neil deGrasse Tyson explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth's habitable zone. He explains how tidal forces from Jupiter's gravity warm its moon Europa, allowing liquid water to exist beneath its icy surface. This broadens the search for extraterrestrial life beyond the traditional 'Goldilocks Zone.' He also discusses dark matter, clarifying that it should be called 'dark gravity' since its nature is unknown. Tyson suggests it may be a family of particles that don't interact with ordinary matter except gravitationally. He humorously ties Earth's rotation to a dramatic football field goal, illustrating the Coriolis force that drives storms.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The habitable 'Goldilocks Zone' around a star is the region where liquid water can exist, which is crucial for life as we know it.
• 🌋 Jupiter's moon Europa, although outside the habitable zone, has an internal ocean kept warm by tidal forces from Jupiter, making it a potential host for life.
• 🌊 Tidal forces from Jupiter cause flexing and distortion of Europa's surface, generating heat through friction, similar to warming up a racquetball.
• 🥶 Europa's frozen surface shows cracks and ridges, indicating an underlying liquid ocean beneath the ice.
• 🔬 The discovery of potential liquid water environments beyond the habitable zone broadens the search for life in the universe.
• 🌘 Some of Jupiter's moons, like Io, are so affected by tidal forces that they have active volcanoes on their surfaces.
• 🔭 The measurement of gravity in the universe shows that 85% of it has an unknown origin, referred to as 'dark matter' or more accurately, 'dark gravity.'
• 🌌 Dark matter/gravity does not interact with ordinary matter or even itself, existing as a diffuse, spread-out mass throughout the universe.
• ⚛️ Dark matter is likely composed of a new class of subatomic particles that hardly interact with known particles, similar to neutrinos.
• 🌎 The Earth's rotation (Coriolis force) can affect the trajectory of objects like footballs, and is responsible for the circulation of storms like hurricanes and cyclones.

Q & A

What is the Goldilocks Zone or habitable zone?

The Goldilocks Zone or habitable zone is the region around a star where liquid water can potentially exist on a planet's surface, making it suitable for life as we know it.

How is Europa, a moon of Jupiter, kept warm despite being outside the habitable zone?

Europa is kept warm not by the Sun, but by tidal forces from Jupiter itself. As Europa orbits Jupiter, its shape changes due to Jupiter's gravitational pull, generating internal friction and heat.

What evidence suggests that Europa has an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface?

The surface of Europa shows cracks, ridges, and shifted ice chunks, indicating that the interior cannot be completely frozen. These features resemble the shifting ice sheets seen in Earth's Arctic Ocean.

Why is the search for life in the universe no longer limited to the Goldilocks Zone?

The discovery that tidal forces can provide heat and potential liquid water on moons like Europa means that the search for life can extend beyond the habitable zones around stars.

What is the problem with the term 'dark matter'?

The term 'dark matter' implies that we know it is matter, but in reality, we don't know what it is. A more accurate term would be 'dark gravity' since we only know that it has gravitational effects.

How is dark matter detected and measured?

Dark matter is detected by observing the rotational speed of galaxies, which is faster than expected based on the visible matter alone. This excess gravitational force is attributed to the presence of unseen 'dark matter'.

What is the current leading theory about the nature of dark matter?

The leading theory is that dark matter consists of a family of subatomic particles that hardly interact with ordinary matter, except through gravitational forces.

How does dark matter differ from ordinary matter in terms of self-interaction?

Dark matter not only doesn't interact with ordinary matter, but it also doesn't interact with itself, which is why it is spread out diffusely rather than concentrated in specific locations.

What is the Coriolis force, and how did it affect the winning field goal kick in the football game example?

The Coriolis force is the deflection caused by the Earth's rotation. In the football game example, the Coriolis force caused a third of an inch drift to the right, enabling the winning field goal kick.

What is the significance of the Coriolis force beyond its impact on a football game?

The Coriolis force is responsible for creating the circulation patterns of storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones in the Pacific.