1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,140 You know, it's wild to think that not too long ago, 2 00:00:03,140 --> 00:00:05,680 the idea of planets outside our solar system 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:07,400 was just science fiction stuff. 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:08,240 Right. 5 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,040 And now we found thousands. 6 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,680 And some, like Proxima Centauri b, 7 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:13,960 have really gotten this thinking, 8 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,760 like could there be life out there? 9 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:17,240 Oh yeah. 10 00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:19,520 So are we alone in the universe? 11 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,500 Let's take a deep dive into this fascinating exoplanet, 12 00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:25,380 Proxima Centauri b, and see what we can find out. 13 00:00:25,380 --> 00:00:30,380 Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod, the space and astronomy series. 14 00:00:30,380 --> 00:00:32,980 Please like, comment, share, and subscribe. 15 00:00:32,980 --> 00:00:34,500 Proxima Centauri b, right? 16 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:36,220 It's the closest exoplanet we know of, 17 00:00:36,220 --> 00:00:38,100 just over four light years away. 18 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:40,900 Yeah, hop, skip, and a jump, cosmically speaking. 19 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:43,100 And it's part of the Alpha Centauri system, which, 20 00:00:43,100 --> 00:00:45,060 and this is kind of cool, is a triple star system. 21 00:00:45,060 --> 00:00:45,900 Three stars. 22 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:46,740 Yeah. 23 00:00:46,740 --> 00:00:48,780 We have Alpha Centauri a and b, they're like our sun, 24 00:00:48,780 --> 00:00:49,900 and then there's Proxima Centauri. 25 00:00:49,900 --> 00:00:52,780 It's this small, cooler, warm, 26 00:00:52,780 --> 00:00:55,700 red dwarf star, that's where Proxima b hangs out. 27 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:56,620 Huh, interesting. 28 00:00:56,620 --> 00:00:58,820 The way they found it is pretty amazing too. 29 00:00:58,820 --> 00:01:00,580 It wasn't like they just saw it through a telescope. 30 00:01:00,580 --> 00:01:03,060 They used something called the radial velocity method. 31 00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:04,100 So how does that even work? 32 00:01:04,100 --> 00:01:05,900 So basically they look at the star, 33 00:01:05,900 --> 00:01:09,140 and they watch for these tiny wobbles. 34 00:01:09,140 --> 00:01:13,620 The wobbles are caused by the gravity of an orbiting planet. 35 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:14,460 So it's like? 36 00:01:14,460 --> 00:01:17,140 It's like if a detective sees a little tremor in something 37 00:01:17,140 --> 00:01:19,740 that seems still, you know, the tremor tells them 38 00:01:19,740 --> 00:01:21,140 there's a force in the star. 39 00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:23,180 The tremor tells them there's a force there, 40 00:01:23,180 --> 00:01:24,580 something unseen. 41 00:01:24,580 --> 00:01:25,420 I like that. 42 00:01:25,420 --> 00:01:26,460 That's a great way to put it. 43 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:29,020 It really shows you how clever these astronomers are, 44 00:01:29,020 --> 00:01:30,900 finding hidden worlds like that. 45 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:31,740 Yeah. 46 00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:34,740 So what makes Proxima b so special 47 00:01:34,740 --> 00:01:36,180 in the hunt for alien life? 48 00:01:36,180 --> 00:01:38,100 One of the big things is that it orbits 49 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:40,460 in what we call the habitable zone of its star, 50 00:01:40,460 --> 00:01:42,180 sometimes called the Goldilocks zone. 51 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:44,340 Okay, the Goldilocks zone, that sounds familiar. 52 00:01:44,340 --> 00:01:46,660 Yeah, it means the planet gets just the right amount 53 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:48,220 of energy from its star. 54 00:01:48,220 --> 00:01:49,740 Not too hot, not too cold, 55 00:01:49,740 --> 00:01:52,060 just right for liquid water to exist. 56 00:01:52,060 --> 00:01:55,820 And we all know water is like super important for life, 57 00:01:55,820 --> 00:01:57,180 at least the kind of life we know. 58 00:01:57,180 --> 00:01:58,020 Exactly. 59 00:01:58,020 --> 00:02:00,780 A planet in the habitable zone, that's a good sign. 60 00:02:00,780 --> 00:02:03,900 But I'm guessing it's not all perfect, right? 61 00:02:03,900 --> 00:02:06,660 Being so close to a red dwarf can't be all good. 62 00:02:06,660 --> 00:02:07,660 You got it. 63 00:02:07,660 --> 00:02:09,900 Red dwarfs are kind of famous for being, 64 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:11,380 well, a little bit dramatic. 65 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:14,020 They have these powerful flares and solar winds, 66 00:02:14,020 --> 00:02:16,060 much stronger than what we get from our sun. 67 00:02:16,060 --> 00:02:17,300 Huh, yeah, I've heard about that. 68 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:19,660 And Proxima Centauri is no exception. 69 00:02:19,660 --> 00:02:20,500 Yikes. 70 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:22,220 So how does that affect Proxima B? 71 00:02:22,220 --> 00:02:26,700 Can it even handle those, I guess, stellar tantrums? 72 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:28,140 That's the big question, you know. 73 00:02:28,140 --> 00:02:30,020 Scientists are trying to figure that out. 74 00:02:30,020 --> 00:02:32,860 Those crazy flares could actually strip away the atmosphere, 75 00:02:32,860 --> 00:02:35,100 leaving Proxima D totally exposed. 76 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:35,940 Really? 77 00:02:35,940 --> 00:02:38,260 Imagine like constant solar storms, 78 00:02:38,260 --> 00:02:40,500 but way worse than anything on Earth. 79 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:41,340 Wow. 80 00:02:41,340 --> 00:02:43,180 That would make it, well, pretty tough for life, 81 00:02:43,180 --> 00:02:44,340 especially on the surface. 82 00:02:44,340 --> 00:02:45,540 Yeah, it does sound pretty rough. 83 00:02:45,540 --> 00:02:47,220 But I mean, life on Earth can survive 84 00:02:47,220 --> 00:02:49,540 in some pretty crazy places, right? 85 00:02:49,540 --> 00:02:52,220 Like, is there any way life on Proxima B could, 86 00:02:52,220 --> 00:02:53,940 I don't know, adapt or something? 87 00:02:53,940 --> 00:02:55,500 Well, we can hope. 88 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:57,940 One idea is that if Proxima B has oceans, 89 00:02:57,940 --> 00:03:00,180 which some scientists think it might, 90 00:03:00,180 --> 00:03:02,540 life could exist down deep in the water, 91 00:03:02,540 --> 00:03:04,420 shielded from all that radiation. 92 00:03:04,420 --> 00:03:05,940 Oh, so like down in the ocean depths. 93 00:03:05,940 --> 00:03:08,580 Yeah, like the life we see around those deep sea vents 94 00:03:08,580 --> 00:03:10,740 on Earth, they don't need sunlight at all. 95 00:03:10,740 --> 00:03:12,260 That is so cool to think about, 96 00:03:12,260 --> 00:03:14,780 these whole hidden ecosystems on another planet. 97 00:03:14,780 --> 00:03:15,700 I know, right? 98 00:03:15,700 --> 00:03:18,820 But wait, with all those flares from Proxima Centauri, 99 00:03:18,820 --> 00:03:20,420 wouldn't they still be a problem, 100 00:03:20,420 --> 00:03:21,900 even way down in the ocean? 101 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:23,820 Well, here's where it gets really interesting. 102 00:03:23,820 --> 00:03:28,820 Scientists think Proxima B might have a strong magnetosphere. 103 00:03:28,820 --> 00:03:29,940 A magnetosphere. 104 00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:30,860 Like a shield. 105 00:03:30,860 --> 00:03:32,540 Yeah, kind of like a magnetic bubble 106 00:03:32,540 --> 00:03:33,660 that protects the planet. 107 00:03:33,660 --> 00:03:35,500 Oh, like Earth's magnetic field. 108 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:37,420 It protects us from the sun's radiation. 109 00:03:37,420 --> 00:03:38,780 Exactly. 110 00:03:38,780 --> 00:03:40,620 And if Proxima B has something like that, 111 00:03:40,620 --> 00:03:42,900 it could be deflecting all those flares, 112 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:45,900 like a safe haven for life, even in the oceans. 113 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:46,660 Wow. 114 00:03:46,660 --> 00:03:48,260 Okay, so maybe there's a chance, 115 00:03:48,260 --> 00:03:50,420 even with all that craziness going on. 116 00:03:50,420 --> 00:03:53,180 But can we like step back a bit 117 00:03:53,180 --> 00:03:54,620 and talk about the planet itself? 118 00:03:54,620 --> 00:03:55,620 What's it like? 119 00:03:55,620 --> 00:03:57,260 Is it anything like Earth? 120 00:03:57,260 --> 00:04:01,420 Well, that's where things get a little more uncertain. 121 00:04:01,420 --> 00:04:03,380 Proxima B is so close to its star 122 00:04:03,380 --> 00:04:05,180 that it's probably tidally locked. 123 00:04:05,180 --> 00:04:06,020 Tidally locked. 124 00:04:06,020 --> 00:04:07,100 What does that even mean? 125 00:04:07,100 --> 00:04:10,860 It means one side of the planet always faces the star. 126 00:04:10,860 --> 00:04:12,860 The other side is always in darkness. 127 00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:15,580 Oh, so it's like this world of total extremes. 128 00:04:15,580 --> 00:04:20,060 The side facing the star is probably a scorching hot desert, 129 00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:22,700 blasting radiation all the time. 130 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:26,860 And the other side, well, that would be a frozen wasteland, 131 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:28,260 always in darkness. 132 00:04:28,260 --> 00:04:29,260 That is intense. 133 00:04:29,260 --> 00:04:31,260 Not exactly a place I'd want to visit. 134 00:04:31,260 --> 00:04:32,100 Right. 135 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:33,380 But is there anywhere on the planet 136 00:04:33,380 --> 00:04:36,780 that could be more, I don't know, moderate? 137 00:04:36,780 --> 00:04:38,980 Well, between those two crazy extremes, 138 00:04:38,980 --> 00:04:41,860 there might be a narrow band, kind of a twilight zone, 139 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:45,180 where the temperatures could be right for liquid water. 140 00:04:45,180 --> 00:04:48,340 So it's like a desert, an ice world, 141 00:04:48,340 --> 00:04:52,060 and a tiny sliver of maybe habitable land. 142 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:53,060 Yeah, kind of. 143 00:04:53,060 --> 00:04:55,340 Proxima B is sounding more and more fascinating. 144 00:04:55,340 --> 00:04:56,140 It really is. 145 00:04:56,140 --> 00:04:58,420 It makes you wonder, what would a habitable planet really 146 00:04:58,420 --> 00:04:58,940 look like? 147 00:04:58,940 --> 00:05:00,780 It might not be anything like what we expect. 148 00:05:00,780 --> 00:05:01,700 Yeah, good point. 149 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:03,780 And that's what makes Proxima B so captivating. 150 00:05:03,780 --> 00:05:06,300 It forces us to think outside the box about where life 151 00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:08,100 might be hiding in the universe. 152 00:05:08,100 --> 00:05:10,740 We're only just starting to learn about Proxima B, really. 153 00:05:10,740 --> 00:05:12,020 True, true. 154 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:13,780 There's still so much we don't know. 155 00:05:13,780 --> 00:05:15,820 Like, do we even know if it has an atmosphere? 156 00:05:15,820 --> 00:05:16,860 Yeah, that's a big one. 157 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:18,620 The atmosphere, I mean, that's kind of key 158 00:05:18,620 --> 00:05:20,180 for a planet to be habitable. 159 00:05:20,180 --> 00:05:21,060 Totally. 160 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:23,620 So what are the possibilities there? 161 00:05:23,620 --> 00:05:25,460 Well, it could go a couple of ways. 162 00:05:25,460 --> 00:05:28,140 Remember those strong, stellar winds? 163 00:05:28,140 --> 00:05:29,860 It's possible they just blew away 164 00:05:29,860 --> 00:05:35,540 any atmosphere Proxima B had, leaving it bare, no air at all. 165 00:05:35,540 --> 00:05:36,820 Oh, that would be rough. 166 00:05:36,820 --> 00:05:39,580 But it's also possible that Proxima B held 167 00:05:39,580 --> 00:05:42,580 on to some of its atmosphere, maybe even a thin one 168 00:05:42,580 --> 00:05:45,060 with stuff like nitrogen or oxygen. 169 00:05:45,060 --> 00:05:46,820 Yeah, those would be good signs for life. 170 00:05:46,820 --> 00:05:47,620 Absolutely. 171 00:05:47,620 --> 00:05:50,580 So it's this battle between, like, the star trying 172 00:05:50,580 --> 00:05:53,700 to strip it away and the planet holding on for dear life. 173 00:05:53,700 --> 00:05:54,740 Yeah, pretty much. 174 00:05:54,740 --> 00:05:57,140 But how do we even figure out what's going on, you know, 175 00:05:57,140 --> 00:05:59,420 from millions of miles away? 176 00:05:59,420 --> 00:06:01,380 Well, that's where these new telescopes come in, 177 00:06:01,380 --> 00:06:03,900 like the James Webb Space Telescope. 178 00:06:03,900 --> 00:06:05,700 It's giving us a way to actually study 179 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:08,340 the atmospheres of exoplanets. 180 00:06:08,340 --> 00:06:09,740 Wow. 181 00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:10,540 Seriously. 182 00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:13,180 Yeah, by looking at the light that passes 183 00:06:13,180 --> 00:06:15,500 through the atmosphere, we can see what it's made of. 184 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:15,980 Oh, right. 185 00:06:15,980 --> 00:06:18,100 I remember hearing about that, like looking 186 00:06:18,100 --> 00:06:19,580 for those biosignatures. 187 00:06:19,580 --> 00:06:22,940 Exactly, those chemical hints that could mean life. 188 00:06:22,940 --> 00:06:26,220 You know, on Earth, the oxygen in our atmosphere 189 00:06:26,220 --> 00:06:28,260 comes from plants and stuff. 190 00:06:28,260 --> 00:06:31,100 If we found something like that in Proxima B's atmosphere, 191 00:06:31,100 --> 00:06:32,580 well, that would be a huge deal. 192 00:06:32,580 --> 00:06:35,020 It's amazing we could even do that from so far away. 193 00:06:35,020 --> 00:06:36,060 I know, right? 194 00:06:36,060 --> 00:06:38,980 But even if we don't see any obvious signs of life, 195 00:06:38,980 --> 00:06:41,580 the atmosphere can still tell us a lot. 196 00:06:41,580 --> 00:06:42,540 Like what? 197 00:06:42,540 --> 00:06:44,180 It can tell us about the planet's history, 198 00:06:44,180 --> 00:06:46,500 how it's changed over time, whether it 199 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:47,780 could be habitable or not. 200 00:06:47,780 --> 00:06:49,220 So like a planet's resume? 201 00:06:49,220 --> 00:06:50,420 Ha ha, kind of. 202 00:06:50,420 --> 00:06:52,340 For example, certain gases can be 203 00:06:52,340 --> 00:06:54,020 a sign of volcanic activity. 204 00:06:54,020 --> 00:06:55,460 Wait, volcanoes? 205 00:06:55,460 --> 00:06:56,380 On Proxima B? 206 00:06:56,380 --> 00:06:57,140 Possibly. 207 00:06:57,140 --> 00:06:59,380 And volcanoes can actually help replenish a planet's 208 00:06:59,380 --> 00:07:02,700 atmosphere, even if it's being stripped away by solar winds. 209 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,060 Oh, so they can kind of fight back, huh? 210 00:07:05,060 --> 00:07:06,460 Yeah, in a way. 211 00:07:06,460 --> 00:07:08,900 Man, this is making my brain hurt, but in a good way. 212 00:07:08,900 --> 00:07:11,420 So we've got this planet, maybe with volcanoes, 213 00:07:11,420 --> 00:07:14,220 maybe with oceans, maybe with a thin atmosphere. 214 00:07:14,220 --> 00:07:17,820 What does it all mean, like, in the grand scheme of things? 215 00:07:17,820 --> 00:07:21,420 Finding a maybe habitable planet so close to us. 216 00:07:21,420 --> 00:07:24,020 It means that planets like this might be all over the place. 217 00:07:24,020 --> 00:07:24,860 You think so? 218 00:07:24,860 --> 00:07:26,060 It's definitely possible. 219 00:07:26,060 --> 00:07:28,820 It opens up this whole new idea that, you know, 220 00:07:28,820 --> 00:07:30,580 we're not so special after all. 221 00:07:30,580 --> 00:07:32,140 Life could be everywhere. 222 00:07:32,140 --> 00:07:33,900 That is a wild thought. 223 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,460 It really changes how you look at the universe. 224 00:07:36,460 --> 00:07:37,260 It does. 225 00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:39,660 But, I mean, we've got to be realistic. 226 00:07:39,660 --> 00:07:43,980 We still don't know for sure about Proxima B. 227 00:07:43,980 --> 00:07:45,900 What are some of the things scientists still 228 00:07:45,900 --> 00:07:47,380 need to figure out? 229 00:07:47,380 --> 00:07:49,580 Well, like we said, the surface is a big mystery. 230 00:07:49,580 --> 00:07:51,900 We've talked about oceans, but we don't know for sure 231 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:54,180 if they're really there or what they're like. 232 00:07:54,180 --> 00:07:54,980 Right. 233 00:07:54,980 --> 00:07:56,500 Are they like our oceans? 234 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:57,860 That's the question. 235 00:07:57,860 --> 00:08:00,860 Or are they totally different, shaped by this weird, 236 00:08:00,860 --> 00:08:03,060 tidally locked situation? 237 00:08:03,060 --> 00:08:05,340 It would be incredible to explore those oceans, 238 00:08:05,340 --> 00:08:09,300 but obviously we can't just send a submarine over there. 239 00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:10,140 Not yet, anyway. 240 00:08:10,140 --> 00:08:12,140 So how do we get a better look at what's under the surface? 241 00:08:12,140 --> 00:08:13,420 Well, this is where it gets exciting. 242 00:08:13,420 --> 00:08:16,060 We can use computer models to create 243 00:08:16,060 --> 00:08:17,300 a simulation of the planet. 244 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:19,380 Oh, so like a virtual Proxima B. 245 00:08:19,380 --> 00:08:20,420 Yeah, exactly. 246 00:08:20,420 --> 00:08:22,180 We can plug in all kinds of information, 247 00:08:22,180 --> 00:08:23,580 change different things, and see how 248 00:08:23,580 --> 00:08:24,780 it affects the whole planet. 249 00:08:24,780 --> 00:08:25,300 Cool. 250 00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:26,820 So we can test different scenarios. 251 00:08:26,820 --> 00:08:27,300 Right. 252 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:29,580 We can try different atmospheres, ocean depths, 253 00:08:29,580 --> 00:08:30,580 all sorts of things. 254 00:08:30,580 --> 00:08:32,180 That's amazing. 255 00:08:32,180 --> 00:08:35,060 But how do we know if those simulations are even accurate? 256 00:08:35,060 --> 00:08:36,900 That's the tricky part. 257 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:39,540 It depends on how much information we have 258 00:08:39,540 --> 00:08:41,580 and how good our models are. 259 00:08:41,580 --> 00:08:43,660 The more we learn about Proxima B, 260 00:08:43,660 --> 00:08:45,500 the better our simulations will get. 261 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:47,860 So it's all about refining it as we go. 262 00:08:47,860 --> 00:08:48,380 Exactly. 263 00:08:48,380 --> 00:08:49,860 And it's a constant back and forth. 264 00:08:49,860 --> 00:08:52,620 We observe, we simulate, we learn more, 265 00:08:52,620 --> 00:08:54,620 and the picture gets clearer. 266 00:08:54,620 --> 00:08:56,660 Like a never-ending puzzle. 267 00:08:56,660 --> 00:09:00,660 But remember, Proxima B is just one piece of the puzzle. 268 00:09:00,660 --> 00:09:03,940 What does finding a planet like this, so close to us, 269 00:09:03,940 --> 00:09:06,540 tell us about the search for life in general? 270 00:09:06,540 --> 00:09:09,460 It tells us that habitable planets might be way more 271 00:09:09,460 --> 00:09:10,860 common than we thought. 272 00:09:10,860 --> 00:09:11,380 Really? 273 00:09:11,380 --> 00:09:12,300 Think about it. 274 00:09:12,300 --> 00:09:14,580 We found this one around a completely different type 275 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:15,900 of star than our sun. 276 00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:17,820 If they're out there, the chances of finding life 277 00:09:17,820 --> 00:09:20,420 somewhere else are, well, pretty huge. 278 00:09:20,420 --> 00:09:22,980 It's almost like we're not just living in the universe, 279 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:24,300 but in a living universe. 280 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:24,980 Yeah. 281 00:09:24,980 --> 00:09:26,620 OK, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. 282 00:09:26,620 --> 00:09:28,420 Proxima B has a lot of challenges, too. 283 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:28,940 You're right. 284 00:09:28,940 --> 00:09:30,460 We need to keep that in mind. 285 00:09:30,460 --> 00:09:31,980 We've talked about them, but I think 286 00:09:31,980 --> 00:09:34,020 it's worth really looking at those obstacles. 287 00:09:34,020 --> 00:09:34,500 Sure. 288 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:36,420 It's a pretty harsh world, right? 289 00:09:36,420 --> 00:09:40,700 The intense heat, the freezing cold, those flares, 290 00:09:40,700 --> 00:09:42,620 maybe a super thin atmosphere. 291 00:09:42,620 --> 00:09:45,100 How could anything survive there? 292 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:47,300 It's a tough one, that's for sure. 293 00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:50,100 But life is, well, life finds a way. 294 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:50,700 Look at Earth. 295 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:52,900 We've got those extremophiles, those little guys 296 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:55,300 that live in the craziest places. 297 00:09:55,300 --> 00:09:56,940 OK, extremophiles, I always forget about those. 298 00:09:56,940 --> 00:10:00,500 You mean like boiling hot springs or like frozen deserts? 299 00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:01,380 Exactly. 300 00:10:01,380 --> 00:10:03,780 They can handle stuff that would kill, well, 301 00:10:03,780 --> 00:10:04,900 pretty much anything else. 302 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:05,500 It's insane. 303 00:10:05,500 --> 00:10:07,620 Like the tardigrades, you know those? 304 00:10:07,620 --> 00:10:08,540 The water bears. 305 00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:10,060 Water bears, those are so cute. 306 00:10:10,060 --> 00:10:11,260 But tough, right? 307 00:10:11,260 --> 00:10:12,260 Oh, yeah. 308 00:10:12,260 --> 00:10:15,380 They can survive extreme temperatures, radiation, 309 00:10:15,380 --> 00:10:16,940 even being in space. 310 00:10:16,940 --> 00:10:17,740 No way. 311 00:10:17,740 --> 00:10:18,260 Really? 312 00:10:18,260 --> 00:10:19,100 Seriously. 313 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:22,020 So if life can handle those conditions here on Earth, 314 00:10:22,020 --> 00:10:24,860 it makes you wonder, right, maybe something similar 315 00:10:24,860 --> 00:10:26,780 could have evolved on Proxima B. 316 00:10:26,780 --> 00:10:28,660 It's like those sci-fi movies where 317 00:10:28,660 --> 00:10:30,820 they find these crazy alien life forms. 318 00:10:30,820 --> 00:10:33,300 Totally different from anything we've ever seen. 319 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:36,340 But you know, something's been bugging me. 320 00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:39,260 If there's life on Proxima B, how did it even get there? 321 00:10:39,260 --> 00:10:40,940 I mean, it's a whole different star system. 322 00:10:40,940 --> 00:10:41,420 Right. 323 00:10:41,420 --> 00:10:42,220 That's a big question. 324 00:10:42,220 --> 00:10:43,980 One idea is panspermia. 325 00:10:43,980 --> 00:10:45,060 Panspermia. 326 00:10:45,060 --> 00:10:45,780 What's that? 327 00:10:45,780 --> 00:10:48,300 Basically, the idea that life might 328 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:50,380 have started somewhere else in the universe 329 00:10:50,380 --> 00:10:52,660 and then like traveled to Proxima B, 330 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:56,100 maybe hitching a ride on a comet or an asteroid or something. 331 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:58,180 So you're saying life could have, I don't know, 332 00:10:58,180 --> 00:11:00,380 been planted there from another planet? 333 00:11:00,380 --> 00:11:01,660 Maybe even from Earth? 334 00:11:01,660 --> 00:11:02,660 It's a possibility. 335 00:11:02,660 --> 00:11:05,500 We know impacts can send rocks and stuff flying out 336 00:11:05,500 --> 00:11:06,940 into space, and some of that stuff 337 00:11:06,940 --> 00:11:08,820 could have microscopic life on it. 338 00:11:08,820 --> 00:11:11,500 It's a long shot, but you know, not impossible. 339 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:12,460 That's wild. 340 00:11:12,460 --> 00:11:15,100 Like life just hopping from planet to planet, 341 00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:16,980 spreading across the galaxy. 342 00:11:16,980 --> 00:11:20,260 But what if life on Proxima B started on its own? 343 00:11:20,260 --> 00:11:21,700 Totally separate from Earth. 344 00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:22,660 What would that mean? 345 00:11:22,660 --> 00:11:23,780 Oh, that would be huge. 346 00:11:23,780 --> 00:11:26,700 It would mean that life isn't just some random fluke. 347 00:11:26,700 --> 00:11:29,180 It could mean life is actually common in the universe, 348 00:11:29,180 --> 00:11:31,260 that it pops up wherever the conditions are right. 349 00:11:31,260 --> 00:11:32,380 Wow. 350 00:11:32,380 --> 00:11:33,260 So many planets. 351 00:11:33,260 --> 00:11:34,660 So much life. 352 00:11:34,660 --> 00:11:36,380 But it also makes you think about, like, 353 00:11:36,380 --> 00:11:38,860 what if we do find life on Proxima B? 354 00:11:38,860 --> 00:11:39,820 How should we handle it? 355 00:11:39,820 --> 00:11:43,620 Should we try to, I don't know, talk to it or just leave it 356 00:11:43,620 --> 00:11:44,140 alone? 357 00:11:44,140 --> 00:11:45,260 Those are some big questions. 358 00:11:45,260 --> 00:11:47,420 And they're questions we need to be thinking about now 359 00:11:47,420 --> 00:11:48,700 before we even find anything. 360 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:51,660 Finding alien life, well, that would change everything. 361 00:11:51,660 --> 00:11:55,060 How we see ourselves, our place in the universe, everything. 362 00:11:55,060 --> 00:11:57,300 It's kind of scary and exciting at the same time. 363 00:11:57,300 --> 00:11:57,820 It is. 364 00:11:57,820 --> 00:12:01,140 Well, we've covered a lot about Proxima B, the challenges, 365 00:12:01,140 --> 00:12:02,460 the possibilities. 366 00:12:02,460 --> 00:12:03,420 But what's next? 367 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:08,300 What does the future hold for exploring this crazy planet? 368 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:12,100 That's up to the next generation of telescopes and space 369 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:12,980 missions. 370 00:12:12,980 --> 00:12:15,020 The James Webb will keep helping us learn more 371 00:12:15,020 --> 00:12:16,420 about its atmosphere. 372 00:12:16,420 --> 00:12:19,540 And maybe one day, we'll send probes to get a closer look. 373 00:12:19,540 --> 00:12:20,340 Who knows? 374 00:12:20,340 --> 00:12:22,740 It's an incredible time for space exploration. 375 00:12:22,740 --> 00:12:25,900 And Proxima B is right there at the front of it all, 376 00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:28,740 this little planet, so close, so mysterious. 377 00:12:28,740 --> 00:12:30,340 It really is. 378 00:12:30,340 --> 00:12:32,140 Well, that was quite a journey. 379 00:12:32,140 --> 00:12:36,060 From the heart of that red dwarf star to those maybe oceans, 380 00:12:36,060 --> 00:12:39,740 Proxima B has made us question everything we thought we knew. 381 00:12:39,740 --> 00:12:41,580 Who knows what else we'll find out there? 382 00:12:41,580 --> 00:12:42,060 Yeah. 383 00:12:42,060 --> 00:12:45,100 But one thing's for sure, the search for answers, 384 00:12:45,100 --> 00:12:48,060 the drive to explore, that's what makes us human. 385 00:12:48,060 --> 00:12:48,980 Couldn't agree more. 386 00:12:48,980 --> 00:12:51,300 Thank you for joining us today as we explore the mysteries 387 00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:54,460 of Proxima Centauri B. If you enjoyed this episode, 388 00:12:54,460 --> 00:12:57,220 don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. 389 00:12:57,220 --> 00:13:01,140 Until next time, I'm Amakish, encouraging you to stay curious 390 00:13:01,140 --> 00:13:02,580 and keep looking up. 391 00:13:02,580 --> 00:13:05,140 The universe is full of wonders waiting to be discovered. 392 00:13:05,140 --> 00:13:08,340 Please follow and subscribe to Cosmos CinePod and our YouTube 393 00:13:08,340 --> 00:13:24,900 channel.