1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,760 Okay, picture this. 2 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:03,760 You're huddled with this group of scientists. 3 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:04,600 Yeah. 4 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,400 And you're staring at these grainy images. 5 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,760 They're being beamed back from the spacecraft 6 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,960 billions and billions of kilometers away. 7 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,700 And these images are of Pluto, 8 00:00:13,700 --> 00:00:16,680 that little world that we once considered the ninth planet. 9 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:17,520 Yeah. 10 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:19,520 And you're expecting to see this cold, 11 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,720 dead cratered ball of ice. 12 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:23,680 Basically a cosmic fossil. 13 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,520 But instead, what you see takes your breath away. 14 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,400 It's like Pluto is throwing this giant slushy party. 15 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,160 Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod, 16 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,800 the Space and Astronomy series. 17 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,040 Please like, comment, share and subscribe. 18 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:37,440 Today we're taking a deep dive 19 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,040 into the incredible discoveries 20 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,760 of the New Horizons mission. 21 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,600 This mission flew past Pluto in 2015. 22 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,640 And it completely changed our understanding 23 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,440 of what this dwarf planet is all about. 24 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,440 Yeah, it's really a classic underdog story. 25 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,560 You know, Pluto gets demoted to a dwarf planet. 26 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,040 Everyone thinks it's gonna be boring. 27 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,880 And then bam, it turns out to be one of the most fascinating 28 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:57,240 and geologically active worlds 29 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:58,760 that we've ever seen in our solar system. 30 00:00:58,760 --> 00:00:59,880 Exactly. 31 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:00,920 So set the scene for us. 32 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,640 What were we expecting to find 33 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,600 when New Horizons reached Pluto? 34 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,520 Well, back then Pluto was like the ultimate cosmic unknown. 35 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,720 We had these fuzzy telescope images 36 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,560 and they hinted at a world of ice and rock, 37 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,880 probably heavily cratered from billions of years 38 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,560 of bombardment by asteroids and comets. 39 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,160 It was thought to be a relic of the early solar system, 40 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:21,160 phrasing in time. 41 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:22,840 A sort of celestial time capsule. 42 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,240 That's a great way to put it. 43 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,960 But as New Horizons got closer and closer, 44 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:28,680 the images got sharper and sharper. 45 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,720 And scientists started noticing things 46 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,640 that just didn't fit with that old picture. 47 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:33,880 Like what kind of things? 48 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:34,720 Give us the highlights. 49 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:36,480 Well, for starters, there were mountains. 50 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,560 Not little bumps, but towering peaks. 51 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,720 Some of them over five kilometers high. 52 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,480 And I remember Pluto is smaller than our own moon. 53 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,240 Then there were these vast plains of nitrogen ice 54 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,360 and they looked incredibly smooth, 55 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,760 almost like they'd been recently resurfaced. 56 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,880 But the real jaw dropper was the discovery 57 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,560 of what appeared to be giant volcanoes. 58 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,080 Volcanoes on Pluto. 59 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:58,520 But how is that even possible? 60 00:01:58,520 --> 00:01:59,600 It's so far from the sun. 61 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,160 It should be frozen solid. 62 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:02,320 Yeah, that was everyone's reaction. 63 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:03,160 It just didn't make sense. 64 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:04,040 But there they were. 65 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,560 These massive structures that looked 66 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,800 for all the world like volcanoes, 67 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,320 but not the kind that erupt with molten rock. 68 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,720 These are what we call cryovolcanoes. 69 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:13,600 Cryovolcanoes. 70 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:14,420 Sounds chilly. 71 00:02:14,420 --> 00:02:15,280 What exactly does that mean? 72 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,000 Imagine a volcano erupting with this slushy mix 73 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,720 of water ice, ammonia, nitrogen, and maybe even methane. 74 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,080 That's a cryovolcano. 75 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,040 It's like Pluto's having this giant slushy party. 76 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:29,280 But instead of little paper cups, 77 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:30,920 we're talking about eruptions that can spew 78 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,600 this icy mix for kilometers. 79 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:34,440 That's wild. 80 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,680 I mean, volcanoes on Earth are impressive enough, 81 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,800 but this is on another level entirely. 82 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,920 It's a completely different kind of volcanism, 83 00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:43,600 driven by processes we're still trying to fully understand. 84 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,320 And it tells us that Pluto is far more geologically active 85 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:47,440 than anyone ever imagined. 86 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,840 OK, so we've got mountains, smooth plains, 87 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,160 and these mind-boggling cryovolcanoes. 88 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:55,720 What else did New Horizons reveal 89 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,240 about this surprisingly lively little world? 90 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,840 One of the things that really blew scientists away 91 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,320 was the lack of craters in certain areas. 92 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:04,760 Now, you'd expect a world that's 93 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,520 been hanging out in the outer solar system 94 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,440 for billions of years to be absolutely 95 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,000 pockmarked with craters. 96 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,000 But some regions of Pluto's surface 97 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,800 are incredibly smooth, almost completely free of craters. 98 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:16,960 So what does that tell us? 99 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,200 It means those surfaces are young, geologically speaking. 100 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,720 Something has been resurfacing Pluto, 101 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,720 erasing those impact craters, and creating fresh landscapes. 102 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,560 The prime suspect is cryovolcanoes. 103 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,480 Exactly. 104 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,360 Those icy eruptions could be acting 105 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,920 like this cosmic resurfacing crew smoothing over the old 106 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,320 and laying down these new layers of icy material. 107 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,760 It's like finding a freshly paved road on a planet 108 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,400 billions of years old. 109 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,720 It means something is actively resurfacing Pluto. 110 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,840 It's almost like Pluto's trying to tell us, hey, 111 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,000 don't underestimate me. 112 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,600 I'm not just some boring dead world. 113 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,120 I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. 114 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:53,360 That's a great way to put it. 115 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,040 And that's what makes Pluto so exciting. 116 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,200 It's forcing us to rethink our assumptions about what 117 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,320 it takes for a world to be geologically active. 118 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,200 All right, so Pluto is way more dynamic than we ever thought. 119 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,160 But here's the big question. 120 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,200 Where is all this energy coming from? 121 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,360 What's driving these cryovolcanoes 122 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,320 and resurfacing this little world 123 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,080 when it should be frozen solid? 124 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,840 That's the million dollar question. 125 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,320 It's a mystery that has scientists scratching their heads 126 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,000 and coming up with all sorts of fascinating theories. 127 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,800 Well, let's unpack those theories. 128 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,480 What are the usual suspects when it comes to heat sources 129 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,240 for geological activity? 130 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,560 And why don't they seem to work for Pluto? 131 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,440 Typically, we think of things like radioactive decay, 132 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,120 where the breakdown of elements in a planet's core 133 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:36,480 releases heat. 134 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,560 That's what drives most of the geological activity on Earth. 135 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,880 Another possibility is tidal heating, 136 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,440 where the gravitational tug of war between planets 137 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,600 and their moons generates heat. 138 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,520 We see this happening on some of the icy moons 139 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:49,840 of Jupiter and Saturn. 140 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:51,680 So those are the usual suspects. 141 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,080 But why don't they fit Pluto's profile? 142 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,520 Well, Pluto is just too small for radioactive decay 143 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,440 to be generating enough heat to power all this activity. 144 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,360 And while it does have moons, they're 145 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,760 not big enough to generate significant tidal heating. 146 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,120 So we have to look beyond the usual suspects. 147 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,080 All right, so we need a new suspect. 148 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,240 What are scientists proposing? 149 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,280 What could be generating enough heat 150 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:14,360 to keep Pluto geologically active? 151 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,080 One of the most intriguing possibilities 152 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,360 is that Pluto has a hidden ocean beneath its icy surface. 153 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,920 A hidden ocean, like the ones we suspect 154 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,840 exist on Europa and Enceladus. 155 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,320 But how could Pluto have enough internal heat 156 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,840 to maintain a liquid ocean when those other icy moons rely 157 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:32,040 on tidal forces? 158 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,400 That's precisely what makes Pluto so fascinating. 159 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,720 It's breaking the mold. 160 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,720 The leading theory is that Pluto formed 161 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,360 with a lot of internal heat. 162 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,160 And this heat, trapped beneath this thick layer of ice, 163 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,600 could be enough to maintain a liquid water ocean. 164 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,240 It's basically leftover heat from the planet's formation, 165 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,400 slowly dissipating over billions of years. 166 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,640 OK, so Pluto might be harboring this vast hidden ocean, 167 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,440 kept warm by the dying embers of its formation. 168 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,080 That's a pretty mind-blowing concept. 169 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,520 But how does this hypothetical ocean 170 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,720 connect to the cryovolcanoes and the resurfacing 171 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:02,920 we've been talking about? 172 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:03,840 Imagine it this way. 173 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:05,720 You've got this internal ocean that's 174 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,960 warmer than the surrounding ice. 175 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,160 This creates a temperature difference. 176 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,240 And heat always wants to move from warmer areas 177 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:14,720 to cooler areas. 178 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:16,880 So this heat from the ocean is slowly 179 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,440 working its way up through Pluto's icy shell. 180 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,520 And as this heat rises, it melts pockets of the icy material, 181 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,840 creating the slushy mix that eventually erupts 182 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:28,960 onto the surface through the cryovolcanoes. 183 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,000 That's the idea. 184 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,640 And these eruptions would explain the smooth resurfaced 185 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,640 areas we see in the images from New Horizons. 186 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,160 It's a fascinating puzzle. 187 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,000 And we're still putting the pieces together. 188 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,800 And I have a feeling that's just the tip of the iceberg, 189 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:42,640 so to speak. 190 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,600 This hidden ocean raises even bigger questions, doesn't it? 191 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:46,760 You're reading my mind. 192 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,160 Wherever we find water in the universe, 193 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,000 the question of life inevitably follows. 194 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,720 And that's where things get really interesting. 195 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:53,400 Exactly. 196 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,280 So we've got this potential hidden ocean on Pluto, 197 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:59,200 this world that's billions of kilometers away from the sun 198 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,040 and colder than anything we can imagine. 199 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:03,840 It seems almost counterintuitive to think 200 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,640 about life existing in such an extreme environment. 201 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:06,960 You're right. 202 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,480 It's like something out of a science fiction novel. 203 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:09,840 But here's the thing. 204 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,720 Lice on Earth has shown us time and time again 205 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,560 that it can thrive in the most unexpected places. 206 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:16,120 Exactly. 207 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,480 We found organisms called extremophiles 208 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,760 living in scorching hot springs, deep sea hydrothermal vents 209 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,040 where sunlight never reaches, and even 210 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,040 in the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. 211 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,240 If life can exist in those conditions, 212 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,240 who's to say it couldn't exist in a hypothetical subsurface 213 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:34,480 ocean on Pluto? 214 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,520 So maybe we need to broaden our definition 215 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,800 of what a habitable environment looks like. 216 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:39,300 Absolutely. 217 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:41,840 And that's one of the most profound implications 218 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,360 of the discoveries on Pluto. 219 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,600 It's challenging our preconceived notions 220 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,960 about where life might exist in the universe. 221 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,500 All right, so let's say hypothetically 222 00:07:49,500 --> 00:07:52,240 that there is life in this hidden ocean on Pluto. 223 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:53,860 What kind of life are we talking about? 224 00:07:53,860 --> 00:07:56,480 Are we imagining little plutonium fish swimming around 225 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:57,080 down there? 226 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,840 Probably not fish if there is life on Pluto. 227 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,960 It's most likely going to be microbial life, 228 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,240 simple single-celled organisms that can 229 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,800 survive in extreme conditions. 230 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,960 Think of the extremophiles we find on Earth, 231 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:11,680 those tiny, hearty creatures that 232 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,800 can withstand intense heat, cold pressure, and even 233 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:16,200 toxic chemicals. 234 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,400 So maybe not as exciting as alien mermaids, 235 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,320 but still a monumental discovery if we ever found them. 236 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:22,200 Absolutely. 237 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,520 Even the discovery of microbial life on Pluto 238 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,040 would be one of the most significant scientific findings 239 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,680 in human history. 240 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,680 It would tell us that life isn't a fluke, a one-off event 241 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,700 that happened only on Earth. 242 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:36,680 It would mean that life has the potential to emerge and evolve 243 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:39,480 in environments that are vastly different from our own. 244 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,560 It would be a paradigm shift in our understanding 245 00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:42,960 of the universe and our place in it. 246 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:43,680 Exactly. 247 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:45,400 And it would open up a whole new realm 248 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,080 of possibilities in our search for life beyond Earth. 249 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,040 OK, let's talk about how we might actually 250 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,840 go about searching for signs of life on Pluto. 251 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,040 New Horizons was a flyby mission. 252 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,880 It gives an incredible glimpse of this dwarf planet, 253 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,080 but it wasn't designed to search for life. 254 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:00,920 That's right. 255 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,400 New Horizons gave us a tantalizing snapshot of Pluto. 256 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,640 But to truly search for signs of life 257 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,640 we need a dedicated mission. 258 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,760 So what kind of mission are we talking about? 259 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:12,680 Ideally, a mission that could orbit Pluto 260 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:14,380 for an extended period, allowing us 261 00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:15,920 to study its surface and atmosphere 262 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:17,680 in much greater detail. 263 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:19,480 We'd need instruments that could analyze 264 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,320 the composition of the surface and look 265 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,240 for any chemical signatures that might 266 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,080 hink at the presence of life. 267 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:26,840 Like what kind of chemical signatures? 268 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,700 We'd be looking for things like organic molecules, 269 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:32,280 the building blocks of life as we know it. 270 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,040 We might also look for imbalances 271 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,780 in the composition of the atmosphere, 272 00:09:35,780 --> 00:09:38,440 like an excess of certain gases that could be produced 273 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,480 by biological processes. 274 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,640 And what about those cryovolcanoes? 275 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,040 Could they offer any clues? 276 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:44,640 Absolutely. 277 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,400 Those eruptions could be bringing material 278 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,640 from that hidden ocean up to the surface, 279 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,560 where we might be able to detect it. 280 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:53,560 Pluto is giving us a free sample delivery service. 281 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:55,360 Talk about a cosmic gift. 282 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,200 So an orbiter would be a great start, 283 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,240 but what about actually getting down to the surface 284 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,320 and exploring that hidden ocean directly? 285 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,160 That would be the ultimate goal, wouldn't it? 286 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,040 To send a lander to Pluto, maybe even one equipped 287 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,520 with a probe that could penetrate the icy shell 288 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,440 and explore the ocean directly. 289 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,080 It sounds incredibly challenging. 290 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,000 It would be one of the most ambitious space 291 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,200 missions ever attempted. 292 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:17,560 The distances are vast. 293 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,480 The environment is incredibly harsh, 294 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,080 and the technology required is still being developed. 295 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,560 But the potential rewards would be immarable. 296 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,520 It would be like opening a window into an alien world, 297 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,240 a world that might harbor life as we've never seen it before. 298 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,520 It would be a truly historic moment, a testament 299 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:36,120 to human ingenuity and our insatiable curiosity. 300 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,040 OK, let's bring it back down to Earth for a moment. 301 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,040 While we wait for these future missions to Pluto, 302 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,280 what can we do here and now to learn 303 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,200 more about the possibility of life on this distant world? 304 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:48,440 That's a great question. 305 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,840 We can continue to study extremophiles here on Earth, 306 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,880 those organisms that thrive in conditions that mimic what 307 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,360 we think might exist on Pluto. 308 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,240 By understanding how these organisms survive and adapt, 309 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,340 we can gain insights into the potential for life 310 00:11:01,340 --> 00:11:02,920 in those extreme environments. 311 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,600 It's like using Earth as a living laboratory 312 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,760 to help us understand other worlds. 313 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:09,160 Exactly. 314 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,600 We can also continue to develop new technologies 315 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,900 and instruments that will be needed for future missions 316 00:11:13,900 --> 00:11:14,880 to Pluto. 317 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,000 And we can continue to analyze the data from New Horizons 318 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,120 looking for any clues that we might have missed. 319 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,640 It's amazing to think that even though New Horizons is long 320 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,320 past Pluto, the data it collected 321 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,040 is still giving us new insights and fueling our curiosity. 322 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,040 It's a treasure trove of information, 323 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,160 and scientists will be pouring over it for years to come. 324 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,520 So Pluto has gone from being the demoted planet, the one we 325 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,280 thought was boring and lifeless, to being this incredible world 326 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,120 full of surprises and potential. 327 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,240 It's a cosmic underdog story that's 328 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,920 captured the imagination of scientists and the public 329 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:48,680 alike. 330 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:50,980 And it's a reminder that there's still so much out there 331 00:11:50,980 --> 00:11:53,680 to discover, so much we don't know about our own solar 332 00:11:53,680 --> 00:11:56,040 system, let alone the vast universe beyond. 333 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,580 It makes you wonder what other secrets are lurking out there, 334 00:11:58,580 --> 00:11:59,960 just waiting to be uncovered. 335 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:02,040 That's the beauty of exploration, isn't it? 336 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,420 It's a journey into the unknown, and there's always 337 00:12:04,420 --> 00:12:07,240 the possibility of stumbling upon something truly 338 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:08,320 astonishing. 339 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,520 I think we're ready to dive into some of those astonishing 340 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,720 possibilities, specifically the implications 341 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,280 of finding life on Pluto. 342 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:15,880 Let's do it. 343 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:17,480 This is where things get really exciting. 344 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,160 OK, so we've established that Pluto 345 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,280 is way more interesting than anyone gave it credit for, 346 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,560 and that it might even have the ingredients for life. 347 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:25,240 Right. 348 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:26,160 Yeah, as we know it. 349 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,040 Yeah, and that brings us to what I 350 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,600 think is the most profound question of all, 351 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,440 what would it mean if we found evidence of life, 352 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,040 even microbial life, on a world like Pluto? 353 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,000 It's a question that's both exciting and a little bit 354 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:40,960 terrifying, isn't it? 355 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:41,320 Yeah. 356 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,120 It would completely change our understanding 357 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:44,800 of our place in the universe. 358 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,120 Imagine the headlines. 359 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:47,980 Life found on Pluto. 360 00:12:47,980 --> 00:12:49,640 Are we alone in the universe? 361 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:51,940 Everything we thought we knew is wrong. 362 00:12:51,940 --> 00:12:53,640 It would be a global sensation. 363 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:55,080 People would lose their minds. 364 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,880 It would spark a whole new wave of interest 365 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,680 in space exploration and science in the very nature of life 366 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:01,440 itself. 367 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,680 Yeah, it would challenge our deeply held beliefs 368 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:07,680 about what it means to be alive, about the conditions necessary 369 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:09,480 for life to even arise. 370 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:11,040 It would make us question whether life 371 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,960 is this rare and precious fluke, or whether it's 372 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,620 a fundamental property of the universe, something 373 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:18,720 that emerges wherever the conditions are even 374 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,400 remotely favorable. 375 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:21,960 It's like we've been looking for life 376 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,280 in all the wrong places, focused on finding planets 377 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:26,920 that are just like Earth. 378 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:30,680 But maybe life is way more adaptable, way more resilient 379 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:31,840 than we ever imagined. 380 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:32,560 Precisely. 381 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:34,800 And if life can exist on Pluto, a world that's 382 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,220 so different from our own, then it 383 00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:40,100 stands to reason that life could exist in countless other places 384 00:13:40,100 --> 00:13:41,000 in the universe. 385 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,560 The universe could be teeming with life. 386 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,280 It's a mind boggling concept. 387 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:46,040 It really is. 388 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,960 And it makes you wonder what other strange and wonderful 389 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,700 forms of life might be out there, what other secrets 390 00:13:51,700 --> 00:13:53,000 are waiting to be uncovered. 391 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,880 It's enough to make your head spin. 392 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,240 But let's try to bring it back down to Earth for a moment. 393 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:58,800 What are the practical implications 394 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,720 of finding life on Pluto? 395 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,640 How would it change our approach to space exploration? 396 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:05,760 Well, for starters, it would make the search for life 397 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,520 a top priority for space agencies around the world. 398 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,480 We'd be pouring resources into developing new technologies 399 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,400 and missions specifically designed to find and study 400 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,040 extraterrestrial life. 401 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,680 We'd probably see a whole new generation of scientists 402 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:22,640 and engineers inspired to pursue careers in space exploration. 403 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:23,700 Absolutely. 404 00:14:23,700 --> 00:14:25,280 And the discovery of life on Pluto 405 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,960 would also have profound philosophical and ethical 406 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:29,240 implications. 407 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:30,200 How so? 408 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,880 We'd have to start asking ourselves some tough questions. 409 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:34,880 Like, how do we interact with alien life? 410 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,120 What are our responsibilities to these newfound life forms? 411 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:39,960 Do we have the right to study them? 412 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,760 Or should we leave them undisturbed? 413 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,000 Those are some heavy questions. 414 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,920 It's like we'd be stepping onto a whole new ethical 415 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:45,440 landscape. 416 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:46,240 Exactly. 417 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,800 And it's a conversation we need to start having now. 418 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,520 Before we actually make those discoveries, 419 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:51,960 we need to be prepared to grapple 420 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,120 with the implications of finding life beyond Earth. 421 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,280 Well, I think it's safe to say that Pluto has already 422 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,840 changed our perspective on the universe. 423 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,120 And it's only the beginning. 424 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,520 Who knows what other wonders await us as we 425 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:05,600 continue to explore the cosmos? 426 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,000 Pluto is a reminder that the universe is full of surprises. 427 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,800 It's a place where the impossible seems 428 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,560 to be possible, where our imaginations are constantly 429 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,660 challenged, and where our sense of wonder 430 00:15:15,660 --> 00:15:17,360 is constantly renewed. 431 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:18,560 Beautifully said. 432 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,640 And on that note, I think it's time 433 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,480 to wrap up our deep dive into Pluto's unexpected activity. 434 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,560 I hope you enjoyed this journey to the outer reaches 435 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:27,560 of our solar system. 436 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,080 It's been a pleasure exploring these mysteries with you. 437 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,740 Don't forget to follow Cosmos and a pod on your podcast 438 00:15:32,740 --> 00:15:35,120 platform, and subscribe to our YouTube channel 439 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,120 for more deep dives into the mysteries of the universe. 440 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:51,280 Until next time, keep looking up.