The Padverb Podcast with KMO

020 Moons and Planets with Francis Nimmo

Listen Later

Francis Nimmo is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research specialty is understanding the structure and evolution of rocky and icy planets.

KMO and Francis discuss:

  • 02:30 – The importance of the James Webb and other telescopes
  • 03:40 – NASA probes, the AI connection, and technical challenges
  • 08:30 – The possibility of finding life and the radiation factor
  • 09:45 – Europa and Enceladus
  • 10:42 – Breaking molecules at fly-by speeds
  • 11:50 – Technology limitations and ambiguity in our search for life
  • 14:40 – The question of independent emergence of life
  • 16:05 – Subsurface oceans
  • 18:40 – Moons
  • 23:25 – Saturn's rings
  • 26:05 – The Kuiper belt and beyond
  • 28:00 – Autonomy and hibernation
  • 29:25 – Gas giants vs ice giants
  • 31:25 – Pluto
  • 35:50 – Mission re-assignment
  • 40:10 – Canned apes and getting to Mars
  • 42:30 – Sci-Fi future we were promised
  • 44:15 – Venus
  • 49:40 – Mercury
  • 53:45 – Comets
  • 56:05 – The Earth
  • 57:40 – Deep Time

    • Francis (The Guest):

    • websites.pmc.ucsc.edu/~fnimmo/
    • Francis Nimmo @ Wikipedia

      • KMO (The Host):

      • Twitter: @Kayemmo
      • en.padverb.com/kmo

        • Padverb:

        • The Padverb Telegram Channel:
          • t.me/padverbpodcast

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          The Padverb Podcast with KMOBy Padverb