#201 – Konstantin Batygin: Planet 9 and the Edge of Our Solar System

Lex Fridman Podcast

Konstantin Batygin is a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Konstantin’s Twitter https://twitter.com/kbatygin
Konstantin’s Website https://www.konstantinbatygin.com/

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:17) – Overview of our Solar System
(22:14) – What is the Oort Cloud?
(27:10) – Life in the interstellar medium
(28:42) – Are there aliens out there?
(31:22) – How unique is Earth?
(34:02) – Did Jupiter destroy early planets?
(40:16) – How hard is it to simulate the Universe?
(44:49) – Quantum mechanics in evolution of objects in the Solar system
(49:15) – Simulating the first formations around the Sun
(55:02) – Will it be possible to simulate the full history of the Solar System?
(57:23) – How far should we go with the simulation?
(59:43) – Increasing immersion in video games
(1:06:09) – What is Planet Nine?
(1:12:37) – The origin of life
(1:15:02) – Evidence of Planet Nine
(1:17:32) – Discovery of Neptune
(1:18:42) – When will we find Planet Nine?
(1:21:21) – Planet Nine throws rocks into the Kuiper Belt
(1:25:15) – Could Planet Nine be a primordial black hole?
(1:35:20) – Commercial space revolution boosts science and the human condition
(1:42:46) – Solving sex in space
(1:43:24) – Would humans evolve if we couldn’t see the stars?
(1:49:08) – Military funding and science
(1:53:11) – Is Oumuamua space junk from a distant alien civilization?
(2:06:33) – Wild ideas create the future
(2:14:22) – The perfect place to die
(2:16:03) – Greatest song of all time
(2:22:34) – Music enables science for Konstantin
(2:24:51) – Music practice tips for busy people
(2:28:41) – Memories of 1990s Russia
(2:35:14) – Advice for young people
(2:41:10) – Meaning of life