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Hello, thanks for joining us.
This is Space Nuts. My name is
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Andrew Dunkley, your host. It's
great to be with you coming up.
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We're gonna talk about Fred.
Yes, we are. He's been away but
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he's back. You mightn't have
even noticed that he wasn't. But
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it's true. We'll also be talking
about the Psyche mission that's
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due to launch any minute now.
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And Fred's got a, a real
personal connection with this
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one and the Euclid Telescope
seems to have run into some
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issues, but maybe they've solved
them. It's the FGS which is
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better than an L OS apparently.
Also we will be hearing from Bo
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about maximum entropy John about
the early universe and about
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dark energy. That's all coming
up on this edition of Space
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Nuts.
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15 seconds guidance is internal
10 9 ignition sequence Space
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Nuts. 54323454321 space N as
good.
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And joining us to talk about all
of that and so much more is
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Professor Fred Watts, an
astronomer at large. Hi there,
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Fred.
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Hello, Andrew. How are you?
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I'm good. You look. Well, I
haven't seen you for a month.
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Most people are going, what is
he talking about every week? But
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we had to do eight episodes in
like three or four weeks to
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cover the fact that I was away
and then you were away and now
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we're back and now we've got to
do two more because I'm away.
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It's just ridiculous.
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But, you go, probably no need to
explain it because everyone's
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going. No, no, the episodes are
there. You must have been home.
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So tell us about your trip.
Where did you go? What did you
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do? Well, was one famous aside
from yourself, you meet someone
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famous every day in the mirror.
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I met somebody infinitely more
famous certainly than me and
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probably even you as well
because so this was the, it's a
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kind of two pronged absence.
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So three weeks of my absence
were on one of Marley's tours,
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which was of the UK beginning in
the Channel Islands, which are
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nearer to France than they are
to Britain and then ending in
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the Shetland Islands which are
nearer to Norway than they are
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to Britain. Nearly actually, it
's about the same distance. But
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yeah, wonderful stuff all the
way. So we had a group of about
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20 people.
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The Channel Islands marvelous
lovely weather. Also interesting
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history there because not only
are there fortifications
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everywhere against the
Napoleonic invaders in the early
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19th century, but there's a lot
of World War Two stuff as well
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because, as you probably know,
the Channel Islands were
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actually occupied by Germany
during World War Two was a bit
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of Britain. That was, and then
we were up through Cornwall.
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Took in a lot of really
interesting history. There went
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to land's end, went to my family
comes from is it should have,
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should have known that I'd have
him up. We, we did look up the
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site of where Doc Martin is
filmed for our Doc Martin fans
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on the show. On the sorry, on
the, on the trip bit of
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astronomy to the go hilly Earth
station, which is a satellite
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communication station which has
been there since 1962.
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I remember when it was built.
That's that's somewhere I've
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never, never visited before. So
we saw that then into Wales saw
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amazing stuff, a, a stone age
burial site as well as much more
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recent castles and things of
that. So we were in bath at the
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William OSHA Museum, which is
the place where the planet
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Uranus was discovered, stood on
the spot in the garden, in the
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rain. I loved bath.
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What a lovely place.
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It is, isn't it? It's a stunning
city and I was in bath that we
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were joined for the rest of the
tour by our world famous guest
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Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the
discoverer of Pulsars 67.
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And when, when we got to Wales,
actually, Jocelyn gave us a
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lovely talk, a public talk which
drew people from all over Wales
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to come and hear her speaking as
you would with somebody that
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famous. So Jocelyn was a
delight, accompanied us. The
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rest of the rest of the way we
took in the Beatles Museum in
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Liverpool.
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We were at Jodrell Bank, the
iconic radio telescope near
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Manchester and then up to
Shetland, which was kind of the
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focus of what we were doing
because we were trying to make
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the connection between bronze
age stuff, which of which there
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is quite a lot in Shetland, as
well as Iron Age and other more
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recent historical artist in
fact.
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But there is also one of the U K
's space ports. The most
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northerly space port in Britain
is at a place called Sax Aod,
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right on the northern tip of
Shetland. So we're up there
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looking at what's being done
there.
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They a actually have already
have one launch pad completed
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and they've done test flat
firings from that but have not
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yet launched a space vehicle,
but that is expected to happen
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before the end of this year. So
watch out for the Saxo
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Spaceport, we will probably talk
about it again and it's a
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delight to have been there and
explored what it's like.
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I imagine building a Spaceport
and particularly a launch pad is
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is super duper technical. It
wouldn't be like laying a
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driveway at a house. You'd,
there'd be so much more that
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goes into it.
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There, there is. And there's an
added dimension with this
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particular one because halfway
through the construction of all
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this, they discovered a bronze
age memorial burial site. So
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they had to get all the
archaeologists flooded in.
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But the Spaceport's actually
privately run, privately run
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venture and they are really
enthusiastic about the fact that
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they've now got a bronze age
burial site on the territory as
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well as a few space age. Things.
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In fact, they said there's a
nice quote from the guy who is
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the CEO of the space port. He
said, cos there's a lot of
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Viking remains there as well and
he said our mantra used to be
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from long ships to spaceships,
but now it's from the bronze age
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to the space age.
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I wonder how many times these
sorts of projects, not just
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astronomy, but or space ports,
but, you know, projects in
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general. They, they do it a bit
digging and go. Oh, hello.
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What's don't tell, don't tell,
don't tell anybody. I think that
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happens. It happens. It's and it
's something you have to be very
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careful about. We in the
Department Of Industry, of
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course, have responsibility for
the Australian end of the square
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kilometer array observatory. And
one of the things that was, that
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was not done.
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Was exactly what you've just
described because the, you know,
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the, the fact that there are
probably sacred sites on that
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country. And some of my
colleagues along with the wri
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people who are on the, on the,
the area, they actually walked
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over the 65 kilometers of this
of this site for the square
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kilometer array.
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Looking precisely for that, for
any sacred sites, any
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particular, you know, sites of
significance. Yeah, which was
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incredible. One of my colleagues
is a specialist on that and it's
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amazing to talk to him and find
out what lengths they went to,
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to get all this. Right.
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Most importantly though, Fred on
your trip, did you manage to run
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into Duncan from Weymouth?
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Do you know? I didn't? I, I, as
I mentioned, I think at the time
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when we last heard from Duncan,
we were passing through his
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territory but it turned out that
there was no way of actually
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stopping.
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Or even, it, it was AAA long
transfer from, that's a good
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point from Southampton, right
down to Penzance, which is near
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land's end and there was no way
of stopping anywhere except that
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motorway services each day. I
think, I think Duncan will. I,
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I'll, I'll keep him posted
though. Because it's very nice
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to know we've got somebody who
listens to us in Weymouth. He
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might not be doing anymore.
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I'm sure he is. I'm sure he is.
He's always got questions for us
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and I'm sure we'll hear from
Duncan again. That's very now,
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Fred, we've got a couple of
topics to discuss. I think we'll
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start with the Euclid Telescope
issue because it's been, it
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happened to Hubble, it happened
to James Webb and now it's
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happened to the Euclid
Telescope.
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This is the one that was set up
by the European Space Agency and
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it's got a very, very intense
mission ahead of it. And they've
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been doing the tests and they
found a problem with the FGS,
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the fine guidance sensor which
I, which sounds very important.
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It is, yeah, you're right. It's
what lets you point the
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telescope in the right
direction. And so there was a,
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there was an issue and the thing
is that Andrew with a, a
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telescope like this, which is a
survey telescope. It's basically
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mapping the sky and we've done
that with you know, telescopes,
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I've been involved with here in
Australia.
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And what you're keen to do is
not lose any time between
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observations. You, you, you,
you're mapping one bit of the
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sky with your telescope. Usually
we, we used to use photography
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that's gone now.
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But and it's all electronic
detection, but what you don't
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want to do is then spend half an
hour looking for the next bit of
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sky that you're supposed to be
observing and locking onto the
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stars that let you guide your
instruments. And that was the
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issue with the, the FGS that it
wasn't working.
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And because Euclid needs to zap
to a new field of view every
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basically every hour and a
quarter, they, they, they had to
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get this right using guide stars
by the way, that came from
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another ESA mission, the Gaia
mission, which is a very
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accurate astronomer mission one
that lets you measure the
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positions of stars in the sky
with incredible accuracy.
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It's fairly easy for our
listeners and viewers to go on
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the web and find what the images
were looking like when the fine
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guidance sensor was failing
because there's all these trails
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of star images which look like a
complete random walk in the sky.
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The telescope's clearly looking
for something and not finding
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it. So it's just like somebody's
drawn scribbly lines on a piece
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of paper. But that's now been
cured.
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The, the issue. I'm I'm not
actually sure what it is. I
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think it was to do with it's
something that we, we used to
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have trouble with on terrestrial
telescopes. And that's cosmic
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rays. So cosmic rays is
something we know subatomic
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particles that come down from
the universe. They, if they hit
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one of these electronic sensors,
they, they cause a flash or a
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little line.
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And we had terrible problems
getting rid of those. Certainly
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with one of the instruments that
I was involved with. It was a
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long drawn out problem. We were
worried that we were gonna have
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to put the whole thing in a lead
casing to stop these cosmic rays
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coming through because there was
so much sort of, you know,
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interference on the, on the, on
the screen.
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And I think it's been the same
problem with the fine guidance
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system, of the Euclid
instrument. And I think they
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have now led to, you know, that
they've corrected that basically
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by a software update to the
telescope's control system.
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I think they're calling it a
software patch. That's right.
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Yeah, they must have got advice
from, iphone 15 to.
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Have you got software punches on
iphone 15.
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I've had one, I've had an iphone
15 for a bit over a week and I
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think I've had two software
updates already. Have you?
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And my wife got the 15, I got
the 15 pro and hers has been
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overheating, which has been in
the news. That's a worry that as
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well. Oh, that's good.
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Yeah. Well, yeah, software
patches are things that you can
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apply that. I mean, in your
case, it might, or in your wife
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's case, it might well have been
to do with the charging rate or
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the, you know, the discharging
rate that might need software
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control. It was something
different for Euclid, but the
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good news is it's fixed.
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Yes. Yes, indeed. Now, let's,
remind everybody what Euclid's
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mission is. It's got a big job.
It's going to be scanning the
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night sky and changing its
observations every 75 minutes as
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it scans the universe. It's out
there in that, Lagrange point
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where it will sit and spin and
carry on like a pork chop. But
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it'll, it'll, it's got one of
the most intriguing missions I
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think of the modern era.
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That that's correct. So it's, it
's got, you know, it's, it's
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doing what we've been doing for
a while from terrestrial
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observatories but doing it in a
big way. So it's, it's measuring
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billions of Galaxies. And
essentially, you know, there,
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there's, there's two points to
this, that one is mapping the
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position of the Galaxies and the
other is looking at their shapes
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as well.
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Because that tells you about
gravitational lensing. So what
222
00:13:49,539 --> 00:13:53,830
you, what you will end up with,
we hope after I've forgotten
223
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,919
when the remember we did talk
about this sort of, I think it
224
00:13:57,929 --> 00:14:01,179
was 2027 we're gonna get some
results back from this mission
225
00:14:01,190 --> 00:14:03,919
because it's something that
takes time to do.
226
00:14:04,119 --> 00:14:08,599
We'll get the most up to date or
the, the, the best 3D map of the
227
00:14:08,609 --> 00:14:14,659
wider universe. That we've ever
had. But its real function is
228
00:14:14,669 --> 00:14:19,479
looking at the, the way the
universe has been expanding over
229
00:14:19,489 --> 00:14:21,510
the last 10 billion years or so.
230
00:14:21,890 --> 00:14:26,219
And from that teasing out
information about those two big
231
00:14:26,229 --> 00:14:30,280
mysteries, dark matter and dark
energy, both of which effects
232
00:14:30,289 --> 00:14:33,940
affect the way Galaxies are
distributed in the universe. And
233
00:14:33,950 --> 00:14:38,080
so, hopefully, by the end of it,
we'll have a much better clue
234
00:14:38,090 --> 00:14:41,679
about the way these two
phenomena behave, whether it
235
00:14:41,690 --> 00:14:44,960
tells us what they are or not,
not. The matter.
236
00:14:45,679 --> 00:14:49,229
Speaking of which there was a
story recently, a group of
237
00:14:49,239 --> 00:14:53,219
Australian scientists have put
forward evidence that they say
238
00:14:53,229 --> 00:14:56,820
strongly supports dark photons.
239
00:14:57,150 --> 00:15:04,460
Yes, that's right, photons are
talking about. So this is,
240
00:15:04,469 --> 00:15:09,520
you're absolutely right. It's a
Australian led. And what the
241
00:15:09,530 --> 00:15:14,429
story is about is to do with the
sub, you know, the suite of
242
00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:19,060
subatomic particles that we know
exist. And in particular, there
243
00:15:19,060 --> 00:15:23,210
's been focus on the muon and
there is an issue with the
244
00:15:23,219 --> 00:15:27,000
magnetic field of the muon that
is not understood.
245
00:15:27,179 --> 00:15:34,359
But if you postulate that the
universe contains as part of its
246
00:15:34,369 --> 00:15:39,010
dark matter suite whose nature
we don't know. But if you
247
00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:42,650
postulate that some of that is
dark photons, that means an
248
00:15:42,659 --> 00:15:47,380
equivalent to a to a photon.
But, but a an invisible 11 that
249
00:15:47,390 --> 00:15:50,169
belongs to the dark universe, if
I can put it that way, if you
250
00:15:50,179 --> 00:15:53,940
postulate the existence of dark
photons, the issue with the muon
251
00:15:54,150 --> 00:15:55,940
magnetic field disappears.
252
00:15:56,109 --> 00:16:00,349
And so, and they say that
they've, they've this discovery
253
00:16:00,580 --> 00:16:03,760
suggest the existence of dark
photons with actually a really
254
00:16:03,770 --> 00:16:06,179
high degree of confidence. I
think they said it was a six
255
00:16:06,190 --> 00:16:10,880
sigma result, which is just a
shorthand way of saying it's
256
00:16:10,890 --> 00:16:15,080
very likely. But they haven't,
they haven't yet found a dark
257
00:16:15,090 --> 00:16:15,760
photon.
258
00:16:15,770 --> 00:16:19,799
What they found is perhaps a
mathematical proof that dark
259
00:16:19,809 --> 00:16:23,799
photons exist. Now, whether a
mathematical proof is good
260
00:16:23,809 --> 00:16:26,799
enough for what we, you know
what we think of in the dark
261
00:16:26,809 --> 00:16:30,044
unive that's a different matter.
But I think this is work that
262
00:16:30,054 --> 00:16:33,895
will continue to go on and yeah,
dark photos quite exciting. I
263
00:16:33,905 --> 00:16:35,825
think you and I have talked
about them before Andrew.
264
00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:38,664
We might have I I I'm starting
to think there's probably gonna
265
00:16:38,674 --> 00:16:40,354
be a dark equivalent to
everything.
266
00:16:40,364 --> 00:16:43,455
Everything. Yes, that's right
that you know, a dark thread,
267
00:16:43,575 --> 00:16:44,744
dark everything.
268
00:16:46,599 --> 00:16:49,299
Yeah, still go near the dark for
I can't imagine.
269
00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:51,280
He's, he's a angry Fred.
270
00:16:51,380 --> 00:16:55,750
I can't imagine it. You
mentioned muons. I I know what
271
00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,479
they are. They, where we've
moved, there's a cat across the
272
00:16:58,489 --> 00:17:02,719
road and it it it gets its muon.
It, it sounds like someone
273
00:17:02,729 --> 00:17:07,078
strangling a chook. Poor thing.
I'll record it one day.
274
00:17:07,088 --> 00:17:11,489
You gotta hear it. I never heard
anything like it but yes.
275
00:17:11,499 --> 00:17:14,688
Alright. And back to the Euclid
mission we watch with interest,
276
00:17:14,698 --> 00:17:18,188
but it's good to know they've
got the bugs out. This is Space
277
00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:20,739
Nuts. Andrew Dunkley with
Professor Fred Watson.
278
00:17:22,380 --> 00:17:24,819
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slash Space Nuts. Now, back to
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the show Space Nets. Now, Fred,
this is an exciting mission as
329
00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:38,540
well and as we speak, maybe it's
already happened for some people
330
00:20:38,550 --> 00:20:40,010
who are slow downloaders.
331
00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:45,329
You know, you can go beyond dial
up if there are things out there
332
00:20:45,339 --> 00:20:49,760
that are a bit quicker. But yes,
the, Psyche mission, this is a
333
00:20:49,770 --> 00:20:53,599
machine that NASA has put on to
go out and visit this, this
334
00:20:53,609 --> 00:20:58,280
asteroid because it's different.
It's metallic and this is one
335
00:20:58,290 --> 00:21:01,060
you've got a connection with,
you studied this before we knew
336
00:21:01,069 --> 00:21:02,359
exactly what it was.
337
00:21:02,699 --> 00:21:06,979
I did. Yeah. It, back in the
seventies, actually, when I was
338
00:21:06,989 --> 00:21:10,849
doing my master's degree at
Saint Andrews, my degree was
339
00:21:10,859 --> 00:21:15,339
about all the orbits of
asteroids. And Psyche was one of
340
00:21:15,349 --> 00:21:19,359
the asteroids whose orbit I
studied, it was asteroid number
341
00:21:19,369 --> 00:21:19,989
16.
342
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,650
So we've called it and I saw the
results to Fred's test and he
343
00:21:23,660 --> 00:21:26,130
went, it does orbit.
344
00:21:26,479 --> 00:21:29,810
Yes, that was it, that was the
answer. It goes around the sun,
345
00:21:30,109 --> 00:21:32,750
I 100% for that 100%.
346
00:21:33,959 --> 00:21:38,250
But what we've learned since, as
you said is that the asteroid
347
00:21:38,260 --> 00:21:44,530
Psyche is possibly, maybe even,
probably, but possibly the, the
348
00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:49,219
central core of a plane, a
planet is an object that was
349
00:21:49,229 --> 00:21:54,390
gonna be a planet but never made
it. And you know, the, the, the
350
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:59,209
way planets eventually come into
being is by accretion things
351
00:21:59,219 --> 00:22:00,430
banging into each other.
352
00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:03,729
And that includes the stony
material and the metallic
353
00:22:03,739 --> 00:22:06,530
material. But with the heat that
's generated by those
354
00:22:06,540 --> 00:22:10,494
collisions, as planets are
forming the the the metallic
355
00:22:10,505 --> 00:22:13,574
material which is mostly iron
sinks to the center under its
356
00:22:13,584 --> 00:22:17,015
own gravity just pulls itself
to, into a blob in the middle of
357
00:22:17,025 --> 00:22:19,704
one of these molten planets.
358
00:22:21,194 --> 00:22:24,734
And we think what's happened is
that quite early on in the
359
00:22:24,744 --> 00:22:27,525
history of the solar system,
something has banged into this
360
00:22:27,535 --> 00:22:32,020
planet is and basically sheared
off its, it's out of stony
361
00:22:32,030 --> 00:22:36,510
mantle and left the metallic
core. So you're quite right. We
362
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,310
have a launch date in us time of
the 12th of October.
363
00:22:41,540 --> 00:22:46,310
That's probably the 13th for us
here in Australia. The
364
00:22:46,319 --> 00:22:52,229
spacecraft of the same name will
be launched towards the asteroid
365
00:22:52,239 --> 00:22:56,719
Psyche. And it's a fairly long
trip as well. It's not something
366
00:22:56,729 --> 00:23:00,739
that's gonna happen next week.
The arrival there. It will blast
367
00:23:00,750 --> 00:23:06,079
off as I said, October 12th at
the that's us eastern daylight
368
00:23:06,089 --> 00:23:06,569
time.
369
00:23:07,949 --> 00:23:14,489
And then we'll have to go two
sorry, 3.5 billion kilometers.
370
00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:20,469
And it's got a, it's actually
got a gravity assist maneuver
371
00:23:20,479 --> 00:23:24,390
somewhere in there. I can't
remember which which planet it's
372
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,569
gonna get a jump from. It's
probably Jupiter. I should check
373
00:23:27,579 --> 00:23:30,079
that shouldn't I be before I
start speaking? But there is a,
374
00:23:30,089 --> 00:23:34,109
there is a gravity assist
mission maneuver at least one
375
00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:34,829
involved.
376
00:23:34,839 --> 00:23:39,469
And eventually the spacecraft,
the Psyche spacecraft will
377
00:23:39,479 --> 00:23:44,290
arrive at Psyche, the asteroid.
In 2029 Psyche is kind of on the
378
00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:48,979
far edge of the main belt. It's
it's towards, towards Jupiter
379
00:23:48,989 --> 00:23:52,739
rather than towards MARS. And
then we'll see images of what
380
00:23:52,750 --> 00:23:56,439
this strange object looks like.
So it is, it's very exciting,
381
00:23:56,449 --> 00:23:58,910
especially for somebody who
studied the asteroid in his
382
00:23:58,920 --> 00:23:59,410
youth.
383
00:23:59,810 --> 00:24:03,119
So what, what exactly are they
hoping to glean from this? I
384
00:24:03,130 --> 00:24:08,910
mean, we, we've just recently
seen the return of some asteroid
385
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:15,810
dust which was from a, you know,
a rocky icy asteroid. What, what
386
00:24:15,819 --> 00:24:18,530
are they hoping to find in
regard to this one?
387
00:24:19,180 --> 00:24:25,520
Well, there's there, there are
mysteries with with this is 16
388
00:24:25,530 --> 00:24:28,560
Psyche, isn't it 16 six asteroid
number?
389
00:24:31,079 --> 00:24:34,479
That's right. It is. So
asteroids after the first one
390
00:24:34,489 --> 00:24:40,069
was discovered series in 18 01.
It took a little while before
391
00:24:40,079 --> 00:24:43,719
people realized that that wasn't
just a planet. It was one of a
392
00:24:43,729 --> 00:24:46,680
large number of objects, but
very quickly these were all
393
00:24:46,689 --> 00:24:49,969
numbered in and so they're
numbered in in chronological
394
00:24:49,979 --> 00:24:55,459
order. So I think 16 Psyche was
discovered in the 18 something
395
00:24:56,579 --> 00:24:57,530
52.
396
00:25:00,439 --> 00:25:05,099
But so it's but the, the, the
thing that's interesting about
397
00:25:05,109 --> 00:25:11,790
it is that when you look at you,
so you can, you can actually
398
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:17,829
investigate to some extent the
material of its surface by
399
00:25:17,930 --> 00:25:21,430
looking at the spectrum of the
object that tells you,
400
00:25:21,439 --> 00:25:24,449
especially in the infrared,
it'll tell you about the
401
00:25:24,459 --> 00:25:27,670
chemistry on the surface of an
asteroid.
402
00:25:27,869 --> 00:25:33,010
And, and there are, there are
differences between Psyche and
403
00:25:33,020 --> 00:25:41,199
what we see on other asteroids.
So things like iron oxides which
404
00:25:41,209 --> 00:25:47,390
are present in most of the inner
solar system. And we've only to
405
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,050
look at MARS to see iron oxide
displayed in the very red
406
00:25:51,060 --> 00:25:51,829
nature.
407
00:25:52,540 --> 00:25:57,079
There's nothing like that on
Psyche. And it's interesting
408
00:25:57,089 --> 00:26:00,800
because if you've got something
that's mostly made of iron, and
409
00:26:00,810 --> 00:26:03,770
it's, and you, you put it in the
presence of oxygen, which will
410
00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:07,910
be certainly in the, in the you
know, the nebula that the solar
411
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,000
system formed from, you would
expect to see these oxides, but
412
00:26:11,010 --> 00:26:12,140
apparently you don't.
413
00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:15,839
And so it, this is leading
people to, to speculate that
414
00:26:15,849 --> 00:26:20,530
maybe Psyche might tell us
things about the evolution of
415
00:26:20,540 --> 00:26:23,209
formation and evolution of
planets that, that at the moment
416
00:26:23,219 --> 00:26:26,500
that we're missing, you know,
there might be additional steps
417
00:26:26,510 --> 00:26:29,900
in it that we don't really know
about or, or that it's, or that
418
00:26:29,910 --> 00:26:32,770
there are two ways of making
planets rather than just the one
419
00:26:32,780 --> 00:26:34,579
that we've, you know, we all
talk about.
420
00:26:35,239 --> 00:26:40,880
So, that will be what Psyche
will do. It's I think as far as
421
00:26:40,890 --> 00:26:45,729
I remember, it will be in orbit
around Psyche and will basically
422
00:26:45,739 --> 00:26:46,969
analyze it to death.
423
00:26:48,329 --> 00:26:52,459
Yes, it's orbits are something
like 700 kilometers and it will
424
00:26:52,469 --> 00:26:58,410
get closer and closer in to the,
to the to the asteroid. And
425
00:26:58,420 --> 00:27:01,489
eventually will, you know, so it
will be be able to pick up.
426
00:27:02,449 --> 00:27:05,829
So that things like gamma rays
from the surface, which will
427
00:27:05,839 --> 00:27:10,079
give you all kinds of
interesting insights into what
428
00:27:10,089 --> 00:27:15,530
the surface is about. So, yeah,
II, I hope you and I last on
429
00:27:15,540 --> 00:27:19,310
space knots to 2029. So we could
talk about all this.
430
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,310
They're not landing anything on
it or trying to get.
431
00:27:25,930 --> 00:27:33,489
As I, as I understand it, it is
it is basically an orbital
432
00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:38,560
mission with, with no lander.
But, but being orbited by
433
00:27:38,569 --> 00:27:40,819
something that's festooned with
state of the art
434
00:27:40,829 --> 00:27:45,709
instrumentation, gamma ray
neutron spectrometer, who this
435
00:27:45,719 --> 00:27:46,449
is high tech stuff.
436
00:27:46,459 --> 00:27:51,290
I think it's going to spend like
half a year in orbit before it's
437
00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:52,290
completed its missions.
438
00:27:52,339 --> 00:27:56,680
And yes, that's right. Yes,
they've got, what they call
439
00:27:56,689 --> 00:28:02,160
different orbital regimes, named
A and B. So the first, the A
440
00:28:02,170 --> 00:28:06,239
orbital regime is 56 day orbits
and that's going to be looking
441
00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:09,760
for a magnetic field, which
would be really interesting.
442
00:28:09,790 --> 00:28:12,359
Because if it has a magnetic
field, it probably tells you
443
00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:15,489
that once it was part of a,
something that was going to
444
00:28:15,500 --> 00:28:21,150
become a planet, and then the,
the, the other orbital regimes
445
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:28,040
are, are basically much, much,
much longer. I'm sorry. Ii I
446
00:28:28,050 --> 00:28:31,839
misled you there. The orbital
regime lasts for 56 days. It's
447
00:28:31,849 --> 00:28:35,589
not an orbital period of 56
days. These will be, these will
448
00:28:35,599 --> 00:28:37,189
be much shorter than that.
449
00:28:37,199 --> 00:28:38,959
Yes, of course.
450
00:28:40,050 --> 00:28:42,880
Do we know how big 16 Psyche is?
I suppose we do.
451
00:28:43,300 --> 00:28:47,819
Yeah, it's a matter of, what is
it, 100 100 dish or 200
452
00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:54,930
kilometers? 279 kilometers that
you are shaped like a potato.
453
00:28:54,939 --> 00:28:58,229
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's a, well,
you know, for it to be the 16th
454
00:28:58,239 --> 00:29:01,310
asteroid discovered it would
have to be, and it is on the far
455
00:29:01,319 --> 00:29:02,530
side of the belt.
456
00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:05,819
So it, it has to be a big object
to reflect enough light for
457
00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:10,439
telescopes in 18 52 to actually
detect it if it's made of metal
458
00:29:10,449 --> 00:29:14,719
that would be pretty shiny, it
's, it's, it's, it's not hard to
459
00:29:14,729 --> 00:29:17,380
imagine what a meal, a metal
asteroid would look like, isn't
460
00:29:17,390 --> 00:29:20,489
it? But my guess is it's not
shiny at all. I think it will
461
00:29:20,500 --> 00:29:27,359
be, it, it might look like, I
don't know, maybe a freshly laid
462
00:29:27,579 --> 00:29:29,979
road to surface or something
like that.
463
00:29:30,859 --> 00:29:34,569
Hard to, hard to estimate. Well,
I mean, you can look online and
464
00:29:34,579 --> 00:29:37,930
find artists, impressions of
what Psyche might be like, but
465
00:29:37,939 --> 00:29:41,319
we really don't know what
happens to the spaceship when
466
00:29:41,329 --> 00:29:44,729
the mission's over. As far as I
know, it will continue in orbit
467
00:29:44,739 --> 00:29:45,660
around Psyche.
468
00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,939
Just stay there, become part of
the asteroid belt. Yes.
469
00:29:48,949 --> 00:29:52,219
That's right. I don't think
there's a plan to, to collide
470
00:29:52,229 --> 00:29:54,750
with, with the object itself.
471
00:29:54,890 --> 00:29:56,339
Because they might change their
mind.
472
00:29:56,349 --> 00:29:57,530
They might, they might change
their mind.
473
00:29:57,540 --> 00:29:58,040
That's right.
474
00:29:58,229 --> 00:30:02,160
You know what, you know,
astronomers just like tradesmen
475
00:30:02,170 --> 00:30:07,010
love crashing into things
smashing stuff up as you know.
476
00:30:07,420 --> 00:30:07,619
So.
477
00:30:07,630 --> 00:30:10,760
Well, yeah, we, yeah,
absolutely. Smashing up his
478
00:30:10,770 --> 00:30:12,619
parcel of what we do.
479
00:30:12,650 --> 00:30:14,280
Yes, absolutely true.
480
00:30:14,290 --> 00:30:17,160
By the way, the shot is around
MARS.
481
00:30:17,199 --> 00:30:20,069
Yes. Yes, I think. No, that
makes sense because it's going
482
00:30:20,079 --> 00:30:21,829
that way. Yeah.
483
00:30:22,750 --> 00:30:27,510
Ok. Well, lots to learn but not
in a hurry because we, we won't
484
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:33,420
see it arrive until August of
2029. So, hold your breaths and
485
00:30:33,430 --> 00:30:37,369
we'll get back to you shortly.
This is Space Nuts. Andrew
486
00:30:37,380 --> 00:30:46,520
Dunkley here with Professor Fred
Watson Nuts. Ok, Fred. Let's
487
00:30:46,530 --> 00:30:47,569
tackle a few questions.
488
00:30:47,579 --> 00:30:50,380
Got a whole bunch because we've
sort of not been able to talk
489
00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:53,859
for a while and we've got,
squillion of them. And with
490
00:30:53,869 --> 00:30:58,170
episode 3 75 not far away, we'll
have plenty of ammunition for
491
00:30:58,180 --> 00:31:03,890
our, Q and A program when we get
to it. But let's just tackle a
492
00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:07,939
few audio questions. Our first
one comes from Bo.
493
00:31:08,969 --> 00:31:12,189
Hello, Fred and Andrew. It's Bo
here from Melbourne in
494
00:31:12,199 --> 00:31:16,689
Australia. I love your show.
I've got a correction, a
495
00:31:16,699 --> 00:31:21,290
question and a gadget for you.
First of all, the correction,
496
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:26,410
the name of the Chinese
Moonlander program is pronounced
497
00:31:26,420 --> 00:31:30,800
Chang U not Changi because that
's the place in Singapore, but
498
00:31:30,810 --> 00:31:34,630
it's pronounced Chang U like an
er with the upward inflection.
499
00:31:35,459 --> 00:31:38,660
If you can please refer to that
in the future episode, that
500
00:31:38,670 --> 00:31:42,050
would be great. And of course,
Chan is the moon goddess in
501
00:31:42,060 --> 00:31:43,290
Chinese mythology.
502
00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:49,290
On to my question, what happened
to time and space when the
503
00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:52,369
universe reaches its maximum
entropy?
504
00:31:53,579 --> 00:31:56,170
I would assume there will be no
gravity because there's no
505
00:31:56,180 --> 00:32:00,979
matter, therefore, there will be
no light, no energy as such. But
506
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,180
what happened to it time and
space itself, does that
507
00:32:04,339 --> 00:32:08,869
evaporate or cease to exist? And
if so, how do you actually know
508
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,969
you breached maximum entropy
because there's no space as
509
00:32:11,979 --> 00:32:13,770
such. Anyway, that's just the
thought.
510
00:32:14,739 --> 00:32:18,660
As for the dad joke. Well, can't
remember because it's not
511
00:32:18,670 --> 00:32:22,930
apparent bish. Thank you very
much. Love your show. Bye.
512
00:32:23,579 --> 00:32:28,359
Thank you. Be and yeah, Chang E
I will try and remember but
513
00:32:28,369 --> 00:32:31,829
don't quote me on that because
I'm terrible at remembering
514
00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:35,569
these things. But yes, thank you
for the correction time and
515
00:32:35,579 --> 00:32:40,250
space and maximum entropy. So,
yes, talking about here.
516
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:52,170
So maximum disorder and the, the
is, is it raises a really
517
00:32:52,180 --> 00:32:54,619
interesting point which I've
never really kind of thought
518
00:32:54,630 --> 00:33:03,020
about because as, as I guess he
's implying the, as the universe
519
00:33:03,849 --> 00:33:08,939
continues to expand and we think
it's gonna always be expanding
520
00:33:08,949 --> 00:33:13,449
because dark energy seems to
force that expansion to increase
521
00:33:14,130 --> 00:33:17,420
its velocity. So that we've got
an accelerating universe.
522
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:24,109
I, so the entropy is always
gonna be increasing. And so a
523
00:33:24,119 --> 00:33:30,589
time of maximum entropy would
really correspond to a time when
524
00:33:30,599 --> 00:33:34,359
the universe had reached its
final state. We don't really
525
00:33:34,369 --> 00:33:38,890
know what that is because there
have been suggestions that there
526
00:33:38,900 --> 00:33:40,180
may be a big rip.
527
00:33:40,469 --> 00:33:46,520
So that space itself somehow
gets full of imperfections and
528
00:33:46,530 --> 00:33:52,380
tears that certainly would
constitute an increase in
529
00:33:52,390 --> 00:33:56,869
entropy. So, I think the end
point of entropy is really the
530
00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,189
end point of the universe and
the universe doesn't seem to
531
00:33:59,199 --> 00:34:03,380
have an end point. It seems to
be an infinitely you know,
532
00:34:03,390 --> 00:34:07,609
expanding entity. Well, it'll
eventually run out of hydrogen
533
00:34:07,619 --> 00:34:08,120
fuel.
534
00:34:08,129 --> 00:34:13,889
So star formation will stop and
stars will burn out, they will
535
00:34:13,899 --> 00:34:18,689
usually turn into black holes or
white dwarfs, which the black
536
00:34:18,699 --> 00:34:21,679
white dwarfs will eventually
turn into black dwarfs, which
537
00:34:21,689 --> 00:34:27,639
are just inner lumps, white,
black holes can evaporate
538
00:34:27,649 --> 00:34:28,340
eventually.
539
00:34:28,350 --> 00:34:31,899
So, you know, perhaps in many
hundreds of billions or even
540
00:34:31,909 --> 00:34:35,070
trillions of years, we might
find that the black holes have
541
00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,800
all evaporated. Meanwhile,
entropy is continue continuing
542
00:34:38,810 --> 00:34:45,110
to increase. So, we've got a
situation where there might
543
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:49,370
never be a maximum point of
entropies always going to be
544
00:34:49,379 --> 00:34:52,100
more entropic than it was the
day before.
545
00:34:53,340 --> 00:34:58,120
So does that mean time and space
will continue until they stop?
546
00:35:00,189 --> 00:35:01,439
Who, who knows?
547
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:06,620
Because time began at the moment
of being, that's what, that's
548
00:35:06,629 --> 00:35:08,419
what relativity demonstrates.
549
00:35:09,620 --> 00:35:12,949
And if you've got, you know, an
expansion that's gonna go on
550
00:35:12,959 --> 00:35:16,649
infinitely unless if, if there
is such a thing as a big rip
551
00:35:16,659 --> 00:35:23,429
and, and some co do talk about
that, then maybe that will rip
552
00:35:23,439 --> 00:35:24,669
time as well.
553
00:35:25,030 --> 00:35:28,419
So how do you, you know, time,
time, we know distorts because
554
00:35:28,429 --> 00:35:31,979
we see relativity relativistic
effects and we can measure
555
00:35:31,989 --> 00:35:36,590
those, we know that time can
bend, but whether it can rip and
556
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:41,850
therefore become the end of time
who knows? Yeah. Very profound
557
00:35:41,860 --> 00:35:42,409
questions.
558
00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:47,600
Po Yeah, they are. You'd have to
have some kind of substance to
559
00:35:47,610 --> 00:35:49,219
have something ripped out,
wouldn't you?
560
00:35:49,709 --> 00:35:52,679
Well, but that's the issue that,
you know, there isn't a
561
00:35:52,689 --> 00:35:55,629
substance, it's space, you know,
it's the fabric of space,
562
00:35:55,639 --> 00:36:00,229
whatever that is that we use
that term. That's right because
563
00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:03,850
it isn't a fabric at all, but it
does have structure because that
564
00:36:03,860 --> 00:36:08,600
is what actually bends for, you
know, for, with gravitational
565
00:36:08,610 --> 00:36:10,969
lensing, for example, it's the
structure of space that's
566
00:36:10,979 --> 00:36:11,520
bending.
567
00:36:12,179 --> 00:36:12,879
Yeah. Ok.
568
00:36:13,629 --> 00:36:20,219
I just heard that cat puppy, I
complain that something's coming
569
00:36:20,229 --> 00:36:22,219
up the driveway, that'll do it.
570
00:36:22,709 --> 00:36:25,129
They're good alarm clocks and
they're very, very good guard
571
00:36:25,139 --> 00:36:28,330
dogs sometimes. Did we cover
everything?
572
00:36:28,979 --> 00:36:32,959
I, I'd really appreciate Bo's
comment on Chung as well because
573
00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,949
I, I have not put that
inflection at the inn.
574
00:36:37,899 --> 00:36:41,189
Well, I've been way off the
Mark. I, yeah, I apparently I
575
00:36:41,199 --> 00:36:43,459
went to Singapore but but that's
fine.
576
00:36:44,790 --> 00:36:47,550
We just revert to simplicity
when it comes to trying to
577
00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,070
decipher foreign languages.
578
00:36:50,189 --> 00:36:52,580
You should, you should have
heard my attempts at Spanish
579
00:36:52,590 --> 00:36:56,260
over the last week. They were
total rubbish.
580
00:36:57,919 --> 00:37:01,189
It's funny how we struggle with
other languages and, and the
581
00:37:01,199 --> 00:37:05,110
accents kind of mess it up too.
Thank you. Be lovely to hear
582
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,209
from you. Next is John. Hi, this
is John.
583
00:37:09,219 --> 00:37:15,139
From Madison Wisconsin. If all
of the stuff early at the
584
00:37:15,149 --> 00:37:20,100
beginning of the universe was as
close together and as dense as I
585
00:37:20,129 --> 00:37:26,110
imagine it to be. How did it not
all just get trapped inside a
586
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:31,239
big black hole? How did it get
away from itself? Thanks.
587
00:37:32,139 --> 00:37:32,540
Yeah.
588
00:37:33,209 --> 00:37:37,510
Yeah. Thank you John. We get a
lot of questions about the early
589
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,110
universe and what happened and
why and yeah, he poses an
590
00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,889
interesting one. Why didn't it
all just sort of, you know,
591
00:37:44,899 --> 00:37:47,209
conglomerate and stay where it
was and get.
592
00:37:47,899 --> 00:37:50,840
Well, maybe it did get trapped
in a black hole and we're inside
593
00:37:50,850 --> 00:37:55,209
it. That's a theory. People,
some people have postulated the
594
00:37:55,219 --> 00:37:58,370
idea of an event arising sort of
at the end of the edge of the
595
00:37:58,379 --> 00:38:05,229
universe. But I think the bottom
line chon though is that you're
596
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,689
absolutely right, the density
and temperature in the early
597
00:38:08,699 --> 00:38:11,469
universe were unbelievably high.
598
00:38:12,399 --> 00:38:16,409
The, the there was a kind of
trigger point at three minutes
599
00:38:16,419 --> 00:38:21,760
that allowed a new, you know,
the nuclei of atoms to form. So
600
00:38:21,770 --> 00:38:24,449
it had cooled down after three
minutes enough to, to let that
601
00:38:24,459 --> 00:38:27,550
happen. But I think the, the
bottom line is that the
602
00:38:27,850 --> 00:38:35,530
expansion of the universe which
was generated by whatever
603
00:38:35,540 --> 00:38:40,800
energy, you know, energy source
actually caused the Big Bang
604
00:38:40,810 --> 00:38:44,979
itself because we know it was a
very, very energetic thing.
605
00:38:44,989 --> 00:38:50,020
Yeah, I've got an audience in
the Marley's not doing a very
606
00:38:50,030 --> 00:38:53,090
good job of keeping him quiet,
but that's because he's, it's
607
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:58,820
impossible to shut up. So, you
got so much energy that that
608
00:38:58,830 --> 00:39:01,520
what I guess we're saying is
that, that overcomes the
609
00:39:01,530 --> 00:39:06,570
gravitational pull of what the
stuff that's in the universe.
610
00:39:06,830 --> 00:39:09,370
So it's always, the universe is
always going to be a balance
611
00:39:09,379 --> 00:39:14,409
between the energy of the Big
Bang. And, and the gravitational
612
00:39:14,419 --> 00:39:17,649
pull of what's within the
universe. And that's why before
613
00:39:17,659 --> 00:39:21,250
the discovery of the acc
accelerated expansion.
614
00:39:21,260 --> 00:39:23,260
That's why we thought the
universe would likely collapse
615
00:39:23,270 --> 00:39:26,379
on itself because of the
gravitational breaking effect of
616
00:39:26,389 --> 00:39:30,530
all the matter in it. That that
finally would overcome the
617
00:39:30,540 --> 00:39:34,110
energy that was imparted to the
universe by the Big Bang itself,
618
00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:37,290
which is what stopped its
forming into a Big Bang to start
619
00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,649
sorry, forming into a black hole
to start with.
620
00:39:41,129 --> 00:39:45,969
Yeah, I it's so hard to get your
head around the time scales. But
621
00:39:46,219 --> 00:39:50,370
you know the Big Bang happened,
lots of things happen in very,
622
00:39:50,379 --> 00:39:53,679
very short spaces of time. You
talk about formation of atoms
623
00:39:53,689 --> 00:39:54,919
after three minutes.
624
00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:58,800
Well, the, the the thing that's
the most rapid, the blink of an
625
00:39:58,810 --> 00:40:03,320
eye thing is the inflation which
started something like 10 to the
626
00:40:03,330 --> 00:40:07,330
minus 33 of a second after the
Big Bang and lasted for about
627
00:40:07,340 --> 00:40:08,800
the same length of time.
628
00:40:08,870 --> 00:40:12,020
Meanwhile, the universe went
from the size of a football to
629
00:40:12,030 --> 00:40:16,989
the size of a galaxy in that,
you know, in that interval, that
630
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,530
that itself must have had an
energy source, the inflation,
631
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:24,300
which we believe that, you know,
and there's really good evidence
632
00:40:24,310 --> 00:40:28,429
for believing that that actually
happened. That was a fundamental
633
00:40:28,439 --> 00:40:31,610
part of the aftermath of the Big
Bang. If you can call 10 to the
634
00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:33,770
minus 33 of a second, the
aftermath.
635
00:40:35,070 --> 00:40:40,250
Well, do we know what fueled it?
What fired it? No idea.
636
00:40:41,780 --> 00:40:45,760
The standard story is in the
beginning there was nothing and
637
00:40:45,770 --> 00:40:49,389
then it exploded and that's as
much as we know.
638
00:40:51,270 --> 00:40:54,959
It's, it's probably one of the
biggest, if not the absolute
639
00:40:54,969 --> 00:40:59,530
biggest mystery of the universe.
We all, we all there at some
640
00:40:59,540 --> 00:41:02,860
stage or did we sort of, you
know, the bits and Bobs that
641
00:41:02,870 --> 00:41:03,540
created?
642
00:41:04,679 --> 00:41:09,250
Yeah, we were all, we were all
part of that. We were all, yes.
643
00:41:09,260 --> 00:41:12,090
All the particles that
eventually became you and me
644
00:41:12,649 --> 00:41:16,290
except they were, they were in a
different form because it was,
645
00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:20,179
you know, the only nuclei were
hydrogen and helium and a few
646
00:41:20,189 --> 00:41:22,209
trace elements of lithium and
things like that.
647
00:41:22,219 --> 00:41:27,790
So we've existed in some form
for 13.8 billion years.
648
00:41:28,739 --> 00:41:31,340
The particles that made us. That
's right. That's why you feel
649
00:41:31,350 --> 00:41:33,379
old Andrew. Yeah, that's why I'm
hurt.
650
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:35,560
Absolutely.
651
00:41:37,060 --> 00:41:41,310
So no, the matter didn't get
trapped John because what was.
652
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:45,679
Whatever, whatever exploded, the
universe was powerful enough to
653
00:41:45,689 --> 00:41:49,600
stop it from happening. In other
words, it could overcome
654
00:41:49,610 --> 00:41:50,449
gravity.
655
00:41:50,709 --> 00:41:54,790
Well, if you're talking about an
expansion in the milliseconds
656
00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,620
over the size of a galaxy that's
massive power.
657
00:41:59,129 --> 00:41:59,919
Yeah, it is.
658
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:01,520
Yeah, humongous power.
659
00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:04,419
So we just call it inflation,
which is.
660
00:42:05,330 --> 00:42:09,889
Kind of understates. It really
doesn't it? Yeah. Don't talk
661
00:42:09,899 --> 00:42:11,760
about inflation in Australia at
the moment.
662
00:42:11,989 --> 00:42:12,709
That's right.
663
00:42:13,729 --> 00:42:18,229
Ok. Thank you John. Our final
question comes from Big Al.
664
00:42:18,750 --> 00:42:22,889
Hello, this is Young Al from the
sunshine coast. If you were to
665
00:42:22,899 --> 00:42:27,620
get in, go into a black hole,
time slows down according to
666
00:42:27,629 --> 00:42:32,229
where we are. And conversely, if
we look at the distant universe,
667
00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:35,790
it becomes less dense the
further away it is and time
668
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:41,010
speeds up compared to us, they
are accelerating. Doesn't this
669
00:42:41,020 --> 00:42:42,389
explain dark energy?
670
00:42:43,899 --> 00:42:45,639
Oh OK.
671
00:42:48,020 --> 00:42:50,750
So we try to explain dark
energy.
672
00:42:52,459 --> 00:42:59,379
No, it doesn't. No, apparently
not, but I'm, I'm trying to help
673
00:42:59,389 --> 00:43:02,689
you there. Al Yeah, and I'm
trying to help you as well. Al
674
00:43:02,699 --> 00:43:11,229
So the, the, the time dilation
phenomenon I don't think which
675
00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:17,100
is real. And there was a paper
not two months ago, I think
676
00:43:17,110 --> 00:43:19,719
where that time dilation was
observed.
677
00:43:20,159 --> 00:43:23,389
I think you and I spoke about
it, the gravitational time
678
00:43:23,399 --> 00:43:29,760
dilation at the in the early
universe. I don't think it's, I
679
00:43:29,770 --> 00:43:33,310
don't think the phenomena that
you're talking about are, are
680
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:39,320
big enough to account for the
apparent acceleration of the
681
00:43:39,330 --> 00:43:43,080
expanding universe. I think time
dilation phenomena are already
682
00:43:43,090 --> 00:43:46,860
taken into account when you
calculate what the universe is
683
00:43:46,870 --> 00:43:47,550
doing.
684
00:43:48,870 --> 00:43:49,370
Ok?
685
00:43:51,889 --> 00:43:53,300
You don't sound convinced
Andrew.
686
00:43:53,649 --> 00:43:58,610
I'm just confused. As usual, I
did see a story. I think it was
687
00:43:58,620 --> 00:44:03,520
even today I I happened to cross
a story about a study that's
688
00:44:03,530 --> 00:44:08,699
suggesting that the majority of
the universe is made of dark
689
00:44:08,709 --> 00:44:09,310
energy.
690
00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:14,350
Yeah, it is that is 70 75% or
something.
691
00:44:14,429 --> 00:44:16,280
Energy versus matter. They are.
692
00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:21,050
Yeah. So, so that's when you
talk about the mass energy
693
00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:25,040
content of the universe because
matter and energy are equivalent
694
00:44:25,050 --> 00:44:29,159
equals MC squared. And so you
lump them all together. So if
695
00:44:29,169 --> 00:44:32,629
you're only talking about
matter, then we've got normal
696
00:44:32,639 --> 00:44:35,439
matter and dark matter and dark
matter outweighs normal matter
697
00:44:35,449 --> 00:44:36,649
by about 5 to 1.
698
00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:40,459
If you're talking about
everything, the the whole mass
699
00:44:40,469 --> 00:44:43,870
energy, mass energy budget or
matter, energy budget of the
700
00:44:43,879 --> 00:44:48,479
universe, then the dark energy
is by far the biggest three
701
00:44:48,489 --> 00:44:49,570
quarters of the universe.
702
00:44:49,580 --> 00:44:50,209
Wow.
703
00:44:50,370 --> 00:44:50,679
Yeah.
704
00:44:51,810 --> 00:44:57,639
Oh, there you go. Alright. Thank
you Al great questions today and
705
00:44:57,649 --> 00:45:02,110
they they, they were very
thought provoking and we
706
00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:04,909
appreciate them. If you'd like
to send us a question, we
707
00:45:04,919 --> 00:45:07,929
welcome them. We've got quite a
few, but we do tend to run
708
00:45:07,939 --> 00:45:10,879
through them pretty rapidly. So
please don't hesitate if
709
00:45:10,889 --> 00:45:15,570
something pops into your
expansive brain and you need to
710
00:45:15,580 --> 00:45:18,120
know Fred has all the answers.
711
00:45:20,419 --> 00:45:21,060
No response.
712
00:45:21,959 --> 00:45:24,800
No, I'm just writing down what I
need to think about.
713
00:45:26,459 --> 00:45:30,209
So, if you go to our website
Space Nuts podcast dot com or
714
00:45:30,219 --> 00:45:33,330
Space Nuts dot IO, you can send
us a question through the A MA
715
00:45:33,340 --> 00:45:35,770
tab or the little thing on the
right hand side where you can
716
00:45:35,780 --> 00:45:39,360
click. If you've got a device
with a microphone, you're all
717
00:45:39,370 --> 00:45:39,610
set.
718
00:45:39,620 --> 00:45:42,530
Just don't forget to tell us who
you are and where you're from.
719
00:45:42,540 --> 00:45:46,270
We like to know and you can send
us your questions anytime you
720
00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:50,000
like 24 hours, seven days a
week. We will get to them round
721
00:45:50,010 --> 00:45:53,290
about the same time as the
Psyche probe arrives.
722
00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:57,389
Its target 2029 August.
723
00:45:57,399 --> 00:46:01,580
Yes. So stay tuned. That's just
about it, Fred. Thank you very
724
00:46:01,590 --> 00:46:02,070
much.
725
00:46:02,399 --> 00:46:09,229
Oh, it's a pleasure. It's always
a pleasure. Mostly good to talk
726
00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:12,149
to you, Andrew and look forward
to speaking again next week.
727
00:46:12,159 --> 00:46:15,250
I'm gonna blatant jet Lag for
that comment. Thank you, Fred.
728
00:46:15,260 --> 00:46:19,360
And we'll, we'll catch you on
the next episode. And thanks to
729
00:46:19,370 --> 00:46:24,189
Hugh in the studio who was yeah,
all fit and ready to go today
730
00:46:24,199 --> 00:46:26,469
and then pressed the wrong
button, but he eventually caught
731
00:46:26,479 --> 00:46:29,260
up and from me, Andrew Dunley,
thanks for your company. Catch
732
00:46:29,270 --> 00:46:31,750
you on the very next episode of
Space Nuts.
733
00:46:31,870 --> 00:46:39,189
Bye bye to the Space Nuts
podcast available at Apple
734
00:46:39,199 --> 00:46:44,139
Podcasts, Google Podcasts,
Spotify, iheartradio or your
735
00:46:44,149 --> 00:46:48,020
favorite podcast player. You can
also stream on demand at bits
736
00:46:48,030 --> 00:46:48,679
dot com.
737
00:46:48,939 --> 00:46:52,719
This has been another quality
podcast production from bits dot
738
00:46:52,729 --> 00:46:53,330
com.
00:00:00,009 --> 00:00:03,390
Hello, thanks for joining us.
This is Space Nuts. My name is
2
00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,309
Andrew Dunkley, your host. It's
great to be with you coming up.
3
00:00:06,570 --> 00:00:10,810
We're gonna talk about Fred.
Yes, we are. He's been away but
4
00:00:10,819 --> 00:00:13,960
he's back. You mightn't have
even noticed that he wasn't. But
5
00:00:13,989 --> 00:00:18,370
it's true. We'll also be talking
about the Psyche mission that's
6
00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:19,860
due to launch any minute now.
7
00:00:20,229 --> 00:00:23,360
And Fred's got a, a real
personal connection with this
8
00:00:23,370 --> 00:00:27,770
one and the Euclid Telescope
seems to have run into some
9
00:00:27,780 --> 00:00:31,489
issues, but maybe they've solved
them. It's the FGS which is
10
00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:37,549
better than an L OS apparently.
Also we will be hearing from Bo
11
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:42,169
about maximum entropy John about
the early universe and about
12
00:00:42,180 --> 00:00:46,439
dark energy. That's all coming
up on this edition of Space
13
00:00:46,450 --> 00:00:46,880
Nuts.
14
00:00:46,889 --> 00:00:54,099
15 seconds guidance is internal
10 9 ignition sequence Space
15
00:00:54,150 --> 00:01:02,680
Nuts. 54323454321 space N as
good.
16
00:01:03,209 --> 00:01:06,529
And joining us to talk about all
of that and so much more is
17
00:01:06,540 --> 00:01:08,839
Professor Fred Watts, an
astronomer at large. Hi there,
18
00:01:08,849 --> 00:01:09,349
Fred.
19
00:01:10,019 --> 00:01:11,849
Hello, Andrew. How are you?
20
00:01:12,019 --> 00:01:14,449
I'm good. You look. Well, I
haven't seen you for a month.
21
00:01:14,459 --> 00:01:17,970
Most people are going, what is
he talking about every week? But
22
00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:22,910
we had to do eight episodes in
like three or four weeks to
23
00:01:22,919 --> 00:01:26,129
cover the fact that I was away
and then you were away and now
24
00:01:26,139 --> 00:01:28,610
we're back and now we've got to
do two more because I'm away.
25
00:01:29,779 --> 00:01:31,139
It's just ridiculous.
26
00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:34,550
But, you go, probably no need to
explain it because everyone's
27
00:01:34,559 --> 00:01:37,239
going. No, no, the episodes are
there. You must have been home.
28
00:01:38,330 --> 00:01:40,480
So tell us about your trip.
Where did you go? What did you
29
00:01:40,489 --> 00:01:44,610
do? Well, was one famous aside
from yourself, you meet someone
30
00:01:44,620 --> 00:01:45,959
famous every day in the mirror.
31
00:01:46,739 --> 00:01:50,660
I met somebody infinitely more
famous certainly than me and
32
00:01:50,669 --> 00:01:56,690
probably even you as well
because so this was the, it's a
33
00:01:56,699 --> 00:01:58,260
kind of two pronged absence.
34
00:01:58,269 --> 00:02:02,190
So three weeks of my absence
were on one of Marley's tours,
35
00:02:02,349 --> 00:02:07,029
which was of the UK beginning in
the Channel Islands, which are
36
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,820
nearer to France than they are
to Britain and then ending in
37
00:02:09,830 --> 00:02:13,169
the Shetland Islands which are
nearer to Norway than they are
38
00:02:13,179 --> 00:02:16,419
to Britain. Nearly actually, it
's about the same distance. But
39
00:02:16,429 --> 00:02:19,589
yeah, wonderful stuff all the
way. So we had a group of about
40
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,029
20 people.
41
00:02:22,369 --> 00:02:26,429
The Channel Islands marvelous
lovely weather. Also interesting
42
00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,979
history there because not only
are there fortifications
43
00:02:29,990 --> 00:02:34,309
everywhere against the
Napoleonic invaders in the early
44
00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,110
19th century, but there's a lot
of World War Two stuff as well
45
00:02:38,119 --> 00:02:40,729
because, as you probably know,
the Channel Islands were
46
00:02:40,740 --> 00:02:45,580
actually occupied by Germany
during World War Two was a bit
47
00:02:45,589 --> 00:02:49,449
of Britain. That was, and then
we were up through Cornwall.
48
00:02:49,539 --> 00:02:53,320
Took in a lot of really
interesting history. There went
49
00:02:53,330 --> 00:02:58,830
to land's end, went to my family
comes from is it should have,
50
00:02:58,839 --> 00:03:04,029
should have known that I'd have
him up. We, we did look up the
51
00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:09,039
site of where Doc Martin is
filmed for our Doc Martin fans
52
00:03:10,460 --> 00:03:14,410
on the show. On the sorry, on
the, on the trip bit of
53
00:03:14,419 --> 00:03:20,009
astronomy to the go hilly Earth
station, which is a satellite
54
00:03:20,169 --> 00:03:23,660
communication station which has
been there since 1962.
55
00:03:23,669 --> 00:03:27,139
I remember when it was built.
That's that's somewhere I've
56
00:03:27,149 --> 00:03:30,759
never, never visited before. So
we saw that then into Wales saw
57
00:03:31,860 --> 00:03:36,440
amazing stuff, a, a stone age
burial site as well as much more
58
00:03:36,449 --> 00:03:39,720
recent castles and things of
that. So we were in bath at the
59
00:03:39,729 --> 00:03:42,979
William OSHA Museum, which is
the place where the planet
60
00:03:42,990 --> 00:03:45,949
Uranus was discovered, stood on
the spot in the garden, in the
61
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:47,429
rain. I loved bath.
62
00:03:48,309 --> 00:03:49,820
What a lovely place.
63
00:03:49,830 --> 00:03:54,119
It is, isn't it? It's a stunning
city and I was in bath that we
64
00:03:54,130 --> 00:03:59,110
were joined for the rest of the
tour by our world famous guest
65
00:03:59,289 --> 00:04:04,259
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the
discoverer of Pulsars 67.
66
00:04:04,389 --> 00:04:07,149
And when, when we got to Wales,
actually, Jocelyn gave us a
67
00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,259
lovely talk, a public talk which
drew people from all over Wales
68
00:04:11,270 --> 00:04:14,110
to come and hear her speaking as
you would with somebody that
69
00:04:14,119 --> 00:04:18,220
famous. So Jocelyn was a
delight, accompanied us. The
70
00:04:18,230 --> 00:04:22,049
rest of the rest of the way we
took in the Beatles Museum in
71
00:04:22,059 --> 00:04:23,070
Liverpool.
72
00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:27,489
We were at Jodrell Bank, the
iconic radio telescope near
73
00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:30,609
Manchester and then up to
Shetland, which was kind of the
74
00:04:30,619 --> 00:04:33,929
focus of what we were doing
because we were trying to make
75
00:04:33,940 --> 00:04:37,320
the connection between bronze
age stuff, which of which there
76
00:04:37,329 --> 00:04:42,070
is quite a lot in Shetland, as
well as Iron Age and other more
77
00:04:42,079 --> 00:04:43,980
recent historical artist in
fact.
78
00:04:43,989 --> 00:04:48,049
But there is also one of the U K
's space ports. The most
79
00:04:48,059 --> 00:04:51,890
northerly space port in Britain
is at a place called Sax Aod,
80
00:04:51,950 --> 00:04:54,980
right on the northern tip of
Shetland. So we're up there
81
00:04:54,989 --> 00:04:56,820
looking at what's being done
there.
82
00:04:56,829 --> 00:05:01,000
They a actually have already
have one launch pad completed
83
00:05:01,010 --> 00:05:04,670
and they've done test flat
firings from that but have not
84
00:05:04,679 --> 00:05:08,140
yet launched a space vehicle,
but that is expected to happen
85
00:05:08,149 --> 00:05:10,600
before the end of this year. So
watch out for the Saxo
86
00:05:10,850 --> 00:05:13,890
Spaceport, we will probably talk
about it again and it's a
87
00:05:13,899 --> 00:05:17,200
delight to have been there and
explored what it's like.
88
00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,989
I imagine building a Spaceport
and particularly a launch pad is
89
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,350
is super duper technical. It
wouldn't be like laying a
90
00:05:24,359 --> 00:05:27,399
driveway at a house. You'd,
there'd be so much more that
91
00:05:27,410 --> 00:05:28,179
goes into it.
92
00:05:28,220 --> 00:05:32,239
There, there is. And there's an
added dimension with this
93
00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:35,329
particular one because halfway
through the construction of all
94
00:05:35,339 --> 00:05:41,600
this, they discovered a bronze
age memorial burial site. So
95
00:05:41,959 --> 00:05:45,390
they had to get all the
archaeologists flooded in.
96
00:05:45,619 --> 00:05:48,880
But the Spaceport's actually
privately run, privately run
97
00:05:48,890 --> 00:05:52,230
venture and they are really
enthusiastic about the fact that
98
00:05:52,239 --> 00:05:56,209
they've now got a bronze age
burial site on the territory as
99
00:05:56,220 --> 00:05:59,429
well as a few space age. Things.
100
00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,209
In fact, they said there's a
nice quote from the guy who is
101
00:06:02,220 --> 00:06:06,920
the CEO of the space port. He
said, cos there's a lot of
102
00:06:06,929 --> 00:06:11,299
Viking remains there as well and
he said our mantra used to be
103
00:06:11,309 --> 00:06:15,619
from long ships to spaceships,
but now it's from the bronze age
104
00:06:15,630 --> 00:06:16,690
to the space age.
105
00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,980
I wonder how many times these
sorts of projects, not just
106
00:06:23,989 --> 00:06:26,859
astronomy, but or space ports,
but, you know, projects in
107
00:06:26,869 --> 00:06:30,010
general. They, they do it a bit
digging and go. Oh, hello.
108
00:06:30,019 --> 00:06:35,609
What's don't tell, don't tell,
don't tell anybody. I think that
109
00:06:35,769 --> 00:06:39,869
happens. It happens. It's and it
's something you have to be very
110
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,140
careful about. We in the
Department Of Industry, of
111
00:06:43,149 --> 00:06:48,959
course, have responsibility for
the Australian end of the square
112
00:06:48,970 --> 00:06:52,660
kilometer array observatory. And
one of the things that was, that
113
00:06:52,670 --> 00:06:53,760
was not done.
114
00:06:53,929 --> 00:06:57,160
Was exactly what you've just
described because the, you know,
115
00:06:57,170 --> 00:06:59,299
the, the fact that there are
probably sacred sites on that
116
00:06:59,309 --> 00:07:03,079
country. And some of my
colleagues along with the wri
117
00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:07,839
people who are on the, on the,
the area, they actually walked
118
00:07:07,850 --> 00:07:12,220
over the 65 kilometers of this
of this site for the square
119
00:07:12,230 --> 00:07:13,209
kilometer array.
120
00:07:13,369 --> 00:07:17,640
Looking precisely for that, for
any sacred sites, any
121
00:07:17,649 --> 00:07:21,790
particular, you know, sites of
significance. Yeah, which was
122
00:07:21,799 --> 00:07:25,970
incredible. One of my colleagues
is a specialist on that and it's
123
00:07:25,980 --> 00:07:29,230
amazing to talk to him and find
out what lengths they went to,
124
00:07:29,239 --> 00:07:30,549
to get all this. Right.
125
00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,619
Most importantly though, Fred on
your trip, did you manage to run
126
00:07:34,630 --> 00:07:36,269
into Duncan from Weymouth?
127
00:07:37,049 --> 00:07:42,790
Do you know? I didn't? I, I, as
I mentioned, I think at the time
128
00:07:42,820 --> 00:07:47,019
when we last heard from Duncan,
we were passing through his
129
00:07:47,029 --> 00:07:50,260
territory but it turned out that
there was no way of actually
130
00:07:50,269 --> 00:07:50,869
stopping.
131
00:07:51,239 --> 00:07:57,299
Or even, it, it was AAA long
transfer from, that's a good
132
00:07:57,309 --> 00:08:03,109
point from Southampton, right
down to Penzance, which is near
133
00:08:03,119 --> 00:08:08,170
land's end and there was no way
of stopping anywhere except that
134
00:08:08,179 --> 00:08:13,839
motorway services each day. I
think, I think Duncan will. I,
135
00:08:13,850 --> 00:08:17,089
I'll, I'll keep him posted
though. Because it's very nice
136
00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:19,720
to know we've got somebody who
listens to us in Weymouth. He
137
00:08:19,730 --> 00:08:20,779
might not be doing anymore.
138
00:08:21,049 --> 00:08:24,440
I'm sure he is. I'm sure he is.
He's always got questions for us
139
00:08:24,450 --> 00:08:27,239
and I'm sure we'll hear from
Duncan again. That's very now,
140
00:08:27,250 --> 00:08:31,690
Fred, we've got a couple of
topics to discuss. I think we'll
141
00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:37,609
start with the Euclid Telescope
issue because it's been, it
142
00:08:37,619 --> 00:08:40,070
happened to Hubble, it happened
to James Webb and now it's
143
00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:41,640
happened to the Euclid
Telescope.
144
00:08:41,650 --> 00:08:45,250
This is the one that was set up
by the European Space Agency and
145
00:08:45,260 --> 00:08:48,440
it's got a very, very intense
mission ahead of it. And they've
146
00:08:48,450 --> 00:08:52,140
been doing the tests and they
found a problem with the FGS,
147
00:08:52,150 --> 00:08:58,090
the fine guidance sensor which
I, which sounds very important.
148
00:08:58,830 --> 00:09:03,150
It is, yeah, you're right. It's
what lets you point the
149
00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:07,530
telescope in the right
direction. And so there was a,
150
00:09:07,539 --> 00:09:10,989
there was an issue and the thing
is that Andrew with a, a
151
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:16,169
telescope like this, which is a
survey telescope. It's basically
152
00:09:16,289 --> 00:09:20,619
mapping the sky and we've done
that with you know, telescopes,
153
00:09:20,630 --> 00:09:23,419
I've been involved with here in
Australia.
154
00:09:23,429 --> 00:09:28,950
And what you're keen to do is
not lose any time between
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00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,559
observations. You, you, you,
you're mapping one bit of the
156
00:09:31,570 --> 00:09:34,419
sky with your telescope. Usually
we, we used to use photography
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00:09:34,429 --> 00:09:35,710
that's gone now.
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00:09:35,719 --> 00:09:39,239
But and it's all electronic
detection, but what you don't
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00:09:39,250 --> 00:09:42,469
want to do is then spend half an
hour looking for the next bit of
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00:09:42,479 --> 00:09:46,159
sky that you're supposed to be
observing and locking onto the
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00:09:46,169 --> 00:09:49,200
stars that let you guide your
instruments. And that was the
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00:09:49,210 --> 00:09:54,760
issue with the, the FGS that it
wasn't working.
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00:09:55,140 --> 00:10:00,900
And because Euclid needs to zap
to a new field of view every
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00:10:01,190 --> 00:10:06,080
basically every hour and a
quarter, they, they, they had to
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00:10:06,090 --> 00:10:10,909
get this right using guide stars
by the way, that came from
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00:10:10,919 --> 00:10:14,000
another ESA mission, the Gaia
mission, which is a very
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00:10:14,010 --> 00:10:16,869
accurate astronomer mission one
that lets you measure the
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00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,760
positions of stars in the sky
with incredible accuracy.
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00:10:21,020 --> 00:10:26,219
It's fairly easy for our
listeners and viewers to go on
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00:10:26,229 --> 00:10:32,090
the web and find what the images
were looking like when the fine
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00:10:32,099 --> 00:10:37,219
guidance sensor was failing
because there's all these trails
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of star images which look like a
complete random walk in the sky.
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The telescope's clearly looking
for something and not finding
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00:10:45,599 --> 00:10:48,760
it. So it's just like somebody's
drawn scribbly lines on a piece
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of paper. But that's now been
cured.
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00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,989
The, the issue. I'm I'm not
actually sure what it is. I
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00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:04,760
think it was to do with it's
something that we, we used to
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00:11:04,770 --> 00:11:09,299
have trouble with on terrestrial
telescopes. And that's cosmic
179
00:11:09,309 --> 00:11:13,960
rays. So cosmic rays is
something we know subatomic
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00:11:13,969 --> 00:11:18,359
particles that come down from
the universe. They, if they hit
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00:11:18,369 --> 00:11:21,890
one of these electronic sensors,
they, they cause a flash or a
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00:11:21,900 --> 00:11:22,750
little line.
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00:11:23,020 --> 00:11:27,049
And we had terrible problems
getting rid of those. Certainly
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00:11:27,059 --> 00:11:30,859
with one of the instruments that
I was involved with. It was a
185
00:11:30,869 --> 00:11:34,299
long drawn out problem. We were
worried that we were gonna have
186
00:11:34,309 --> 00:11:37,239
to put the whole thing in a lead
casing to stop these cosmic rays
187
00:11:37,250 --> 00:11:40,539
coming through because there was
so much sort of, you know,
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00:11:40,549 --> 00:11:43,549
interference on the, on the, on
the screen.
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00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,169
And I think it's been the same
problem with the fine guidance
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00:11:48,179 --> 00:11:52,989
system, of the Euclid
instrument. And I think they
191
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,419
have now led to, you know, that
they've corrected that basically
192
00:11:57,429 --> 00:12:01,400
by a software update to the
telescope's control system.
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00:12:01,469 --> 00:12:04,719
I think they're calling it a
software patch. That's right.
194
00:12:04,729 --> 00:12:08,969
Yeah, they must have got advice
from, iphone 15 to.
195
00:12:11,059 --> 00:12:13,840
Have you got software punches on
iphone 15.
196
00:12:13,989 --> 00:12:17,309
I've had one, I've had an iphone
15 for a bit over a week and I
197
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,280
think I've had two software
updates already. Have you?
198
00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,840
And my wife got the 15, I got
the 15 pro and hers has been
199
00:12:26,849 --> 00:12:30,619
overheating, which has been in
the news. That's a worry that as
200
00:12:30,630 --> 00:12:32,260
well. Oh, that's good.
201
00:12:32,270 --> 00:12:35,479
Yeah. Well, yeah, software
patches are things that you can
202
00:12:35,489 --> 00:12:38,150
apply that. I mean, in your
case, it might, or in your wife
203
00:12:38,150 --> 00:12:41,260
's case, it might well have been
to do with the charging rate or
204
00:12:41,270 --> 00:12:45,489
the, you know, the discharging
rate that might need software
205
00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:48,229
control. It was something
different for Euclid, but the
206
00:12:48,239 --> 00:12:49,750
good news is it's fixed.
207
00:12:50,039 --> 00:12:54,309
Yes. Yes, indeed. Now, let's,
remind everybody what Euclid's
208
00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,739
mission is. It's got a big job.
It's going to be scanning the
209
00:12:57,750 --> 00:13:02,460
night sky and changing its
observations every 75 minutes as
210
00:13:02,469 --> 00:13:07,270
it scans the universe. It's out
there in that, Lagrange point
211
00:13:08,140 --> 00:13:12,070
where it will sit and spin and
carry on like a pork chop. But
212
00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,549
it'll, it'll, it's got one of
the most intriguing missions I
213
00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,489
think of the modern era.
214
00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:22,140
That that's correct. So it's, it
's got, you know, it's, it's
215
00:13:22,150 --> 00:13:25,469
doing what we've been doing for
a while from terrestrial
216
00:13:25,479 --> 00:13:30,239
observatories but doing it in a
big way. So it's, it's measuring
217
00:13:31,119 --> 00:13:37,299
billions of Galaxies. And
essentially, you know, there,
218
00:13:37,309 --> 00:13:40,549
there's, there's two points to
this, that one is mapping the
219
00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:44,070
position of the Galaxies and the
other is looking at their shapes
220
00:13:44,210 --> 00:13:45,020
as well.
221
00:13:45,049 --> 00:13:49,530
Because that tells you about
gravitational lensing. So what
222
00:13:49,539 --> 00:13:53,830
you, what you will end up with,
we hope after I've forgotten
223
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,919
when the remember we did talk
about this sort of, I think it
224
00:13:57,929 --> 00:14:01,179
was 2027 we're gonna get some
results back from this mission
225
00:14:01,190 --> 00:14:03,919
because it's something that
takes time to do.
226
00:14:04,119 --> 00:14:08,599
We'll get the most up to date or
the, the, the best 3D map of the
227
00:14:08,609 --> 00:14:14,659
wider universe. That we've ever
had. But its real function is
228
00:14:14,669 --> 00:14:19,479
looking at the, the way the
universe has been expanding over
229
00:14:19,489 --> 00:14:21,510
the last 10 billion years or so.
230
00:14:21,890 --> 00:14:26,219
And from that teasing out
information about those two big
231
00:14:26,229 --> 00:14:30,280
mysteries, dark matter and dark
energy, both of which effects
232
00:14:30,289 --> 00:14:33,940
affect the way Galaxies are
distributed in the universe. And
233
00:14:33,950 --> 00:14:38,080
so, hopefully, by the end of it,
we'll have a much better clue
234
00:14:38,090 --> 00:14:41,679
about the way these two
phenomena behave, whether it
235
00:14:41,690 --> 00:14:44,960
tells us what they are or not,
not. The matter.
236
00:14:45,679 --> 00:14:49,229
Speaking of which there was a
story recently, a group of
237
00:14:49,239 --> 00:14:53,219
Australian scientists have put
forward evidence that they say
238
00:14:53,229 --> 00:14:56,820
strongly supports dark photons.
239
00:14:57,150 --> 00:15:04,460
Yes, that's right, photons are
talking about. So this is,
240
00:15:04,469 --> 00:15:09,520
you're absolutely right. It's a
Australian led. And what the
241
00:15:09,530 --> 00:15:14,429
story is about is to do with the
sub, you know, the suite of
242
00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:19,060
subatomic particles that we know
exist. And in particular, there
243
00:15:19,060 --> 00:15:23,210
's been focus on the muon and
there is an issue with the
244
00:15:23,219 --> 00:15:27,000
magnetic field of the muon that
is not understood.
245
00:15:27,179 --> 00:15:34,359
But if you postulate that the
universe contains as part of its
246
00:15:34,369 --> 00:15:39,010
dark matter suite whose nature
we don't know. But if you
247
00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:42,650
postulate that some of that is
dark photons, that means an
248
00:15:42,659 --> 00:15:47,380
equivalent to a to a photon.
But, but a an invisible 11 that
249
00:15:47,390 --> 00:15:50,169
belongs to the dark universe, if
I can put it that way, if you
250
00:15:50,179 --> 00:15:53,940
postulate the existence of dark
photons, the issue with the muon
251
00:15:54,150 --> 00:15:55,940
magnetic field disappears.
252
00:15:56,109 --> 00:16:00,349
And so, and they say that
they've, they've this discovery
253
00:16:00,580 --> 00:16:03,760
suggest the existence of dark
photons with actually a really
254
00:16:03,770 --> 00:16:06,179
high degree of confidence. I
think they said it was a six
255
00:16:06,190 --> 00:16:10,880
sigma result, which is just a
shorthand way of saying it's
256
00:16:10,890 --> 00:16:15,080
very likely. But they haven't,
they haven't yet found a dark
257
00:16:15,090 --> 00:16:15,760
photon.
258
00:16:15,770 --> 00:16:19,799
What they found is perhaps a
mathematical proof that dark
259
00:16:19,809 --> 00:16:23,799
photons exist. Now, whether a
mathematical proof is good
260
00:16:23,809 --> 00:16:26,799
enough for what we, you know
what we think of in the dark
261
00:16:26,809 --> 00:16:30,044
unive that's a different matter.
But I think this is work that
262
00:16:30,054 --> 00:16:33,895
will continue to go on and yeah,
dark photos quite exciting. I
263
00:16:33,905 --> 00:16:35,825
think you and I have talked
about them before Andrew.
264
00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:38,664
We might have I I I'm starting
to think there's probably gonna
265
00:16:38,674 --> 00:16:40,354
be a dark equivalent to
everything.
266
00:16:40,364 --> 00:16:43,455
Everything. Yes, that's right
that you know, a dark thread,
267
00:16:43,575 --> 00:16:44,744
dark everything.
268
00:16:46,599 --> 00:16:49,299
Yeah, still go near the dark for
I can't imagine.
269
00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:51,280
He's, he's a angry Fred.
270
00:16:51,380 --> 00:16:55,750
I can't imagine it. You
mentioned muons. I I know what
271
00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,479
they are. They, where we've
moved, there's a cat across the
272
00:16:58,489 --> 00:17:02,719
road and it it it gets its muon.
It, it sounds like someone
273
00:17:02,729 --> 00:17:07,078
strangling a chook. Poor thing.
I'll record it one day.
274
00:17:07,088 --> 00:17:11,489
You gotta hear it. I never heard
anything like it but yes.
275
00:17:11,499 --> 00:17:14,688
Alright. And back to the Euclid
mission we watch with interest,
276
00:17:14,698 --> 00:17:18,188
but it's good to know they've
got the bugs out. This is Space
277
00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:20,739
Nuts. Andrew Dunkley with
Professor Fred Watson.
278
00:17:22,380 --> 00:17:24,819
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slash Space Nuts. Now, back to
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the show Space Nets. Now, Fred,
this is an exciting mission as
329
00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:38,540
well and as we speak, maybe it's
already happened for some people
330
00:20:38,550 --> 00:20:40,010
who are slow downloaders.
331
00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:45,329
You know, you can go beyond dial
up if there are things out there
332
00:20:45,339 --> 00:20:49,760
that are a bit quicker. But yes,
the, Psyche mission, this is a
333
00:20:49,770 --> 00:20:53,599
machine that NASA has put on to
go out and visit this, this
334
00:20:53,609 --> 00:20:58,280
asteroid because it's different.
It's metallic and this is one
335
00:20:58,290 --> 00:21:01,060
you've got a connection with,
you studied this before we knew
336
00:21:01,069 --> 00:21:02,359
exactly what it was.
337
00:21:02,699 --> 00:21:06,979
I did. Yeah. It, back in the
seventies, actually, when I was
338
00:21:06,989 --> 00:21:10,849
doing my master's degree at
Saint Andrews, my degree was
339
00:21:10,859 --> 00:21:15,339
about all the orbits of
asteroids. And Psyche was one of
340
00:21:15,349 --> 00:21:19,359
the asteroids whose orbit I
studied, it was asteroid number
341
00:21:19,369 --> 00:21:19,989
16.
342
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,650
So we've called it and I saw the
results to Fred's test and he
343
00:21:23,660 --> 00:21:26,130
went, it does orbit.
344
00:21:26,479 --> 00:21:29,810
Yes, that was it, that was the
answer. It goes around the sun,
345
00:21:30,109 --> 00:21:32,750
I 100% for that 100%.
346
00:21:33,959 --> 00:21:38,250
But what we've learned since, as
you said is that the asteroid
347
00:21:38,260 --> 00:21:44,530
Psyche is possibly, maybe even,
probably, but possibly the, the
348
00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:49,219
central core of a plane, a
planet is an object that was
349
00:21:49,229 --> 00:21:54,390
gonna be a planet but never made
it. And you know, the, the, the
350
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:59,209
way planets eventually come into
being is by accretion things
351
00:21:59,219 --> 00:22:00,430
banging into each other.
352
00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:03,729
And that includes the stony
material and the metallic
353
00:22:03,739 --> 00:22:06,530
material. But with the heat that
's generated by those
354
00:22:06,540 --> 00:22:10,494
collisions, as planets are
forming the the the metallic
355
00:22:10,505 --> 00:22:13,574
material which is mostly iron
sinks to the center under its
356
00:22:13,584 --> 00:22:17,015
own gravity just pulls itself
to, into a blob in the middle of
357
00:22:17,025 --> 00:22:19,704
one of these molten planets.
358
00:22:21,194 --> 00:22:24,734
And we think what's happened is
that quite early on in the
359
00:22:24,744 --> 00:22:27,525
history of the solar system,
something has banged into this
360
00:22:27,535 --> 00:22:32,020
planet is and basically sheared
off its, it's out of stony
361
00:22:32,030 --> 00:22:36,510
mantle and left the metallic
core. So you're quite right. We
362
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,310
have a launch date in us time of
the 12th of October.
363
00:22:41,540 --> 00:22:46,310
That's probably the 13th for us
here in Australia. The
364
00:22:46,319 --> 00:22:52,229
spacecraft of the same name will
be launched towards the asteroid
365
00:22:52,239 --> 00:22:56,719
Psyche. And it's a fairly long
trip as well. It's not something
366
00:22:56,729 --> 00:23:00,739
that's gonna happen next week.
The arrival there. It will blast
367
00:23:00,750 --> 00:23:06,079
off as I said, October 12th at
the that's us eastern daylight
368
00:23:06,089 --> 00:23:06,569
time.
369
00:23:07,949 --> 00:23:14,489
And then we'll have to go two
sorry, 3.5 billion kilometers.
370
00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:20,469
And it's got a, it's actually
got a gravity assist maneuver
371
00:23:20,479 --> 00:23:24,390
somewhere in there. I can't
remember which which planet it's
372
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,569
gonna get a jump from. It's
probably Jupiter. I should check
373
00:23:27,579 --> 00:23:30,079
that shouldn't I be before I
start speaking? But there is a,
374
00:23:30,089 --> 00:23:34,109
there is a gravity assist
mission maneuver at least one
375
00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:34,829
involved.
376
00:23:34,839 --> 00:23:39,469
And eventually the spacecraft,
the Psyche spacecraft will
377
00:23:39,479 --> 00:23:44,290
arrive at Psyche, the asteroid.
In 2029 Psyche is kind of on the
378
00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:48,979
far edge of the main belt. It's
it's towards, towards Jupiter
379
00:23:48,989 --> 00:23:52,739
rather than towards MARS. And
then we'll see images of what
380
00:23:52,750 --> 00:23:56,439
this strange object looks like.
So it is, it's very exciting,
381
00:23:56,449 --> 00:23:58,910
especially for somebody who
studied the asteroid in his
382
00:23:58,920 --> 00:23:59,410
youth.
383
00:23:59,810 --> 00:24:03,119
So what, what exactly are they
hoping to glean from this? I
384
00:24:03,130 --> 00:24:08,910
mean, we, we've just recently
seen the return of some asteroid
385
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:15,810
dust which was from a, you know,
a rocky icy asteroid. What, what
386
00:24:15,819 --> 00:24:18,530
are they hoping to find in
regard to this one?
387
00:24:19,180 --> 00:24:25,520
Well, there's there, there are
mysteries with with this is 16
388
00:24:25,530 --> 00:24:28,560
Psyche, isn't it 16 six asteroid
number?
389
00:24:31,079 --> 00:24:34,479
That's right. It is. So
asteroids after the first one
390
00:24:34,489 --> 00:24:40,069
was discovered series in 18 01.
It took a little while before
391
00:24:40,079 --> 00:24:43,719
people realized that that wasn't
just a planet. It was one of a
392
00:24:43,729 --> 00:24:46,680
large number of objects, but
very quickly these were all
393
00:24:46,689 --> 00:24:49,969
numbered in and so they're
numbered in in chronological
394
00:24:49,979 --> 00:24:55,459
order. So I think 16 Psyche was
discovered in the 18 something
395
00:24:56,579 --> 00:24:57,530
52.
396
00:25:00,439 --> 00:25:05,099
But so it's but the, the, the
thing that's interesting about
397
00:25:05,109 --> 00:25:11,790
it is that when you look at you,
so you can, you can actually
398
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:17,829
investigate to some extent the
material of its surface by
399
00:25:17,930 --> 00:25:21,430
looking at the spectrum of the
object that tells you,
400
00:25:21,439 --> 00:25:24,449
especially in the infrared,
it'll tell you about the
401
00:25:24,459 --> 00:25:27,670
chemistry on the surface of an
asteroid.
402
00:25:27,869 --> 00:25:33,010
And, and there are, there are
differences between Psyche and
403
00:25:33,020 --> 00:25:41,199
what we see on other asteroids.
So things like iron oxides which
404
00:25:41,209 --> 00:25:47,390
are present in most of the inner
solar system. And we've only to
405
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,050
look at MARS to see iron oxide
displayed in the very red
406
00:25:51,060 --> 00:25:51,829
nature.
407
00:25:52,540 --> 00:25:57,079
There's nothing like that on
Psyche. And it's interesting
408
00:25:57,089 --> 00:26:00,800
because if you've got something
that's mostly made of iron, and
409
00:26:00,810 --> 00:26:03,770
it's, and you, you put it in the
presence of oxygen, which will
410
00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:07,910
be certainly in the, in the you
know, the nebula that the solar
411
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,000
system formed from, you would
expect to see these oxides, but
412
00:26:11,010 --> 00:26:12,140
apparently you don't.
413
00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:15,839
And so it, this is leading
people to, to speculate that
414
00:26:15,849 --> 00:26:20,530
maybe Psyche might tell us
things about the evolution of
415
00:26:20,540 --> 00:26:23,209
formation and evolution of
planets that, that at the moment
416
00:26:23,219 --> 00:26:26,500
that we're missing, you know,
there might be additional steps
417
00:26:26,510 --> 00:26:29,900
in it that we don't really know
about or, or that it's, or that
418
00:26:29,910 --> 00:26:32,770
there are two ways of making
planets rather than just the one
419
00:26:32,780 --> 00:26:34,579
that we've, you know, we all
talk about.
420
00:26:35,239 --> 00:26:40,880
So, that will be what Psyche
will do. It's I think as far as
421
00:26:40,890 --> 00:26:45,729
I remember, it will be in orbit
around Psyche and will basically
422
00:26:45,739 --> 00:26:46,969
analyze it to death.
423
00:26:48,329 --> 00:26:52,459
Yes, it's orbits are something
like 700 kilometers and it will
424
00:26:52,469 --> 00:26:58,410
get closer and closer in to the,
to the to the asteroid. And
425
00:26:58,420 --> 00:27:01,489
eventually will, you know, so it
will be be able to pick up.
426
00:27:02,449 --> 00:27:05,829
So that things like gamma rays
from the surface, which will
427
00:27:05,839 --> 00:27:10,079
give you all kinds of
interesting insights into what
428
00:27:10,089 --> 00:27:15,530
the surface is about. So, yeah,
II, I hope you and I last on
429
00:27:15,540 --> 00:27:19,310
space knots to 2029. So we could
talk about all this.
430
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,310
They're not landing anything on
it or trying to get.
431
00:27:25,930 --> 00:27:33,489
As I, as I understand it, it is
it is basically an orbital
432
00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:38,560
mission with, with no lander.
But, but being orbited by
433
00:27:38,569 --> 00:27:40,819
something that's festooned with
state of the art
434
00:27:40,829 --> 00:27:45,709
instrumentation, gamma ray
neutron spectrometer, who this
435
00:27:45,719 --> 00:27:46,449
is high tech stuff.
436
00:27:46,459 --> 00:27:51,290
I think it's going to spend like
half a year in orbit before it's
437
00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:52,290
completed its missions.
438
00:27:52,339 --> 00:27:56,680
And yes, that's right. Yes,
they've got, what they call
439
00:27:56,689 --> 00:28:02,160
different orbital regimes, named
A and B. So the first, the A
440
00:28:02,170 --> 00:28:06,239
orbital regime is 56 day orbits
and that's going to be looking
441
00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:09,760
for a magnetic field, which
would be really interesting.
442
00:28:09,790 --> 00:28:12,359
Because if it has a magnetic
field, it probably tells you
443
00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:15,489
that once it was part of a,
something that was going to
444
00:28:15,500 --> 00:28:21,150
become a planet, and then the,
the, the other orbital regimes
445
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:28,040
are, are basically much, much,
much longer. I'm sorry. Ii I
446
00:28:28,050 --> 00:28:31,839
misled you there. The orbital
regime lasts for 56 days. It's
447
00:28:31,849 --> 00:28:35,589
not an orbital period of 56
days. These will be, these will
448
00:28:35,599 --> 00:28:37,189
be much shorter than that.
449
00:28:37,199 --> 00:28:38,959
Yes, of course.
450
00:28:40,050 --> 00:28:42,880
Do we know how big 16 Psyche is?
I suppose we do.
451
00:28:43,300 --> 00:28:47,819
Yeah, it's a matter of, what is
it, 100 100 dish or 200
452
00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:54,930
kilometers? 279 kilometers that
you are shaped like a potato.
453
00:28:54,939 --> 00:28:58,229
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's a, well,
you know, for it to be the 16th
454
00:28:58,239 --> 00:29:01,310
asteroid discovered it would
have to be, and it is on the far
455
00:29:01,319 --> 00:29:02,530
side of the belt.
456
00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:05,819
So it, it has to be a big object
to reflect enough light for
457
00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:10,439
telescopes in 18 52 to actually
detect it if it's made of metal
458
00:29:10,449 --> 00:29:14,719
that would be pretty shiny, it
's, it's, it's, it's not hard to
459
00:29:14,729 --> 00:29:17,380
imagine what a meal, a metal
asteroid would look like, isn't
460
00:29:17,390 --> 00:29:20,489
it? But my guess is it's not
shiny at all. I think it will
461
00:29:20,500 --> 00:29:27,359
be, it, it might look like, I
don't know, maybe a freshly laid
462
00:29:27,579 --> 00:29:29,979
road to surface or something
like that.
463
00:29:30,859 --> 00:29:34,569
Hard to, hard to estimate. Well,
I mean, you can look online and
464
00:29:34,579 --> 00:29:37,930
find artists, impressions of
what Psyche might be like, but
465
00:29:37,939 --> 00:29:41,319
we really don't know what
happens to the spaceship when
466
00:29:41,329 --> 00:29:44,729
the mission's over. As far as I
know, it will continue in orbit
467
00:29:44,739 --> 00:29:45,660
around Psyche.
468
00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,939
Just stay there, become part of
the asteroid belt. Yes.
469
00:29:48,949 --> 00:29:52,219
That's right. I don't think
there's a plan to, to collide
470
00:29:52,229 --> 00:29:54,750
with, with the object itself.
471
00:29:54,890 --> 00:29:56,339
Because they might change their
mind.
472
00:29:56,349 --> 00:29:57,530
They might, they might change
their mind.
473
00:29:57,540 --> 00:29:58,040
That's right.
474
00:29:58,229 --> 00:30:02,160
You know what, you know,
astronomers just like tradesmen
475
00:30:02,170 --> 00:30:07,010
love crashing into things
smashing stuff up as you know.
476
00:30:07,420 --> 00:30:07,619
So.
477
00:30:07,630 --> 00:30:10,760
Well, yeah, we, yeah,
absolutely. Smashing up his
478
00:30:10,770 --> 00:30:12,619
parcel of what we do.
479
00:30:12,650 --> 00:30:14,280
Yes, absolutely true.
480
00:30:14,290 --> 00:30:17,160
By the way, the shot is around
MARS.
481
00:30:17,199 --> 00:30:20,069
Yes. Yes, I think. No, that
makes sense because it's going
482
00:30:20,079 --> 00:30:21,829
that way. Yeah.
483
00:30:22,750 --> 00:30:27,510
Ok. Well, lots to learn but not
in a hurry because we, we won't
484
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:33,420
see it arrive until August of
2029. So, hold your breaths and
485
00:30:33,430 --> 00:30:37,369
we'll get back to you shortly.
This is Space Nuts. Andrew
486
00:30:37,380 --> 00:30:46,520
Dunkley here with Professor Fred
Watson Nuts. Ok, Fred. Let's
487
00:30:46,530 --> 00:30:47,569
tackle a few questions.
488
00:30:47,579 --> 00:30:50,380
Got a whole bunch because we've
sort of not been able to talk
489
00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:53,859
for a while and we've got,
squillion of them. And with
490
00:30:53,869 --> 00:30:58,170
episode 3 75 not far away, we'll
have plenty of ammunition for
491
00:30:58,180 --> 00:31:03,890
our, Q and A program when we get
to it. But let's just tackle a
492
00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:07,939
few audio questions. Our first
one comes from Bo.
493
00:31:08,969 --> 00:31:12,189
Hello, Fred and Andrew. It's Bo
here from Melbourne in
494
00:31:12,199 --> 00:31:16,689
Australia. I love your show.
I've got a correction, a
495
00:31:16,699 --> 00:31:21,290
question and a gadget for you.
First of all, the correction,
496
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:26,410
the name of the Chinese
Moonlander program is pronounced
497
00:31:26,420 --> 00:31:30,800
Chang U not Changi because that
's the place in Singapore, but
498
00:31:30,810 --> 00:31:34,630
it's pronounced Chang U like an
er with the upward inflection.
499
00:31:35,459 --> 00:31:38,660
If you can please refer to that
in the future episode, that
500
00:31:38,670 --> 00:31:42,050
would be great. And of course,
Chan is the moon goddess in
501
00:31:42,060 --> 00:31:43,290
Chinese mythology.
502
00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:49,290
On to my question, what happened
to time and space when the
503
00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:52,369
universe reaches its maximum
entropy?
504
00:31:53,579 --> 00:31:56,170
I would assume there will be no
gravity because there's no
505
00:31:56,180 --> 00:32:00,979
matter, therefore, there will be
no light, no energy as such. But
506
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,180
what happened to it time and
space itself, does that
507
00:32:04,339 --> 00:32:08,869
evaporate or cease to exist? And
if so, how do you actually know
508
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,969
you breached maximum entropy
because there's no space as
509
00:32:11,979 --> 00:32:13,770
such. Anyway, that's just the
thought.
510
00:32:14,739 --> 00:32:18,660
As for the dad joke. Well, can't
remember because it's not
511
00:32:18,670 --> 00:32:22,930
apparent bish. Thank you very
much. Love your show. Bye.
512
00:32:23,579 --> 00:32:28,359
Thank you. Be and yeah, Chang E
I will try and remember but
513
00:32:28,369 --> 00:32:31,829
don't quote me on that because
I'm terrible at remembering
514
00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:35,569
these things. But yes, thank you
for the correction time and
515
00:32:35,579 --> 00:32:40,250
space and maximum entropy. So,
yes, talking about here.
516
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:52,170
So maximum disorder and the, the
is, is it raises a really
517
00:32:52,180 --> 00:32:54,619
interesting point which I've
never really kind of thought
518
00:32:54,630 --> 00:33:03,020
about because as, as I guess he
's implying the, as the universe
519
00:33:03,849 --> 00:33:08,939
continues to expand and we think
it's gonna always be expanding
520
00:33:08,949 --> 00:33:13,449
because dark energy seems to
force that expansion to increase
521
00:33:14,130 --> 00:33:17,420
its velocity. So that we've got
an accelerating universe.
522
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:24,109
I, so the entropy is always
gonna be increasing. And so a
523
00:33:24,119 --> 00:33:30,589
time of maximum entropy would
really correspond to a time when
524
00:33:30,599 --> 00:33:34,359
the universe had reached its
final state. We don't really
525
00:33:34,369 --> 00:33:38,890
know what that is because there
have been suggestions that there
526
00:33:38,900 --> 00:33:40,180
may be a big rip.
527
00:33:40,469 --> 00:33:46,520
So that space itself somehow
gets full of imperfections and
528
00:33:46,530 --> 00:33:52,380
tears that certainly would
constitute an increase in
529
00:33:52,390 --> 00:33:56,869
entropy. So, I think the end
point of entropy is really the
530
00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,189
end point of the universe and
the universe doesn't seem to
531
00:33:59,199 --> 00:34:03,380
have an end point. It seems to
be an infinitely you know,
532
00:34:03,390 --> 00:34:07,609
expanding entity. Well, it'll
eventually run out of hydrogen
533
00:34:07,619 --> 00:34:08,120
fuel.
534
00:34:08,129 --> 00:34:13,889
So star formation will stop and
stars will burn out, they will
535
00:34:13,899 --> 00:34:18,689
usually turn into black holes or
white dwarfs, which the black
536
00:34:18,699 --> 00:34:21,679
white dwarfs will eventually
turn into black dwarfs, which
537
00:34:21,689 --> 00:34:27,639
are just inner lumps, white,
black holes can evaporate
538
00:34:27,649 --> 00:34:28,340
eventually.
539
00:34:28,350 --> 00:34:31,899
So, you know, perhaps in many
hundreds of billions or even
540
00:34:31,909 --> 00:34:35,070
trillions of years, we might
find that the black holes have
541
00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,800
all evaporated. Meanwhile,
entropy is continue continuing
542
00:34:38,810 --> 00:34:45,110
to increase. So, we've got a
situation where there might
543
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:49,370
never be a maximum point of
entropies always going to be
544
00:34:49,379 --> 00:34:52,100
more entropic than it was the
day before.
545
00:34:53,340 --> 00:34:58,120
So does that mean time and space
will continue until they stop?
546
00:35:00,189 --> 00:35:01,439
Who, who knows?
547
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:06,620
Because time began at the moment
of being, that's what, that's
548
00:35:06,629 --> 00:35:08,419
what relativity demonstrates.
549
00:35:09,620 --> 00:35:12,949
And if you've got, you know, an
expansion that's gonna go on
550
00:35:12,959 --> 00:35:16,649
infinitely unless if, if there
is such a thing as a big rip
551
00:35:16,659 --> 00:35:23,429
and, and some co do talk about
that, then maybe that will rip
552
00:35:23,439 --> 00:35:24,669
time as well.
553
00:35:25,030 --> 00:35:28,419
So how do you, you know, time,
time, we know distorts because
554
00:35:28,429 --> 00:35:31,979
we see relativity relativistic
effects and we can measure
555
00:35:31,989 --> 00:35:36,590
those, we know that time can
bend, but whether it can rip and
556
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:41,850
therefore become the end of time
who knows? Yeah. Very profound
557
00:35:41,860 --> 00:35:42,409
questions.
558
00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:47,600
Po Yeah, they are. You'd have to
have some kind of substance to
559
00:35:47,610 --> 00:35:49,219
have something ripped out,
wouldn't you?
560
00:35:49,709 --> 00:35:52,679
Well, but that's the issue that,
you know, there isn't a
561
00:35:52,689 --> 00:35:55,629
substance, it's space, you know,
it's the fabric of space,
562
00:35:55,639 --> 00:36:00,229
whatever that is that we use
that term. That's right because
563
00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:03,850
it isn't a fabric at all, but it
does have structure because that
564
00:36:03,860 --> 00:36:08,600
is what actually bends for, you
know, for, with gravitational
565
00:36:08,610 --> 00:36:10,969
lensing, for example, it's the
structure of space that's
566
00:36:10,979 --> 00:36:11,520
bending.
567
00:36:12,179 --> 00:36:12,879
Yeah. Ok.
568
00:36:13,629 --> 00:36:20,219
I just heard that cat puppy, I
complain that something's coming
569
00:36:20,229 --> 00:36:22,219
up the driveway, that'll do it.
570
00:36:22,709 --> 00:36:25,129
They're good alarm clocks and
they're very, very good guard
571
00:36:25,139 --> 00:36:28,330
dogs sometimes. Did we cover
everything?
572
00:36:28,979 --> 00:36:32,959
I, I'd really appreciate Bo's
comment on Chung as well because
573
00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,949
I, I have not put that
inflection at the inn.
574
00:36:37,899 --> 00:36:41,189
Well, I've been way off the
Mark. I, yeah, I apparently I
575
00:36:41,199 --> 00:36:43,459
went to Singapore but but that's
fine.
576
00:36:44,790 --> 00:36:47,550
We just revert to simplicity
when it comes to trying to
577
00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,070
decipher foreign languages.
578
00:36:50,189 --> 00:36:52,580
You should, you should have
heard my attempts at Spanish
579
00:36:52,590 --> 00:36:56,260
over the last week. They were
total rubbish.
580
00:36:57,919 --> 00:37:01,189
It's funny how we struggle with
other languages and, and the
581
00:37:01,199 --> 00:37:05,110
accents kind of mess it up too.
Thank you. Be lovely to hear
582
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,209
from you. Next is John. Hi, this
is John.
583
00:37:09,219 --> 00:37:15,139
From Madison Wisconsin. If all
of the stuff early at the
584
00:37:15,149 --> 00:37:20,100
beginning of the universe was as
close together and as dense as I
585
00:37:20,129 --> 00:37:26,110
imagine it to be. How did it not
all just get trapped inside a
586
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:31,239
big black hole? How did it get
away from itself? Thanks.
587
00:37:32,139 --> 00:37:32,540
Yeah.
588
00:37:33,209 --> 00:37:37,510
Yeah. Thank you John. We get a
lot of questions about the early
589
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,110
universe and what happened and
why and yeah, he poses an
590
00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,889
interesting one. Why didn't it
all just sort of, you know,
591
00:37:44,899 --> 00:37:47,209
conglomerate and stay where it
was and get.
592
00:37:47,899 --> 00:37:50,840
Well, maybe it did get trapped
in a black hole and we're inside
593
00:37:50,850 --> 00:37:55,209
it. That's a theory. People,
some people have postulated the
594
00:37:55,219 --> 00:37:58,370
idea of an event arising sort of
at the end of the edge of the
595
00:37:58,379 --> 00:38:05,229
universe. But I think the bottom
line chon though is that you're
596
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,689
absolutely right, the density
and temperature in the early
597
00:38:08,699 --> 00:38:11,469
universe were unbelievably high.
598
00:38:12,399 --> 00:38:16,409
The, the there was a kind of
trigger point at three minutes
599
00:38:16,419 --> 00:38:21,760
that allowed a new, you know,
the nuclei of atoms to form. So
600
00:38:21,770 --> 00:38:24,449
it had cooled down after three
minutes enough to, to let that
601
00:38:24,459 --> 00:38:27,550
happen. But I think the, the
bottom line is that the
602
00:38:27,850 --> 00:38:35,530
expansion of the universe which
was generated by whatever
603
00:38:35,540 --> 00:38:40,800
energy, you know, energy source
actually caused the Big Bang
604
00:38:40,810 --> 00:38:44,979
itself because we know it was a
very, very energetic thing.
605
00:38:44,989 --> 00:38:50,020
Yeah, I've got an audience in
the Marley's not doing a very
606
00:38:50,030 --> 00:38:53,090
good job of keeping him quiet,
but that's because he's, it's
607
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:58,820
impossible to shut up. So, you
got so much energy that that
608
00:38:58,830 --> 00:39:01,520
what I guess we're saying is
that, that overcomes the
609
00:39:01,530 --> 00:39:06,570
gravitational pull of what the
stuff that's in the universe.
610
00:39:06,830 --> 00:39:09,370
So it's always, the universe is
always going to be a balance
611
00:39:09,379 --> 00:39:14,409
between the energy of the Big
Bang. And, and the gravitational
612
00:39:14,419 --> 00:39:17,649
pull of what's within the
universe. And that's why before
613
00:39:17,659 --> 00:39:21,250
the discovery of the acc
accelerated expansion.
614
00:39:21,260 --> 00:39:23,260
That's why we thought the
universe would likely collapse
615
00:39:23,270 --> 00:39:26,379
on itself because of the
gravitational breaking effect of
616
00:39:26,389 --> 00:39:30,530
all the matter in it. That that
finally would overcome the
617
00:39:30,540 --> 00:39:34,110
energy that was imparted to the
universe by the Big Bang itself,
618
00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:37,290
which is what stopped its
forming into a Big Bang to start
619
00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,649
sorry, forming into a black hole
to start with.
620
00:39:41,129 --> 00:39:45,969
Yeah, I it's so hard to get your
head around the time scales. But
621
00:39:46,219 --> 00:39:50,370
you know the Big Bang happened,
lots of things happen in very,
622
00:39:50,379 --> 00:39:53,679
very short spaces of time. You
talk about formation of atoms
623
00:39:53,689 --> 00:39:54,919
after three minutes.
624
00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:58,800
Well, the, the the thing that's
the most rapid, the blink of an
625
00:39:58,810 --> 00:40:03,320
eye thing is the inflation which
started something like 10 to the
626
00:40:03,330 --> 00:40:07,330
minus 33 of a second after the
Big Bang and lasted for about
627
00:40:07,340 --> 00:40:08,800
the same length of time.
628
00:40:08,870 --> 00:40:12,020
Meanwhile, the universe went
from the size of a football to
629
00:40:12,030 --> 00:40:16,989
the size of a galaxy in that,
you know, in that interval, that
630
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,530
that itself must have had an
energy source, the inflation,
631
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:24,300
which we believe that, you know,
and there's really good evidence
632
00:40:24,310 --> 00:40:28,429
for believing that that actually
happened. That was a fundamental
633
00:40:28,439 --> 00:40:31,610
part of the aftermath of the Big
Bang. If you can call 10 to the
634
00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:33,770
minus 33 of a second, the
aftermath.
635
00:40:35,070 --> 00:40:40,250
Well, do we know what fueled it?
What fired it? No idea.
636
00:40:41,780 --> 00:40:45,760
The standard story is in the
beginning there was nothing and
637
00:40:45,770 --> 00:40:49,389
then it exploded and that's as
much as we know.
638
00:40:51,270 --> 00:40:54,959
It's, it's probably one of the
biggest, if not the absolute
639
00:40:54,969 --> 00:40:59,530
biggest mystery of the universe.
We all, we all there at some
640
00:40:59,540 --> 00:41:02,860
stage or did we sort of, you
know, the bits and Bobs that
641
00:41:02,870 --> 00:41:03,540
created?
642
00:41:04,679 --> 00:41:09,250
Yeah, we were all, we were all
part of that. We were all, yes.
643
00:41:09,260 --> 00:41:12,090
All the particles that
eventually became you and me
644
00:41:12,649 --> 00:41:16,290
except they were, they were in a
different form because it was,
645
00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:20,179
you know, the only nuclei were
hydrogen and helium and a few
646
00:41:20,189 --> 00:41:22,209
trace elements of lithium and
things like that.
647
00:41:22,219 --> 00:41:27,790
So we've existed in some form
for 13.8 billion years.
648
00:41:28,739 --> 00:41:31,340
The particles that made us. That
's right. That's why you feel
649
00:41:31,350 --> 00:41:33,379
old Andrew. Yeah, that's why I'm
hurt.
650
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:35,560
Absolutely.
651
00:41:37,060 --> 00:41:41,310
So no, the matter didn't get
trapped John because what was.
652
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:45,679
Whatever, whatever exploded, the
universe was powerful enough to
653
00:41:45,689 --> 00:41:49,600
stop it from happening. In other
words, it could overcome
654
00:41:49,610 --> 00:41:50,449
gravity.
655
00:41:50,709 --> 00:41:54,790
Well, if you're talking about an
expansion in the milliseconds
656
00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,620
over the size of a galaxy that's
massive power.
657
00:41:59,129 --> 00:41:59,919
Yeah, it is.
658
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:01,520
Yeah, humongous power.
659
00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:04,419
So we just call it inflation,
which is.
660
00:42:05,330 --> 00:42:09,889
Kind of understates. It really
doesn't it? Yeah. Don't talk
661
00:42:09,899 --> 00:42:11,760
about inflation in Australia at
the moment.
662
00:42:11,989 --> 00:42:12,709
That's right.
663
00:42:13,729 --> 00:42:18,229
Ok. Thank you John. Our final
question comes from Big Al.
664
00:42:18,750 --> 00:42:22,889
Hello, this is Young Al from the
sunshine coast. If you were to
665
00:42:22,899 --> 00:42:27,620
get in, go into a black hole,
time slows down according to
666
00:42:27,629 --> 00:42:32,229
where we are. And conversely, if
we look at the distant universe,
667
00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:35,790
it becomes less dense the
further away it is and time
668
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:41,010
speeds up compared to us, they
are accelerating. Doesn't this
669
00:42:41,020 --> 00:42:42,389
explain dark energy?
670
00:42:43,899 --> 00:42:45,639
Oh OK.
671
00:42:48,020 --> 00:42:50,750
So we try to explain dark
energy.
672
00:42:52,459 --> 00:42:59,379
No, it doesn't. No, apparently
not, but I'm, I'm trying to help
673
00:42:59,389 --> 00:43:02,689
you there. Al Yeah, and I'm
trying to help you as well. Al
674
00:43:02,699 --> 00:43:11,229
So the, the, the time dilation
phenomenon I don't think which
675
00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:17,100
is real. And there was a paper
not two months ago, I think
676
00:43:17,110 --> 00:43:19,719
where that time dilation was
observed.
677
00:43:20,159 --> 00:43:23,389
I think you and I spoke about
it, the gravitational time
678
00:43:23,399 --> 00:43:29,760
dilation at the in the early
universe. I don't think it's, I
679
00:43:29,770 --> 00:43:33,310
don't think the phenomena that
you're talking about are, are
680
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:39,320
big enough to account for the
apparent acceleration of the
681
00:43:39,330 --> 00:43:43,080
expanding universe. I think time
dilation phenomena are already
682
00:43:43,090 --> 00:43:46,860
taken into account when you
calculate what the universe is
683
00:43:46,870 --> 00:43:47,550
doing.
684
00:43:48,870 --> 00:43:49,370
Ok?
685
00:43:51,889 --> 00:43:53,300
You don't sound convinced
Andrew.
686
00:43:53,649 --> 00:43:58,610
I'm just confused. As usual, I
did see a story. I think it was
687
00:43:58,620 --> 00:44:03,520
even today I I happened to cross
a story about a study that's
688
00:44:03,530 --> 00:44:08,699
suggesting that the majority of
the universe is made of dark
689
00:44:08,709 --> 00:44:09,310
energy.
690
00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:14,350
Yeah, it is that is 70 75% or
something.
691
00:44:14,429 --> 00:44:16,280
Energy versus matter. They are.
692
00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:21,050
Yeah. So, so that's when you
talk about the mass energy
693
00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:25,040
content of the universe because
matter and energy are equivalent
694
00:44:25,050 --> 00:44:29,159
equals MC squared. And so you
lump them all together. So if
695
00:44:29,169 --> 00:44:32,629
you're only talking about
matter, then we've got normal
696
00:44:32,639 --> 00:44:35,439
matter and dark matter and dark
matter outweighs normal matter
697
00:44:35,449 --> 00:44:36,649
by about 5 to 1.
698
00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:40,459
If you're talking about
everything, the the whole mass
699
00:44:40,469 --> 00:44:43,870
energy, mass energy budget or
matter, energy budget of the
700
00:44:43,879 --> 00:44:48,479
universe, then the dark energy
is by far the biggest three
701
00:44:48,489 --> 00:44:49,570
quarters of the universe.
702
00:44:49,580 --> 00:44:50,209
Wow.
703
00:44:50,370 --> 00:44:50,679
Yeah.
704
00:44:51,810 --> 00:44:57,639
Oh, there you go. Alright. Thank
you Al great questions today and
705
00:44:57,649 --> 00:45:02,110
they they, they were very
thought provoking and we
706
00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:04,909
appreciate them. If you'd like
to send us a question, we
707
00:45:04,919 --> 00:45:07,929
welcome them. We've got quite a
few, but we do tend to run
708
00:45:07,939 --> 00:45:10,879
through them pretty rapidly. So
please don't hesitate if
709
00:45:10,889 --> 00:45:15,570
something pops into your
expansive brain and you need to
710
00:45:15,580 --> 00:45:18,120
know Fred has all the answers.
711
00:45:20,419 --> 00:45:21,060
No response.
712
00:45:21,959 --> 00:45:24,800
No, I'm just writing down what I
need to think about.
713
00:45:26,459 --> 00:45:30,209
So, if you go to our website
Space Nuts podcast dot com or
714
00:45:30,219 --> 00:45:33,330
Space Nuts dot IO, you can send
us a question through the A MA
715
00:45:33,340 --> 00:45:35,770
tab or the little thing on the
right hand side where you can
716
00:45:35,780 --> 00:45:39,360
click. If you've got a device
with a microphone, you're all
717
00:45:39,370 --> 00:45:39,610
set.
718
00:45:39,620 --> 00:45:42,530
Just don't forget to tell us who
you are and where you're from.
719
00:45:42,540 --> 00:45:46,270
We like to know and you can send
us your questions anytime you
720
00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:50,000
like 24 hours, seven days a
week. We will get to them round
721
00:45:50,010 --> 00:45:53,290
about the same time as the
Psyche probe arrives.
722
00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:57,389
Its target 2029 August.
723
00:45:57,399 --> 00:46:01,580
Yes. So stay tuned. That's just
about it, Fred. Thank you very
724
00:46:01,590 --> 00:46:02,070
much.
725
00:46:02,399 --> 00:46:09,229
Oh, it's a pleasure. It's always
a pleasure. Mostly good to talk
726
00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:12,149
to you, Andrew and look forward
to speaking again next week.
727
00:46:12,159 --> 00:46:15,250
I'm gonna blatant jet Lag for
that comment. Thank you, Fred.
728
00:46:15,260 --> 00:46:19,360
And we'll, we'll catch you on
the next episode. And thanks to
729
00:46:19,370 --> 00:46:24,189
Hugh in the studio who was yeah,
all fit and ready to go today
730
00:46:24,199 --> 00:46:26,469
and then pressed the wrong
button, but he eventually caught
731
00:46:26,479 --> 00:46:29,260
up and from me, Andrew Dunley,
thanks for your company. Catch
732
00:46:29,270 --> 00:46:31,750
you on the very next episode of
Space Nuts.
733
00:46:31,870 --> 00:46:39,189
Bye bye to the Space Nuts
podcast available at Apple
734
00:46:39,199 --> 00:46:44,139
Podcasts, Google Podcasts,
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735
00:46:44,149 --> 00:46:48,020
favorite podcast player. You can
also stream on demand at bits
736
00:46:48,030 --> 00:46:48,679
dot com.
737
00:46:48,939 --> 00:46:52,719
This has been another quality
podcast production from bits dot
738
00:46:52,729 --> 00:46:53,330
com.