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Is Interstellar Travel Impossible?

2022-06-22 Education
4.3m
91.5k
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PBS Space Time
PBS Space Time
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PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime Space is pretty deadly. But is it so deadly that we’re effectively imprisoned in our solar system forever? Many have said so, but a few have actually figured it out. Check out the Space Time Merch Store https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop Sign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements! https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetime Search the Entire Space Time Library Here: https://search.pbsspacetime.com/ Hosted by Matt O'Dowd Written by Matt O'Dowd Post Production by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, Pedro Osinski, Adriano Leal & Stephanie Faria Directed by Andrew Kornhaber Associate Producer: Bahar Gholipour Executive Producers: Eric Brown & Andrew Kornhaber Executives in Charge (PBS): Adam Dylewski, Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Want to Learn More About The Science of Aliens?!? Check out Our Aliens Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsPUh22kYmNARiQWJmiyQQcxwXCR63t1G Hawking Radiation Episode https://youtu.be/qPKj0YnKANw Spacetime is produced by Kornhaber Brown for PBS Digital Studios. This program is produced by Kornhaber Brown, which is solely responsible for its content. © 2022 PBS. All rights reserved. End Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiDroideka Special Thanks to Our Patreon Supporters Big Bang Supporters Adam Hillier Bryce Fort Peter Barrett David Neumann Charlie Leo Koguan Ahmad Jodeh Alexander Tamas Morgan Hough Amy Hickman Juan Benet Vinnie Falco Fabrice Eap Mark Rosenthal David Nicklas Quasar Level Alex Kern Ethan Cohen Stephen Wilcox Christina Oegren Mark Heising Hank S Hypernova Supporters william bryan Gregory Forfa Kirk Honour Mark Evans drollere Joe Moreira Marc Armstrong Scott Gorlick Paul Stehr-Green Russell Pope Ben Delo Scott Gray Антон Кочков John R. Slavik Mathew Donal Botkin John Pollock Edmund Fokschaner Joseph Salomone chuck zegar Jordan Young Daniel Muzquiz Gamma Ray Burst Supporters Harsh Khandhadia Thomas Tarler bsgbryan Sean McCaul Carsten Quinlan Susan Albee Frank Walker Matt Q WhizBangery Avi Yashchin MHL SHS Terje Vold Anatoliy Nagornyy comboy Brett Baker Andre Stechert Ross Bohner Paul Wood Kent Durham jim bartosh Nubble Scott R Calkins The Mad Mechanic Ellis Hall John H. Austin, Jr. Diana S Ben Campbell Faraz Khan Almog Cohen Alex Edwards Ádám Kettinger MD3 Endre Pech Daniel Jennings Cameron Sampson Geoffrey Clarion Darren Duncan Russ Creech Jeremy Reed Eric Webster David Johnston Web Browser Michael Barton Christopher Barron Mr T Andrew Mann Isaac Suttell Devon Rosenthal Oliver Flanagan Bleys Goodson Robert Walter Bruce B Simon Oliphant Mirik Gogri Mark Delagasse Mark Daniel Cohen Nickolas Andrew Freeman Shane Calimlim Tybie Fitzhugh Robert Ilardi Eric Kiebler Craig Stonaha Martin Skans The Art of Sin Graydon Goss Frederic Simon Tonyface John Robinson A G David Neal justahat John Funai Tristan Bradley Jenkins Kyle Hofer Daniel Stříbrný Luaan Cody Thomas Dougherty King Zeckendorff Scott Gossett Dan Warren Patrick Sutton John Griffith Daniel Lyons DFaulk Kevin Warne

Top Comments (10)

@zelexi 2022-06-22

Possible solution #2. Increase human lifespan such that interstellar travel is just a matter of making enough Netflix content for the trip.

8.2k 550 replies
@greenseer6 2022-06-22

One important thing that isn't brought up in this video: any ship travelling at relativistic speeds will need to turn around and decelerate while in the interstellar medium (or else they'll just zip past the destination). This complicates designs that involve only forward-facing shielding.

2.7k 456 replies
@GundamAngelicDevil 2022-07-02

I love how even in interstellar space, we still have to have a spacecraft that's "aerodynamic".

1.1k 117 replies
@digBanan 2022-06-22

I love feeling like he's about to say "spacetime" at the end. "He's doing it. Here it comes. And.... there it is."

739 15 replies
@TimesEnd 2022-06-22

The irony of having to be aware of things so small whilst travelling through something so vast

686 22 replies
@Doomer-Dave 2022-10-01

It would be pretty ironic if our ship arrived at the next nearest star looking like Oumuamua because of all the interstellar particles. One habited planet will say "hey, that's an odd looking asteroid!"

499 11 replies
@dayceem 2024-04-08

Proxima Centuri crew: "Houston, it's not as habitable as we thought here. We're considering another system 10 light years further out. We'll let you know." Reply, 8.5 years later: "Righto. Standing by."

337 20 replies
@jesseyules 2025-01-11

"Huddled" in an utter paradise. Literally the best planet we know of.

76 12 replies
@MoreDaveThanAI 2022-07-17

"... the notion that physicists are less childish than regular people is insulting" that is awesome, and t-shirt worthy

25
@banaresali 2025-06-07

Maybe this life and this planet is our exam room? You leave when the test is over.

3

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