This week’s episode was a doozy! Not only did I get into the big man himself – Albert Einstein – I also attempted to explain how Relativity works. Only this time, I used grown-up science-y terms and tried extra hard to explain how he arrived at it. To do that, I also had to explain all the scientists he drew inspiration from arrived at theirs! And to think, I only got to the halfway mark in his life and didn’t even cover the years when he was a refugee and his involvement in the Manhattan Project.

All that will be the subject of Part II, as well as the legacy he left in his wake. Check out Part I by following the links below. And please, let me know if I explained it in a way that made sense to you. As Einstein is often quoted as saying, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” That’s a pretty high bar, but it’s a challenge I accepted. Please let me know how I did.

Where to Listen:

• Simplecast
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• Spotify
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In the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), there are many limiting factors. These go beyond the usual technical limitations, where SETI researchers are reliant on existing radio telescopes that can only be used for limited amounts of time. A far greater one is the very limited frame of reference we have for measuring intelligence.

Let’s face it, our notions of intelligence are entirely self-centered and anthropocentric. We think of intelligence in terms of ourselves and rarely consider that intelligence can occur under other domains, even though many exist here on Earth, and there is a considerable body of research that takes a wider view.

Given the way SETI research has become reinvigorated in recent decades, there are many who believe it’s time to expand our notions on what forms life and intelligence could take. For my purposes, the following scheme is motivated mainly by my interest in science fiction and its unparalleled ability to explore the deeper mysteries of the Universe.

Therefore, for your viewing pleasure, I present the Intelligence Scale. It is arranged based on the nature of the intelligence (labels are frustrating and inexact) and the scale it occupies.

Class:

Type a — Distributed: Consisting of individual intelligent beings connected together through social relationships
Type b — Collective: Consisting of large groups of organisms that make up a cohesive intelligent unit
Type c — Cooperative: Consisting of individual intelligence that has merged to form a larger whole
Type d — Adaptive: Consisting of intelligence that is capable of functioning in more than one mode or environment
Type e — Assimilative: Consisting of intelligence that is collective and incorporates all organisms in its environment into a greater whole

Scale:

Type I — Micrometer: Organisms measuring a few micrometers to a few centimeters in scale (ranging from microbes to insect-like creatures)
Type II — Meter: Organisms measuring in the meter range, mammals to high-order primates
Type III — Planetary: Organisms encompassing a large geographic region to an entire planet
Type IV — Stellar: Organisms extending beyond a single planet to an entire solar system
Type V — Cosmic: Organisms occupying a large region of space, extending for light-years and possibly entire galaxies

For reference, humanity is a Type IIa species, which is arguably making the transition to a Type IIIa thanks to the digital age. Will we ever give rise to different classes ourselves, or will we find examples that challenge our notions out there in the cosmos? In both cases, I sincerely hope so!

This week’s episode was the third installment of the “Settling the Solar System” (or “Great Migration”) segment. Previous episodes covered how humans could one day live on the Moon and Mars. In this latest installment, I discussed how humans (with the right technology and strategies) could live on Venus. Well, not exactly on Venus, since the planet is a total hellhole!

The air pressure alone is enough to crush your bones, the average temperature is literally hot enough to melt lead, and there’s also sulfuric acid rain! Basically, Venus is the WORST piece of real estate in the Solar System! At least… it is on the surface. But above the cloud tops, where temperatures are mild, the air pressure is decent, and the sulfuric acid rain is sparse, floating cities could be established.

Over time, these settlements could be used to terraform the planet into an ocean paradise. Check out the episode to hear how it could be done!

Where to Listen:

• Simplecast
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music