[ weird things ] | space
# space

why kepler-1625b, what a big moon you have…
# space

why kepler-1625b, what a big moon you have…

The first moon detected outside of our solar system may be a gas giant orbiting another gas giant and we’re not sure how that happened. Unless it didn’t start its life as a moon...

why we need to explore space now more than we ever did before
# space

why we need to explore space now more than we ever did before

We need big ideas if we're going to successfully transition to a post-industrial society.

supermassive black holes, the paradoxical creators of stars, planets, and life
# space

supermassive black holes, the paradoxical creators of stars, planets, and life

Despite their fearsome reputation, we simply wouldn't exist without black holes.

to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth
# space

to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth

Knowing how life started right here at home can tell us how likely it is to sprout on another world.

life on mars, now in post-modern style
# space

life on mars, now in post-modern style

A proposal for a Martian habitat wants to use the power of water for both structural support and radiation shielding.

can we really colonize space a hundred people at a time?
# space

can we really colonize space a hundred people at a time?

Despite the details still left to figure out, the Interplanetary Transport System is a solid start to a real infrastructure for space exploration.

why the typical habitable planet may be nothing like our own
# space

why the typical habitable planet may be nothing like our own

We typically think of Earth as an ideal world for habitability, but what we've discovered so far hints at us being an oddball.

when you want to start the first space-based nation state…
# space

when you want to start the first space-based nation state…

Meet the first independent human nation in space. Without an actual presence in space and an iffy plan for how to get there...

when you just can’t solve a problem with a giant laser canon
# space

when you just can’t solve a problem with a giant laser canon

Yuri Milner wants to explore Alpha Centauri with a tiny spaceship propelled by the biggest and most powerful laser cannon ever built. That may be a lot harder than it sounds.

when too much skepticism about space exploration can be a bad thing
# space

when too much skepticism about space exploration can be a bad thing

When not promising us cities on Triton in ten years, the media seems befuddled by and incredulous of the most conservative and realistic plans for space exploration.

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