The search for Planet B

This week’s Talking Climate is guest-edited by physicist David Baker from Austin College. David is a NASA exoplanet researcher and professor whose work inspires students and communities to connect the cosmos back to our own remarkable planet.

🪐 Good news: We've now discovered over 6,000 exoplanets, from “eyeball planets” with oceans ringed by ice to worlds with two suns like Star Wars’ Tatooine. These discoveries deepen our understanding of what makes Earth uniquely habitable!

🌍 Not so good news: Out of thousands of exoplanets discovered, not one truly matches Earth’s recipe: the right materials, the right size, the right orbit, and the right kind of star. Earth is rare, precious, and irreplaceable. There is no Planet B.

🔭 What you can do: Protecting our unique home starts with valuing science and nurturing awe. Support organizations advancing climate and space research. Visit an observatory or stargaze in your own backyard. Experiencing wonder connects us to the bigger picture—and reminds us exactly what we’re fighting to preserve.

Check out David's website here.

Find Space Chip's video here.

Find an astronomy club here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca