#116 – Sara Seager: Search for Planets and Life Outside Our Solar System

About this episode

<p>Sara Seager is a planetary scientist at MIT, known for her work on the search for exoplanets.</p> <p>Support this podcast by supporting our sponsors. Click links, get discount:<br /> &#8211; Public Goods at <a href="https://publicgoods.com/lex">https://publicgoods.com/lex</a> and use code LEX<br /> &#8211; PowerDot: <a href="https://powerdot.com/lex">https://powerdot.com/lex</a> and use code LEX<br /> – Cash App – use code &#8220;LexPodcast&#8221; and download:<br /> – Cash App (App Store): <a href="https://apple.co/2sPrUHe">https://apple.co/2sPrUHe</a><br /> – Cash App (Google Play): <a href="https://bit.ly/2MlvP5w">https://bit.ly/2MlvP5w</a></p> <p>Episode links:<br /> Sara&#8217;s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/profsaraseager">https://twitter.com/profsaraseager</a><br /> Sara&#8217;s Website: <a href="https://www.saraseager.com/">https://www.saraseager.com/</a><br /> The Smallest Lights in the Universe (book): <a href="https://amzn.to/3g3LfHA">https://amzn.to/3g3LfHA</a></p> <p>If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/ai">https://lexfridman.com/ai</a> or connect with @lexfridman on <a href="https://twitter.com/lexfridman">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://medium.com/@lexfridman">Medium</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/lexfridman">YouTube</a> where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/artificial-intelligence/id1434243584">Apple Podcasts</a>, follow on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2MAi0BvDc6GTFvKFPXnkCL">Spotify</a>, or support it on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman">Patreon</a>.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.</p> <p>OUTLINE:<br /> 00:00 &#8211; Introduction<br /> 05:32 &#8211; Falling in love with the stars<br /> 09:55 &#8211; Are we alone in the universe?<br /> 15:27 &#8211; Seager equation for number of habitable planets<br /> 27:48 &#8211; Exoplanets<br /> 34:44 &#8211; Earth-like exoplanets<br /> 40:43 &#8211; Intelligent life<br /> 52:34 &#8211; Number of planets per star<br /> 55:09 &#8211; Space exploration<br /> 57:36 &#8211; Traveling to Proxima Centauri<br /> 1:00:52 &#8211; Starshade<br /> 1:07:34 &#8211; Using the sun as a gravitational lens<br /> 1:09:44 &#8211; Starshot<br /> 1:12:45 &#8211; Rogue planets<br /> 1:15:44 &#8211; The Smallest Lights in the Universe<br /> 1:30:15 &#8211; Book recommendations<br /> 1:37:48 &#8211; Advice for a young person<br /> 1:39:29 &#8211; Meaning of life</p>