#137 – Alex Filippenko: Supernovae, Dark Energy, Aliens & the Expanding Universe

About this episode

<p>Alex Filippenko is an astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at Berkeley. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:<br /> &#8211; <b>Neuro</b>: <a href="https://www.getneuro.com">https://www.getneuro.com</a> and use code LEX to get 15% off<br /> &#8211; <b>BetterHelp</b>: <a href="https://betterhelp.com/lex">https://betterhelp.com/lex</a> to get 10% off<br /> &#8211; <b>MasterClass</b>: <a href="https://masterclass.com/lex">https://masterclass.com/lex</a> to get 15% off annual sub<br /> &#8211; <b>Cash App</b>: <a href="https://cash.app/">https://cash.app/</a> and use code LexPodcast to get $10</p> <p><b>EPISODE LINKS:</b><br /> Alex&#8217;s Website: <a href="https://astro.berkeley.edu/people/alex-filippenko/">https://astro.berkeley.edu/people/alex-filippenko/</a></p> <p><b>PODCAST INFO:</b><br /> Podcast website: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/podcast">https://lexfridman.com/podcast</a><br /> Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://apple.co/2lwqZIr">https://apple.co/2lwqZIr</a><br /> Spotify: <a href="https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8">https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8</a><br /> RSS: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/">https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/</a><br /> YouTube Full Episodes: <a href="https://youtube.com/lexfridman">https://youtube.com/lexfridman</a><br /> YouTube Clips: <a href="https://youtube.com/lexclips">https://youtube.com/lexclips</a></p> <p><b>SUPPORT &#38; CONNECT:</b><br /> &#8211; Check out the sponsors above, it&#8217;s the best way to support this podcast<br /> &#8211; Support on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman">https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/lexfridman">https://twitter.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman">https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman</a><br /> &#8211; Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage">https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage</a><br /> &#8211; Medium: <a href="https://medium.com/@lexfridman">https://medium.com/@lexfridman</a></p> <p><b>OUTLINE:</b><br /> Here&#8217;s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.<br /> (00:00) &#8211; Introduction<br /> (06:36) &#8211; Universe expansion<br /> (08:00) &#8211; Dark energy<br /> (15:28) &#8211; Scientific revolutions<br /> (27:18) &#8211; Asteroid hitting Earth<br /> (30:50) &#8211; Giant solar flares and the power grid<br /> (37:50) &#8211; Elon Musk and space exploration<br /> (42:41) &#8211; Exoplanets<br /> (50:03) &#8211; Traveling close to the speed of light<br /> (52:13) &#8211; Traveling faster than the speed of light<br /> (1:00:39) &#8211; Intelligent life in the universe<br /> (1:04:14) &#8211; Fermi Paradox<br /> (1:13:52) &#8211; Finding alien life would be bad news<br /> (1:18:49) &#8211; UFO sightings<br /> (1:31:58) &#8211; Universe expansion speed<br /> (1:36:42) &#8211; The universe is infinite<br /> (1:40:58) &#8211; What happened before the Big Bang?<br /> (1:45:14) &#8211; Roger Penrose<br /> (1:48:48) &#8211; Nobel Prize for the accelerating universe<br /> (2:10:23) &#8211; Supernova<br /> (2:21:47) &#8211; The greatest story ever told<br /> (2:25:44) &#8211; Richard Feynman<br /> (2:32:37) &#8211; Meaning of life</p>