
Summary
The debate over the classification of Pluto as a planet highlights the complexities of scientific definitions and the evolving nature of astronomy. Initially classified as a planet upon its discovery in 1930, Pluto's status changed in 2006 when the International Astronomical Union established a new definition of a planet, which Pluto did not meet due to its inability to clear its orbital neighborhood. This reclassification sparked significant public and scientific debate, with many arguing for Pluto's reinstatement as a planet based on historical precedent and emotional attachment.
The discussion also delves into the broader implications of categorization in science. As new celestial bodies are discovered, particularly in the Kuiper Belt, the need for precise definitions becomes increasingly important. The episode emphasizes that scientific classifications are not static; they evolve with new discoveries and understanding, reflecting the dynamic nature of scientific inquiry. The conversation encourages a re-evaluation of our emotional responses to such classifications, suggesting that Pluto's demotion may allow for a richer understanding of the diverse objects in our solar system.
Show Notes
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE↓ More info below ↓Uploaded 23-09-19Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeSign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements!https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetimeYou know what a planet is, right? A big round thing that orbits a star. Uh, not so fast. The surprisingly vicious debate over the planetary status of Pluto has given us a fascinating glimpse into what a scientific definition really is. And perhaps the word planet is too vague to be used as a scientific definition at all.Hosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Drew Rosen and Matt O'DowdGraphics by Leonardo ScholzerDirected by: Andrew KornhaberProduced By: Kornhaber BrownCheck out the new Space Time Merch Store!https://pbsspacetime.com/We love to classify things. Labels help us keep stuff organized in our heads. In science, categorization provides a fast and easy way to know the properties of a member of the group just by knowing what group it belongs to. Chemists group elements on the periodic table, those groups exhibit similar chemical behavior that reflect outer-shell electron number. Biologists group organisms by similar physical characteristics, and this taxonomy reflects genetic relationships. Astronomers are all about space taxonomy. We classify galaxies based on their shape, black holes based on how they feed, stars based on their colour and brightness, and planets by… well, by a set of criteria that has caused more tension and heartbreak than any made-up grouping scheme really should. Because a change in that scheme demoted Pluto from planet to not-planet. Today we’re going to settle whether this was reasonable, and whether we should keep the word “planet” at all.Big Bang Supporters:Alexander TamasAnton LifshitsDavid BarnholdtDavid BoyerDavid NicklasFabrice EapJuan BenetJustin LloydMatt MillerMorgan HoughQuasar Supporters:Mark HeisingMark RosenthalVinnie FalcoHypernova Supporters:Chuck ZegarDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerHank SJohn HofmannJohn R. SlavikJordan YoungJoseph SalomoneMatthewMatthew O'ConnorSyed AnsarGamma Ray Burst Supporters: Adrian MolyneuxAlec ZeroAndreas NautschBradley JenkinsBrandon LabonteBrianDan WarrenDaniel LyonsDavid BehtalaDFaulkDustan JonesGeoffrey ShortJames FlowersJames QuinteroJasonJohn FunaiJohn Michael KerrJohn PollockJonahJonathan NesfederJoseph DillmanJosh ThomasKevin LeeKevin WarneKyle HoferMalte UblMark VasileNick VirtueNick WrightPaul RoseScott GossettSteve BradshawSigurd Ruud FrivikTim StephaniYurii Konovaliuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE↓ More info below ↓Uploaded 28-03-19Of all the unlikely ends of the universe, the Big Rip has to be the most spectacular. Galaxies ripped to shreds, dogs and cat first living together, then tragically separated by the infinitely accelerating expansion of space on subatomic scales. Good thing it's not going to happen. Or is it?Check out the new Space Time Merch Store!https://pbsspacetime.com/Support Space Time on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime#bigrip #endoftheuniverse #spacetimeLearn More About Dark Energy Here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Hosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'DowdGraphics by Aaron HalevyDirecting by Andrew KornhaberThe universe is expanding, and that expansion is accelerating. We don’t know what’s causing that acceleration, but that hasn’t stopped us from giving it a name. We call this unknown influence dark energy. The observed acceleration is, for the most part, nicely described with a constant density of dark energy – the same amount of this stuff in every block of space. Which means if you increase the volume you increase the overall amount of dark energy – hence accelerating expansion. Mathematically we describe a constant energy density with the cosmological constant in the equations of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. But what if dark energy is NOT constant? What if the energy density in each patch of space increases over time? In that case, the acceleration itself could be … accelerating. That would be bad.Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big Bang:Anton LifshitscoolascatsDavid NicklasFabrice EapJuan BenetJustin LloydTim DavisQuasar:James FlowersMark RosenthalTambe BarsbayVinnie FalcoHypernova: chuck zegarDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerJens TheisenJohn HofmannJordan YoungJoseph SalomonekkmMark HeisingMatthew O'ConnorThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: Alexey EromenkoAntonio RuizBradley JenkinsBrandon LabonteBuruk AregawiCarlo MogaveroDaniel LyonsDavid BehtalaDavid CraneDavid SchmidtDustan JonesGeoffrey ShortGreg WeissJack FroschJames HughesJames QuinteroJinal DoshiJJ BagnellJohn WebberJon FolksJonahJoseph EmisonJosh ThomasKenneth F LeonardKevin WarneKyle HoferMalte UblMark VasileNathan HitchingsNicholas RoseNick VirtueRatfeastRichard BromanScott GossettSigurd Ruud FrivikTim CrookhamTim StephaniTommy Mogensenسلطان الخليفيAnd a round of applause to Andreas Nautsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You can learn more about CuriosityStream at https://curiositystream.com/spacetimeUploaded 20-02-19PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACECheck out the new Space Time Merch Store!https://pbsspacetime.com/Support Space Time on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeHook up an old antenna to your TV and scan between channels. The static buzz you hear is mostly due to the ambient radio produced by our noisy pre-galactic civilization. But around one percent of that buzz is something very different – it’s the cosmic microwave background radiation – the remnant of the heat-glow released when the hot, dense early universe became transparent for the first time. It sound likes random static, but that buzz contains an incredible wealth of hidden information. It holds the secrets of the universe’s fiery beginning, Tweet at us! @pbsspacetimeFacebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetimeEmail us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] comComment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetimeHelp translate our videos!https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_csSound Waves from the Beginning of Timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPpUxoeooZkHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'DowdGraphics by Luke MaroldiDirecting by Andrew KornhaberIt’s not surprising that scientists have spent half a century and built multiple satellites to unlock the mysteries of the cosmic microwave background. We’ve delved into its nature before – from its formation 380,000 years after the Big Bang, to its 1964 discovery by Penzias and Wilson with the Holmdel Horn Antenna, to its increasingly accurate mapping across the sky with ever-better satellites. It all culminated in this – the Planck satellite’s map of the CMB.Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big Bang:Anton LifshitscoolascatsDavid NicklasFabrice EapJuan BenetJustin LloydTim DavisQuasar:James FlowersMark RosenthalTambe BarsbayVinnie FalcoHypernova: chuck zegarDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerJens TheisenJohn HofmannJordan YoungJoseph SalomonekkmMark HeisingMatthew O'ConnorThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: Alexey EromenkoAntonio RuizBradley JenkinsBrandon LabonteBuruk AregawiCarlo MogaveroDaniel LyonsDavid BehtalaDavid CraneDavid SchmidtDustan JonesGeoffrey ShortGreg WeissJack FroschJames HughesJames QuinteroJinal DoshiJJ BagnellJohn WebberJon FolksJonahJoseph EmisonJosh ThomasKenneth F LeonardKevin WarneKyle HoferMalte UblMark VasileNathan HitchingsNicholas RoseNick VirtueRatfeastRichard BromanScott GossettSigurd Ruud FrivikTim CrookhamTim StephaniTommy Mogensenسلطان الخليفي Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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