The Abstract Podcast

The stellar search for life in the universe

In this episode, we discuss how the latest findings in space have astronomers pondering life in distant galaxies.

NASA's New Horizons captured close-up images of Pluto.
NASA

Every day, discoveries deep within the universe unravel life’s biggest mysteries in the cosmos and on Earth.

From determining the legacy that fallen "white dwarf stars" leave behind or uncovering strange evidence on a popular dwarf planet, our planets and stars continue to provide groundbreaking insight into what makes living possible.

In this episode of The Abstract, we discuss how the latest findings in space have astronomers pondering life in distant galaxies.

Our first story scientists discover white dwarf stars are the main origin of carbon atoms in the Milky Way, a chemical element known to be crucial to all life. Contributing more to life in the cosmos than previously believed, researchers have finally determined how carbon expands across the cosmos, and how death stars became a primary source for one of the building blocks of existence.

Our second story is about the latest study suggesting Pluto originated with a hot interior and may still have an ocean lying beneath its icy surface. Rewriting the beloved dwarf planet’s history once more, scientists hope that where there’s warm water, there could be life — making living in distant worlds suddenly seem possible.

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Right now, facts and science matter more than ever. That's part of the reason for The Abstract, this all-new podcast from the Inverse staff that focuses exclusively on science and innovation. Three new episodes are released a week, and each covers one theme via two related stories. Each features audio of original Inverse reporting, where the facts and context take center stage. It's hosted by the Tanya Bustos of WSJ Podcasts. Because we're Inverse, it's all true but slightly off-kilter. It's made for people who want to know the whole story. Nick Lucchesi, executive editor, Inverse

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