Traveling Beyond Earth: NASA Astrophysicist Jack Lissauer Explains Tides, Terraforming, and Venus

2020-08-28

WanderLearn promises to explore travel and technology. So let's travel through our solar system with a NASA astrophysicist! About six months ago, Underknown's What If channel hired me to interview two prominent NASA astrophysicists. They wanted to find out what would happen if Earth became one of Jupiter's moons. I'm unsure why they wanted to know that since Underknown had already produced a video that answered that topic, but I adore astronomy, so I was happy to visit my old stomping ground: the NASA Ames Research Center. Underknown said that this was ur...

WanderLearn promises to explore travel and technology. So let's travel through our solar system with a NASA astrophysicist!

About six months ago, Underknown's What If channel hired me to interview two prominent NASA astrophysicists. They wanted to find out what would happen if Earth became one of Jupiter's moons.

I'm unsure why they wanted to know that since Underknown had already produced a video that answered that topic, but I adore astronomy, so I was happy to visit my old stomping ground: the NASA Ames Research Center.

Underknown said that this was urgent, so I did everything I could to interview two top astrophysicists with almost no warning.

Unfortunately, six months later, they still haven't released the video I shot. I knew they would only use a snippet of what I filmed, but still. Nada.

And it's not because I shot a crappy video. Underknown hired me a couple of months later for another project, so I couldn't have screwed things up too badly the first time.

I feel terrible that these two astrophysicists complied with my last second request and I haven't had anything to show them.

Five months ago, I shared the audio and video podcast with my Patrons. It's an exclusive group, so I figured that Underknown wouldn't notice or care.

I never planned to share it on the WanderLearn podcast.

However, now that Underknown has done nothing with the content for 6 months, I think it's time that the general public enjoys this conversation.

I'm doing this as a public service. I'm not taking any ads for this episode.

My voice wasn't supposed to appear in the final cut, so that's why my voice rarely appears, and, when it does, it's distant.

This episode features Jack Lissauer.

Dr. Lissauer is a Space Scientist who has worked at NASA Ames for 30 years.

Currently, he is in the Planetary Systems Branch, Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA.

He was a Co-Investigator on the Kepler Mission and the TESS Mission.

He's won a dozen awards.

I asked him to describe what would happen if our planet orbited Jupiter.

Specifically:

Can you explain what extreme tidal forces in space are?
How would extreme tidal forces affect Earth? Can they cause earthquakes and tsunamis?
What is the weather like on Jupiter’s moon Io?
How long are days on Io?
If Earth were hypothetically a moon of Jupiter, how would it be affected?

Questions about Venus