TED Talks Daily

Where did the Moon come from? A new theory | Sarah T. Stewart

Mar 13, 2019

In this insightful conversation, Sarah T. Stewart, a MacArthur 'Genius' and expert in planetary science, shares her groundbreaking theory on the Moon's origin. She discusses her discovery of synestia, a unique astronomical object that could explain the Earth-Moon chemical connection. The podcast dives into experimental simulations revealing surprising isotopic similarities between Earth and the Moon. Stewart's research challenges established theories, offering a fresh perspective on planetary formation and the cosmic events shaping our celestial neighborhood.

11:13

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Episode guests

Sarah T. Stewart

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Episode notes

Intro

4min

Reevaluating the Origins of Earth and Moon: A Planetary Scientist's Journey

3min

Reimagining the Moon's Origin: The Discovery of Synestia

5min

Unveiling the Origins of the Moon: Synestias and Planetary Formation

3min

Unraveling Lunar Origins: A New Perspective

3min

The Earth and Moon are like identical twins, made up of the exact same materials -- which is really strange, since no other celestial bodies we know of share this kind of chemical relationship. What's responsible for this special connection? Looking for an answer, planetary scientist and MacArthur "Genius" Sarah T. Stewart discovered a new kind of astronomical object -- a synestia -- and a new way to solve the mystery of the Moon's origin.

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