New Scientist Podcasts
Dead Planets Society: Can We Burn Uranus?
Jul 23, 2024
Planetary scientist Paul Byrne joins the Dead Planets Society to discuss the potential of burning Uranus for scientific advancement. The hosts explore spectroscopy, composition of ice giants, and the possibility of diamonds on Uranus. They humorously strategize ways to extract diamonds by impacting the planet with other celestial bodies. The conversation delves into the consequences of burning Uranus and invites listeners to suggest other cosmic objects for destruction.
29:32
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Quick takeaways
- Burning Uranus could provide insights into outer planet composition through mass spectroscopy.
- Using planetary impacts to strip Uranus's layers might reveal hidden structures like a diamond core.
Deep dives
Burning Planets for Science
Exploring the scientific utility of burning planets to perform mass spectroscopy and uncover the composition of outer planets like Neptune and Uranus. By heating up materials to extreme temperatures, researchers can determine elements present. The idea is to burn the outer layers to reveal deeper compositions and potentially uncover unknown elements or structures like a possible diamond core.
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