Adam Frank

And that's exactly where there are no planets in our solar system. So, um, the smaller ones of those we call super earths, the larger ones we call sub Neptunes. And they're anybody's guess. Like we don't really know what happens to material when you're squeezed to those pressures, which is like millions, tens of millions of times the pressure on the surface of the earth.

And that's exactly where there are no planets in our solar system. So, um, the smaller ones of those we call super earths, the larger ones we call sub Neptunes. And they're anybody's guess. Like we don't really know what happens to material when you're squeezed to those pressures, which is like millions, tens of millions of times the pressure on the surface of the earth.

And that's exactly where there are no planets in our solar system. So, um, the smaller ones of those we call super earths, the larger ones we call sub Neptunes. And they're anybody's guess. Like we don't really know what happens to material when you're squeezed to those pressures, which is like millions, tens of millions of times the pressure on the surface of the earth.

So those details really will matter of what's going on in there because that will determine whether or not you have, say, for example, plate tectonics. We think plate tectonics may have been really important for life on earth, for the evolution of complex life on earth.

So those details really will matter of what's going on in there because that will determine whether or not you have, say, for example, plate tectonics. We think plate tectonics may have been really important for life on earth, for the evolution of complex life on earth.

So those details really will matter of what's going on in there because that will determine whether or not you have, say, for example, plate tectonics. We think plate tectonics may have been really important for life on earth, for the evolution of complex life on earth.

So it turns out, and this is sort of the next generation where we're going with the understanding the evolution of planets in life. It turns out that you actually have to think hard about the planetary context for life. You can't just be like, oh, there's a warm pond, you know, and then some interesting, you know, chemistry happens in the warm pond.

So it turns out, and this is sort of the next generation where we're going with the understanding the evolution of planets in life. It turns out that you actually have to think hard about the planetary context for life. You can't just be like, oh, there's a warm pond, you know, and then some interesting, you know, chemistry happens in the warm pond.

So it turns out, and this is sort of the next generation where we're going with the understanding the evolution of planets in life. It turns out that you actually have to think hard about the planetary context for life. You can't just be like, oh, there's a warm pond, you know, and then some interesting, you know, chemistry happens in the warm pond.

You actually have to think about the planet as a whole and what it's gone through in order to really understand whether a planet is a good place for life or not.

You actually have to think about the planet as a whole and what it's gone through in order to really understand whether a planet is a good place for life or not.

You actually have to think about the planet as a whole and what it's gone through in order to really understand whether a planet is a good place for life or not.

There's a bunch of different things. One is that, you know, the Earth went through a couple of phases of being a snowball planet. Like, you know, we went into a period of glaciation where pretty much the entire planet was under ice. The oceans were frozen. You know, early on in Earth history, there was barely any land.

There's a bunch of different things. One is that, you know, the Earth went through a couple of phases of being a snowball planet. Like, you know, we went into a period of glaciation where pretty much the entire planet was under ice. The oceans were frozen. You know, early on in Earth history, there was barely any land.

There's a bunch of different things. One is that, you know, the Earth went through a couple of phases of being a snowball planet. Like, you know, we went into a period of glaciation where pretty much the entire planet was under ice. The oceans were frozen. You know, early on in Earth history, there was barely any land.

We were actually a water world, you know, with just a couple of Australia-sized planets. cratons, they called them, protocontinents. So those, we went through these snowball earth phases. And if it wasn't for the fact that we had kind of an active plate tectonics, which had a lot of volcanism on it, we could have been locked in that forever.

We were actually a water world, you know, with just a couple of Australia-sized planets. cratons, they called them, protocontinents. So those, we went through these snowball earth phases. And if it wasn't for the fact that we had kind of an active plate tectonics, which had a lot of volcanism on it, we could have been locked in that forever.

We were actually a water world, you know, with just a couple of Australia-sized planets. cratons, they called them, protocontinents. So those, we went through these snowball earth phases. And if it wasn't for the fact that we had kind of an active plate tectonics, which had a lot of volcanism on it, we could have been locked in that forever.

Like once you get into a snowball state, a planet can be trapped there forever, which is, you know, maybe you already had life form, but then because it's so cold, you may never get anything more than just microbes, right?

Like once you get into a snowball state, a planet can be trapped there forever, which is, you know, maybe you already had life form, but then because it's so cold, you may never get anything more than just microbes, right?