Searching for life on another planet
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. And I'm Becca. Neil, do you believe that life exists away from planet Earth? Well, I'm not sure about the kind of little green men that you see in science fiction movies, but also I think we cannot be alone in the universe. What about you, Becca, what do you think?
I agree. I think that maybe life does exist beyond our planet, but maybe not as we see in alien movies. Well, in this episode we'll be learning from science and space experts about whether the conditions for life exist on a planet 40 light years away. Yes, and as usual you can find a transcript for this episode along with all the vocabulary and a worksheet on our website bbclearningenglish.com.
OK, a quiz question for you, Becca. How long would it take to drive a car to the sun at 100 kilometres an hour? Is it a. 70 years, b. 170 years or c. 1,700 years? Well, Neil, the sun seems very far away, so I'll go for c. 1,700 years.
What makes the planet TRAPPIST-1e potentially habitable?
I hope you have enough petrol for that. Well, we'll find out the answer to the question later. Now though, some science and space experts are excited about a planet in a different solar system from our own. Science journalist Caroline Steele talks about this discovery on the BBC World Service programme What in the World.
So scientists have been looking at an exoplanet, so that's a planet that exists in a solar system that isn't our own, called Trappist-1e. And it's a rocky planet like Earth. It's a similar size to Earth. And it exists in the habitable zone around its sun. And its sun is called Trappist-1. Caroline explains that scientists have discovered that the planet Trappist-1e exists in the habitable zone around its sun.
The adjective habitable describes a place or habitat that is suitable for something to live. Yes, and a zone is an area with a particular feature. For example, people who live in earthquake zones have to be prepared for danger.
So, a habitable zone is an area where something could live. Caroline goes on to explain why they think TRAPPIST-1e may be habitable. Scientists have been looking at the potential atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1e, and they've ruled out that it's really full of hydrogen or carbon dioxide, which is a great thing because they're greenhouse gases, which would make the planet really hot. Mm-hmm.
There are some small clues that it might be a nitrogen-dominated atmosphere, which again is another sort of clue that there could be life there. Caroline Steele says that scientists are looking at the potential atmosphere around Trappist-1e. That is, they want to find out if the atmosphere is capable or likely to become able to host life.
How do scientists determine the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e?
If something has potential, it already has the qualities or abilities to do something. The adjective potential has a similar meaning, but refers to future capability. Exactly. We could say the data has potential in that it shows signs of helping the research. But when we talk about potential data, we're referring to data that could help us with future research.
She also mentions how scientists have ruled out that Trappist-1e is full of hydrogen or carbon dioxide. The phrasal verb rule out means to dismiss the possibility or idea of something. Scientists have found that Trappist-1e is not full of those greenhouse gases. They've ruled it out. Indeed. And Caroline goes on to say how the atmosphere of Trappist-1e is dominated by nitrogen.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:39
2
What makes the planet TRAPPIST-1e potentially habitable?
2:39–4:27
3
How do scientists determine the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e?
4:27–5:28
4
What role does nitrogen play in the search for life on TRAPPIST-1e?
5:28–6:57
5
What vocabulary should we remember from this episode?
6:57–7:51