This Space Rock May Be Faster Than Our Understanding

(0:00) Open


(3:18) No Certainty 


(5:20) The Ultimate Cosmic Lottery


(6:27) Meatware Brain-slop


(7:23) Presenting 3I/ATLAS


(13:57) How Can We See It?


(17:54) Fast & Hyperbolic


(20:51) Its Perihelion


(21:20) Enter Controversy!


(24:45) Billions of Billions of Stars


(26:33) So, What Ultimately is 3I/ATLAS?


(31:26) cj’s recommendation: Operation Space Station: High-Risk


(32:44) Jeff’s Recommendation: Deep Impact






This week, we take a curious (and occasionally confused) dive into 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar object humanity has ever spotted. From its discovery in Chile to its high-speed sprint through the Solar System, we break down how telescopes on Earth, in space, and even around Mars managed to catch this fast-moving cosmic visitor - and why its wild 61+ km/s velocity and hyperbolic orbit leave no doubt it came from another star.


Along the way, we unpack the growing controversy around its behavior. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb is once again arguing that the comet’s odd non-gravitational motion doesn’t add up, hinting at something more exotic, while most astronomers say it’s simply a volatile-rich interstellar snowball outgassing in strange but explainable ways.


Join us on this episode to explore the science, the speculation, and why these rare visitors spark so much imagination - especially for the next generation of stargazers.






Segment


Dunning–Kruger effect - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning...)






Did 3I/ATLAS Just Break-Up Near the Sun? | by Avi Loeb (  / did-3i-atlas-just-break-up-near-the-sun  )






A Complex Jet Structure Emanates from 3I/ATLAS After Perihelion | by Avi Loeb | Nov, 2025 (  / a-complex-jet-structure-emanates-from-3i-a...  )






The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature | WIRED (https://www.wired.com/story/the-first...)






Avi Loeb (  / avi-loeb  )






Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? (https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/HC...)






How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas | WIRED (https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-fo...)






As the Government Shutdown Ends, Can NASA Please Release the 40-Day-Old HiRISE Images of 3I/ATLAS? | by Avi Loeb (  / as-the-government-shutdown-ends-can-nasa-p...  )






Comet 3I/ATLAS - NASA Science (https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system...)






Orbital eccentricity - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital...)






New 'nearly interstellar' comet, wrongly linked to 3I/ATLAS, will reach its closest point to Earth on Tuesday (Nov. 11) | Live Science (https://www.livescience.com/space/com...)






Monty Python's Galaxy Song with Updated Lyrics | Space and Universe Anthem| (   • Monty Python's Galaxy Song with Updated Ly...  )






Close


Operation Space Station | NOVA | PBS (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/...)






Deep Impact (1998) Teaser Trailer (   • Deep Impact (1998) Teaser Trailer  )






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