Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Andrew Siemion, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Updates and new theories regarding variable & dimming light from Tabby's star. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Please note that audio and transition issues are a result of copying the John Batchelor broadcast & are not within my control as they originate in the Batchelor studio.
John Batchelor and I welcomed back Dr. Andrew Siemion, Director of Berkeley SETI, to discuss new theories, explanations, and updates for Tabby's star. This F class star was discovered in 2015 and is strange because the light coming from the star dims as much as 20% without any real explanation. In today's program, Andrew took us through the leading theories to explain this dipping in light. We talked about all of the theories including the star being a planet eater, the involvement of alien megastructures and what that might mean for this F class star, orbital debris from an eaten planet passing in front of the star, plus many more theories that deemed plausible but not so far out on the fringe as to be discarded. Later in the program, we talked about SETI and our use of passive SETI for receiving signals as compared to active SETI where we would be transmitting signals. Andrew pointed out we have been doing active SETI since the days of TV, radio, and radar. When asked if it was possible to mask those transmissions, Andrew suggested the cost benefit of doing that would not be worth it. We will do additional Tabby's star updates as more information on this unusual star becomes available.
You can email Mr. Batchelor or Dr. Andrew Siemion through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Andrew can also be reached at the Berkeley SETI website, https://seti.berkeley.edu.
The Space Show
