Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon" -- famed physicist
Lawrence Krauss joins us for his
monthly discussion on the latest
in science, including baby
pictures from the big ***.
>>> And the new director of
ASU's global institute of
sustainability talks about his
vision for the school.
Those stories next on "Arizona
Horizon."
>>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the friends of 8, members of
your Arizona PBS station.
Thank you.
>>> Good evening.
Welcome to "Arizona Horizon."
I'm Ted Simons.
A new poll shows Senator John
Mccain's support among
Arizonans is at its lowest in 21
years.
The Phoenix based poll shows his
job approval rate at 26%
compared with 36% who think he's
doing a poor or very poor job.
The poll reveals that two of
three surveyed think it's time
to elect a new senator with just
21% in favor of returning
Mccain to the Senate.
>>> It's time now for our
regular visit with ASU's
physicist and best selling
author Lawrence Krauss, who
enlightens us every month with
the latest science news.
>> Great to be back.
>> Couple of big things to talk
about including baby pictures
from the big ***.
These are kind of baby pictures.
>> they are.
Unlike normal baby pictures
where only the parents like to
look at them, in this case there
are pictures that everyone
should be interested in,
pictures that show us what the
universe looked like when it was
only about 30,000 years after
the big ***.
13.8 billion years ago.
I say that now because in fact
from these new baby pictures we
have been able to learn new
things that have changed some of
the numbers slightly.
>> what we're looking at now,
this is a radiation view of
what, the universe?
>> What you're looking at is
first of all projection of the
sky in all directions.
You see projections of the
earth.
Take the surface of the earth
and project it on a flat plain.
Imagine taking a projection of
the sky in all directions and
projecting it on a plat plain.
There would be a horizontal line
where our Al galaxy sits.
It would be right in that
horizontal zone, in the equator
of that image.
Then the upper part of the image
is the northern hemisphere and
the bottom part is the owner
hemisphere.
Of course they are not real
images but false -- they are
real images but false color
images of hot and cold spots in
the radiation called the cosmic
microwave, the big ***.
>> you know this is radiation
because the radiation started
when everything cooled down?
>> The universe was very hot in
early times and so hot in fact
that matter didn't exist in a
neutral form.
Hydrogen, which is protons and
electrons, every time a proton
tried to capture an electron the
radiation was so hot it broke it
apart.
Plasma is opaque to radiation
but then the radiation cooled
below 3,000 degrees, a little
warmer than Phoenix in July,
then the matter became neutral
and transparent to radiation, so
that radiation is streaming at
us from all directions from that
time when the universe first
became the matter in the
universe first became neutral.
Streaming at us in all
directions and the radiation has
cooled down.
It was 3,000 degrees.
It's now three degrees because
the universe has expanded by a
factor of 1,000 since then an
it's in the background wave.
If you're as old as you or I,
you've actually even it.
Remember the days before cable
TV?
>> Yes.
>> back when TV programs went
off the air and you saw static?
>> First the national anthem,
then --
>> The test pattern, then
static.
If you're desperate to watch TV
as I was I waited until the
static came.
>> I hear you.
>> 1% of that static is actually
radiation from the big ***.
>> So you're literally being
bombarded from something that's
13 billion years old?
>> Exactly.
What's amazing is this radiation
has been coming at us forever
but wasn't discovered until 1965
in New Jersey of all places by
two people who really didn't
know what they were looking for.
They were at bell labs building
a radio telescope and that just
meant they had a radio receiver
and they put it up to the sky
and kept getting noise.
They got rid of what they called
a white material inside, which
is pigeon droppings, they still
got the noise.
They went down the road to some
astronomers at Princeton who
were very said because they were
building an antenna to look for
the noise.
The two who discovered the noise
won the no Pell prize for
physics.
The big *** really happened.
It's not controversial.
There's no need to worry about
teaching it in schools.
It really happened, and when we
look at this radiation which
gives us a picture of the
universe we could tell all sorts
of new things about the
universe.
This new picture from what's
called the plank satellite, the
satellite that was launched by
the European space agency, it's
been going around the last few
years above the earth measuring
the entire sky and giving a
picture probably ten times more
accurate than any baby picture
we have of the universe up to
now.
It's allowed us to know, for
example, when I came on the show
a year ago I would have said the
age of the universe was 13.7
billion years approximately.
Now we know it's closer to 13.8
billion years.
We know that the amount of dark
matter, dark energy is slightly
different.
On the whole it confirms
everything we knew but there's
some mystery still.
That's what's interesting.
>> I was reading about hot and
cold spots, first of all can you
see them in the image, tell
where they are?
>> All the spots in that picture
are hot and cold spots.
The blue are colored to be
colder regions.
The others are hotter.
Those are small temperature
variations.
What's wonderful is those were
the Primordiale lumps we think
were created at the big ***
itself when could later collapse
to form all the galaxies, stars,
planets, aliens and TV
broadcasters.
>> So you go get to see what
happened prior to that.
>> We think those were imprinted
at the beginning of time.
That allows us to test our
theories about what the universe
was like not when it was 380,000
years old but a millionth of a
billionth of a billionth of
a second old.
>> It became stars, planets.
>> The question is how did it
get there?
What was the physics at the
beginning of time?
>> Not all questions are
answered.
>> No, in fact more questions
than answers.
In fact there's weird things
which could be statistics.
The problem is we only have one
universe.
Most of us do anyway.
As far as we know.
Most of us experience.
Some people may claim to
experience more and I make a
political joke but I won't.
The point is because we only
have one universe if these
things are statistical it turns
out there's a few more large hot
spots in the northern hemisphere
than the southern hemisphere.
We wouldn't expect that.
Is an an accident of statistics
or is that significant?
With a sample of one it's hard
to say.
If we had another universe -- we
may have to learn more.
There's open questions.
That's what makes science
exciting.
>> something else exciting, it
just looks like this big old
thing but when you realize what
it is it's remarkable.
Now,.
>> We're very proud.
>> Yes.
>> Any baby picture.
We're very proud.
>> couple of earth-like planets
found like what --
>> 1200 light-years away.
Probably one of the most
exciting discoveries of the
keppler satellite, which is a
satellite that's been up for a
while, here on the screen you
can see that for the first time
not only has it been able to
discover planets comparable in
size to the earth they are
actually located around the star
slightly smaller than our sun,
slightly dimmer, but at a
distance in comparison not that
different from the earth.
One of them is 150 days -- its
year is 150 days, the other is
260 days.
They are in the region, in the
right size and in the region we
think liquid water could exist.
In my mind they are the first
sort of candidates for actual
habitable planets elsewhere.
>> You're saying 1200 lights
years a way there's a sun not
quite as strong as ours.
>> six planets.
Solar system not that different
than ours.
>> two of them, 62 E and 62 F--
>> Very good.
>> Well, thank you.
Very similar to earth.
>> they are a little bit bigger
but that shouldn't get in the
way.
If you had to pick a place
outside our solar system where
you may be reasonably certain
life could form, those would be
the places, but that's just the
tip of the iceberg there are 100
billion stars in our Al galaxy.
Pretty well every star has
planets around T. I would
suspect at least 1 billion
habitable planets in our galaxy.
>> I hear about the habitual
zone and the Goldilocks zone.
>> If you look at our own solar
system everything is just right.
Mars is too small and too far
away.
Venus used to not be so hot but
had a runaway greenhouse effect.
It's too hot now.
We're right in the region right
now liquid water can exist on a
rocky planet.
That's just right.
It's not going to be just right
for long.
This program can't go on
forever.
In 2 billion years the earth
will heat up and be much like
Venus right now.
I know you'll talk about
sustainability next.
No matter what we do the sun
will be 15% brighter and we will
no longer be in the Goldilocks
zone.
If life wants to continue we
have a few choices, one, move to
Mars or maybe to move the earth.
We could do that maybe.
>> Or maybe take a ride up to
keppler 62 E.
>> After 2 or three million year
voyage you could do that.
>> 12 million light-years,
inconceivable.
Is it possible, is it possible
to ever travel at the speed of
light or beyond?
>> We can't say it's impossible
to warp drive.
We can have a discussion next
time about that.
It doesn't violate the laws of
physics but it's an academic
question.
To travel at near the speed of
light would cost -- would take
so many resources you would have
to harness the power output of a
star to get a space ship and
just have the fuel -- if you
wanted to take an existing
spacecraft with existing rocket
fuel and accelerate it to half
the speed of light the amount of
fuel required would be more than
the mass of the entire visible
universe.
NASA may appropriate funds for
it but it's for the going to
happen.
The point is we aren't going to
be traveling in space ships at
near the speed of light.
It's an economically prohibitive
thing but that means aliens are
not coming here.
>> I was just going to say.
Doesn't that make the idea of
space ships coming to visit us a
little unlikely?
>> Not only a little unlikely,
it's incredibly unlikely.
It just hasn't happened.
None of us want to be alone.
That's why this is so exciting.
We want to know if we're alone
in the universe.
There may be microbial life on
these plan its but is there
intelligent life elsewhere in
the universe.
>> Do you think there's water on
these things?
>> There's a reasonable
likelihood of water on these
things.
There's lots of water produced
around stars.
When we look around our solar
system all the ingredients of
life are there.
Water, organ ick material an
sunlight.
We have discovered a complex
basis of amy no acids, some
recent experiments in Berkeley
showed that even more complex
molecules could be created by
chemistry on those comets.
If you expose them to
ultraViolet light you can create
peptides.
So not only would I not be
surprised if there's water, I
wouldn't be surprised if there's
microbes.
I would be surprised if there's
Intel Jesse "The Body" Ventura
life, but --
>> What about sea creatures?
If you have water wouldn't you
have a sea creature?
>> First you have to make the
microbes that make sea
creatures.
It took a long time to happen on
earth.
We don't know what's possible
and there's a whole universe of
things to find out.
That's why it's fun to come on
each week.
>> what is the keppler mission
going to do?
>> It looks at stars and it's
amazing that it can do that, how
the stars get dimmer when the
planets go in front of them.
A teeny planet goes in front of
the star and you change the
brightness change by 1%, on a
regular basis.
Then you can see if the stars
move wiggly back and forth in
response to the gravitational
pull of the planet.
They have confirmed several
hundred stars but discovered
over 2 -- not stars, planets,
over 2,000 planet candidates and
what we're finding is that
basically every star probably
has solar system around it.
It's really neat.
>> last point, the constellation
lyra, I guess --
>> I don't worry about
constellations.
>> But I love that stuff.
Vega is the bright star you can
see -- if I look at Vega I could
be looking at somewhere within
that constellation --
>> Somewhere in that
constellation there could be
cars and sea creatures and there
could be in 1200 years they will
be able to listen to this
program.
>> Well, lucky them.
Good to have you here.
Thanks for joining us.
>> Thank you.
>>> Gary Dirks was recently
named director of Arizona State
University's global institute of
sustainability.
Joining me to talk about his new
role and his thoughts on
sustainability issues is
Dr. Gary Dirks.
Good to see you again.
Thanks for joining us.
>> Pleasure to be here.
>> what is the global institute
of sustainability?
>> It's more or less exactly
what it says.
We're an institute that does
research looking into the big
issues that relate to how we
create the future for humanity
that is sustainable over
multiple generations, so the
bulk of what we do in the
institute is to do research that
looks at everything from water
to energy to climate, things of
that nature.
>> next question was going to be
to define sustainability.
People hear it, it's everything
from going solar to reusing
water.
What do you see as
sustainability?
>> This is a good question.
It comes up a lot.
There are sort of two ends of
the spectrum that I like to use.
One is a fairly formal
definition that came out of a
report called the bruntlynn
report from a couple decades
ago.
Basically that is supplying the
needs of the current generation
without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet
their needs.
A little academic.
There's a more earthy one that
one of our advisors on the board
likes to use, treating the
planet like we intend to stay
here.
>> I like that one.
>> it works a lot better in most
instances.
>> It certainly makes sense.
Now, at GIOS, what is your
vision?
What do you see the institute
and the school doing?
>> Yes.
Well, to begin with the
institute and school are not
exactly the same thing.
The school as it implies focuses
much pore on the teaching side
whereas the institute focuses
more on research.
But we do manage the two
together as a strategic entity.
In the case of the institute,
what we really want to see is
the institute providing new
knowledge, getting that
knowledge out to those decision
makers who can make use of it
whether in government or
industry, other academic
institutions, and really driving
forward a set of concepts on how
we can be more sustainable, how
can we use energy more
efficiently, find new sources of
energy, how we can use water
more efficiently.
In the case of the school we
want to bring that knowledge
that's being created in the
research back to the school and
teach our students skills on how
to consider sustainability
problems as well as how to get
them engaged in doing actual
solutions.
>> give me an example of
something GIOS would be involved
in in terms of advising business
or an industry or a government
on how to work in a more
sustainable way.
>> Sure.
There's a great example of a
project that we're working on
right now called energize
Phoenix.
This is a joint project with the
city of Phoenix.
We got a Department of Energy
grant to do that.
In the light-rail corridor we're
looking at everything from how
to make housing more energy
efficient, how to use
electricity more effectively,
ideas on what to do about the
greenhouse effect associated
with the urban heat Island.
All types of advice around how
to do those sorts of things.
>> you have experience as a
business executive.
I want you to talk a little bit
about that and how that plays
into what you would like to see
out of GIOS.
>> as a business executive,
there were a number of things
and not all of them
environmental that we used to
look at.
For example, education in
developing countries is
extremely important and how you
go about developing a work force
that is sensitive to
environmental issues that are
sensitive to the needs of the
local communities where
important things in business
need to engage in.
We would support institutions,
academic institutions, NGOs to
develop training programs, to
look at the way that commerce is
developed, creating jobs, all of
that was part of what we would
look at from a business
standpoint.
As we work with our business
partners very much the same, so
some of our business partners
are interested in solutions
having to do with work force
development, particularly work
force development related to
sustainability issues.
So better, more efficient use of
raw materials, sustainable
communities and how you develop
work forces that are able to
provide you with the kind of
talent you need.
>> Now you're directing GIOS,
you were directing something
called like works.
Are you still with light works
and what is it?
>> I'm still with light works.
I'm the director.
Light works is an initiative,
not a school, not a center, not
a college.
It's a university-wide
initiative.
The idea behind light works is
that at Arizona State University
we do a lot of research related
to light.
If we were able to bring that
research together from all the
different departments, all
across the university, we ought
to be able to do bigger projects
and bigger programs.
We ought to be able to apply
that insight to more complex
problems.
So that's what we have done.
We focus on things like
photovoltaic electrical devices.
We focus on artificial
photosynthesis, making fuels
without plants from carbon
dioxide, water and sunlight.
We focus on using plants
specifically algae and bacteria
to make chemicals, fuels, useful
products.
We also do energy efficiency.
We look specifically at the
state of Arizona.
We got tremendous solar
resources in Arizona.
Education.
Policy.
All of this within light works
an all of it intended to try to
go for bigger, more complex
problems.
>> This may be off topic but do
you see Arizona doing everything
it can to utilize solar?
It just seems as though we take
three steps forward and move a
couple steps back.
How do you see what the state is
doing regarding solar energy?
>> I think there is a certain
amount of a few steps forward
and a step back.
On the whole not bad.
If you look at the statistics,
we're now number 2 in the
country in the rate at which
we're putting in new solar
photovoltaic capacity.
Only California is ahead of us
in terms of the rate they are
going forward.
We are doing a lot of work both
in our utilities and in our
universities on how to more
effectively use solar energy,
particularly with respect to
micro grids and stabilizing the
grid.
Could we do more?
Yes, absolutely we could do
more, but it would require us to
look at the way that we manage
the utilities and how we make it
a win-win for both the solar
industry and for the future of
the utilities.
>> are you concerned that other
states, other countries are
moving faster than us?
>> Well, California is certainly
moving faster than we are.
I don't think that what we
should be worried so much about
is who is moving fastest.
I think what we should be
looking at is who is on a path
that is stable and they are
going to be able to sustain.
Who is taking those steps that
will integrate both the use of
solar and the production of
solar devices most effectively.
In other words, we want the
jobs.
We don't simply want to deploy
solar.
We would also like to have the
jobs.
I think in that regard there's
more we could do on the job
creation side.
But on the deployment side, as
long as we don't lose our way,
as long as we keep plowing ahead
we're not on a bad path.
>> The U.S. as well?
>> The U.S. in terms of
production, no.
The Chinese and Asians in
general have done a lot more
than we have.
Having said that, it's also to
note that they are going through
a wave of bankruptcies in China
in particular, and this comes
back to it's not so much who is
going fastest, who is on a path
that is sustainable.
>> very good.
Good to have you here.
Congratulations and good luck.
>> always a pleasure.
Thank you.
>> Wednesday on "Arizona
Horizon" another midweek
legislative update with the
Arizona Capitol Times and look
at the economic impact of
federal immigration reform on
Arizona.
and 10:00 on the
next "Arizona Horizon."
That is it for now.
I'm Ted Simons.
Thank you for joining us.
You have a great evening.
>>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the friends of 8, members of
your Arizona PBS station.
Thank you.
>>> The global institute of
sustainability is the heart of
ASU's sustainability
initiatives.
Advancing research, education
and business practices for an
urbanized world.
Sustainability tips at
sustainable.ASU.EDY/TV.
>>> When you want to be more
informed 8 delivers news and
analysis with multiple
perspectives.
Thanks to financial support from
you and --
>> Friendship village Tempe, a
retirement community for over 30
years, offers independent living
with residency options, lifelong
learning classes and continuing
care.
Information at friendshipvillage
AZ.com.
>> Later --
>> Next time on front line, if
you have a 401(k) or an Ira
that you're depending on to
retire, don't miss this report.
>> A lot of 401(k) programs
sting.
>> you put up 100% of the
capital, 100% of the risk and
get 30% of the return.
>> From Wall Street's
perspective it's great business.
It's a scam and people are
getting hurt.
>> I'll be working the rest of
my life.
>> The retirement scam.
>> Tonight on 8H.D.
>>> 8H.D., 8 life, and 8 world.
This is Arizona PBS, supported
by viewers like you.
Thank you.
>>> How do we educate in a
rapidly changing world?
>> How can we create a
sustainable way of life?
>> How can we teach peace?
>>> Arizona State University,
rise to the challenges before
us.
>> 8 celebrates Arizona history
with a moment in time.
Made possible by meteor crater,
climate, cotton, citrus, copper
and cattle.
The state's key enterprises,
symbolized in the great seal of
the state of Arizona, which was
adopted in 1911.
>>> Coming up on 8H.D., 8 life,
and 8 world -- a parent is a
child ICE first teacher.
That's why 8 is providing a
series of free workshops to
parents and care-givers of
preschool age children who live
in Yuma County.
Learn how to expand your child's
reading and language skills
through fun activities featuring
their favorite PBS characters.
You will also get interactive
tools you can use every day at
home to unlock the power of
literacy in your little one's
life.
Register for this six week
series at AZPBS.org/workshop.
Work shots begin soon, so sign
up today.
>>> Coming soon to 8H.D.
>>> Next time, it's a blast from
the past in our special episode
antiques road show vintage
Phoenix.
>> when I first saw it my
instinct said this is something
wonderful.
>> this is in almost perfect
conditions, which ace mazing.
Unbelievable.
>> your family will be
surprised.
>> Yes.
>> Can you guess what values
went up?
Down or stayed the same?
Find out next time on antiques
road show.
on 8H.D.
>>> Support for 8 comes from
viewers like you and from --
>> The persian room, travel to
another world, to a land of
exotic aromas and period decor
for a fine dining experience.
The persian room on Scottsdale
road one light north of frank
Lloyd Wright boulevard.
>> Meteor crater, whether
staying in the R.V. park,
visiting the visitors center or
taking a tour of the rim,