In this instalment of the Physics World Weekly podcast we celebrate some of the amazing research that has been done on exoplanets – distant worlds that orbit stars other than the Sun. We chat about how astronomers can work-out the chemical composition of exoplanets that have been consumed by their stars and meet Giovanna Tinetti, whose team was the first to detect water vapour in the atmosphere of a rocky exoplanet.
A little closer to Earth, we review a book that looks at Soviet space dogs such as Laika, which made it possible for humans to travel into space.
We also explore the concept of “emotional geography” and learn why it can have an important effect on the career choices made by physicists.
Finally, we look at a famous bet between physicists that has just been settled and suggest a few wagers about physics breakthroughs that may (or may not) happen over the next 20 years.
