TED2015
Aomawa Shields: How we'll find life on other planets
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Astronomer Aomawa Shields searches for clues that life might exist elsewhere in the universe by examining the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. When she isn't exploring the heavens, the classically trained actor (and TED Fellow) looks for ways to engage young women in the sciences using theater, writing and visual art. "Maybe one day they'll join the ranks of astronomers who are full of contradictions," she says, "and use their backgrounds to discover, once and for all, that we are truly not alone in the universe."
Aomawa Shields - Astronomer, astrobiologist, actor, writer
Aomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System. Full bio
Aomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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I am in search of another planet
in the universe where life exists.
in the universe where life exists.
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I can't see this planet
with my naked eyes
with my naked eyes
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or even with the most powerful telescopes
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we currently possess.
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But I know that it's there.
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And understanding contradictions
that occur in nature
that occur in nature
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will help us find it.
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On our planet,
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where there's water, there's life.
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So we look for planets that orbit
at just the right distance
at just the right distance
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from their stars.
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At this distance,
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shown in blue on this diagram
for stars of different temperatures,
for stars of different temperatures,
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planets could be warm enough
for water to flow on their surfaces
for water to flow on their surfaces
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as lakes and oceans
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where life might reside.
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Some astronomers focus their time
and energy on finding planets
and energy on finding planets
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at these distances from their stars.
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What I do picks up where their job ends.
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I model the possible
climates of exoplanets.
climates of exoplanets.
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And here's why that's important:
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there are many factors
besides distance from its star
besides distance from its star
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that control whether
a planet can support life.
a planet can support life.
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Take the planet Venus.
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It's named after the Roman goddess
of love and beauty,
of love and beauty,
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because of its benign,
ethereal appearance in the sky.
ethereal appearance in the sky.
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But spacecraft measurements
revealed a different story.
revealed a different story.
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The surface temperature is close
to 900 degrees Fahrenheit,
to 900 degrees Fahrenheit,
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500 Celsius.
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That's hot enough to melt lead.
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Its thick atmosphere, not its distance
from the sun, is the reason.
from the sun, is the reason.
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It causes a greenhouse effect on steroids,
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trapping heat from the sun
and scorching the planet's surface.
and scorching the planet's surface.
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The reality totally contradicted
initial perceptions of this planet.
initial perceptions of this planet.
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From these lessons
from our own solar system,
from our own solar system,
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we've learned that a planet's atmosphere
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is crucial to its climate
and potential to host life.
and potential to host life.
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We don't know what the atmospheres
of these planets are like
of these planets are like
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because the planets are so small
and dim compared to their stars
and dim compared to their stars
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and so far away from us.
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For example, one of the closest planets
that could support surface water --
that could support surface water --
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it's called Gliese 667 Cc --
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such a glamorous name, right,
nice phone number for a name --
nice phone number for a name --
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it's 23 light years away.
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So that's more than 100 trillion miles.
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Trying to measure
the atmospheric composition
the atmospheric composition
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of an exoplanet passing
in front of its host star is hard.
in front of its host star is hard.
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It's like trying to see a fruit fly
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passing in front of a car's headlight.
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OK, now imagine that car
is 100 trillion miles away,
is 100 trillion miles away,
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and you want to know
the precise color of that fly.
the precise color of that fly.
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So I use computer models
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to calculate the kind of atmosphere
a planet would need
a planet would need
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to have a suitable climate
for water and life.
for water and life.
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Here's an artist's concept
of the planet Kepler-62f,
of the planet Kepler-62f,
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with the Earth for reference.
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It's 1,200 light years away,
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and just 40 percent larger than Earth.
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Our NSF-funded work found that it
could be warm enough for open water
could be warm enough for open water
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from many types of atmospheres
and orientations of its orbit.
and orientations of its orbit.
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So I'd like future telescopes
to follow up on this planet
to follow up on this planet
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to look for signs of life.
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Ice on a planet's surface
is also important for climate.
is also important for climate.
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Ice absorbs longer,
redder wavelengths of light,
redder wavelengths of light,
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and reflects shorter, bluer light.
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That's why the iceberg
in this photo looks so blue.
in this photo looks so blue.
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The redder light from the sun
is absorbed on its way through the ice.
is absorbed on its way through the ice.
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Only the blue light
makes it all the way to the bottom.
makes it all the way to the bottom.
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Then it gets reflected
back to up to our eyes
back to up to our eyes
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and we see blue ice.
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My models show that planets
orbiting cooler stars
orbiting cooler stars
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could actually be warmer
than planets orbiting hotter stars.
than planets orbiting hotter stars.
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There's another contradiction --
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that ice absorbs the longer
wavelength light from cooler stars,
wavelength light from cooler stars,
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and that light, that energy,
heats the ice.
heats the ice.
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Using climate models to explore
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how these contradictions
can affect planetary climate
can affect planetary climate
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is vital to the search for life elsewhere.
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And it's no surprise
that this is my specialty.
that this is my specialty.
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I'm an African-American female astronomer
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and a classically trained actor
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who loves to wear makeup
and read fashion magazines,
and read fashion magazines,
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so I am uniquely positioned to appreciate
contradictions in nature --
contradictions in nature --
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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... and how they can inform our search
for the next planet where life exists.
for the next planet where life exists.
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My organization, Rising Stargirls,
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teaches astronomy
to middle-school girls of color,
to middle-school girls of color,
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using theater, writing and visual art.
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That's another contradiction --
science and art don't often go together,
science and art don't often go together,
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but interweaving them can help
these girls bring their whole selves
these girls bring their whole selves
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to what they learn,
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and maybe one day join
the ranks of astronomers
the ranks of astronomers
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who are full of contradictions,
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and use their backgrounds
to discover, once and for all,
to discover, once and for all,
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that we are truly not alone
in the universe.
in the universe.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aomawa Shields - Astronomer, astrobiologist, actor, writerAomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System.
Why you should listen
Dr. Aomawa Shields received her PhD in Astronomy and Astrobiology from the University of Washington in 2014. She also received an MFA in Acting from UCLA in 2001, and a Bachelor's degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences from MIT in 1997. She is currently an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow, a UC President's Postdoctoral Program Fellow, and a 2015 TED Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Dr. Shields is the founder of Rising Stargirls, an organization dedicated to encouraging girls of all colors and backgrounds to explore and discover the universe using theater, writing, and visual art. She uses her theater and writing background to communicate science to the public in engaging, innovative ways.
Aomawa Shields | Speaker | TED.com