The Priviledged Planet

On this episode of ID the Future, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards speaks with astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez about new research just reported in the Astrophysical Journal. The research suggests that the circumstellar habitable zone for terrestrial planets around stars is narrower than previously thought. This zone around stars, often referred to as the “goldilocks zone,” is where planets are not too hot and not too cold to support liquid water on the surface and, with it, complex life. But there’s another factor, previously underappreciated, which greatly curtails how much further a planet can be situated from its host star without running into trouble. It makes earth’s position that much more fine-tuned for life and, as Richards and Gonzalez discuss, Read More ›

Have scientists discovered a planet with possible life on it? On this episode of ID the Future, Anika Smith interviews astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez, co-author of  The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery. As the co-originator of the Galactic Habitable Zone, Dr. Gonzalez knows better than anyone what it takes for a planet to sustain life. Listen in as he tells us whether the newly discovered exoplanet Gliese 581d is habitable.