Why We May Be the Only Intelligent Life in the Universe with David Kipping of Cool Worlds

Why We May Be the Only Intelligent Life in the Universe with David Kipping of Cool Worlds

Author: John Michael Godier February 26, 2026 Duration: 54:03

Are We Alone? Are we the only intelligent life in the universe? Are there alien civilizations?Prof. David Kipping of the Cool Worlds lab at Columbia University spoke with John Michael Godlier about his most recent paper. What are the odds for intelligent life? Are there alien civilizations in the galaxy? Or are the odds against intelligent life?Prof. Kipping attempts to find answers to these questions using a Bayesian Analysis to look at life’s early start and our late arrival. The rare earth hypothesis argues that the origin of life and the evolution of biological complexity required an improbable combination of astrophysical and geological events and circumstances.Watch and subscribe to the Cool World's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGHZpIpAWJQ-Jy_CeCdXhMAThe Odds of Life and Intelligence: https://youtu.be/iLbbpRYRW5YJoin the search for vanishing stars here: https://www.su.se/english/research/research-news/look-to-the-sky-and-help-researchers-in-a-new-citizen-science-project-1.496340Kipping, D. 2020, "An Objective Bayesian Analysis of Life’s Early Start and Our Late Arrival", PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/05/12/1921655117Carter, B. 2007, "Five or six step scenario for evolution?", Int. J. Astrobiology 7, 177: https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.1985Want to support the channel?Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EventHorizonShowFollow us at other places!Website: https://www.eventhorizonshow.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmgeventhorizonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmgeventhorizon/Music featured on Event Horizonhttps://stellardrone.bandcamp.com/https://migueljohnson.bandcamp.com/https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/https://aeriumambient.bandcamp.com/


Curiosity about the cosmos often starts with a simple question, and that's where John Michael Godier's Event Horizon finds its rhythm. Hosted by author and futurist John Michael Godier, this podcast delves into the profound and the perplexing at the edges of our understanding. Each episode builds a narrative, weaving together discussions on astronomy, astrophysics, and the latest space science news with broader themes of technology, history, and futurism. The conversations are grounded by special guests who bring expertise and diverse perspectives, turning complex ideas into engaging explorations. You'll find the dialogue moves from the concrete details of scientific discovery to the speculative implications for our future, all with a thoughtful and accessible tone. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep dive into the context and consequences of what we're learning about the universe. For anyone who looks up at the night sky and wonders about black holes, the potential for life elsewhere, or where our technology might take us next, this podcast offers a compelling space to linger on those big ideas. The production emphasizes clarity and depth, making even the most daunting topics feel within reach. Tune in for a regular journey to the frontiers of science and human thought.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

John Michael Godier's Event Horizon
Podcast Episodes
The Arecibo Radio Telescope with Prof. Abel Mendez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Discussing the recent collapse of the main instrument of the Arecibo Radio Telescope and its overall history as a scientific instrument in radio astronomy, and SETI with Dr. Abel Mendez.Links:https://twitter.com/ProfAbel…
Planet Nine and Alien Life with Parallax Nick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:37
The search for the mysterious planet nine continues as Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin get closer to finding it. What would planet 9 be like and where in the solar system could it be? Also, what would alien life look l…
Can Humans Travel Through Wormholes? with Prof. Juan Maldacena [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:55
Humanly traversable wormholes is a new paper by Juan Maldacena and Alexey Milekhin that points out that there can be humanly traversable wormhole solutions in some previously considered theories for physics beyond the St…
Our Spooky Universe with Paul Sutter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:44
The Most Unsettling Things in our Universe are all real and part of the dangers of outer space. Can you survive crossing the event horizon of a black hole? Or will spaghettification get you? How to Die in Space: A Journe…
Is It Possible to Build a Time Machine? With Paul Davies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:46
Time travel is one of sci-fi’s favorite tools. But is it possible to build a real time machine? Could you travel into the future or the past? Paul Davies joins John Michael Godlier to discuss the possibilities of time tr…
Is Interstellar Travel Possible? with Alberto Caballero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:13
Subscribe to The Exoplanets Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdDS4j318UpKjNcpe_LeQxQIs Interstellar Space Travel Possible? Can we travel to other planets and stars?Alberto Caballero of the exoplanets channe…
Fusion and Magnetic Reconnection Propulsion with Dr. Fatima Ebrahimi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:54
To get your free 30 day trial visit https://www.audible.com/eventhorizon or text EventHorizon to 500-500.A new type of rocket thruster that could take humankind to Mars and beyond has been proposed by Fatima Ebrahimi a p…
Does Venus Have Life? With Dr. Janusz Petkowski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:49
Is There Life on Venus?Last week a team from MIT and Cardiff University announced the detection of Phosphine in the atmosphere at Venus our nearest neighbor. Phosphine (PH3) gas in Venus’s atmosphere should be in oxidize…