(0:00) Open
(3:18) No Certainty
(5:20) The Ultimate Cosmic Lottery
(6:27) Meatware Brain-slop
(7:23) Presenting 3I/ATLAS
(13:57) How Can We See It?
(17:54) Fast & Hyperbolic
(20:51) Its Perihelion
(21:20) Enter Controversy!
(24:45) Billions of Billions of Stars
(26:33) So, What Ultimately is 3I/ATLAS?
(31:26) cj’s recommendation: Operation Space Station: High-Risk
(32:44) Jeff’s Recommendation: Deep Impact
This week, we take a curious (and occasionally confused) dive into 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar object humanity has ever spotted. From its discovery in Chile to its high-speed sprint through the Solar System, we break down how telescopes on Earth, in space, and even around Mars managed to catch this fast-moving cosmic visitor - and why its wild 61+ km/s velocity and hyperbolic orbit leave no doubt it came from another star.
Along the way, we unpack the growing controversy around its behavior. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb is once again arguing that the comet’s odd non-gravitational motion doesn’t add up, hinting at something more exotic, while most astronomers say it’s simply a volatile-rich interstellar snowball outgassing in strange but explainable ways.
Join us on this episode to explore the science, the speculation, and why these rare visitors spark so much imagination - especially for the next generation of stargazers.
Segment
Dunning–Kruger effect - Wikipedia
Did 3I/ATLAS Just Break-Up Near the Sun? | by Avi Loeb
A Complex Jet Structure Emanates from 3I/ATLAS After Perihelion | by Avi Loeb | Nov, 2025
The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature | WIRED
Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology?
How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas | WIRED
Orbital eccentricity - Wikipedia
Monty Python's Galaxy Song with Updated Lyrics | Space and Universe Anthem|
Close
Operation Space Station | NOVA | PBS
Deep Impact (1998) Teaser Trailer