Chapter
Quantum Chemistry in Space
40:07 - 46:30 (06:22)
The Quantum and the Chemist, Dr. Clara Sousa-Silva discusses how she uses quantum chemistry to detect molecules in space and the challenges she faces in diagonalizing enormous matrices to clean them up.
Clips
The James Webb Space Telescope is an incredible engineering project and is designed to be above the Earth's atmosphere, providing a clear perspective of space for a wide range of astrophysics to explore.
40:07 - 41:32 (01:25)
Summary
The James Webb Space Telescope is an incredible engineering project and is designed to be above the Earth's atmosphere, providing a clear perspective of space for a wide range of astrophysics to explore. Its responsibility will also include detecting phosphine on oxygen-lacking planets.
ChapterQuantum Chemistry in Space
Episode#195 – Clara Sousa-Silva: Searching for Signs of Life on Venus and Other Planets
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker explains that they study the quantum behavior of molecules to detect them in space, combining the fields of quantum mechanics, astronomy, and chemistry.
41:32 - 43:15 (01:42)
Summary
The speaker explains that they study the quantum behavior of molecules to detect them in space, combining the fields of quantum mechanics, astronomy, and chemistry.
ChapterQuantum Chemistry in Space
Episode#195 – Clara Sousa-Silva: Searching for Signs of Life on Venus and Other Planets
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The process to describe a quantum system can be lengthy until it resembles a matrix that is almost diagonal, making it easier to clean up.
43:15 - 45:32 (02:17)
Summary
The process to describe a quantum system can be lengthy until it resembles a matrix that is almost diagonal, making it easier to clean up. However, the diagonalizing process requires a lot of computer power, especially when dealing with molecules, which can have up to 17.5 million possible states.
ChapterQuantum Chemistry in Space
Episode#195 – Clara Sousa-Silva: Searching for Signs of Life on Venus and Other Planets
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The search for biosignatures of life on other planets requires knowledge of the spectral fingerprints of molecules, but for 16,000 of these molecules, their spectra are currently unknown.
45:32 - 46:30 (00:57)
Summary
The search for biosignatures of life on other planets requires knowledge of the spectral fingerprints of molecules, but for 16,000 of these molecules, their spectra are currently unknown. A scientist estimates that it would take over 62,000 years for her to find the spectra for all of these molecules, but she is working to solve this problem.