Ideas worth spreading

What a planet needs to sustain life

2,042,662 views |

Dave Brain |

TEDxBoulder

• September 2015

"Venus is too hot, Mars is too cold, and Earth is just right," says planetary scientist Dave Brain. But why? In this pleasantly humorous talk, Brain explores the fascinating science behind what it takes for a planet to host life -- and why humanity may just be in the right place at the right time when it comes to the timeline of life-sustaining planets.

"Venus is too hot, Mars is too cold, and Earth is just right," says planetary scientist Dave Brain. But why? In this pleasantly humorous talk, Brain explores the fascinating science behind what it takes for a planet to host life -- and why humanity may just be in the right place at the right time when it comes to the timeline of life-sustaining planets.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoulder, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Dave Brain

Planetary scientist

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Dave Brain studies the plasma environments and atmospheres of unmagnetized planets.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoulder, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.