Topic: Exoplanets

ABC News reports on the discovery of Proxima B, an Earth-like planet orbiting the star nearest to the Sun. The hosts express skepticism toward the "artist renderings" used in the report, comparing them to 1990s-era software like KPT Bryce. They argue that presenting speculative visual data as scientific fact is a disservice to the public and serves only to create sensationalist headlines.

An engineer's note clarifies that NASA's Kepler satellite does not use a traditional camera but a light meter to detect variations in stellar brightness. These "dips" in light are used to estimate the diameter and orbit of potential planets, but other details reported by NASA are characterized as supposition. The segment questions the validity of NASA's claims regarding habitable "Earth-like" planets.

NASA announces the discovery of Kepler 452b, described as "Earth's closest cousin." The hosts dismiss the story as "bullcrap" and a "meme," questioning how a telescope can see a planet 1,400 light years away when it couldn't provide clear images of Pluto. They suggest NASA stories are often used to distract from the launch of NRO spy satellites.