Episode 83: Stellar Shrinkflation

In this week’s episode, Cormac has somehow made it to hosting a second time (applause). This time, we discuss the smallest, reddest and exoplanetiest(?) stars - M dwarfs! Find out why we call them that, and why these temperamental ‘tars are interesting for exoplanets. Sabrina tells us about not-so-boring M stars showing complex and periodic behaviour, and Will shares some *gasp* lab work-based results showing that M dwarfs may be more habitable than we think… This week’s episode rounds off with a discussion about what the “Search for Life” really means, and how it’s (sometimes mis)used in astronomy.

Astrobites: astrobites.org/2023/11/02/ripples-in-time-the-transient-nature-of-mysterious-m-stars/ astrobites.org/2023/03/22/could-some-earthlings-survive-in-exoplanets-around-m-dwarfs/

Space Sound: “The Sound of Two Black Holes Colliding” by LIGO Lab Caltech : MIT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyDcTbR-kEA