The Search for Life Beyond Earth| Prof Jonathan Lunine

The Thomistic Institute

Christianity, Society & Culture, Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Catholic, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Thomism, Catholicism

4.8 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2024

⏱️ 52 minutes

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Summary

Jonathan Lunine is the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University. Lunine is interested in how planets form and evolve, what processes maintain and establish habitability, and what kinds of exotic environments (methane lakes, etc.) might host a kind of chemistry sophisticated enough to be called "life". He pursues these interests through theoretical modeling and participation in spacecraft missions. He works with data from the James Webb Space Telescope, is co-investigator on the Juno mission orbiting Jupiter, and is a team member on the JUICE mission enroute to the Jovian moons, and Europa Clipper to be launched in 2024. Lunine is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has participated in or chaired a number of advisory and strategic planning committees for the Academy and for NASA. He was the inaugural McDonald Agape Visiting Scholar at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC, in the spring semester of 2023.

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0:00.0	Are you in college or know someone who is? The Thomistic Institute Study Abroad Program is now accepting
0:08.1	applications for the spring semester of 2025. Live steps from the Coliseum with like-minded students
0:15.0	and explore the ancient and medieval intellectual tradition of Rome at the Dominican Order's Pontifical University of
0:22.1	St. Thomas Aquinas. Don't miss this life-changing opportunity. Limited spots are available.
0:29.2	For more information, go to toomisticinstitute.org slash Rome. That's toomisticinstitute.org
0:37.1	slash Rome.
0:38.3	Welcome to the Tomistic Institute podcast.
0:44.3	Our mission is to promote the Catholic intellectual tradition in the university, the church, and the wider public square.
0:52.3	The lectures on this podcast are organized by university
0:55.4	students at Temistic Institute chapters around the world. To learn more and to attend these events,
1:01.1	visit us at to mystic institute.org.
1:08.6	Thank you, Josephine, for that wonderful introduction and it's a pleasure to be here.
1:14.2	I'm not sure I would call myself a prominent Christian intellectual. I am Christian, but I am really an astronomer,
1:23.1	and I am trying desperately to learn as much as I can about St. Thomas and to mystic philosophy and theology
1:31.5	as I can before I'm too old to absorb it.
1:34.9	And it's not easy.
1:36.8	I started out rather late in my life.
1:40.1	In fact, I'm a convert to Catholicism.
1:42.4	I converted at the age of 46, 47, and now 64.
1:49.0	So I had a lot of catching up to do.
1:52.0	And it's been a wonderful journey, most of which is really thanks to the Timistic Institute,
2:00.0	which is a wonderful institution, really guided by the Holy Spirit with a lot of wonderful programs.
	...

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