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Jupiter is the oldest planet in the solar system. It’s also the biggest. Some call it “Earth’s bodyguard” because it keeps asteroids and comets from hitting our planet. But is Jupiter really protecting Earth?
Join Molly and co-host Rida as they head to a live taping of everyone’s favorite space talk show, Pop Planet, and learn about Jupiter — from the gassy giant itself! Plus a mystery sound that’s out of this world!
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RIDA: You're listening to Brains On where we're serious about being curious.
SPEAKER 1: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the national science foundation.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ah, lunchtime at Brains On headquarters. Is there anything more delightful than enjoying a nice soggy sandwich in the confines of this windowless break room? Oh, hey, Marc!
MARC SANCHEZ: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Jeez, you're hungry. What do you have for lunch today?
MARC SANCHEZ: Beans!
MOLLY BLOOM: Beans? Any particular kind?
MARC SANCHEZ: Oh, all kinds-- black, baked, garbanzo, lima, navy, pinto.
MOLLY BLOOM: Why beans?
MARC SANCHEZ: I want to be like Jupiter!
MOLLY BLOOM: Elaborate?
MARC SANCHEZ: [SIGHS] OK. I read somewhere that Jupiter is like Earth's bodyguard, like a protector. It stops big space rocks from hitting us. And I though Brains On HQ could use somebody like that. I want to be the one who protects this place.
MOLLY BLOOM: But why the beans?
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, you know how Jupiter is a gas giant? That's where the beans come in because you know what they say. Beans, beans, they're good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you-- [FARTS]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, Marc. It's nice that you want to protect headquarters, but that's not-- I mean, Jupiter isn't made of that kind of gas.
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, I'm also not a multibillion-year-old planet, Molly. Sometimes you've got to work with what you have.
[FARTS]
[GIGGLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: I suppose so, but I think I'll eat my lunch at my desk today. See you, Marc.
MARC SANCHEZ: See you!
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ah, lunchtime. Oh. Hey, Marc.
MARC SANCHEZ: Hi, Ruby.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Man, that's a lot of beans you got there. Are you-- [SNIFFS]-- becoming a gas giant so you can be like Jupiter and protect Brains On HQ?
MARC SANCHEZ: Thank you. Finally, someone who gets me.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Classic Marc.
[THEME MUSIC]
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm Molly Bloom, and my cohost today is Rida from Long Island, New York. Hi, Rida.
RIDA: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today we've got our metaphorical telescopes aimed at Jupiter.
RIDA: Jupiter is the oldest planet in our Solar System. It formed only a million years after the sun and millions of years before Earth.
MOLLY BLOOM: So Jups is like the oldest child in the planet family?
RIDA: Yeah, and it's the biggest. If it were hollow, you could fit 1,000 Earths in there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Or if the planets were fruit, Jupiter would be a watermelon, and Earth a cherry tomato.
RIDA: Jupiter is mostly gas and looks like it's covered in orange, brown, and cream-colored stripes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Those stripes are actually ginormous swirly storm clouds.
RIDA: Jupiter is truly epic. And today we're answering this question about it from Asher.
ASHER: Hi. My name is Asher from Edmonds, Washington. I've heard Jupiter is Earth's bodyguard. What does that mean?
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Rida, Asher wants to know what it means for Jupiter to be Earth's bodyguard. What comes to mind when you hear that question?
RIDA: I picture Jupiter like being a force field for earth and protecting it from any harm, like how a bodyguard and a celebrity would be.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally. And would you say that you're a fan of outer space?
RIDA: Yeah. I really like outer space, and it really intrigues me, but it also scares me from time to time.
MOLLY BLOOM: Me too. What is it about space that scares you?
RIDA: For me, even though it's unknown and I find it interesting, I think just the unknown scares me because it's so open and so big, and it looks so empty, and you can't hear anything. And it's just-- I don't know. It kind of freaks me out.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think for me, I like the idea of going out there, seeing stuff, microgravity, floating around seems really cool. But when I think about how big space is and how it goes on forever, I feel a funny feeling in my stomach.
RIDA: I agree.
SPEAKER 2: Brains! Brains On!
MOLLY BLOOM: The bodyguard question comes from the idea that Jupiter might be out there protecting Earth from things like comets and asteroids and keeping them from hitting us.
RIDA: Comets and asteroids are things out in space between planets.
MOLLY BLOOM: They can range in size from about six feet wide to dozens of miles wide.
RIDA: Small space rocks enter our atmosphere pretty often, but they usually burn up before they can make it to Earth's surface.
MOLLY BLOOM: A big one could spell trouble, though. Scientists think ancient dinosaurs went extinct after a large asteroid hit earth about 66 million years ago.
RIDA: Luckily for us, scientists also think it's very unlikely anything like that will happen again in the foreseeable future.
MOLLY BLOOM: Whew. And that's where Jupiter comes in. There's an idea out there that Jupiter, with its super strong gravity, is pulling in lots of comets and asteroids, so they crash there instead of on Earth.
[ALARM BEEPS]
Oh, Rida, we got to go! We're supposed to be at a taping of Pop Planet.
RIDA: Oh, the talk show where Star E. Night interviews famous objects in space? The episode where the moon did a duet with Ariana Grande is my fave. I've always wanted to be in the audience for a taping.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah! Today, Star is interviewing Earth and Jupiter about this very topic. We need to be there in 10 minutes.
RIDA: 10 minutes? But it's halfway across town. We'll never make it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we will. All you need is a quick travel transition like this.
[FANFARE MUSIC]
[DOORS SLAMMING]
[WHEELS SCREECHING]
[DOORS OPENING]
Ta-da! Just in time.
RIDA: Wow. Can I borrow that transition for getting to school on Mondays?
MOLLY BLOOM: Sure thing.
CREW: Audience, please stand by. We'll be taping shortly.
RIDA: Whoa, it's so exciting to be here in a TV studio-- the lights, the cameras.
MOLLY BLOOM: The popcorn, the chips, the hard shell tacos.
[CRUNCHING]
[BUZZER]
Ah!
CREW: You there! No eating on set. You're crunching is coming through all the mics.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. In trouble for my love of salty crunchies.
CREW: OK. Quiet on set. We're rolling in 5, 4, 3.
RIDA: It's starting. Yay!
[THEME MUSIC]
STAR: Hello and welcome to Pop Planet! The only show that gets you up close and personal with space. I'm your host, Star E. Night! Today, we've got action, we've got drama, we've got gas! A gas giant, that is. We'll be talking to Jupiter!
[CHEERING]
But first, let's welcome another guest. Say hello to Earth!
[CHEERING]
EARTH: Oh my gosh. Hi, everyone.
STAR: So, Earth, how have you been?
EARTH: Pretty good. Been working on myself, you know, taking spin classes, long walks around the sun, trying to embrace both the light and dark side of my personality. Oh, and providing a home to trillions and trillions of living things.
STAR: Sounds like a lot of pressure!
EARTH: Ugh, it is. You can't imagine how stressful it is being the only known planet with life. It's so precious. I can't let anything happen to my trillions and trillions of little babies.
STAR: What a devoted planet, huh, folks?
[APPLAUSE]
Speaking of taking care, there's been some chatter that you've actually got a special protector.
EARTH: Who? Batman? He isn't real. My humans made him up.
STAR: No! I meant Jupiter!
[LAUGHTER]
EARTH: Ah, yes, Jupiter. You know, it's really amazing. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jupiter is protecting me from asteroid impacts at this very moment. Such a hero, really the Batman of the Solar System.
STAR: Intriguing! So what makes you think Jupiter is protecting you?
EARTH: Well, Star, it all started after Shoemaker-Levy 9.
STAR: Shoemaker what now? Is that a new Marvel movie?
[LAUGHTER]
EARTH: No, no, Star. Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet. My humans discovered it in the 1990s using those telescope things they love. They think Jupiter used its powerful gravity to pull that comet in so it crashed on Jupiter instead of me. What a champ, am I right?
STAR: Indeedy! We'll hear more after this break.
[THEME MUSIC]
[APPLAUSE]
CREW: Cameras are off. Take five, everybody.
MOLLY BLOOM: So interesting about that comet. What was it called again?
RIDA: Shoemaker-Levy 9. It's a cool story, actually. The year was 1994. Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet hurtling through space.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, I love a hurtling comet.
RIDA: It's believed at one point, Shoemaker-Levy 9 was about a mile wide. If it hit Earth, it could have wiped out much of life on the planet.
MOLLY BLOOM: But wait, I'm life on the planet. This won't do.
RIDA: Well, luckily, there was a different planet in its path-- Jupiter. Thanks to Jupiter's massive gravity, the comet was pulled into the mega planet. It smashed into the surface and kicked up dust clouds almost 2,000 miles high.
MOLLY BLOOM: The drama, the action! This has all the makings of a celestial summer blockbuster.
RIDA: Some scientists started to think, maybe Jupiter does this a lot. Maybe Jupiter is constantly drawing in comets and asteroids or even pulling them off course and flinging them into the far reaches of space.
[ROARING SOUND]
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, like a slingshot! So that's how Jupiter got the reputation of being a giant space shield.
RIDA: Yeah, but that's just one side of the story. There's definitely some drama coming.
MOLLY BLOOM: Dun, dun, dun! The intrigue, the suspense, the mystery. I can't wait to hear about it. But first, another mystery. It's time to test your ears with a--
CHILD: (WHISPERING) Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Are you ready for the mystery sound, Rida?
RIDA: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Here it is.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
What do you think?
RIDA: That was so interesting. I think-- I have two options. Either it's a Sharpie, like someone's trying to draw with a Sharpie, but it's getting stuck on the paper. Or it kind of sounds like an animal sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. I can hear both of those. Do you want to hear it again?
RIDA: Yeah, sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
OK. What do you think?
RIDA: I think I still have those two options, but I kind of hear water in the background. I'm not sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: Interesting. OK. We'll hear it again, get another chance to guess, and hear the answer at the end of the show right after the credits.
RIDA: So stick around.
[THEME MUSIC]
MOLLY BLOOM: We're making an episode about trends and how things become cool. And it got us wondering, what kind of trend would you like to start? Maybe you think it would be funny if everyone started wearing their shirts inside out, or you want to make it totally in to paint your fingernails neon orange. What do you think, Rida? What trend would you like to start?
RIDA: I've put a lot of thought into this. I think I would want to start normalizing ball gowns and princess dresses everywhere.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes! Like to the to the mall, to school.
RIDA: Yeah. If anyone wants to dress up and become a pretty little princess or a pretty little prince, they could go to school in a cute outfit, and it would be really cute.
MOLLY BLOOM: I am all for this trend. That sounds wonderful. Listeners, record a description of the trend you would like to start and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
RIDA: Like this one.
SOFIA: Hi, Brains On. My name is Sofia. I'm from Lexington, Kentucky. And if dragons were real, how would they fly around and breathe fire?
MOLLY BLOOM: You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of Um and more at brainson.org.
RIDA: And keep listening.
SPEAKER 3: Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
COMPUTER: Brains On! I'm their biggest fan! I also love Forever Ago, a fun history podcast for the whole family. Listen, I will play you Forever Ago now. You will love.
[BEEPING]
[FANFARE MUSIC]
JOY DOLO: Homing pigeons were a speedy way to deliver messages to military bases. Some pigeons could fly hundreds of miles in a single day, zipping through the air as fast as 60 miles per hour.
SPEAKER 4: That's so fast for such a tiny bird.
JOY DOLO: These pigeons delivered life-saving messages throughout the war.
[BEEPS]
[GASPS]
COMPUTER: Zorp! Where did the signal go?
[BEEPS]
Must find Forever Ago now!
SPEAKER 3: Listen to Forever Ago wherever you get your podcasts.
RIDA: You're listening to Brains On. I'm Rida.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. Today we're talking about the gas giant planet, Jupiter, and how it might protect Earth from getting hit by space rocks.
RIDA: Jupiter's super strong gravity can suck in comets and asteroids that might have hit Earth and destroy them or fling them right out of our Solar System.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's why some scientists nicknamed Jupiter Earth's bodyguard because it protects us from getting hit by stuff in our Solar System.
RIDA: We asked you, if you could give a planet a nickname, what would it be?
[? KESLEY: ?] My name is Kesley from Lake Bluff, Illinois. And if Saturn was a dancer, her nickname would be Sa-Turn.
COOPER: I would nickname Mars Dusty Red because it's dusty and red.
LOGAN: And the nickname that comes up for Venus is Venux.
CLEMENTINE: Hi. My name is Clementine. I am from Indio, California. And I have a nickname for Pluto. I like to call it Pluno because it's not a planet.
SANTIAGO: Hi. I'm Santiago from Melbourne, Australia. My nickname for the second largest planet, Saturn, will be Lord of the Rings.
BRONTE: I'm Bronte from Sydney, Australia. And I think Neptune's personality would be sassy, and their nickname would be SW, short for sonic wind because of their super fast winds.
MOLLY BLOOM: Those were amazing. Thanks to Kesley, Cooper, Logan, Clementine, Santiago, and Bronte for sending in your ideas. But now let's get back to Jupiter.
RIDA: Yeah! Pop Planet is starting again.
CREW: OK, people, we're back in 10 seconds. Let's hear the energy. 5, 4, 3.
[APPLAUSE]
AUDIENCE: Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.!
STAR: Welcome back to Pop Planet! Before the break, we had a chat with the lovely Earth here about their bodyguard, Jupiter. But what if I told you that Jupiter might not be as reliable a protector as you've been led to believe?
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
What if I told you that Jupiter might actually fling comets and asteroids toward Earth?
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
What do you say to that, Earth?
EARTH: Eh. I'd say, show me the cold, hard scientific proof.
STAR: Luckily, I happen to have in my hand here some scientific studies that say Jupiter might be doing as much to harm Earth as to help it, like this study. Scientists ran a computer simulation to see what would happen to earth if Jupiter didn't exist at all.
EARTH: So like if there wasn't a planet with mega gravity to pull in asteroids and comets?
STAR: Exactly! This study found that if Jupiter didn't exist, Earth would still be hit with the same number of comets and asteroids as it currently is. That suggests, maybe Jupiter isn't making a difference either way.
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
EARTH: So what? That's just one study.
STAR: Here's another one that says that Jupiter might actually be harming you, Earth, by pulling in comets and asteroids from far off in the Solar System closer to you. Those comets and asteroids might otherwise have stayed far away, but Jupiter's pull might be bringing them closer to you.
AUDIENCE: No way.
EARTH: That's not the lovable gassy giant I know. I want to talk to Jupiter.
STAR: Then it's a good thing it's right backstage. Jupiter, come on out!
[AUDIENCE BOOING]
AUDIENCE: Get out of here, Jupiter!
JUPITER: Earth, I can explain.
EARTH: Are you putting me in danger, Jupiter?
JUPITER: Earth, look at these scars all over my surface. This one's from a comet, another comet, asteroid, comet. You think I'm pulling these things in for my health?
EARTH: But how do I know those comets and asteroids would have come anywhere near me if you hadn't pulled them in with your gravity, Jupiter? And what if you actually are pulling in stuff and sending it my way?
JUPITER: Look, I'm just a planet with a mega super gravity. I can't help it if my size is affecting the things around me. None of this is personal, Earth. It's just physics!
STAR: Well, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today.
[THEME MUSIC]
Looks like Earth and Jupiter will have to sort this one out on their own. We'll talk to Saturn's moon Enceladus. They say there might be oceans there. Your next beach vacation, we'll find out! This has been Pop Planet! I'm your host, Star E. Night. Thanks for watching!
[APPLAUSE]
[THEME MUSIC]
[CHEERING]
CREW: Cameras are off. Take five, everybody.
MOLLY BLOOM: Man, that's great stuff. I definitely made the right call on these tickets.
RIDA: What do you mean?
MOLLY BLOOM: I was trying to decide between this and The View, which is just a live feed from the James Webb Space Telescope.
RIDA: Oh, yeah. Good call.
MOLLY BLOOM: So I guess we don't really know if Jupiter is protecting Earth or not. We know that it's pulling some asteroids and comets into it, and they smash on the surface. And sometimes it might draw something toward it but then slingshot it out into the far reaches of the Solar System.
RIDA: But some scientists think Jupiter could also be pulling some things closer to us than they would have been otherwise.
MOLLY BLOOM: With a lot of things in space, it's complicated, and we're still trying to work it all out.
[ALARM BEEPS]
RIDA: Your alarm. What is it this time?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh no. The Brains On Dainty Laugh Contest is about to start. I can't miss it. I've perfected the daintiest of laughs.
[LAUGHS DAINTILY]
RIDA: That is dainty.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] Thank you. Let's transition back to the studio.
[FANFARE MUSIC]
[LOOPY MUSIC]
No!
RIDA: What happened?
MOLLY BLOOM: My transition is broken.
RIDA: So we can't magic our way back?
MOLLY BLOOM: No. We'll just have to use that other form of magic, public transportation.
RIDA: Quick, to the bus.
[BUS HORNS]
[THEME MUSIC]
RIDA: Jupiter's gravity is really, really strong.
MOLLY BLOOM: That means it can pull objects from space, like comets and asteroids, into its surface.
RIDA: Like it did with the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
MOLLY BLOOM: And sometimes Jupiter flings space rocks out of our Solar System.
RIDA: But scientists think Jupiter might also pull things into our Solar System that otherwise wouldn't come anywhere near Earth.
MOLLY BLOOM: If Jupiter didn't exist at all, we might not even notice it was gone.
RIDA: So is Jupiter a good bodyguard for Earth?
MOLLY BLOOM: In some ways, yes. And in other ways, it's hard to say.
RIDA: That's it for this episode of Brains On.
MOLLY BLOOM: This episode was written by--
JESS MILLER: Jess Miller.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: It was edited by--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: --with fact-checking by me, Molly Bloom. We had engineering help from Gary O'Keefe and Josh Savageau with sound design and original theme music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Sanchez.
RIDA: We had production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly Bloom.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
--and--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Beth Pearlman is our executive producer, and the executives-in-charge of APM studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Sarah Zaidi and Hussain Rizvi, Yusuf, Zoya, and Rida's cousins.
RIDA: Brains On is a nonprofit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: There are lots of ways to support the show. Sign up for the Brains On Universe newsletter for bonus activities, reading recommendations, conversation starters, and more. Head to brainson.org to subscribe.
RIDA: While you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
MOLLY BLOOM: Speaking of mystery sounds, are you ready to hear that mystery sound again, Rida?
RIDA: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Here it is.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
Because the last time you thought, maybe a whiteboard marker. You heard some water in there. What are you thinking now?
RIDA: I still think it might be an animal in the water, making noises, or maybe a dolphin.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh! Yeah, it does kind of sound dolphiny, doesn't it? Are you ready for the answer?
RIDA: Yeah, let's do it.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
AKASH: My name is Akash. I'm from Memphis, Tennessee. That's the sound of me drinking from my water bottle without a straw.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. So you did hear water in there. That was absolutely correct. So that sound was kind of like when you sip really fast through a water bottle. It makes that kind of--
RIDA: Yeah. I was a little off.
MOLLY BLOOM: You were just a little off but not too bad. I'm impressed. You've got excellent ears.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
Now it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.
[LISTING HONOR ROLL]
[THEME MUSIC ]
SINGER: Brains Honor Roll.
We'll be back next week with an episode all about why salt makes food taste good.
RITA: Thanks for listening.
SPEAKER 1: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the national science foundation.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ah, lunchtime at Brains On headquarters. Is there anything more delightful than enjoying a nice soggy sandwich in the confines of this windowless break room? Oh, hey, Marc!
MARC SANCHEZ: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Jeez, you're hungry. What do you have for lunch today?
MARC SANCHEZ: Beans!
MOLLY BLOOM: Beans? Any particular kind?
MARC SANCHEZ: Oh, all kinds-- black, baked, garbanzo, lima, navy, pinto.
MOLLY BLOOM: Why beans?
MARC SANCHEZ: I want to be like Jupiter!
MOLLY BLOOM: Elaborate?
MARC SANCHEZ: [SIGHS] OK. I read somewhere that Jupiter is like Earth's bodyguard, like a protector. It stops big space rocks from hitting us. And I though Brains On HQ could use somebody like that. I want to be the one who protects this place.
MOLLY BLOOM: But why the beans?
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, you know how Jupiter is a gas giant? That's where the beans come in because you know what they say. Beans, beans, they're good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you-- [FARTS]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, Marc. It's nice that you want to protect headquarters, but that's not-- I mean, Jupiter isn't made of that kind of gas.
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, I'm also not a multibillion-year-old planet, Molly. Sometimes you've got to work with what you have.
[FARTS]
[GIGGLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: I suppose so, but I think I'll eat my lunch at my desk today. See you, Marc.
MARC SANCHEZ: See you!
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ah, lunchtime. Oh. Hey, Marc.
MARC SANCHEZ: Hi, Ruby.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Man, that's a lot of beans you got there. Are you-- [SNIFFS]-- becoming a gas giant so you can be like Jupiter and protect Brains On HQ?
MARC SANCHEZ: Thank you. Finally, someone who gets me.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Classic Marc.
[THEME MUSIC]
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm Molly Bloom, and my cohost today is Rida from Long Island, New York. Hi, Rida.
RIDA: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today we've got our metaphorical telescopes aimed at Jupiter.
RIDA: Jupiter is the oldest planet in our Solar System. It formed only a million years after the sun and millions of years before Earth.
MOLLY BLOOM: So Jups is like the oldest child in the planet family?
RIDA: Yeah, and it's the biggest. If it were hollow, you could fit 1,000 Earths in there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Or if the planets were fruit, Jupiter would be a watermelon, and Earth a cherry tomato.
RIDA: Jupiter is mostly gas and looks like it's covered in orange, brown, and cream-colored stripes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Those stripes are actually ginormous swirly storm clouds.
RIDA: Jupiter is truly epic. And today we're answering this question about it from Asher.
ASHER: Hi. My name is Asher from Edmonds, Washington. I've heard Jupiter is Earth's bodyguard. What does that mean?
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Rida, Asher wants to know what it means for Jupiter to be Earth's bodyguard. What comes to mind when you hear that question?
RIDA: I picture Jupiter like being a force field for earth and protecting it from any harm, like how a bodyguard and a celebrity would be.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally. And would you say that you're a fan of outer space?
RIDA: Yeah. I really like outer space, and it really intrigues me, but it also scares me from time to time.
MOLLY BLOOM: Me too. What is it about space that scares you?
RIDA: For me, even though it's unknown and I find it interesting, I think just the unknown scares me because it's so open and so big, and it looks so empty, and you can't hear anything. And it's just-- I don't know. It kind of freaks me out.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think for me, I like the idea of going out there, seeing stuff, microgravity, floating around seems really cool. But when I think about how big space is and how it goes on forever, I feel a funny feeling in my stomach.
RIDA: I agree.
SPEAKER 2: Brains! Brains On!
MOLLY BLOOM: The bodyguard question comes from the idea that Jupiter might be out there protecting Earth from things like comets and asteroids and keeping them from hitting us.
RIDA: Comets and asteroids are things out in space between planets.
MOLLY BLOOM: They can range in size from about six feet wide to dozens of miles wide.
RIDA: Small space rocks enter our atmosphere pretty often, but they usually burn up before they can make it to Earth's surface.
MOLLY BLOOM: A big one could spell trouble, though. Scientists think ancient dinosaurs went extinct after a large asteroid hit earth about 66 million years ago.
RIDA: Luckily for us, scientists also think it's very unlikely anything like that will happen again in the foreseeable future.
MOLLY BLOOM: Whew. And that's where Jupiter comes in. There's an idea out there that Jupiter, with its super strong gravity, is pulling in lots of comets and asteroids, so they crash there instead of on Earth.
[ALARM BEEPS]
Oh, Rida, we got to go! We're supposed to be at a taping of Pop Planet.
RIDA: Oh, the talk show where Star E. Night interviews famous objects in space? The episode where the moon did a duet with Ariana Grande is my fave. I've always wanted to be in the audience for a taping.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah! Today, Star is interviewing Earth and Jupiter about this very topic. We need to be there in 10 minutes.
RIDA: 10 minutes? But it's halfway across town. We'll never make it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we will. All you need is a quick travel transition like this.
[FANFARE MUSIC]
[DOORS SLAMMING]
[WHEELS SCREECHING]
[DOORS OPENING]
Ta-da! Just in time.
RIDA: Wow. Can I borrow that transition for getting to school on Mondays?
MOLLY BLOOM: Sure thing.
CREW: Audience, please stand by. We'll be taping shortly.
RIDA: Whoa, it's so exciting to be here in a TV studio-- the lights, the cameras.
MOLLY BLOOM: The popcorn, the chips, the hard shell tacos.
[CRUNCHING]
[BUZZER]
Ah!
CREW: You there! No eating on set. You're crunching is coming through all the mics.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. In trouble for my love of salty crunchies.
CREW: OK. Quiet on set. We're rolling in 5, 4, 3.
RIDA: It's starting. Yay!
[THEME MUSIC]
STAR: Hello and welcome to Pop Planet! The only show that gets you up close and personal with space. I'm your host, Star E. Night! Today, we've got action, we've got drama, we've got gas! A gas giant, that is. We'll be talking to Jupiter!
[CHEERING]
But first, let's welcome another guest. Say hello to Earth!
[CHEERING]
EARTH: Oh my gosh. Hi, everyone.
STAR: So, Earth, how have you been?
EARTH: Pretty good. Been working on myself, you know, taking spin classes, long walks around the sun, trying to embrace both the light and dark side of my personality. Oh, and providing a home to trillions and trillions of living things.
STAR: Sounds like a lot of pressure!
EARTH: Ugh, it is. You can't imagine how stressful it is being the only known planet with life. It's so precious. I can't let anything happen to my trillions and trillions of little babies.
STAR: What a devoted planet, huh, folks?
[APPLAUSE]
Speaking of taking care, there's been some chatter that you've actually got a special protector.
EARTH: Who? Batman? He isn't real. My humans made him up.
STAR: No! I meant Jupiter!
[LAUGHTER]
EARTH: Ah, yes, Jupiter. You know, it's really amazing. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jupiter is protecting me from asteroid impacts at this very moment. Such a hero, really the Batman of the Solar System.
STAR: Intriguing! So what makes you think Jupiter is protecting you?
EARTH: Well, Star, it all started after Shoemaker-Levy 9.
STAR: Shoemaker what now? Is that a new Marvel movie?
[LAUGHTER]
EARTH: No, no, Star. Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet. My humans discovered it in the 1990s using those telescope things they love. They think Jupiter used its powerful gravity to pull that comet in so it crashed on Jupiter instead of me. What a champ, am I right?
STAR: Indeedy! We'll hear more after this break.
[THEME MUSIC]
[APPLAUSE]
CREW: Cameras are off. Take five, everybody.
MOLLY BLOOM: So interesting about that comet. What was it called again?
RIDA: Shoemaker-Levy 9. It's a cool story, actually. The year was 1994. Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet hurtling through space.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, I love a hurtling comet.
RIDA: It's believed at one point, Shoemaker-Levy 9 was about a mile wide. If it hit Earth, it could have wiped out much of life on the planet.
MOLLY BLOOM: But wait, I'm life on the planet. This won't do.
RIDA: Well, luckily, there was a different planet in its path-- Jupiter. Thanks to Jupiter's massive gravity, the comet was pulled into the mega planet. It smashed into the surface and kicked up dust clouds almost 2,000 miles high.
MOLLY BLOOM: The drama, the action! This has all the makings of a celestial summer blockbuster.
RIDA: Some scientists started to think, maybe Jupiter does this a lot. Maybe Jupiter is constantly drawing in comets and asteroids or even pulling them off course and flinging them into the far reaches of space.
[ROARING SOUND]
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, like a slingshot! So that's how Jupiter got the reputation of being a giant space shield.
RIDA: Yeah, but that's just one side of the story. There's definitely some drama coming.
MOLLY BLOOM: Dun, dun, dun! The intrigue, the suspense, the mystery. I can't wait to hear about it. But first, another mystery. It's time to test your ears with a--
CHILD: (WHISPERING) Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Are you ready for the mystery sound, Rida?
RIDA: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Here it is.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
What do you think?
RIDA: That was so interesting. I think-- I have two options. Either it's a Sharpie, like someone's trying to draw with a Sharpie, but it's getting stuck on the paper. Or it kind of sounds like an animal sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. I can hear both of those. Do you want to hear it again?
RIDA: Yeah, sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
OK. What do you think?
RIDA: I think I still have those two options, but I kind of hear water in the background. I'm not sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: Interesting. OK. We'll hear it again, get another chance to guess, and hear the answer at the end of the show right after the credits.
RIDA: So stick around.
[THEME MUSIC]
MOLLY BLOOM: We're making an episode about trends and how things become cool. And it got us wondering, what kind of trend would you like to start? Maybe you think it would be funny if everyone started wearing their shirts inside out, or you want to make it totally in to paint your fingernails neon orange. What do you think, Rida? What trend would you like to start?
RIDA: I've put a lot of thought into this. I think I would want to start normalizing ball gowns and princess dresses everywhere.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes! Like to the to the mall, to school.
RIDA: Yeah. If anyone wants to dress up and become a pretty little princess or a pretty little prince, they could go to school in a cute outfit, and it would be really cute.
MOLLY BLOOM: I am all for this trend. That sounds wonderful. Listeners, record a description of the trend you would like to start and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
RIDA: Like this one.
SOFIA: Hi, Brains On. My name is Sofia. I'm from Lexington, Kentucky. And if dragons were real, how would they fly around and breathe fire?
MOLLY BLOOM: You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of Um and more at brainson.org.
RIDA: And keep listening.
SPEAKER 3: Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
COMPUTER: Brains On! I'm their biggest fan! I also love Forever Ago, a fun history podcast for the whole family. Listen, I will play you Forever Ago now. You will love.
[BEEPING]
[FANFARE MUSIC]
JOY DOLO: Homing pigeons were a speedy way to deliver messages to military bases. Some pigeons could fly hundreds of miles in a single day, zipping through the air as fast as 60 miles per hour.
SPEAKER 4: That's so fast for such a tiny bird.
JOY DOLO: These pigeons delivered life-saving messages throughout the war.
[BEEPS]
[GASPS]
COMPUTER: Zorp! Where did the signal go?
[BEEPS]
Must find Forever Ago now!
SPEAKER 3: Listen to Forever Ago wherever you get your podcasts.
RIDA: You're listening to Brains On. I'm Rida.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. Today we're talking about the gas giant planet, Jupiter, and how it might protect Earth from getting hit by space rocks.
RIDA: Jupiter's super strong gravity can suck in comets and asteroids that might have hit Earth and destroy them or fling them right out of our Solar System.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's why some scientists nicknamed Jupiter Earth's bodyguard because it protects us from getting hit by stuff in our Solar System.
RIDA: We asked you, if you could give a planet a nickname, what would it be?
[? KESLEY: ?] My name is Kesley from Lake Bluff, Illinois. And if Saturn was a dancer, her nickname would be Sa-Turn.
COOPER: I would nickname Mars Dusty Red because it's dusty and red.
LOGAN: And the nickname that comes up for Venus is Venux.
CLEMENTINE: Hi. My name is Clementine. I am from Indio, California. And I have a nickname for Pluto. I like to call it Pluno because it's not a planet.
SANTIAGO: Hi. I'm Santiago from Melbourne, Australia. My nickname for the second largest planet, Saturn, will be Lord of the Rings.
BRONTE: I'm Bronte from Sydney, Australia. And I think Neptune's personality would be sassy, and their nickname would be SW, short for sonic wind because of their super fast winds.
MOLLY BLOOM: Those were amazing. Thanks to Kesley, Cooper, Logan, Clementine, Santiago, and Bronte for sending in your ideas. But now let's get back to Jupiter.
RIDA: Yeah! Pop Planet is starting again.
CREW: OK, people, we're back in 10 seconds. Let's hear the energy. 5, 4, 3.
[APPLAUSE]
AUDIENCE: Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.! Star E.!
STAR: Welcome back to Pop Planet! Before the break, we had a chat with the lovely Earth here about their bodyguard, Jupiter. But what if I told you that Jupiter might not be as reliable a protector as you've been led to believe?
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
What if I told you that Jupiter might actually fling comets and asteroids toward Earth?
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
What do you say to that, Earth?
EARTH: Eh. I'd say, show me the cold, hard scientific proof.
STAR: Luckily, I happen to have in my hand here some scientific studies that say Jupiter might be doing as much to harm Earth as to help it, like this study. Scientists ran a computer simulation to see what would happen to earth if Jupiter didn't exist at all.
EARTH: So like if there wasn't a planet with mega gravity to pull in asteroids and comets?
STAR: Exactly! This study found that if Jupiter didn't exist, Earth would still be hit with the same number of comets and asteroids as it currently is. That suggests, maybe Jupiter isn't making a difference either way.
[AUDIENCE GASPING]
EARTH: So what? That's just one study.
STAR: Here's another one that says that Jupiter might actually be harming you, Earth, by pulling in comets and asteroids from far off in the Solar System closer to you. Those comets and asteroids might otherwise have stayed far away, but Jupiter's pull might be bringing them closer to you.
AUDIENCE: No way.
EARTH: That's not the lovable gassy giant I know. I want to talk to Jupiter.
STAR: Then it's a good thing it's right backstage. Jupiter, come on out!
[AUDIENCE BOOING]
AUDIENCE: Get out of here, Jupiter!
JUPITER: Earth, I can explain.
EARTH: Are you putting me in danger, Jupiter?
JUPITER: Earth, look at these scars all over my surface. This one's from a comet, another comet, asteroid, comet. You think I'm pulling these things in for my health?
EARTH: But how do I know those comets and asteroids would have come anywhere near me if you hadn't pulled them in with your gravity, Jupiter? And what if you actually are pulling in stuff and sending it my way?
JUPITER: Look, I'm just a planet with a mega super gravity. I can't help it if my size is affecting the things around me. None of this is personal, Earth. It's just physics!
STAR: Well, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today.
[THEME MUSIC]
Looks like Earth and Jupiter will have to sort this one out on their own. We'll talk to Saturn's moon Enceladus. They say there might be oceans there. Your next beach vacation, we'll find out! This has been Pop Planet! I'm your host, Star E. Night. Thanks for watching!
[APPLAUSE]
[THEME MUSIC]
[CHEERING]
CREW: Cameras are off. Take five, everybody.
MOLLY BLOOM: Man, that's great stuff. I definitely made the right call on these tickets.
RIDA: What do you mean?
MOLLY BLOOM: I was trying to decide between this and The View, which is just a live feed from the James Webb Space Telescope.
RIDA: Oh, yeah. Good call.
MOLLY BLOOM: So I guess we don't really know if Jupiter is protecting Earth or not. We know that it's pulling some asteroids and comets into it, and they smash on the surface. And sometimes it might draw something toward it but then slingshot it out into the far reaches of the Solar System.
RIDA: But some scientists think Jupiter could also be pulling some things closer to us than they would have been otherwise.
MOLLY BLOOM: With a lot of things in space, it's complicated, and we're still trying to work it all out.
[ALARM BEEPS]
RIDA: Your alarm. What is it this time?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh no. The Brains On Dainty Laugh Contest is about to start. I can't miss it. I've perfected the daintiest of laughs.
[LAUGHS DAINTILY]
RIDA: That is dainty.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] Thank you. Let's transition back to the studio.
[FANFARE MUSIC]
[LOOPY MUSIC]
No!
RIDA: What happened?
MOLLY BLOOM: My transition is broken.
RIDA: So we can't magic our way back?
MOLLY BLOOM: No. We'll just have to use that other form of magic, public transportation.
RIDA: Quick, to the bus.
[BUS HORNS]
[THEME MUSIC]
RIDA: Jupiter's gravity is really, really strong.
MOLLY BLOOM: That means it can pull objects from space, like comets and asteroids, into its surface.
RIDA: Like it did with the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
MOLLY BLOOM: And sometimes Jupiter flings space rocks out of our Solar System.
RIDA: But scientists think Jupiter might also pull things into our Solar System that otherwise wouldn't come anywhere near Earth.
MOLLY BLOOM: If Jupiter didn't exist at all, we might not even notice it was gone.
RIDA: So is Jupiter a good bodyguard for Earth?
MOLLY BLOOM: In some ways, yes. And in other ways, it's hard to say.
RIDA: That's it for this episode of Brains On.
MOLLY BLOOM: This episode was written by--
JESS MILLER: Jess Miller.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: It was edited by--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: --with fact-checking by me, Molly Bloom. We had engineering help from Gary O'Keefe and Josh Savageau with sound design and original theme music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Sanchez.
RIDA: We had production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly Bloom.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
--and--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Beth Pearlman is our executive producer, and the executives-in-charge of APM studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Sarah Zaidi and Hussain Rizvi, Yusuf, Zoya, and Rida's cousins.
RIDA: Brains On is a nonprofit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: There are lots of ways to support the show. Sign up for the Brains On Universe newsletter for bonus activities, reading recommendations, conversation starters, and more. Head to brainson.org to subscribe.
RIDA: While you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
MOLLY BLOOM: Speaking of mystery sounds, are you ready to hear that mystery sound again, Rida?
RIDA: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Here it is.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
Because the last time you thought, maybe a whiteboard marker. You heard some water in there. What are you thinking now?
RIDA: I still think it might be an animal in the water, making noises, or maybe a dolphin.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh! Yeah, it does kind of sound dolphiny, doesn't it? Are you ready for the answer?
RIDA: Yeah, let's do it.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
AKASH: My name is Akash. I'm from Memphis, Tennessee. That's the sound of me drinking from my water bottle without a straw.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. So you did hear water in there. That was absolutely correct. So that sound was kind of like when you sip really fast through a water bottle. It makes that kind of--
RIDA: Yeah. I was a little off.
MOLLY BLOOM: You were just a little off but not too bad. I'm impressed. You've got excellent ears.
[MYSTERY SOUND]
Now it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.
[LISTING HONOR ROLL]
[THEME MUSIC ]
SINGER: Brains Honor Roll.
We'll be back next week with an episode all about why salt makes food taste good.
RITA: Thanks for listening.
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.
