A University of British Columbia astronomer who has identified thousands of possible worlds beyond our solar system is the featured guest on the latest episode of Innovation UBC’s Beaker Banter podcast.
Dr. Michelle Kunimoto joins host Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos for A Planet Hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy, a wide-ranging conversation about exoplanets, the search for habitable environments, and what distant worlds might reveal about our place in the universe.
Kunimoto is an assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. Across her planet-hunting work, she has identified more than 3,000 planet candidates.
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. By finding and studying large numbers of them, astronomers can begin to understand how planetary systems form, how diverse they are, and how frequently potentially habitable environments might occur.
Before joining UBC’s faculty, Kunimoto worked at MIT on NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, better known as TESS. The space telescope monitors millions of stars for small, recurring drops in brightness that may indicate a planet passing in front of its host star.
Kunimoto’s research includes developing ways to process enormous volumes of telescope data and separate promising planetary signals from false positives. Her broader goal is not simply to discover individual worlds, but to build a clearer picture of the population of planets throughout the galaxy—particularly those that may be Earth-like or capable of supporting liquid water.
The new Beaker Banter episode makes that science approachable, exploring questions ranging from whether humanity is alone in the universe to whether Pluto deserves to be called a planet. Even the best reason to visit Las Vegas finds its way into the conversation.
Hosted by scientist, comedian, and musician Lithopoulos, Beaker Banter is designed to introduce audiences to both the discoveries and the people behind them. Lithopoulos is a UBC postdoctoral fellow whose own research examines stem cells, brain development, and potential treatments for conditions affecting the brain.
Presented in partnership with Innovation UBC, the podcast combines research, storytelling, and humour to make complex scientific ideas accessible beyond the laboratory.
Watch Episode 2: A Planet Hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy to learn how researchers find distant planets—and what those discoveries could tell us about the possibility of life elsewhere.
Leave a Reply