David Kipping

Hi BlueSky! I'm a Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University where I lead the Cool Worlds Lab, studying exoplanets, exomoons & exolife and sharing our passion for science over YouTube.com/CoolWorldsLab. I post about my team's research, spicy hot takes and whatever's going on in my life.

New paper! Allow me to introduce TARS = Torqued Accelerator using Radiation from the Sun. TARS (yes inspired by Interstellar!) is a rotating light sail that's capable of launching chip sats into interstellar space using only radiation from the Sun, so let's dive into how it works.

I am looking to commission some spacecraft CGI animations, professional quality on par with spacecraft deployment videos we often see in NASA/ESA videos. If you have the skills and are interested, reply below and I'll add you for DM follow up!

The principles of a university are anti-institutional. It’s a place which explores controversial ideas, challenges dogmatic thinking and celebrates academic free speech. No wonder institutions don’t like them.

New podcast (solo) episode: We Need to Talk About That "First Exomoon" Discovery. Featuring views of Alice Zurlo, Kevin Luhman, @chrislintott.bsky.social, @jradavenport.com and @trentdupuy.bsky.social youtu.be/YGKrb3FAdM0

YouTube is really having a moment about AI. There is enormous anti-AI sentiment and yet simultaneously widespread AI use at various levels. I don’t think academia has quite had that moment yet, but it mirrors YT with AI-slop papers, reviews, proposals, etc and anecdotally ubiquitous use.

This is really sad to see

Why I don't think CD-35 2722B has an "exomoon"...

Space tastes delicious

Prices keeps rising. When will this AI-driven age of abundance manifest? The problem I see is that heavily indebted governments (basically all of them) would oppose abundance as it’s deflationary. They want to inflate away their debt. Because we borrowed so much, we’re trapped with rising prices.

NYC remains undefeated as the greatest city on Earth youtu.be/RPjL909DiVI?...

A fun conversation with my colleague Janna Levin!

We don’t need to politicize astronomical bodies

Are folks excited about SpudCell? Whilst an impressive technical feat, I have to question how much precisely engineered cells reveal about the natural propensity for abiogenesis. Of course it does guide us about the minimal set needed for life, but that feels like a much smaller prize.