If hypothetically you knew a science writer who was going to interview the guy who discovered the first extrasolar planets, what would you want her to ask him?
The story is for Wired’s “This Day in Tech History” section, for April 22, the day the paper in Science confirming the existence of three planets around pulsar PSR B1257+12 came out in 1994. So I can really ask him anything. What did you have for breakfast that day? What did your mom say when you told her?
So what do you want to know?
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I was never clear whether the planets are remnants from before the supernova, or if they formed from supernova debris. So you could ask that.
Also, you could ask what the environment on those planets would be? Exactly how nasty and irradiated are they?
Good luck! Looking forward to your article!
Did you ever get to interview him? Is the article out yet?
Oh, yeah! It was great fun! http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2009/04/dayintech_0421
I should really be better about updating this thing. Sigh. Maybe when I’m done with school.
By the way, Fine Structure, I like your stuff. :-)
Thanks! I’ve written about one of your articles in symmetry breaking before, so it goes without saying that I’m a fan of your stuff as well.
For me, school provides lots of inspiration for things to write about, and plenty of excuses to not have time to write about them :)