Dakotah Tyler

From D1 football to earning a PhD in astrophysics.

What an honor for it all to culminate the day I was hooded as a doctor—being chosen to speak at UCLA’s Physics & Astronomy graduation.

Here’s a clip from my speech that I think applies not just to scientists, but to everybody

But we are only going to continue to uncover the mysteries of other planets if we continue to fund NASA!!!

Congrats to lead author @gjgilbert.bsky.social on the discovery! Direct any questions to him!

Check out the press release and paper here: newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ecc...

However, in the coming years there are a number of observatories slated to go online (Roman Space Telescope, Habitable Worlds Observatory) that will help fill out the census of known planets extending to orbital distances more comparable to the planets in our own solar system!

2) Most of the planets Kepler has observed have orbits under ~100 days. That’s inside the orbit of Mercury! Yes, most of the planets we know of in the galaxy are way closer to their stars than anything in our solar system, so its not an apples to apples comparison when it comes to our solar system

1) everything we have talked about is based on population average, meaning that there will be gas giants with circular orbits and rocky planets with elliptical orbits in the same way that there are some shorter men and taller women, but, on average, men are taller than women

So now that we know that large planets have more elliptical (aka eccentric) orbits, how do we explain our solar system, in which that does not seem to be the case?

A couple things to keep in mind ⬇️

Those extremely large planets with all that gravity start to wreak havoc and chaos which sets them on more elliptical orbits. Where as smaller planets remain on more calm, circular orbits

Small planets are modest hobbits, Large planets are wild ogres

The largest planets have strong enough gravity to start pulling in hydrogen and helium gas which is by far the most abundant material around, allowing them to become behemoths

We generally know how planets form. Dust particles stick together until they become pebbles, pebbles stick together until they become boulders, boulder become mountains, and mountains become planets, you get the idea

This plot from the paper perfectly describes the situation. Large planets are rare, orbit stars with lots of metals, and have more elliptical orbits. This transition happens consistently at just under 4 Earth radii

This suggests planets above and below this size form differently!

New analysis of planet demographics show a clear difference in orbit shape for small & large planets. These gas giants tend to form around stars made of heavy metals. This should make sense because more heavy metals means more building blocks for planets 🤔

Another thing to keep in mind is that Giant planets are actually quite rare, about 10x less common than small planets

Remember that Planets orbit their stars in ellipses not circles

This important discovery by Johannes Kepler proved that the Sun and NOT the earth was not the center of the solar system

A longstanding question in planet formation—Why is Earth Earth, and Jupiter, Jupiter?

It’s not just their sizes, we can also learn a lot about planets by studying the shapes of their orbits!

🚨Breaking exoplanet discovery🚨UCLA astronomers uncover that Gas giants form via distinctly different pathways from smaller planets 🧵

Thank you!!

Everything negative they tried to say about Caitlin Clark was wrong. Phenomenal athlete obviously but very strong character and maturity as well. Every time they put a mic in front of her she demonstrates humility, poise, wisdom, leadership, empathy etc.

Periodic reminder that a scientific ‘theory’:

- makes specific, testable predictions
- can be proven wrong by evidence
- has survived repeated testing

A theory isn't just an idea or hypothesis! It's a well tested explanation of how something works

The crazy thing about doing a PhD is that when you catch up with somebody you haven’t seen in a while they always ask if you’ve graduated “yet” 🫠

No actually please excuse me while I jump off the nearest ledge

Appreciate you bro!

Biology enables, culture forbids

Just set my dissertation defense date! A decade ago, I was working nights unloading planes so I could take algebra at community college, chasing a wild dream of becoming an astrophysicist. Now I’m months away from earning a PhD!

Dreams don’t have deadlines. Never quit on yourself 🫶🏽

That’s the goal right. If there are any advanced species in the universe that stand the test of time I suspect the true hurdle to overcome is tipping that scale for good

I’m being playful with the man cold reference (I really get pushed to the brink with mine 😭), but research moves the needle forward. If medical science factors in these immune differences, it’s a win for everyone and a step toward better health care for all

Recognizing that men and women have different immune profiles is crucial for improving healthcare. Understanding these differences can guide doctors toward better diagnostic tools and treatments

Autoimmune disorders are notoriously tough to diagnose and treat. Unlike infections caused by outside invaders, autoimmune diseases involve your own immune system attacking healthy cells. This complexity has likely led to many women’s symptoms being misunderstood or completely overlooked

But this stronger immune response comes with a trade-off! Evolution ALWAYS has trade-offs. Those same NK cells and other immune defenses increase the risk of the body turning against itself, resulting in higher rates of autoimmune diseases among women

You could think of evolutionary reasons stronger immune system responses in women would be favorable. Staying healthy before during and after childbirth for example which is a vulnerable and dangerous time. Whatever the reason, at the population level this seems to be true

On the flip side, women generally have more aggressive immune systems. One reason? They often have more active natural killer (NK) immune cells which specialize in identifying and eliminating infected or abnormal cells. This helps women fend off many illnesses more effectively!

Ever heard of a “man cold”? This the idea that men exaggerate their symptoms when they get sick? Turns out there might actually be some science behind it. Recent research suggests men’s immune responses may be weaker, leading to more frequent, often more intense infections