This podcast episode explores the challenges of the three-body problem in astronomy and the difficulties in predicting the future behavior of celestial systems. The episode discusses the mathematical equations used to solve the two-body problem and how they can be applied to the three-body problem. It also highlights the small chance of Mercury colliding with the Sun or being flung into Venus. The episode emphasizes the build-up of tiny variations over time and its impact on the behavior of celestial systems. The fictional universe of The Three-Body Problem is mentioned, with a discussion on the computational power to predict short-term behavior in systems with three stars. The conclusion humorously suggests that the aliens in the book must be bad at math if they cannot predict their planet's behavior.
