“Most Jupiter-sized planets orbit the mother star in a highly elliptical orbit. This means they will often cross the orbit of any Earth-like planet and fling it into outer space, making life impossible. But our Jupiter travels in a near-perfect circular orbit, preventing a collision with any Earth-like planet, making life possible.”

American theoretical physicist, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular science

Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, science communicator, futurologist, and popular science writer. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and the CUNY Graduate Center. He has written several books on physics and related subjects, and he is a familiar presence in radio, television, and film. He also writes regularly for his own blog and for other popular media outlets. In 2021, he received the Sir Arthur Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award for work that helped connect science and science fiction.