Shows / Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today Podcast
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Episodes
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 691: Interview: Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute
This week I'll be talking Dr. Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about his work searching the Universe for evidence of extraterrestrials.Our Book is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 690: The Opposition of Mars with Ralph Crewe
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 689: Open Space 90: Could We Drill for Life on Mars? And More...
In this week's live questions show, I answer questions about drilling for microbes on Mars, missions that could survive the surface of Venus, and if anyone…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 687: Open Space 89: Scott Gaudi and the HabEx Mission
Our Book is out!https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/Audio Podcast version:ITunes…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 688: Remnants From the Early Universe. Primordial Black Holes
Black holes are already mind-bending enough. Matter and energy compressed into a region so dense that the escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. Places…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 684: Open Space 87: What Would It Take to Terraform Venus, And More...
Our Book is out!https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/Audio Podcast version:ITunes…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 685: Open Space 88: UFO Culture with Author Sarah Scoles
Sarah Scoles is a Denver-based science writer who has supplied articles to WIRED Science and Popular Science. Her newest book is called "They Are Already Here…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 686: Q&A 129: Did Life Get a Ride to Venus from our Missions? And More...
00:00 Start00:16 Did we infect Venus with life?02:27 Can we terraform Venus with bacteria?04:03 This is boring.06:21 It's probably not life.09:07 Phosphine is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 682: Life on Venus? A Key Biosignature Called Phosphine has been Discovered in Venus' Atmosphere
Well, did you hear the big news? Life on Venus. Life… on... Venus. Now, where have we heard this before? Oh right, life on Mars. If you’ve been watching any of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 683: Open Space 86: The Venus Announcement, and More...
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 681: Q&A 128: Which Supernova Created the Solar System? And More... With Astronaut Terry Virts
In this week's questions show, I wonder about the supernova that formed the Solar System, how astronauts deal with air pressure differences, and how we're…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 680: Interview with Fraser on Awesome Astronomy
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 679: Q&A 127: Does the Simulation Hypothesis Explain the Fermi Paradox? And More...
In this week's questions show, you wondered if the simulation hypothesis is a good answer to the Fermi Paradox. How to get a career in space manufacturing?…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 678: Q&A 126: When Did Mars' Dynamo Shut Off? And More...
In this week's questions show, I consider what the benefits might be to humanity if we discover that we aren't alone in the Universe. How long did Mars…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 677: Q&A 125 Can Stars Orbit So Close They're Touching? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain how it's possible for stars to orbit so closely they're actually touching. What are the limits to gravitational…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 676: Lunar Rovers. From Apollo to Artemis
When the Apollo astronauts first landed on the Moon, they couldn’t go far on foot. That’s why the three final missions were equipped with Lunar Roving…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 675: Q&A 124: Are We Even Mentally Capable of Understanding the Universe? And More...
In this week's questions show I explain why it's still important to do science, even if it's difficult, can we use multiple methods to measure distance, and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 674: A Massive Star Just Disappeared. No Supernova, Just Straight to Black Hole
When the largest stars die, it’s usually pretty obvious. Supernovae are visible from billions of light-years away. But recently astronomers watched a massive…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 673: A New Way to Measure The Expansion of the Universe. The Cosmological Crisis Deepens.
This episode is a segment that we did in the Weekly Space Hangout talking about how astronomers are using masers (water lasers) to measure the expansion rate…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 670: NASA is Considering the Trident Mission. Going Back to Neptune and Triton.
Earlier this year, NASA announced 4 new Discovery-class missions that they were considering. These are low-cost, rapidly-built missions that will help…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 671: Q&A 123: What if a Supernova Exploded Beside a Black Hole? And More...
In this week's questions show, I answer what would happen if a supernova exploded right beside a black hole, how do we know that it's impossible to travel…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 672: Open Space 85: Final Open Space Before Hiatus, Live QA with Fraser
This week, it'll be the last Open Space with Fraser before the show goes on its summer hiatus until September. If you've got some burning space questions, no…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 668: Q&A 122: How Will We Know It's Alien Life? And More...
In this week's episode, I answer questions about alien life, why the ISS is at its current altitude, and of course, many questions about black holes.00:00…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 669: Interview with Fraser on Space Junk Podcast - Mars is the Worst Place to Live
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 666: Two Confirmed Planets at Proxima Centauri. One in the Habitable Zone!
Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, and still need to confirm thousands more. And over the coming decades, we’ll probably learn of millions of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 667: Open Space 84: Are Red Dwarf Planets Doomed? Should the Space Shuttle Have Been Built? And More
Another week, another Open Space. In this week's questions show, I talk about planets orbiting red dwarf stars, if planets could steal moons from each other…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 663: Interview with Fraser on the Interplanetary Podcast
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 664: Open Space 82: What Will Happen in the Next 5 Decades? And More...
Another week, another Open Space. This week I answer questions about what we might see in the next 5 decades. When dark matter will get debunked, and who will…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 665: Open Space 83: Dr. Jamie Molaro on Asteroid Bennu and OSIRIS-REx
In this week's episode of Open Space, I talk with Dr. Jamie Molaro, a planetary scientist who helped discover that the surface of asteroid Bennu has rocks that…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 662: How Do We Know Black Holes Exist? With Dr Paul Sutter
I’d say half the astronomy-related videos on YouTube are all about black holes. Clearly, they’re a fascinating topic, but they’re also a mystery. How do you…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 661: Q&A 121: What Stops the Space Station from Re-Entry? And More... Featuring Michael Rodruck
In this week's questions show, I answer questions about how the International Space Station stays above the Earth's atmosphere, does dark matter need a better…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 660: Crew Dragon Reaches the Station. What it Took to Replace the Space Shuttle
On Sunday, May 31st, 2020, a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley docked with the International Space Station. This…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 659: Open Space 81: Will Space-Time Freeze in the Far Future? And More...
Another week, another Open Space. This week, I answered questions about whether space-time could freeze, are standard candles like Type 1a supernovae still…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 658: Open Space 80: Will We Ever Get Close to the Speed of Light? And More...
In this week's live Open Space, people wanted to know if solar sails really work, will we ever get close to the speed of light, what's the best way to get out…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 657: Q&A 120: Dark Matter Black Holes? And More...
In this week's questions show, I answer whether or not dark matter could become a black hole, how do we know the Universe is flat, and what would happen to the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 656: Searching For Ice In The Moon’s Shadowed Craters
When you’re out in space, water is the most precious resource you can get your hands on. It can be used for air, water, to grow food, radiation shielding, and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 654: Open Space 78: Astronomer Royal Martin Rees on the Future of Humanity
On a special time, we've got a special guest, Professor Martin Rees, a British cosmologist and astrophysicist. He's the Astronomer Royal and helped develop…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 655: Open Space 79: How Can Black Holes Have Infinite Density But Not Infinite Gravity? And More...
In this week's live QA, I explain why a black hole can have infinite density but not infinite gravity. Does your perception of time change due to your mass…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 653: Catching Interstellar Objects. What If We Could Explore Oumuamua Or 2I/Borisov?
The distances to other stars are depressingly enormous. Sure, it’s incredibly far to get to Mars, Jupiter, and even Pluto, but at least you can design a…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 652: Open Space 77: Moiya McTier
This week's guest is Moiya McTier. You might know Moiya as one of the regular co-hosts on the Weekly Space Hangout. She's an astrophysicist and science…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 650: Dancing, Flaring Supermassive Black Holes Prove Stephen Hawking's Theory
The Moon orbits around the Earth. The Earth orbits around the Sun. And out in the distant Universe, astronomers have found a system that takes this logical…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 651: Open Space 76: What Do I Think About Those UFO Videos? And More...
In this week's live QA, I explain what's happening with Universe Today during the megavirus, what I think about the recently released UFO videos, how aliens…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 649: Open Space 75: DasValdez from Kerbal Space Academy
This week's guest is DasValdez, a popular Twitch stream who covers all things Kerbal Space Space. Das has carried this love of space exploration and astronomy…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 646: Open Space 72: Electric Sails with Dr. Pekka Janhunen
Dr. Pekka Janhunen is a researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the inventor of the Electric Solar Wind Sail concept, using the solar wind as…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 647: Open Space 73: Dr. Ryan Watkins, Planetary Science Institute
This week I'll be joined by Dr. Ryan Watkins, a planetary scientist who focuses on exploration of the Moon. She's a member of the Science Advisory Board for…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 648: Open Space 74: Alien Oceans With NASA's Dr. Kevin Peter Hand
This week I'm joined by Dr. Kevin Peter Hand, the Pre-Project Scientist for the Europa Lander mission concept and Director of JPL's Ocean Worlds Lab to talk…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 644: Open Space 70: Professor Brian Keating
Professor Brian Keating returns to Open Space to talk about the big concepts in cosmology, from inflation to the largest scale structures. Dr. Keating was the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 645: Open Space 71: Scott Manley
I'll be joined by Scott Manley, programmer, DJ and spaceflight explainer on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxzC4EngIsMrPmbm6Nxvb-AOur Book is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 641: Open Space 67: Science Communication with Susanna Kohler
Today I'll be joined by Susanna Kohler, an astrophysics Ph.D. and science writer for the American Astronomical Society.Follow Dr. Kohler on…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 642: Open Space 68: Dangers and Rewards of Moon Mining with Dr. Phil Metzger
Today I'm joined by Dr. Phil Metzger, a planetary physicist with the Planetary Science faculty at the University of Central Florida. Phil specializes in…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 643: Open Space 69: Matt O'Dowd from PBS Space Time
Today I'm joined by Dr. Matt O'Dowd from the successful PBS Space Time YouTube Channel. Matt is an astrophysicist and associate professor in the Physics and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 638: Open Space 65: Rob Hoyt, Tethers Unlimited
My guest today is Rob Hoyt, the CEO and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited. Founded in 1994, Tethers Unlimited is working on space-based assembly and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 639: Waterworlds. Can There Be Life Without Land?
One of the longstanding questions astronomers have had is, are we normal? Is our Solar System a template for what we might expect to see as we look out into…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 640: Open Space 66: Special Guest Jim Al-Khalili, The World According to Physics
Today I'll be joined by Jim Al-Khalili, a professor of physics at the University of Surrey. He's a well-known science presenter in the UK and has written many…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 637: Q&A 119: Why Should Artemis Bother When We've Got Starship? And More... Featuring Dr. Pamela Gay
In this week's questions show, I explain why we should be excited for both Starship and Artemis. Do we have a cognitive bias when thinking about advanced…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 635: Japan is Going to Bring a Sample of Phobos Back to Earth. The Martian Moon eXploration Mission
Mars has been the destination for so many of our spacecraft, and for good reason, it’s probably the most Earthlike place in the Solar System, with water ice on…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 636: Open Space 64: Why Send Humans to Space when Robots are Better? And More..
No guest this week, just a live QA with me. I counsel people on how to be patient when living on Elon Musk time, what is NASA interested in with the Moon…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 633: How Will Humans Return to the Moon in 2024? Lunar Lander Options for Artemis
After almost 50 years since the Apollo Moon landing missions ended, NASA announced that they’re going to return to the surface of the Moon with their Artemis…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 634: Open Space 63: China's Plans for the Moon and More...
No guest this week, just a live QA with me. We talked about what China is up to on the Moon and what comes next. How well have we mapped the surface of the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 629: Should We Fly to Another Star Soon? Or Wait for Better Technology to Come Along?
It’s hard to really wrap your mind around the vast distances between stars. The fastest spacecraft ever launched into an interstellar trajectory right now is…