Shows / Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today Podcast
Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.
Episodes
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 510: Open Space 35: Live QA with Gizmodo's George Dvorsky
This week, my guest will be science writer and futurist George Dvorsky, from Gizmodo and io9.Support Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 508: QA 83: New Planets Around Dead Stars? Featuring Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder
In this week's questions show, I wonder if planets could form from the wreckage around dead stars, who don't all stars collapse immediately into black holes…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 509: Open Space 34: Live QA with Guest: Chad Weber
Today I'm joined by Chad Weber, the video editor for the Guide to Space and other videos we do here on Universe Today. Chad was also the audio editor for…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 507: 377 - It's Finally Here! The First Image Of A Black Hole
All that waiting has paid off. Here it is, the first ever image of a black hole. Support Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 506: 376 - The New Planet Hunters. Who Will Find Earth 2.0?
We now know of thousands of confirmed exoplanets, with many more candidates. And there are now dozens of planet hunting telescopes on Earth and in space, using…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 505: Open Space 33: Live QA with Dr. Brian Keating (Losing the Nobel Prize)
My guest today will be Dr. Brian Keating, a professor of physics and the author of the recent book "Losing the Nobel Prize". Brian was on the BICEP2 team that…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 504: QA 82: Could There Be Galactic Panspermia? And More...
In this QA episode, I wonder if there could be a galactic panspermia, why I'm always stealing articles from Fraser Cain from Universe Today, and where the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 503: Open Space 32: Live QA with Dr. Ian O'Neill
My guest today will be Dr. Ian O'Neill. Ian is an astrophysicist and journalist, and has been covering space and astronomy news for more than a decade.Support…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 501: 374: Soaring Above Mars. Airplanes, Helicopters and Balloons on the Red Planet
Aircraft make some of the best platforms for science here on Earth. From weather balloons to study the high atmosphere to aircraft that fly into the hearts of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 502: Open Space 31: The Cosma Hypothesis with Frank White
This week I'm joined by Frank White, author of the Overview Effect. His new book is the Cosma Hypothesis, which talks about humanity's role in the larger…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 500: QA 81: Did Life Evolve Only Once? And More... Featuring Science Mom
In this week's QA, we discuss infecting Mars with diarrhea, if life evolved more than once, and why other countries don't help explore space.Support Universe…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 499: 374: The Incredible Challenge of Landing Heavy Payloads On Mars
It’s too bad Mars is such an interesting place, because it’s actually one of the most difficult places to visit in the Solar System, especially if you want to…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 498: Open Space 30: Searching for Exoplanets with Dr. Jessie Christiansen
This week's guest is Dr. Jessie Christiansen, aka the Aussie Astronomer. Jessie is an exoplanet researcher working at NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute at…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 497: Space Junk Podcast: Conspiracy Theories With Fraser Cain
I was a guest on the Space Junk Podcast from Oceanside Photo and Telescope. Subscribe to their podcast! When it comes to end of the world theories, NASA…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 496: Open Space 29: Existential Risks with Phil Torres
My guest today is Phil Torres, author, journalist and the founder of the X-Risks Institute. He tracks the ways the world could end. He's the author of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 494: Open Space 28: Live QA with Dr. Morgan Rehnberg
This week I'm joined by Dr. Morgan Rehnberg. Morgan is a planetary scientist, scriptwriter for SciShow Space, and of course, one of the co-hosts of the Weekly…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 495: QA 80: Does Everything Orbit Something? And More Featuring Dr. Becky
In this week's QA, I answer if Opportunity could ever phone home, are there stars between galaxies, and who, exactly, is Chad? Featuring a special guest answer…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 493: 373 - Farewell Opportunity. A History Of The Mars Exploration Rovers
Today I wanted to look back at the history of the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. To take you through their creation, launch to Mars, the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 492: Open Space 27: Live QA with Dr. Kimberly Cartier
Dr. Kimberly Cartier is an exoplanet researcher, reporter for Eos Magazine and one of my co-hosts with the Weekly Space Hangout. Join us for a conversation…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 491: QA 79: Galactic Prime Directive Keeping Us In The Dark? And More... Featuring Ryan Macdonald
In this week's questions show, I explain why SLS is still happening, if we can rule out contamination when we finally find life, and wonder why China is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 490: Open Space 26 - Live QA, Searching for Technosignatures with Dr. Jason Wright
Today Fraser is joined by exoplanet researcher Dr. Jason Wright from Penn State University. In addition to the more traditional hunt for exoplanets, Jason is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 489: QA 78: Why Use Crew Dragon AND Starliner? And More, Featuring Everyday Astronaut
In this week's QA, I wonder if there were other bombardments, how the Earth could have been oxygen rich, and why the asteroid belt isn't a planet. With a…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 487: Open Space 25 - Amateur Astronomy with Dean Regas
Today I hang out with astronomer Dean Regas, author with the Cincinnati Observatory and author of 100 Things to See in the Night Sky.Support Universe Today…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 488: 372: Dark Energy Seems To Be Changing Over Time. Leading To A Big Rip?
Astronomers working with the NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton have developed a technique to watch quasars and track the expansion of the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 486: 371: Oldest Rock From Earth Was Found On The Moon (Of All Places)
Geologists think they’ve found the oldest Earth rock ever seen. And they found it in one of the last places you’d ever suspect, on the Moon. When the Apollo 14…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 485: QA77: Constant Acceleration For Artificial Gravity? And More... Featuring Astroathens
In this week's Questions Show, I wonder if there's a way ion engines can give us artificial gravity, if electromagnetic rail guns can launch space craft, and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 484: Open Space 24 - Going The Speed of Light With Dr. Paul Sutter
Today I hang out with astrophysicist Dr. Paul Sutter to talk about space and his new book, Your Place in the Universe.Support Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 483: 370: Can There Be Life On Planets Around Red Dwarf Stars?
As astronomers find more and more planets around other stars, the big question we want to know is: are they habitable, could there be life there?Support…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 482: QA 76: Can You Come To A Dead Stop In Space? And More... Featuring Launch Pad Astronomy
In this week's QA, I answer if it's possible to come to a dead stop, will Mars be more habitable when the Sun expands as a red giant, is there a stellar mass…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 481: Open Space 23 - Space and Futurism With Isaac Arthur
In this week's live QA, I sit down with Isaac Arthur. He talks about the challenges of futurism, how he creates so much amazing content, and a new suggestion…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 480: 369: Many New Fast Radio Bursts Found, Including Another Repeater
One of the big mysteries in astronomy is unfolding right before our eyes: fast radio bursts. And now a new Canadian radio telescope has come online, detecting…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 478: Open Space 22: Photonic Propusion, Canada in Space, Big or Small Rockets, and More...
This week's Live QA was just me, no guest. Which gave us lots of time to get into your questions. We talked about photonic propulsion systems, the future of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 479: QA 75: Have We Already Infected Mars with Bacteria? And More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder if we've already infected Mars with our Earth life, why we assume aliens build Dyson Spheres, and if you could link up…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 477: 368: Searching for Technosignatures. Evidence of Intelligent Alien Civilizations
Are we alone in the Universe? It’s one of the most difficult and important questions that humanity can ask. As Arthur C. Clarke noted, it’s equally terrifying…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 476: QA 74: Can We Be Ready for the Next Oumuamua? And More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder what we'd do if we actually found life, if we can be ready for the next interstellar asteroid, why the Mars 2020 rover…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 475: Open Space 21: Live QA with John Michael Godier
This week I'm joined by sci-fi author and science writer John Michael Godier. We talk about the latest space news and what's happening with John's new Event…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 474: 367: Project Dragonfly. A Laser-Powered Probe to Alpha Centauri
The distances between stars are so vast, it’s hard to wrap your mind around it. Even our far flung Voyagers have barely reached interstellar space, and would…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 473: QA 73: Is SETI Pointless? And More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder if moons could be geostationary, if we could detect Hawking radiation, if SETI is pointless, and why I'm always talking…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 472: 366: One of the Sun's Sibling Stars Has Been Found. And It's Actually Pretty Close
Thanks to the hardworking Gaia spacecraft, astronomers think they’ve located a star that formed from the same solar nebula as the Sun. In fact, this star is a…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 471: QA 72: Escaping an Extinction Event and More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder how well we'll be able to survive various extinction scenarios, can mobile apps help you learn the night sky? What…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 470: 365: Is Oumuamua a Solar Sail Spacecraft from Another Star? Probably Not
It’s been about a year since the mysterious interstellar asteroid (or maybe comet) Oumuamua passed through our Solar System. It was going so fast and was so…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 469: QA71: Could We React to An Incoming Asteroid? And More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder if we'll have enough time to respond to an asteroid or comet, if we're going to fill the asteroid belt with space junk…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 468: 364: The Search for Neutrinos. Catching These Elusive Particles in a Gigaton of Ice
In the pristine icy environment of Antarctica, there’s a telescope, embedded into an ancient glacier. The telescope is observing the Universe, directly through…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 466: Open Space 20: Live QA with Casey Dreier from the Planetary Society
Casey Dreier is the Planetary Society's Director of Space Policy, helping to advocate for planetary science with the US government. He's probably the best…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 467: QA 70: What is Space Itself? And More Featuring Dr. Paul Sutter
We recorded this week's episode of the QA show from inside the Carnival Magic cruise ship, as part of our summer Astrotour. I saved up a bunch of tough…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 465: QA 69: Can We Detect Random Particles With The LHC? And More With Dr. Pamela Gay
We recorded this episode of the QA live in front of a real audience as part of our Astronomy Cast 500 celebration. I took some rough questions and threw them…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 464: 363: A Return Mission to Pluto? This Time to Stay
New Horizons gave us the best views we could have hoped for of Pluto. But it was only a single glimpse of half the world. What's New Horizons up to next? And…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 463: QA 68: What If It's Really a Vast Government Conspiracy? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain how I'd react if it turned out the government was hiding evidence of aliens. How we communicate with Mars when it goes…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 462: Open Space 19: QA with Anton Petrov. Surf a Gravitational Wave, Building Sea Dragon and More...
For tonight's live QA, I'll be joined by Anton Petrov, a math and science teacher who talks about space and astronomy on his YouTube channel, often simulating…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 461: 362: How Are We Searching For Dark Matter? And How Do We Even Know It’s Real?
Whenever I mention dark matter in anyway in the Guide to Space, or in a questions show, I get a bunch of responses that have essentially the same point…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 460: Open Space 18: When Will Betelgeuse Go Supernova? And more...
In this week's live QA, I answer questions about when Betelgeuse will go supernova, how bad are the fires here in British Columbia, and which planets I'd like…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 459: QA 67: Is Anywhere Else Perfectly Habitable? And More... Featuring Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder
In this week's questions show, I explain why we don't know of any perfectly habitable worlds in the galaxy. Why we don't know if the Universe is finite or…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 458: Open Space 17: Live QA with Fraser
No guests this time, just a live QA with Fraser.Support Universe Today Podcast
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 457: 361: Making the Atmosphere Disappear. The Power of Adaptive Optics
The Earth’s atmosphere keeps us safe from the harsh environment of space, but it also obscures our view into the cosmos. No matter how powerful a telescope you…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 456: QA 66: What If SpaceX Went Bankrupt? and More...
In this week's questions show, I wonder what would happen if SpaceX failed as a company, why New Horizons can't search for Planet 9, and I ask for your…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 455: Open Space 16: Live QA with Professor Avi Loeb, Breakthrough Starshot
Professor Avi Loeb is one of the hardest working astrophysicists in the field, writing a blistering number of academic papers on fascinating topics like the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 454: Open Space 15: Live QA with David Brin
On this week's live QA, I got a chance to talk with David Brin, a science fiction author, futurist, and an advisor for NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 453: Open Space 14: Prof. Brad Peterson and LUVOIR
This week Professor Brad Peterson joins me to talk about the capability of the LUVOIR telescope, which is one of the next generation space telescopes NASA is…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 452: QA 65: Is Dark Matter Really Real? And More
In this week's QA, I explain why dark matter is really a thing, and not just some made up thing by evil astronomers. How event horizons flatten out when they…