Spacepod

Latest Episodes:

110: 492 roughly hexagonal mirrors with Dr. Liu Oct 22, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Fengchuan Liu talks to us about an international project, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). He describes the telescope, it's many mirrors, and how he helps manage such a complex project.

109: To attack that darkness once again with Dr. Hunt Oct 08, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Cindy Hunt returns to the show to talk about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the 100 inch Hooker Telescope on Mount Wilson. She explains why this telescope looks like a battleship and tells us how it "completely upended our understanding of the universe". Also: poetry!

108: End of mission blues with Dr. Storrie-Lombardi Sep 24, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Lisa Storrie-Lombardi returns to the show to discuss NuSTAR, Spitzer, and what it feels like to end a mission you've been working on for decades. Cassini's Grand Finale has us reflecting on the upcoming demise of the Spitzer Space Telescope.

107: Loose rocks and soft bots with Dr. McMahon Sep 10, 2017

Show notes

Professor Jay McMahon stops by the show to explain the YORP effect and how it changes asteroid spins and shapes. He also describes his NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) project that is investigating the use of soft robots to explore rubble-pile asteroids.

106: Sample the mantle with Dr. Peterson Aug 27, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Mary Peterson tells us about basaltic glasses from the Galápagos Islands, and why they might have originated deep within the Earth's mantle. She also describes her lab work, which involves cool lab coats, security badges, and meticulous sorting of samples.

105: Tectonic fabric with Dr. Donnellan Aug 13, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Andrea Donnellan stops by the show to talk about GeoGateway, a website that combines different datasets to help geologists. She explains how rocks move like silly putty, and recounts the time a lone cloud masqueraded as tectonic motion. Bonus music at the end is "Glorious Dawn" by Colorpulse. Hear more rad science tunes at www.symphonyofscience.com.

104: Occultation vacation with Dr. Kramer Jul 30, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Emily Kramer stops by the show to try some tea and talk about her trip to South Africa to observe the next New Horizons target, 2014 MU69. She was one of several astronomers and planetary scientists who flew to other countries to watch this object pass in front of a star in the hopes of measuring its diameter.

103: Meteor showers and "broom stars" with Dr. Ye Jul 16, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Quan-Zhi Ye tries an unusual frappuccino and explains how meteor showers are related to comets. He tells the story of how he became interested in comets and asteroids, and fills us in on some of his recent research.

102: A thrilling tale of discovery with Dr. Christiansen Jul 02, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Jessie Christiansen returns to the show to talk about newly discovered exoplanets! She explains why this planetary system was devilishly difficult to observe with ground-based telescopes, and how one of the planets poses a puzzle.

101: The best geologist on Mars with Dr. Francis Jun 18, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Raymond Francis talks about a rock-vaporizing laser and the software that controls it. He describes how he and colleagues programmed a computer to make choices like a geologist would, allowing the Curiosity rover to do more science on Mars.

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