Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 576: What Comes After LUVOIR? Three Extreme Ideas For Space Telescopes Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

While we’re all waiting for James Webb to launch - which it will - the Extremely Large Telescope to be constructed, and LUVOIR to get approved.

(Please get approved, please get approved.)

We’re going to need a way to pass the time. So let’s have our imaginations take flight, out into the Universe, and consider some of the most incredible ideas suggested for telescopes.

Unless you’ve been crawling through scientific journals like me, I guarantee you’ve never heard of any of them. But when I’m done, you’re going to want to fund all of them.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
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Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Support us at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at https://www.universetoday.com/
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Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1908/1908.02080.pdf
https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.05079
http://hypertelescope.org/project/hypertelescope-space/

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Episode 575: Q&A 102: Will Starship Cause Global Warming? And More... Featuring Tony Darnell from Deep Astronomy Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain why Starship probably won't contribute to human carbon emissions, if there's a galactic Prime Directive, and if SpaceX has finally perfected the single-stage to orbit.

Featuring Tony Darnell from Deep Astronomy and the Space Junk Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/user/tdarnell
https://optcorp.com/blogs/podcast

00:30 Won't Starship cause global warming?
02:33 Do we live in a Galactic Zoo?
04:45 Has SpaceX perfected SSTO?
07:17 How will Starship's thermal protection work?
09:54 How will asteroid mining companies prospect?
11:57 What could cause binary stars to collapse?
13:48 Can tidally locked planets have a tilt?
15:16 Find Mars meteorites on the Moon
16:22 Can Hubble record video?
17:29 Can we avoid a runaway greenhouse effect?
19:05 How do we know what's happening now?

Want to be part of the questions show? Ask a short question on any video on my channel. I gather a bunch up each week, and answer them here.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Support us at: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at: https://www.universetoday.com/
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain
Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday
Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 574: Venus Could Have Supported Life For Billions Of Years. First Habitable Planet In The Solar System? Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

After decades of research, including multiple landers and orbiters, science can definitively say: Venus sucks. Seriously, that place is the worst, with its boiling temperature, intense pressure, sulfuric acid rain, and more.

But was it always this bad? According to new research from NASA and various universities in Sweden and the US, Venus might have actually been the first habitable world in the Solar System. And it might have maintained a reasonable climate for billions of years, finally rolling over into a runaway greenhouse effect just a few hundred million years ago.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1608/1608.00706.pdf
https://data.giss.nasa.gov/rocke3d/maps/
https://www.europlanet-society.org/could-venus-have-been-habitable/

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Episode 573: Open Space 48: Floating in Darkness with Astronaut Ron Garan Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

This week I was joined by astronaut Ron Garan to talk about his new book "Floating in Darkness". Ron is an accomplished F-16 pilot, flying combat missions during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

He flew to space twice, first aboard STS-124, and then a six-month stay on board the International Space Station as part of Expedition 27.

Learn more about his new book:
https://publishizer.com/floating-in-darkness-/

Follow Ron on Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/Astro_Ron

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 572: Open Space 47: Quantum Mechanics With Caltech's Sean Carroll Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

My guest this week was Professor Sean Carroll from Caltech. Sean's a theoretical physicist, author of many books, and podcaster. His newest book, "Something Deeply Hidden" has just been released, presenting his ideas about the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Learn more about Sean Carroll here:
https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/

Subscribe to his podcast:
https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/

Follow Sean on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 571: Starship Takes Shape. Are We Months Away From A Fully Reusable Rocket System? Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

On Saturday, September 28th, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stood in front of an audience in Boca Chica, Texas, and presented the fully assembled SpaceX Starship, 50 meters tall and made from shiny stainless steel.

As part of his presentation, Musk showed off the history of the company’s developments so far and gave us an updated view of what Starship and its first stage Superheavy booster will look like when they’re fully operational.

It was actually a pretty short presentation, and there weren’t a lot of details. But he stuck around to answer questions from many space journalists, and we’ve got a much better idea about Starship and what happens next.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOpMrVnjYeY

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Episode 570: What Will It Take To Feed A Million People On Mars? Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

In 2017, Elon Musk laid out his grand sweeping plans for the future of SpaceX, the company that would take humanity to Mars. Over decades, tens of thousands of Starship flights would carry a million human beings to the surface of the Red Planet, the minimum Musk expects it’ll take to create a self-sustaining civilization.

The number of details in an effort like this is mind-boggling. What about the reduced gravity, radiation exposure, and space madness? What about return flights? Replacement parts? Building materials?

What’s everyone going to eat?

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/space.2017.29009.emu
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/space.2019.0018
https://eden-iss.net/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/how-does-your-space-garden-grow
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/Giving_Roots_and_Shoots_Their_Space_APH
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/newsevents/2018/0119.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-cricket-protein-powder-grocery-store-1.4560177
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/06/20/is-cultured-meat-the-answer-to-the-worlds-meat-problem/#358246444468
http://eatlikeamartian.org/

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Episode 569: Open Space 46: Dr. Robert Zubrin and the "Case for Space" Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

One of my most requested guests is Dr. Robert Zubrin, engineer and founder of the Mars Society. It was Dr. Zubrin's "Case for Mars" that helped inspire me to get into space journalism in the first place. We had a wide-ranging interview that updated the Case for Mars, looked at what comes next, and how current efforts are stumbling in their efforts to return humans to the Moon, and then on to Mars.

Visit the Mars Society here:
https://www.marssociety.org/

https://twitter.com/robert_zubrin

Case for Space
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046662-the-case-for-space

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 568: Q&A 101: How Do We Know Meteorites Came From Mars? And More... Featuring Dr. Nick Cowan from McGill Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain how scientists know that meteorites came from Mars, is it dangerous to look for alien civilizations, what citizen science projects to get involved in, and more. Featuring Professor Nick Cowan from McGill University.

00:20 How do we know a meteorite came from Mars
02:27 Why look for aliens?
05:20 Observational bias finding big planets?
08:03 What projects can software engineers get involved in?
09:50 Why bother thinking about superhabitable worlds?
11:31 Shouldn't Earth be turned in the wrong direction?
13:00 Can we communicate with gravity waves?
14:19 Would electronics survive a journey of thousands of years?
16:28 Could we set up a system to communicate with Voyagers better?
18:14 What gear setup do we use?
21:13 What will enable deep space travel?
22:57 Habitable zones on a tidally locked planet?

Professor Nick Cowan
https://msi.mcgill.ca/~cowan/

Want to be part of the questions show? Ask a short question on any video on my channel. I gather a bunch up each week, and answer them here.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 567: Open Space 45: Exomoons and the Terrascope with Professor David Kipping Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

This week I was joined in a livestream with Dr. David Kipping from Columbia University. We had a great interview about his research into exomoons, what new observatories will do for this field. We also talked about his idea of the Terrascope, using the Earth's atmosphere as a lens to study the Universe. And we talked about how scientists can better use the internet to communicate directly with the public about their research.

Subscribe to Dr. Kipping's YouTube Channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGHZpIpAWJQ-Jy_CeCdXhMA

Learn more here:
http://user.astro.columbia.edu/~dkipping/index.html

Or follow David on Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/david_kipping

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