Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 536: Q&A 91: Are Space Telescopes A Waste Of Money? And More... Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

In this week's QA, I answer why space telescopes aren't a waste of taxpayer resources, if ground-based space telescopes will become obsolete, and whether it makes sense to crash phobos into Mars.

00:18 Waste of taxpayer money?
02:14 Will ground-based telescopes become obsolete?
03:50 Crash Phobos into Mars
04:56 Should NASA collaborate with China?
05:45 Entanglement to communicate faster than light?
08:09 Crop circles
08:36 Problem with wearing a weight suit in zero gravity
09:55 Methane rocket emissions
10:57 Why does Titan have an atmosphere?
11:51 Harvest energy from neutrinos

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: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at: http://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 535: Fermi Paradox: Where are they? A Debate with John Michael Godier Moderated by Skylias Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

This past weekend Skylias moderated a debated between John Michael Godier and Fraser Cain over their Fermi paradox theories. If there are aliens where are they? The Fermi paradox theory asks where are the alien civilizations in the galaxy? And in the universe. If they exist. Where are the extraterrestrials?

Website:
https://www.eventhorizonshow.com/

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Episode 534: Q&A 90: How Do We Know What The Milky Way Looks Like? And More... Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain how astronomers know what the Milky Way looks like, what would happen in a catastrophic impact on the International Space Station, and who is the team who works with me on Universe Today?

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 533: Earth To Mars In 100 Days? The Power Of Nuclear Rockets Jul 01, 2019

Show notes

The Solar System is a really big place, and it takes forever to travel from world to world with traditional chemical rockets. But one technique, developed back in the 1960s might provide a way to dramatically shorten our travel times: nuclear rockets.

Of course, launching a rocket powered by radioactive material has its own risks as well. Should we attempt it?

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

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.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/game_changing_development/Nuclear_Thermal_Propulsion_Deep_Space_Exploration
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19910017902.pdf
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2017_Phase_I_Phase_II/Fusion_Enabled_Pluto_Orbiter_and_Lander/
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20170003126.pdf

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Episode 532: Q&A 89: Why Didn't NASA Build More Hubbles? And More... Jun 21, 2019

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain why NASA decided to build James Webb and not more Hubble Space Telescopes, what would happen if you opened up a jar in space, and do we know of any stars without planets?

00:45 Why doesn't NASA build more Hubbles?
02:42 Where did life come from?
04:05 What if you opened a jar in space?
05:58 Why didn't I answer your question?
07:15 Will we give up all the sky?
09:06 Annoyed about light pollution.
10:28 Less satellites, higher up
11:41 Stars without planets?
12:25 Worth getting a degree in astronomy?
14:33 You can buy SpaceX stock
15:20 Do I really get death threats?
17:32 Can planets be independent from a galaxy?

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 530: 386: Planetary Protection: What If We Destroy Life Before We Even Find It? Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

Explorers have always brought stowaways with them on board. Thanks to our travels around the world, hardy creatures like rats, goats, pigs and starlings and more have found their way to every corner of the globe. Not to mention our plants, microbes and viruses.

Wherever we go, life goes with us, whether we want it to or not. And when we travel to other worlds, it looks like the most extreme life Earth has ever cooked up is ready and willing to make the journey with us.

Now that the big flybys are over, it’s time to dig into the regolith, search for life in underground lakes and oceans, return samples back to Earth. We’re going to give life every opportunity to contaminate other worlds.

What can we do to prevent it?

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

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://planetaryprotection.nasa.gov/overview
https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/OPD_docs/NID_8020_109A.pdf
https://spacescience.arc.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ReviewAssessmentPlanetaryProtectionPolicyDevelopmentProcesses.pdf
https://planetaryprotection.nasa.gov/about-categories/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/where-on-mars-might-humans-first-land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bIW7e1Otg
https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.13681

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Episode 531: Open Space 41: Seeing Jupiter At Opposition, And More... Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

In this week's penultimate episode of Open Space before our summer hiatus, I give tips and tricks on seeing Jupiter, what's a good starting telescope, updates on LIGO, why rockets launch straight up, and more...

00:00 Introduction
02:00 Looking at Jupiter
02:38 Starting Telescope
03:55 Why do rockets launch vertically first?
05:04 How much should a telescope cost?
05:48 What has LIGO been seeing?
08:15 How bad is the radiation around Jupiter?
10:20 What do I think about the Lunar Gateway
13:17 Drilling into Europa
14:29 Will ISS have a successor?
16:19 Probe to Uranus/Neptune?
18:02 Why do a crewed mission to Venus?
19:39 Updates on Project Starshot?
22:30 Does light stop travelling?
23:30 What kind of transmission would come from Alpha Cen.
25:13 Ethical issues of asteroid mining
26:55 Why haven't we done rotating habitats in orbit?
31:35 Could dark matter turn into planets?
33:26 Moon base in 50 years?
35:50 Lots of people living in space by 2100?
37:14 Moon mining?
39:56 Books in any order?
40:30 When will ISS return to Earth?
41:47 Would I go to the Moon?
42:46 Have I read Artemis?
44:30 Who will be the first director to film in space
44:50 Will they take insects and worms to Mars
46:47 Best place to send humans scientifically
49:44 Is there an absolute stop?
51:11 Does the Moon have moons?
52:23 Why don't we build launch loops?
54:18 Will we infect Mars?
54:50 Missions to lava tubes?
56:30 What will AI do to us?
57:50 Would you be able to get radio signals on the Moon?
59:16 Views on AI ethics

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 529: Open Space 40: To The Moon By 2024? And More... Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

In this week's live QA episode, I tackled questions about the reality of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, the loss of dark skies, will we ever be able to shop for our own personal spacecraft, and more.

01:00 Our hiatus
04:40 Can we really return to the Moon by 2024?
09:05 Dark sky controversy
10:28 Is it hard to stay fascinated about astronomy?
13:44 Will space travel ever be like air travel?
15:49 Didn't Trump say they weren't going to the Moon any more?
17:54 Did extraterrestrial visited our planet in the past?
19:57 Where can you get my new poster?
20:55 What is the most important invention?
23:33 If I was captain of a starship, where would I go?
24:15 Any merch?
25:40 Will we shop for personal spacecraft?
27:05 Is something looking back at us?
27:50 When will Starlink be available?
30:05 Star Trek, Star Wars or Rick and Morty
30:48 What about space elevators?
34:07 Will space planes ever be viable?
35:36 Can't they use robots to fix Hubble?
37:41 Why aren't ion engines used more often?
40:32 Would I fly on Virgin Galactic?
41:20 Why don't nations work on Mars missions together?
42:55 What does the poster behind my head say?
43:00 Will solar power work on Mars?
45:06 Would capturing satellites be profitable?
47:00 Are there more efficient ways to land on Mars?
47:44 Could SpaceX be allowed mine an asteroid?
50:25 Has audio been recorded on another world?
52:13 No weapons of mass destruction in space
52:53 Could someone get the RTGs from the Voyagers to make a weapon?
53:27 Are the number of stars in the Milky Way increasing?
55:32 Will we be able to communicate faster than light?
56:17 What's the punishment for violating the Outerspace Treaty?
57:30 Wrap up

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 528: Q&A 88: How Could We Cool Down Venus? And More... Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

Here's my interview on Space Junk about the Fermi Paradox:
https://anchor.fm/spacejunk/episodes/The-Fermi-Paradox-and-The-Great-Filter-w-Fraser-Cain-e44uff

00:29 Are rings only limited to gas giants?
02:30 If we blocked the light on Venus, would it cool down?
04:34 What would it take to build a generational ship?
06:20 Do airplanes avoid telescopes?
08:16 Examples of reused spacecraft designs.
10:17 Could we breath an alien atmosphere?
12:02 How do they evacuate ISS?
13:21 What is the cost of the Hubble Space Telescope?
15:12 Are we unique in the Universe?
17:10 Can't astronauts wear weights?
18:37 Research into weaponizing asteroids?
20:23 Dig caverns on the Moon or Mars?
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 527: Just How Tough Is Earth Life? Tough Enough To Go Space And Still Thrive Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

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

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.dlr.de/me/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1752/2384_read-54290/
http://eea.spaceflight.esa.int/attachments/spacestations/ID5c643608ee7a9.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STUyjTO8gQw

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