Universe Today Podcast

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Episode 797: Fusion Rockets, Ditching Heat Shields, Looking Beyond the Edge of the Universe | Q&A 176 Mar 27, 2022

Show notes

In this week's live Questions and Answers show, I explain how a more powerful rocket could reduce the need of a heat shield, if we could detect objects beyond the edge of the observable Universe through their gravity, and what are the largest objects (or spacecraft) that could hang out at a Lagrange Point?

00:00 Start
00:13 Why do we even need heat shields?
03:12 Could we detect objects beyond the observable Universe through their gravity?
05:42 Can massive objects last at Lagrange Points?
08:03 Will fusion drives enable interstellar travel?
11:35 Why does gas need to be cold to form stars?
13:11 Why do we assume dark energy is accelerating the expansion of the Universe?
17:08 Can Webb look in all directions?
19:01 Could we detect the Earth from 100 light-years away? What about our satellites?
22:24 Is everything still trapped inside the Big Bang?
24:34 How can people support Universe Today?
27:06 Are black holes really dark stars?
28:10 Would geothermal work on Mars?
30:53 How can Webb orbit L2 if nothing's there?
34:24 Can smaller black holes eat bigger black holes?
35:25 When will we stop wanting to colonize Mars?
36:48 Can dark matter be explained by black holes?

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.

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Read by 50,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads.
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Weekly Space Hangout: Weekly news roundup with Fraser, special guests, and other space journalists.

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Astronomy Cast: Award-winning, long-running deep dive into space and astronomy with Fraser and Dr. Pamela Gay.
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Episode 796: Exploring the mysteries of Triton with Dr. Jason Hofgartner Mar 27, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Jason Hofgartner, a planetary scientist specializing in icy worlds of the Solar System. Jason wrote a recent paper about the nature of Neptune's moon Triton, first discovered by Voyager 2 back in 1989.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jason-Hofgartner

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

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Episode 795: Q&A 175: How Do Astronomers Measure Redshift? And More... Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

In this week's Questions and Answers show, I explain how astronomers use the Doppler Effect to know if objects are moving towards or away from us, I give my thoughts on Starlink as a user, and I suggest ideas on how to become a better writer.

00:00 Start
01:50 How do we know light is red or blue shifted?
04:24 What do I think of Starlink?
08:07 Why don't we visit the atmosphere of Venus?
10:33 What do I like about my job?
12:54 When is something standing still?
14:39 What is the Sun an average star?
16:16 How do we know we're not special?
18:06 What will sanctions on Russia do to space exploration?
22:24 Will the US be patrolling the Moon?
24:09 Any advice for being a writer?
27:14 Why are we sending probes to L2?
28:36 Could we find life around red dwarfs?
30:18 Where are the stars that formed with the Sun?
32:32 How can Parker Solar Probe survive being close to the Sun?
34:13 How would I spend a billion dollars?
36:24 What's my most controversial opinion?
36:48 Would tides be a problem for a habitable moon?
38:04 Can you collect meteorites?

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.

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

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You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

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Episode 791: Laser Sailing with Matthew Campbell Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Matthew Campbell, a Mechanical Engineer, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a member of the Bargatin Group, researching nanomaterials and their applications.

https://bargatin.seas.upenn.edu/people/

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

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You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

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Episode 792: Preparing for James Webb with John Mather Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. John Mather, Senior Astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Mather received a Nobel Prize for his influential cosmology work, helping to confirm the Big Bang. He's been involved in almost every major astronomy mission in the last few decades, including Hubble, and of course, James Webb.

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/meetTheTeam/people/mather.html

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

🚀 LICENSE:
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You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

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Episode 794: Q&A 174: Could We Mine Jupiter for Hydrogen? And More... Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, I explain how we could use Jupiter as a source of fuel for our fusion reactors, what it means to say there's a scientific consensus, and if gravitational waves can trigger earthquakes.

00:00 Start
01:26 Could we mine Jupiter for hydrogen?
03:24 What does "scientific consensus" mean?
07:04 Could gravitational waves trigger earthquakes?
08:47 Is there really a need to build Dyson Spheres?
10:52 Could aliens know our history?
12:33 When will there be good pictures from JWST?
14:19 What's holding up Starship?
16:21 What happens to ISS if Russia pulls out?
19:35 Would life be better at a K-star?
22:12 Where can we invest in space mining?
23:15 How do we know the source of gravitational waves?
24:22 Could the Solar System leave the Milky Way?
27:06 Are we Von Neumann probes?
28:17 Does SpaceX really land rockets?
29:29 Why aren't there more rovers going to the ice on the Moon and Mars?
30:43 How can Webb get solar power?
31:35 Are there any other uses for ISS?
33:18 Do neutron stars have crusts?
34:32 Will LUVOIR get build?
36:55 Would a diamond spaghettify entering a black hole?
38:11 Does life need a Jupiter to protect it?
39:47 Could we survive just living in spacesuits?

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 WEBSITE:
════════════════════════════════════
https://www.universetoday.com/

🚀 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:
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Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

🚀 LICENSE:
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

Support Universe Today Podcast

Episode 793: Building an Artificial Magnetosphere with Elena D'Onghia Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Elena D'Onghia, an associate professor at the University of Wisconson--Madison's Department of Astronomy. Her research is focused on the dynamics of galaxies through simulations, theory, and observations.

https://www.madastrodynamics.com/team#elena

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

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You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

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Episode 789: Searching for Technosignatures with Dr. Chenoa Tremblay Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Chenoa Tremblay, a Post Doctoral Researcher at the SETI Institute. Dr. Tremblay and her team used the Murchison Widefield Array to scan the core of the Milky Way for any sign of signals from extraterrestrial civilizations.

https://twitter.com/chenoachem

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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

🚀 LICENSE:
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

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Episode 790: Q&A 173: What If We Didn't Have Space Telescopes? And More... Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain how astronomy would be different if we didn't have space telescopes, what was the Universe like shortly after the Big Bang?, and what if James Webb detects oxygen in the atmosphere of another planet?

00:00 Start
00:45 What if we couldn't build space telescopes?
05:01 Did the Universe act like a big star after the Big Bang?
06:30 If James Webb detects oxygen, does that mean life?
10:59 Will James Webb pictures be colorized?
14:45 Do I believe the Big Bang is the beginning of the Universe?
16:25 Where could we find alien space junk?
18:24 What causes the warp in the Milky Way?
19:48 Will we get portals, or warp drives?
23:15 Are there any private space missions coming up?
25:44 Could we see the Earth in a mirrored planet?
26:51 Would AI be a threat to other civilizations?
28:36 Will humans evolve in space?
31:44 What causes the spiral arms to turn in a galaxy?
32:55 What's inside a neutron star?
34:40 Why is weightlessness called microgravity?
36:16 Is Titan better to explore than the Mars or Moon?

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 WEBSITE:
════════════════════════════════════
https://www.universetoday.com/

🚀 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:
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Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

🚀 LICENSE:
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

Support Universe Today Podcast

Episode 788: Q&A 172: Why Do We Assume Extraterrestrials Will Be Hostile? And More... Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

In this week's questions and answers show, I explain why people might see extraterrestrials as a threat. What could we learn about astronomy if we lived at the center of a supervoid, and how far away are we from the Big Bang?

00:00 Start
01:10 Why do we assume extraterrestrials are evil?
07:40 Could we see anything from within a supervoid?
09:40 What if we lived near the Big Bang?
10:25 Will James Webb ever look at Earth?
11:34 What's the benefit of helium 3?
14:47 Can we take animals to Mars?
17:13 Will machines do all our exploring?
20:36 Was the Universe as small as a grapefruit?
21:42 Does the expansion of the Universe travel faster than the speed of light?
23:04 Should we be worried about rogue black holes?
25:14 When will we see the calibration star from James Webb?
27:08 Did the Three-Body Problem change my opinion about extraterrestrials?
30:07 Could there have been many Big Bangs and other universes?
31:52 What is the Oort Cloud?
33:00 Why do stars like Sirius shimmer?
35:15 Will James Webb see the first stars?

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 WEBSITE:
════════════════════════════════════
https://www.universetoday.com/

🚀 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:
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Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
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Email: frasercain@gmail.com

🚀 LICENSE:
════════════════════════════════════
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.

Support Universe Today Podcast

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