Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 757: Interview: Dr. Markus Janson, Starshades for Ground Telescopes Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Markus Janson, an astronomy professor at Stockholm University. Dr. Janson and his co-authors have recently published a study investigating if ground-based observatory could use starshades to help directly image exoplanets.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10686-021-09792-y

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

🚀 PODCAST LINKS:
════════════════════════════════════
RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio
iTunes: https://universetoday.com/itunes
Spotify: https://universetoday.com/spotify

🚀 EMAIL NEWSLETTER:
════════════════════════════════════
Read by 50,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads.
Subscribe Free: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🚀 OTHER PODCASTS:
════════════════════════════════════
Weekly Space Hangout: Weekly news roundup with Fraser, special guests, and other space journalists.

RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/feed/wshaudio/
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/weekly-space-hangout-audio/id836926769
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast: Award-winning, long-running deep dive into space and astronomy with Fraser and Dr. Pamela Gay.
RSS: https://astronomycast.libsyn.com/rss/
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/astronomy-cast/id191636169?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

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

🚀 OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA:
════════════════════════════════════
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/universetoday
Facebook: https://facebook.com/universetoday
Instagram: https://instagram.com/universetoday
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 758: Interview: Dr. Hamsa Padmanabhan, Peering into the Cosmic Dawn Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Hamsa Padmanabhan, a cosmologist at the University of Geneva. Dr. Padmanabhan's work involves the investigation of Cosmic Dawn, the period shortly after the beginning of the Universe when the large-scale structure of the cosmos was defined.

https://cosmology.unige.ch/users/hamsa-padmanabhan

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

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

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 755: Q&A 153: How High Can Bacteria Survive? And More... Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

In the season finale of my questions show, I talk about high-altitude bacteria, traveling into the future, does it make sense to go back to University, and more. See you all in September!

00:00 Start
01:10 How high an altitude can bacteria survive?
04:02 Should I go back to university?
06:29 Could we terraform Venus with comets?
08:49 Could we detect life in Andromeda?
11:04 Could aliens perceive time differently?
13:01 Why do spacecraft use such old hardware?
15:20 What do I think about the billionaire space race?
17:16 How many satellites can we see?
19:31 Would I cryosleep into the future?
20:30 Should we only build smaller space telescopes?
24:40 Did we used to have better knowledge of the cosmos?
27:10 How would life be different close to a black hole?
29:22 Is there a business model for Starship?
31:23 Am I disappointed Trident wasn't chosen by NASA?
33:19 Are we the generation to find life beyond Earth?
34:25 How much better will LIGO get?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 754: Q&A 152: Could We Detect Dyson Swarms? And More... Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain why Dyson Spheres (and Swarms) should actually be pretty easy to detect across the Universe. If it's possible to service the Hubble Space Telescope with a Falcon 9, and will computers take jobs away from astronomers.

00:00 Start
01:04 How could we detect Dyson Swarms?
07:24 How could we hide a Dyson Swarm?
10:03 Could a Falcon 9 service Hubble?
13:02 Will computers replace humans in astronomy?
16:30 Will any Venus missions be able to detect life?
18:43 Could you generate repeating gravitational waves?
20:25 What conventional wisdom will be disproven by science?
23:43 How much longer will Earth be habitable?
26:08 What will drive space exploration?
28:15 Will James Webb let us see more Universe?
29:27 What do I think about the similarity between cosmic filaments compared to the CMB?
30:27 What are some future propulsion systems?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 752: Q&A 151: Would They Warn Us About the End of the World? And More... Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain what would happen if scientists discovered an existential threat to humanity. Would they let us know, or keep it secret to avoid a panic? Could we detect a Breakthrough Starshot fleet coming our way? And how well does China communicate its space exploration to the public?

00:00 Start
00:37 Would they tell us about the end of the world?
03:05 Is the Solar System normal?
05:38 Could we detect Breakthrough Starshots?
08:46 How well does China communicate to the public?
11:15 Could we use space junk for 3D printing?
14:02 What do I suggest for aspiring astrophysicists?
17:11 Will there ever be another Grand Tour?
19:47 What determines a planet's orbit?
22:08 Will Blue Origin pick up the pace?
25:02 What if aliens were pure energy?
28:14 Should there be more dark matter inside planets?
29:39 Would alien life be multicellular?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 753: Interview: Prof. Lee Cronin - Detecting the Chemistry of Life Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Professor Lee Cronin from the University of Glasgow. Dr. Cronin investigates the chemistry of life and has developed methods that could help us detect it on other worlds - even life as we don't know it.

http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/

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

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

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 751: Q&A 150: What is Space Dust, Anyway? And More... Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

In this week's questions and answer show, I explain how all the dust in space forms, could life be Von Neumann probes, why do people think black holes lead to another universe, and more...

00:00 Start
00:57 What is space dust?
05:14 Does the Kardashev scale make sense?
08:43 Could life on Earth be Von Neumann probes?
11:31 What should I point my telescope at?
14:23 Why do people think black holes go somewhere?
16:36 Why are we seeing so many asteroids?
19:36 If we can track space debris, shouldn't we be able to detect UFOs?
21:42 Would a warp drive be able to travel within the event horizon of a black hole?
22:59 Could we investigate the atmosphere of gas giants?
26:41 What's the first resource we'll mine off Earth?
29:05 How big is a galaxy?
30:42 Any benefit to stationing a telescope in the outer Solar System?
33:07 What will Space Force accomplish?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 750: Q&A 149: What if a Microscopic Black Hole Passed Through the Earth? And More... Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

In this week's Q&A, I try to imagine what might happen if a microscopic black hole passed through the Earth. How long will James Webb take to become operational, and what will be the Plan B for James Webb if it fails?

00:00 Start
00:46 What if a microscopic black hole passed through the Earth?
05:25 When will James Webb come online?
06:38 What's plan B for James Webb if it fails?
09:16 Do Oort Clouds overlap?
11:29 Could there be a Tatooine out there?
13:50 Does China plan to colonize Mars?
16:22 Does the US take China's space exploration seriously?
19:50 Are there dark matter planets, suns and people?
22:11 What will the US government disclosure tell us?
25:45 Should I get an astronomy degree?
30:19 Shouldn't there be more black holes at the center of the Milky Way?
32:03 Have we measured the speed of gravity?
33:13 Will AI explore the Universe without us?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 749: Q&A 148: How Do We Know the Age of the Universe? And More... Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode, I talk about the various ways we measure the age of the Universe. What's next for OSIRIS-REx? And what are the next frontiers for gravitational wave astronomy?

00:00 Start
00:41 How do we calculate the age of the Universe?
04:32 Will the planets migrate again?
06:36 What's next for OSIRIX-REx?
07:47 What's next for gravitational wave astronomy?
11:27 Does the habitable zone shift as the Sun heats up?
12:59 Will future civilizations know about the Big Bang?
18:17 Could a powerful telescope look beyond the CMB?
20:27 Could a computer become a planet-sized mind?
24:08 Is the CMB shifting away from us?
25:28 Bounties to remove space junk?
30:58 Could rockets be launched from Canada?

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:
════════════════════════════════════
Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Episode 748: Interview: Dr. Casey Handmer, Starship, Space Junk and Settlement Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

I'm pleased to welcome back Dr. Casey Handmer, a software systems architect at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In addition to his work at NASA, Casey has a fascinating blog where he considers the future of human and robotic space exploration:

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/

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

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

🚀 CONTACT FRASER:
════════════════════════════════════
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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected