Dr. Peter Woit is a theoretical physicist and senior lecturer in the math department at Columbia University. He's a critic of string theory, wrote a book called "Not Even Wrong" and maintains a blog of the same name. http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/ 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.univer...
Nov 16, 2020•1 hr 1 min
In this week's live QA, I talk about Elon Musk's hope of establishing a free Mars, the future of gravitational wave detectors, and what do I think about trying to live in other places in the Solar System? 00:00:00 Start 00:03:00 Thoughts on Bridenstine leaving NASA? 00:08:10 Should we declare a Free Mars? 00:11:43 How sensitive will gravitational wave detectors become? 00:17:05 More damage at Arecibo 00:19:20 Why is the Moon the same visual size as the Sun? 00:22:02 Are white holes real? 00:25:4...
Nov 10, 2020•1 hr
In this week's questions show, I talk about the Dark Forest theory in the Three-Body Problem series of books. Is it a compelling answer to the Fermi Paradox? How much of a risk is dust to interstellar travel? Is black hole evaporation negated by black holes absorbing additional material and energy? 00:00 Start 00:46 Is the Dark Forest a reasonable answer to the Fermi Paradox? 04:05 How much dust is in interstellar space? 05:57 Can we go faster than the Voyagers? 08:24 Are black holes gaining mas...
Nov 02, 2020•26 min
https://www.darkskytraveller.com.au/fredwatson Space Nuts Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-space-and-science-news/id1080090608 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=PLbJ42wpShvmk...
Oct 27, 2020•55 min
00:00:00 Start 00:04:10 Searching for exomoons 00:07:35 Why I hate embargoes 00:11:29 Discovery of water on the Moon 00:17:00 Could Spitzer target the Moon? 00:17:30 Would Jupiter's magnetosphere protect you? 00:20:56 Any space telescopes for Starship? 00:26:27 Cost of a replacement James Webb? 00:27:45 Do you need gravitational assists to go to the outer Solar System? 00:30:49 Is Juno still flying? 00:31:17 When will Starship do its next hop? 00:32:35 Could you have a world made entirely of wat...
Oct 27, 2020•58 min
00:00 Start 05:54 Have we learned any more about Venus? 08:31 Elon Musk interview with the Mars Society 11:15 How small would Earth be as a black hole? 11:31 Could space be infinite at the Big Bang? 13:57 Will we mine the Moon for Helium 3? 17:08 How does inflation improve the Big Bang? 23:22 Why didn't the Universe collapse again? 27:03 OSIRIS-REx update 28:17 Could you turn condensed light into matter? 30:11 Will the magnetic reversal be devastating? 32:35 How can you have atmospheric pressure...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr
This week I'll be talking Dr. Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about his work searching the Universe for evidence of extraterrestrials. 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...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min
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Oct 14, 2020•30 min
In this week's live questions show, I answer questions about drilling for microbes on Mars, missions that could survive the surface of Venus, and if anyone else is dissatisfied with the Big Bang. 00:00 Start 04:18 Any updates on the Chinese mission to Mars? 05:41 How many exoplanets are confirmed? 07:18 Can any rovers drill for microbes? 10:31 Any ways to survive the surface of Venus? 13:10 How do you know if an exoplanet has cleared its path? 15:31 Is anyone dissatisfied with the Big Bang? 19:5...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Black holes are already mind-bending enough. Matter and energy compressed into a region so dense that the escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. Places where space and time are tangled up so much that even if you could go faster than light speed, you’d still end up at the singularity. Astronomers know of two kinds of black holes in the Universe: stellar mass and supermassive, and how we get them have been worked out pretty well. But there’s a third class of black hole, one which has never b...
Oct 02, 2020•13 min
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-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 2 min
00:00 Start 00:16 Did we infect Venus with life? 02:27 Can we terraform Venus with bacteria? 04:03 This is boring. 06:21 It's probably not life. 09:07 Phosphine is on Jupiter too. 10:50 Are there spaceflight insurance companies? 12:59 Why can gas giants remain spherical? 15:21 What if the Moon was in geosynchronous orbit? 17:42 Are astronauts falling? 19:40 Could we use interstellar hydrogen as fuel? 22:52 Could supermassive black holes be primordial black holes? 26:25 Are there rogue intergalac...
Sep 28, 2020•29 min
Sarah Scoles is a Denver-based science writer who has supplied articles to WIRED Science and Popular Science. Her newest book is called "They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers". http://www.sarahscoles.com/ 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 Watchi...
Sep 28, 2020•59 min
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-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR...
Sep 28, 2020•58 min
Well, did you hear the big news? Life on Venus. Life… on... Venus. Now, where have we heard this before? Oh right, life on Mars. If you’ve been watching any of my videos or listening to Astronomy Cast, you’re cautiously optimistic. Skeptical, but hopeful. That’s the right position to take, because buckle up, the internet’s about to run with this news. It’s going to be difficult to figure out what was really discovered, and what this means for the search for life in the Universe. Want to see this...
Sep 17, 2020•11 min
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Sep 17, 2020•58 min
In this week's questions show, I wonder about the supernova that formed the Solar System, how astronauts deal with air pressure differences, and how we're going to handle the cold temperatures on Mars. Featuring Astronaut Terry Virts https://terryvirts.com/ 00:00 Start 01:17 Where are the supernovae that created the Solar System? 03:53 Can astronauts get infected on Mars or in space? 05:20 When a black hole forms, is there still a neutron star inside? 08:02 Why is the CMB in its current location...
Sep 14, 2020•28 min
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Sep 10, 2020•1 hr 28 min
In this week's questions show, you wondered if the simulation hypothesis is a good answer to the Fermi Paradox. How to get a career in space manufacturing? Will a compass work on Mars? And more... Featuring Moiya McTier https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzGSsOGMAJeet8SkO8TWmA https://twitter.com/GoAstroMo https://exolore.captivate.fm/listen 00:00 Start 00:27 Could the simulation hypothesis explain the Fermi Paradox? 02:54 The future of space manufacturing? 05:47 Does a compass work on Mars? 07:1...
Sep 08, 2020•31 min
In this week's questions show, I consider what the benefits might be to humanity if we discover that we aren't alone in the Universe. How long did Mars planetary dynamo take to turn off? Could we find and repair the lunar rovers? 00:00 Start 00:12 Would extraterrestrial life have any impact on us? 03:01 When did Mars shut down? 05:16 Could the rovers be repaired? 07:05 Would an ejected star take its planets with it? 08:54 Dangerous to go to Mars at the same time? 10:19 Is there any way to go fas...
Jul 30, 2020•21 min
In this week's questions show, I explain how it's possible for stars to orbit so closely they're actually touching. What are the limits to gravitational slingshots, and how astronomers know where to point their telescopes in the Universe. 00:00 Start 00:44 Can stars touch? 02:39 What is the maximum slingshot speed? 05:32 How do astronomers know where to look? 08:27 Could a planet orbit backwards? 10:56 Will nations allow deadly space lasers? 13:06 What if a black hole stopped rotating? 15:06 How...
Jul 24, 2020•33 min
When the Apollo astronauts first landed on the Moon, they couldn’t go far on foot. That’s why the three final missions were equipped with Lunar Roving Vehicles, or Moon buggies, which allowed the astronauts to cover much more ground and do more science. Now that NASA is returning to the Moon by 2024 as part of its Artemis Program, it’s considering a fleet of new vehicles that will help astronauts roam far and wide across the surface of the Moon. 60 fps Apollo Videos from Dutchsteammachine https:...
Jul 21, 2020•10 min
In this week's questions show I explain why it's still important to do science, even if it's difficult, can we use multiple methods to measure distance, and why the Trojan asteroids don't collect into a single object? 00:00 Start 00:40 Why should we bother trying to understand the Universe? 05:01 Can different methods be used to measure distances to the same object? 07:50 Why don't Trojans collect into a single object? 10:24 Split the videos up? 13:02 Do supernovae cause a chain reaction? 14:27 ...
Jul 20, 2020•26 min
When the largest stars die, it’s usually pretty obvious. Supernovae are visible from billions of light-years away. But recently astronomers watched a massive star just disappear. No explosion, nothing, it just… vanished? Of course, it could have been dust. It’s always dust. But one intriguing possibility is that the star just imploded directly into a black hole, without the supernova detonation. And if that’s the case, is this happening more often, we just didn’t notice it? Want to see this vide...
Jul 14, 2020•9 min
This episode is a segment that we did in the Weekly Space Hangout talking about how astronomers are using masers (water lasers) to measure the expansion rate of the Universe. You'd think that another, independent way to measure the expansion rate of the Universe would be helpful, but it's only deepened the mystery of the cosmological crisis. Subscribe to the Weekly Space Hangout https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzO-QhBFz...
Jul 08, 2020•22 min
Earlier this year, NASA announced 4 new Discovery-class missions that they were considering. These are low-cost, rapidly-built missions that will help scientists understand some mystery in astronomy and planetary science. One of these missions is called Trident, and it’s going to be targeting the Planet Neptune. And more specifically, it’s going to be providing close up pictures of its largest moon Triton. Want to see this video early? Join our community at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday ...
Jul 04, 2020•10 min
In this week's questions show, I answer what would happen if a supernova exploded right beside a black hole, how do we know that it's impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, can we hitch a ride on an interstellar object, and more... 00:00 Start 00:17 What if a supernova exploded right beside a black hole? 03:09 Is interstellar travel just too difficult? 05:25 How do we know FTL is impossible? 07:58 How does the Mars helicopter navigate? 09:18 Why does NASA still pay Boeing for Starl...
Jul 04, 2020•29 min
This week, it'll be the last Open Space with Fraser before the show goes on its summer hiatus until September. If you've got some burning space questions, no will be your chance to ask 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.c...
Jul 04, 2020•1 hr 1 min
In this week's episode, I answer questions about alien life, why the ISS is at its current altitude, and of course, many questions about black holes. 00:00 Start 00:11 How do we know it's life? 02:00 Could smaller planets form directly? 04:33 Any way to service Hubble? 05:55 Boost the station up? What does that mean? 07:18 If you went the speed of light to 10 light-years away... 08:40 Will we change our DNA? 11:34 Is Paul really a Doctor? 15:13 Have any stars gotten closer than Alpha Centauri? 1...
Jun 29, 2020•24 min
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Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 1 min
