Edward Balaban is a research scientist at NASA Ames and the principal investigator of the Fluidic Telescope Experiment, or FLUTE. The idea is to create a giant lens in space out of a fluid that could maintain its shape in microgravity. The technology was recently tested during the Axiom-1 mission to the International Space Station. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-tries-new-ways-fluid-materials-to-build-giant-space-telescopes 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www...
May 11, 2022•37 min
Dr. Kevin Cannon is an assistant professor of geology and geological engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Cannon has been studying the properties of lunar regolith, developing techniques that could help to mitigate its dangers during long-duration lunar exploration missions. https://geology.mines.edu/project/cannon-kevin/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoda...
May 11, 2022•47 min
In this week's Questions and Answers show, I explain why we don't see much stuff in space unfolding in real time, how long will Musk's Tesla be a recognizable object, and what are some feasible structures we could build to help send payloads to space. 00:00 Start 03:38 [Tatooine] Why don't we see space stuff in real time? 07:40 [Coruscant] When will the Voyagers actually leave the Solar System? 09:43 [Hoth] What do I use to take notes? 12:04 [Naboo] Could we make better rocket fuel? 14:41 [Kamin...
May 11, 2022•37 min
Rocket Lab almost catches their Electron booster with a helicopter, China building an asteroid redirection mission, NASA gives out awards and astronomers find a new type of space explosions. 00:00 Intro 00:35 Rocket Lab Almost Caught a Booster with a Helicopter https://www.universetoday.com/155706/they-did-it-rocket-lab-uses-copter-to-catch-and-release-a-rocket/ 02:06 China is Building an Asteroid Deflection Mission https://www.universetoday.com/155683/china-is-building-an-asteroid-deflection-mi...
May 08, 2022•17 min
My guest today is Dr. Sam Howell, a planetary scientist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sam studies the interiors of icy worlds, like Europa and Enceladus and is pioneering methods to explore their subsurface oceans. https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/showell/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio iTunes: https://universetoday.com/itunes Spotify: https...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 35 min
My guest today is Dr. Franck Marchis, a senior planetary astronomer and chair of the exoplanet group at the Carl Sagan Center of the SETI Institute and Chief Scientific Officer and Founder at Unistellar. Franck helps develop adaptive optics systems for research observatories and helped develop the fully automated eVscope telescope which helps amateurs do astrophotography and contribute to astronomical research. https://www.seti.org/our-scientists/franck-marchis 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ══════════════════...
May 04, 2022•55 min
In this week's Questions and Answers show, I explain why James Web still can't see the Big Bang, if black holes can "unblack hole" later in life and what is the cutest nebula in the Universe? 00:00 Start 03:17 [Tatooine] Can Webb see back to the Big Bang? 08:20 [Corusant] Could antimatter destroy a black hole? 10:06 [Hoth] Why can't the aliens be hiding? 15:02 [Naboo] Can black holes lose enough mass to stop being black holes? 17:51 [Kamino] Why don't supermassive black holes suck everything up?...
May 04, 2022•41 min
Every day about 100 tonnes of space dust strikes the Earth's atmosphere. Most of these space rocks vaporize, but some fall to the Earth at meteorites. Did you know that there are particles from space falling on the roof of your house? My guest today is Scott Peterson. Scott collects micrometeorites from his house and takes pictures of them using a microscope. We'll talk about how to find them, identify them and photograph them for yourself. https://micro-meteorites.com 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ══════════...
May 04, 2022•49 min
NASA extended 8 space missions, EHT has groundbreaking announcements on the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, James Webb shows first images, SOFIA telescope is getting shut, Starship evaluation gets another delay, and more space news. 00:00 Intro 00:37 EHT announced ‘groundbreaking Milky Way results’ https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann22006/ 02:25 Webb Has Almost Reached its Final, Coldest Temperature https://www.universetoday.com/155568/webb-has-almost-reached-its-final-coldest-temp...
May 01, 2022•17 min
My guest today is Dr. Renu Malhotra, a planetary scientist who specializes in planetary migration and orbital mechanics. Dr. Malhotra and her team have discovered that Pluto's orbit is surprisingly chaotic at small timescales and yet surprisingly stable at larger timescale. We'll talk about her research and the science of orbital mechanics that led to the current orbits of the planets in the Solar System. https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~renu/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ htt...
Apr 27, 2022•56 min
In this week's questions and answers show, I talk about supermassive black hole nucleosynthesis, the threat of grabby aliens and why would we ever bother building Von Neumann Probes. 00:00 Start 01:00 [Tatooine] Are elements being formed in quasars? 03:50 [Corusant] What will the coverage of the Moon landings be like? 06:39 [Hoth] How close will Comet C/2014 UN271 get to us? 08:29 [Naboo] Why send out Von Neumann Probes? 09:56 [Kamino] Will we actually develop the technology for Von Neumann Prob...
Apr 27, 2022•33 min
Planetary Science Decadal Survey recommends a mission to Uranus, SLS is set for another delay, Perseverance sees a Phobos solar eclipse, all Hubble's images in a single picture and other most important space and astronomy news of the week. 00:00 Intro 00:43 Planetary Science Decadal Survey is out https://www.universetoday.com/155519/planetary-decadal-survey-says-its-time-for-a-mission-to-uranus-and-enceladus-too-1/ 04:11 NASA is Having a Tough Time Testing the SLS https://www.universetoday.com/1...
Apr 24, 2022•19 min
My guest today is Dr. Margaret Meixner, the Director of Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Science Mission Operations. Previous to this role, Dr. Meixner was a Distinguished Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and a Project Scientist at James Webb Space Telescope. https://www.sofia.usra.edu/about-sofia/science-team/margaret-meixner 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ══════════════════...
Apr 19, 2022•48 min
My guest today is Dr. Slava Turyshev, a physicist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He helped to solve the Pioneer Anomaly, and is developing a mission that could use the Sun's gravity as a natural lens to focus the light from distant objects. https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Turyshev/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio iTunes: https://universetoday...
Apr 19, 2022•1 hr 4 min
My guest today is Celeste Keith, a graduate student at the University of Chicago. Celeste and her team are searching for ways to detect the presence of primordial black holes, leftover from the Big Bang. These could be an explanation for dark matter and other phenomena in the Universe. https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/people/profile/celeste-keith/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https...
Apr 19, 2022•42 min
In this week's live Questions and Answers show, I provide the exact number of alien worlds that could detect the Earth, are we made of heavier elements made in other galaxies, will lasers remain perfectly parallel in space? And more... 00:00 Start 01:15 [Tatooine] Could any aliens see us by the transit/radial velocity method? 04:05 [Corusant] Are we made from atoms made in other galaxies? 07:23 [Hoth] Will lasers remain parallel in space? 09:32 [Naboo] Is the Universe just a coincidence? 10:16 [...
Apr 19, 2022•39 min
Perseverance found its parachute, JWST cooling down its experiments, Standard Model once again in danger, Space Force releasing data to scientists, yet another approach for expensive space tourism and more top news stories of this week. 00:00 Intro 00:52 Space Force is Releasing Decades of Tracking Data on a Thousand Bright Meteor Fireballs https://www.universetoday.com/155380/space-force-is-releasing-decades-of-tracking-data-on-a-thousand-bright-meteor-fireballs/ 02:18 An overweight boson might...
Apr 17, 2022•17 min
Particle physicists have announced an exciting discovery about the W Boson particle that challenges the Standard Model of Physics. To help me understand what was discovered and what it means for physics, I've invited Dr. Paul Sutter back to explain it. Paul is a fantastic science communicator and has a PhD in particle physics. The perfect person to help us make sense of this. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr7XOxxQyBHEwqkhoci7vw Timecodes: Start 00:00:00 Edge of Knowledge 00:01:26 What is the...
Apr 16, 2022•24 min
My guest today is Dr. Surjeet Rajendran, a physics professor at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Rajendran's research is in theoretical physics, with a strong focus on what comes after the standard model. What could dark matter be? How can gravity be merged with quantum mechanics? https://physics-astronomy.jhu.edu/directory/rajendran/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ═══════════════════════════════════...
Apr 15, 2022•58 min
In this week's questions show, I explain how other planets can have geostationary orbits, if sending tardigrades to the Moon is a violation of the Outerspace Treaty, and why everything orbiting the Sun is in perfect balance. Here's a link to our Discord server: https://discord.gg/3nk8kAARUm 00:00 Start 00:53 Does Venus have a geostationary orbit? 02:34 Is sending tardigrades to the Moon violate the Outerspace Treaty? 06:30 Why is everything in stable orbit around the Sun? 08:50 Is there a telesc...
Apr 12, 2022•33 min
My guest today is Dr. Thayne Currie, an astrophysicist at NASA-Ames Research Center and the Subaru Telescope. Dr. Currie was part of a team that directly imaged a newly-forming planet, providing evidence of another way large planets can form, and could have formed here in the Solar System. https://subarutelescope.org/staff/currie/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.c...
Apr 12, 2022•55 min
My guest today is Dr. Robin Hanson, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. Dr. Hanson is famous for writing a paper describing the Great Filter, a theory that explains why we don't see aliens across the Universe. https://www.overcomingbias.com/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: http...
Apr 09, 2022•1 hr 13 min
My guest today is Chris Prophet, a freelance writer who has been covering the rise of SpaceX. He has written several books, including SpaceX from the Ground Up. His new book is called SpaceX Evolution and explains some of the company's long-term strategies to create a sustainable human civilization on Mars and beyond. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6442069.Chris_Prophet 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ══════════════════...
Apr 09, 2022•1 hr 3 min
In this week's live Questions and Answers show, I explain how big black holes are, what coordinate system astronomers use to map objects in the sky, and what could have collapsed clouds of hydrogen to form the first stars? 00:00 Start 00:42 How big are black holes? 03:15 What coordinate system do astronomers use to map objects in space? 06:50 What created the first stars? 08:19 If Planet 9 is a black hole, how could we detect it? 10:10 How do gamma rays escape the gravity of a black hole? 11:04 ...
Apr 05, 2022•35 min
In this week's questions and answers show, I answer the question: could we build a star? How far will humans realistically explore within the Solar System? Is there any way we can escape the heat death of the Universe? 00:00 Start 01:03 Could we create a new star? 04:17 How far will humans explore in the Solar System? 08:59 Can we escape the heat death of the Universe? 13:29 Where is the surface of Jupiter? 15:53 Can a rocket escape Venus? 18:50 Will we find life in the Solar System? 19:45 Why d...
Apr 01, 2022•36 min
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...
Mar 27, 2022•41 min
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 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio iTunes: https://universetoday.com/itunes Spoti...
Mar 27, 2022•57 min
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 s...
Mar 21, 2022•42 min
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/ 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio iTunes: https...
Mar 14, 2022•56 min
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 🚀 OUR WEBSITE: ════════════════════════════════════ https://www.universetoday.com/ 🚀 PODCAST LINKS: ════════════════════════════════════ RSS: https://universetoday.com/audio iTunes: https://universetoday.com/itunes Spotify: htt...
Mar 14, 2022•58 min
