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Universe Today Podcast

Fraser Cainβ€’www.patreon.com
Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.
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Episodes

[Interview] The Future of Venus Exploration

Dr Michael Way explains how we can explore Venus, study its atmosphere and understand what hides underneath. It's also a crucial part of astrobiology and studying exoplanets. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ‘‰ Dr Michael Way on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Hag4ZAIAAAAJ 00:00 Intro 01:32 Venus. Earth gone wrong 04:20 Exploring Venus with future missions 23:23 Surviving on Venus for longer 28:22 Pushing the limits with Venus 34:20 ...

Feb 27, 2023β€’39 min

[Space Bites] Universe-Breaking Galaxies, Source of Dark Energy, Mars Anniversary

Perseverance has been on Mars for two years, are black holes the source of dark energy?, Universe-breaking galaxies found, and an early warning system for asteroids. ⚫ Breakthrough In Dark Energy? Here's What The Researchers Have To Say: https://youtu.be/-8CIUzPkigQ πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:15 Mars Anniversary https://www.universetoday.com/160201/follow-perseverance-on-its-mars-journey-with-this-two-year-timelapse/ 03:42 Too Big Too Early https:/...

Feb 24, 2023β€’17 min

[Q&A] Rogue Gas Giant, Fish In Space, Detecting Primordial Black Holes

What effect would a rogue gas giant have if it flew through the Solar System? Can fish survive in microgravity and go to space? Do hypervelocity stars leave a wake we could detect? How much do we actually know about Proxima Centauri? All this and more in the week's Q&A! πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:08 [Tatooine] Can life exist on an Earth-sized moon of a gas giant? 06:42 [Coruscant] Do hypervelocity stars leave a wake we could detect? 10:50 [Hoth...

Feb 22, 2023β€’39 min

[Interview] Breakthrough In Dark Energy? Here's What The Researchers Have To Say

A recent research paper suggests that supermassive black holes can be the source of dark energy. It's a big potential breakthrough in Astronomy. So, here's what the co-author of the study, Dr Chris Pearson from STFC RAL Space, has to say about it. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ‘‰ More about the research: https://www.universetoday.com/160139/are-black-holes-the-source-of-dark-energy/ 00:00 Intro 01:36 How did the paper come together 03:36 Connection between Dark Ener...

Feb 21, 2023β€’42 min

[Space Bites] Asteroid Explodes Over English Channel, Moon Breakthrough, Dark Matter Galaxy

Blue Origin wants to build solar panels on the Moon, out of the Moon, SpaceX sold its floating landing pads, and another asteroid hits Earth exactly where and when astronomers predicted. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ”΄ Mars Mission Interview with Rick Davis: https://youtu.be/tujL0xrQ2Os 🟑 JWST Interview with Lee Feinberg: https://youtu.be/eXchT7mtEao πŸ”΅ Interstellar Travel Interview with Andrew Higgins: https://youtu.be/SkGRVvA23qI 🟣 Interview Playlist: https://w...

Feb 17, 2023β€’17 min

[Q&A] Combining All Telescopes On Earth, Cooling Down Venus, Replacing ISS Modules

Why don't we just combine all telescopes into a single one that will have a crazy resolution? Can we simply replace old ISS modules with new ones? How long will it take to cool down Venus? How much mass can the Earth afford to lose? Why blue shift exists if the Universe is expanding? All this and more in this week's Q&A πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:04 [Tatooine] How much mass can the Earth lose? 04:23 [Coruscant] Can a Dyson sphere be stable? 08:...

Feb 15, 2023β€’37 min

[Bonus] Covering the Cosmos with Wiser Tomorrow Podcast

This is an interview with me that we did with the Wiser Tomorrow Podcast. We talked about covering space news at Universe Today, how I run the company and what's my perception of some stories I cover. Enjoy! πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ‘‰ Wiser Tomorrow Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011629 πŸ“Ί VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/dzvT7YRPa1s πŸ“° EMAIL NEWSLETTER Read by 55,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads. Subscribe. It's FREE: https://universetod...

Feb 13, 2023β€’1 hr 9 min

[Space Bites] AI's Costly JWST Mistake, 33-Engine Super Heavy Test, Problems in Orbit

SpaceX tests all 33 engines on super heavy, the worst-case scenario for space debris actually happened, a kilonova is coming, and a new map of all the matter and dark matter in the Universe. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ“° Email Newsletter: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 00:00 Intro 00:15 SpaceX Conducts 33-engine test of Super Heavy https://www.universetoday.com/160008/spacex-sets-new-record-with-successful-test-firing-of-31-raptor-engines/ 01:28 Bad things ...

Feb 10, 2023β€’21 min

[Interview] Exploring Space Lava Tubes: How To Prepare For It

Lava tubes can be a solution to a lot of our space problems. They can provide habitat space on Moon, Mars and even beyond. But how do we prepare to explore them? That's what we're discussing with Professor Francesco Sauro. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ‘‰ Prof. Francesco Sauro: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/francesco.sauro2/en πŸ‘‰ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cescosauro πŸ‘‰ La Venta Association: https://laventa.it/ 00:00 Intro 01:16 Getting into caves 02:32 Why lava tu...

Feb 08, 2023β€’34 min

[Q&A] Stuck in a Space Station, Black Holes' Habitable Zones, Human-Rated Starship

Is there a habitable zone around a black hole? Can you get stuck in the middle of a big space station? How will Starship get human-rated? Why is the Fermi Paradox even a paradox? All this in this week's Q&A! πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:03 [Tatooine] Can you get stuck in a space station? 06:07 [Coruscant] How is Fermi Paradox even a paradox? 09:33 [Hoth] Is there a habitable zone around a black hole? 14:46 [Naboo] What are the highest velocities ...

Feb 08, 2023β€’41 min

[Space Bites] Rolls-Royce Space Reactor, Close Call in Orbit, James Webb's Back

Webb is fully operational again, Rolls-Royce is building a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and the space debris worst-case scenario almost happened. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:14 James Webb is fully operational again https://www.universetoday.com/159897/good-news-webb-is-fully-operational-again/ 01:46 Rolls-Royce Nuclear Reactor for Space https://www.universetoday.com/159859/rolls-royce-reveals-a-nuclear-reactor-that-could-provide-power-on-the-moon/ ...

Feb 04, 2023β€’23 min

[Interview] How A Realistic Mars Mission Will Play Out

How will a human Mars mission play out? Where exactly should it go? What unexpected challenges will we face? We're discussing all these aspects with Rick Davis. He is the Assistant Director for Science and Exploration, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 🐦 Rick Davis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/redplanetrick πŸ‘‰ NASA Blog Article on choosing the landing site on Mars: https://blogs.nasa.gov/redplanetdispatch/2022/12/13/criteria-for-l...

Feb 01, 2023β€’1 hr 10 min

[Q&A] Protecting from Solar Flares, Tiny Rockets, Oldest Possible Ice

Can you maintain a stable orbit with just a solar sail? Will a Dyson sphere or swarm kill all life inside of it? Can you protect yourself from a solar flare? What's the oldest ice in the Universe? All this and more in this week's Q&A! πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:48 [Tatooine] Can you maintain orbit with just a solar sail? 06:44 [Coruscant] Does a Dyson sphere kill all life inside of it? 11:04 [Hoth] Can a Faraday cage protect from a solar flare?...

Jan 31, 2023β€’27 min

[Space Bites] Nuclear Rocket In 2027, New JWST Problems, Starship WDR

Starship completes its wet-dress rehearsal, another problem for Webb, a nuclear rocket test is coming, and more cool NIAC grants. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ‘‰ First NIAC Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/growing-mars-77829316 00:00 Intro 00:14 Starship Wet Dress Rehersal 03:18 JWST's NIRISS problems https://www.universetoday.com/159790/webb-niriss-instrument-has-gone-offline/ 04:57 Webb's first occultation 07:46 Extremely Close Asteroid Flyby https://www....

Jan 27, 2023β€’22 min

[Q&A] Children In Space, Dark Forest, Mars Lava Tubes

What if two black holes with opposing spin merge? Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange point? How habitable are Mars's lava tubes? Can Starships compensate for satellite light pollution? All this and more in this week's episode Q&A with Fraser Cain. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:09 [Tatooine] What if two black holes with opposing spin merge? 06:16 [Coruscant] When will the first person be born in space? 10:24 [Hoth] Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange ...

Jan 25, 2023β€’42 min

[Space Bites] Titan's Dragonfly Test, New Nuclear Rocket, Shadow Universe

The Titan Dragonfly is coming together, NASA is considering a new kind of nuclear rocket, getting more warning for solar flares, and pinpointing carbon emissions from space. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:15 Titan Helicopter Starts to Come Together https://www.universetoday.com/159611/nasa-is-continuing-to-build-the-titan-dragonfly-helicopter-here-are-its-rotors/ 02:38 New NIAC Nuclear Rocket Design https://www.universetoday.com/159599/new-nuclear-rock...

Jan 20, 2023β€’17 min

[Q&A] Dark Curvature, Navigating the Oort Cloud, Future of Space Toilets

Should we change "Dark Matter" to "Dark Curvature"? How do you navigate through dense asteroid fields? What's the future of space toilets? Do aliens block their outgoing signals? All these and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:58 [Tatooine] How do you navigate through dense asteroid fields? 04:02 [Coruscant] Should we change "Dark Matter" to "Dark Curvature"? 07:57 [Hoth] How far can we communicate? 10:49 [Nab...

Jan 17, 2023β€’34 min

[Space Bites] Another Rover's Dead, Green Comet Incoming, JWST’s First Exoplanet

Keep your eyes on the sky for a comet, another Mars rover has died, the leaky Soyuz is going to be replaced, JWST dominates the American Astronomical Society meeting, and is Starship just around the corner? πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:17 A Good Comet is Coming https://www.universetoday.com/159454/comet-e3-ztf-brightens-as-the-first-good-comet-of-2023/ 02:47 Another One Bites The Martian Dust https://www.universetoday.com/159553/china-unable-to-reest...

Jan 13, 2023β€’22 min

[Interview] Avoiding Kessler Syndrome

Mapping out all the space objects and understanding their orbits is the key to avoiding problems in orbit. What are the technical challenges and what's the current state of affairs? We're discussing it with Dr. Moriba Jah. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 01:28 Current state of the orbit 07:04 Kessler Syndrome 14:57 Risks on Different Altitudes 17:41 Access to the Night Skies 22:33 An Ideal Solution 31:57 Future of Humanity 34:30 Outro πŸ“Ί VIDEO VERSION http...

Jan 12, 2023β€’36 min

[Q&A] Rings Around Stars, Laser Space Propulsion, Life on Cold Moons

How do we determine the velocities of objects in distant space? Can we use a laser a space engine on a spaceship? Can we find stars with rings? Is it possible to see the same star at different stages of its life? All this and more in this week's Q&A. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 02:21 [Tatooine] Can stars have rings? 07:59 [Coruscant] Can we see stars at different life stages with gravitational lensing? 11:29 [Hoth] Why not launch payloads from orbi...

Jan 11, 2023β€’43 min

[Space Bites] Eruption on Io, Moon Navigation, Space-Based Power Test

NASA is looking for dangerous asteroids, Io is blasting lava into space, the solar wind could be creating water on the Moon, space power is finally getting a test. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:15 NASA Makes Asteroid Defence a Priority https://www.universetoday.com/159395/nasa-makes-asteroid-defense-a-priority-moving-its-neo-surveyor-mission-into-the-development-phase/ 02:49 Io Is Having a Major Vulcanic Outburst https://www.universetoday.com/159466/i...

Jan 06, 2023β€’18 min

[Bonus] Are We Alone in The Universe? John Michael Godier's Event Horizon

This is part 2 of an interview I did with John Michael Godier on his show called Event Horizon. We talked about the Fermi Paradox and possible solutions to it. ⚫ Event Horizon Show https://www.youtube.com/@EventHorizonShow πŸ“Ί VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/_Cr9TSRe71E πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸ“° EMAIL NEWSLETTER Read by 55,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads. Subscribe. It's FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: ht...

Jan 05, 2023β€’40 min

[Interview] A Realistic Way to Make Space Habitats From Asteroids

We can build space habitats from asteroids by spinning them fast enough. That's what Professor Adam Frank suggests in a recent paper he co-wrote. In this interview, we discussed the idea, how realistic it is and what technology will be needed to achieve it, what applications it can have and when we can expect something like that. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 01:35 Meet Professor Adam Frank 02:27 Building space habitats from asteroids 13:16 Materials req...

Jan 05, 2023β€’38 min

[Space Bites] 2022. Best Space Year Ever?

2022 has definitely been one of the best space years ever. James Webb, SLS, DART and many other major successes. So, let's turn around and remember what did 2022 bring us. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:52 James Webb 04:27 Artemis 1 07:15 Milky Way's black hole by EHT 08:39 DART 10:53 Decadal Survey 12:43 China's progress 14:58 InSight mission ended 16:47 SOFIA telescope discontinued 18:30 Things that didn't happen 19:16 ExoMars delay 20:00 Universe ow...

Dec 30, 2022β€’24 min

[Q&A] Milky Way From Space, Terraforming the Moon, Visiting Mars Rovers

How can we know whether the Universe is infinite or not? Can something hide behind the Sun in Earth's L3 Lagrange point? Should we start with terraforming the Moon before Mars? Will humans ever visit a lander on Mars? πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:47 [Tatooine] Can we terraform the Moon 05:36 [Coruscant] How long current science will stand? 09:01 [Hoth] How can we know if the Universe is infinite or finite? 12:54 [Naboo] Can something hide in Earth's ...

Dec 28, 2022β€’31 min

[Interview] Interstellar Travel Without Breaking Physics with Andrew Higgins

Interstellar travel can be real. And you don't need to break the laws of Physics to do it. In this interview, I discuss a realistic way we can send missions to nearby stars in our lifetimes. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:06 How hard is interstellar travel 00:13:19 Ride solar wind like a bird 00:23:15 How a realistic mission can look like 00:40:20 Exploring the Solar System 00:46:50 Fastest gun in the world 00:55:39 Best way to get off planet Ear...

Dec 26, 2022β€’1 hr 20 min

[Space Bites] InSight Officially Dead // Detecting Warp Drives // New SLS Engine

It’s official, InSight is gone. Perseverance is putting samples onto the surface of Mars. More scientific results from James Webb, and using gravitational wave observatories to detect warp drives. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:17 InSight Mission is over https://www.universetoday.com/159339/this-will-probably-be-insights-last-picture-before-it-runs-out-of-power-forever/ 01:52 Percy Deposits First Sample on Mars’ Surface https://www.universetoday.com/15...

Dec 23, 2022β€’20 min

[Q&A] Dark Antimatter, Human Missions to Asteroids, Rockets and Global Warming

Does the Black Knight satellite really exist? Can JWST explore the Oort cloud? Did we hopelessly contaminate Mars with life? Would I fly on the dearMoon mission without the abort system? Should we do crewed missions to near-earth asteroids? Answers to all these questions and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain! πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:46 [Tatooine] Does the Black Knight satellite really exist? 04:00 [Coruscant] Should we do crewed missi...

Dec 21, 2022β€’37 min

[Breaking News] What FUSION IGNITION Really Means for The Future of Energy Production

This week we got an announcement that a historical milestone was achieved. Fusion Ignition. But what it really means for the future of energy production, what most stories don't say and should you be excited after all? πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:41 The IGNITION announcement 02:21 How fusion works on Earth 04:24 How the breakthrough was made 06:05 Problems with NIF's approach to fusion 08:38 Fusion applications in space 10:52 Should you be excited? ...

Dec 17, 2022β€’12 min

[Space Bites] Accident on the ISS, JWST Deep Field, Space Habitat Goes BANG!

Splashdown! Artemis I has returned home. Webb has made its first Deep Field survey. Listen to the sound of a dust devil on Mars. Space journalist is going to the Moon. πŸ¦„ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday πŸŒ• Artemis 1 Overview video: https://youtu.be/u5wNXtlZH_Q 00:00 Intro 00:16 Orion splashdown https://www.universetoday.com/159146/orion-splashes-down-in-the-pacific-ocean-completing-the-artemis-i-mission/ 02:54 Hakuto-R and Lunar Flashlight launch 05:21 Accident on the IS...

Dec 16, 2022β€’20 min
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