Cool Worlds Podcast

Cool Worlds Podcast

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Conversations between Professor David Kipping and guests, spanning astronomy, technology, science and engineering. This is the official podcast of the Cool Worlds Lab at Columbia University and their popular YouTube channel ”Cool Worlds”. Podcast episodes are filmed and can be found online through our YouTube channels.

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    • May 18, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 14m AVG DURATION
    • 22 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The Cool Worlds Podcast is an absolute gem for science enthusiasts and anyone curious about the mysteries of the universe. As a big fan of the YouTube channel, I was thrilled to discover that Professor Kipping and his team had created a podcast. The show is definitely a hit for fans of Cool Worlds, as well as those who enjoy StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the depth of information provided. Prof. Kipping and his guests delve into fascinating scientific topics and provide thorough explanations that are both accessible and engaging. The host, David, is a skilled conversationalist who asks well-timed thought-provoking questions, keeping the pace of the conversation just right. The presentation style is immersive and keeps listeners fully engaged throughout each episode.

    Furthermore, what sets The Cool Worlds Podcast apart from other science podcasts is its ability to provide helpful explanations that make complex concepts understandable to a wide audience. Whether you're new to astrophysics or have some prior knowledge, this podcast caters to all levels of scientific understanding. Each episode offers in-depth discussions on various topics related to cosmology, time, and beyond, leaving listeners with a sense of awe and perspective.

    However, no podcast is perfect, and there are some aspects of The Cool Worlds Podcast that could be improved upon. Firstly, while the content itself is excellent, there could be more frequent releases of new episodes. As someone eagerly awaiting each installment, it can feel like quite a wait between episodes. Additionally, it would be great to have more interaction with listeners through Q&A sessions or even guest submissions for future episodes.

    In conclusion, The Cool Worlds Podcast is an incredibly enriching experience that will leave you thinking about all aspects of the universe long after each episode ends. From its helpful explanations to its inspirational nature, this podcast truly stands out in the realm of science communication. Prof. Kipping and his team have created something special that not only educates but also ignites a sense of wonder and curiosity. I highly recommend The Cool Worlds Podcast to anyone interested in exploring the wonders of the cosmos.



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    Latest episodes from Cool Worlds Podcast

    #22 Sara Walker - Origin of Life, Assembly Theory, Biosignatures

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2025 70:35


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Sara Imari Walker, Professor of Earth & Space Exploration at the Arizona State University. Prof Walker has spent the last few years developing a new concept in astrobiology known as assembly theory, which we explore in this episode. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #21 Edwin Kite - Early Mars, Terraforming/Settling Mars

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 78:42


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Edwin Kite, Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. Prof Kite is a Participating Scientist for the NASA Curiosity Rover and has devoted much of his career to the study of Mars' evolution and fate. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #20 Natalie Batalha - Kepler Mission, Exoplanets with JWST, Future Imagers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 60:02


    Use code coolworldspodcast at https://incogni.com/coolworldspodcast to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan. In this week's episode, David is joined by Natalie Batalha, Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. Prof Batalha was one of the leaders of the historic NASA Kepler Mission which discovered the majority of known exoplanets, and in 2017 was one of the Time 100 most influential people. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #19 Brian Keating - Inflation, B Modes and Losing the Nobel Prize

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 113:29


    Use code coolworldspodcast at https://incogni.com/coolworldspodcast to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan. In this week's episode, David is joined by Brian Keating, host of the Into the Impossible Podcast, Professor of Cosmology at UC San Diego and popular science book author. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #18 Nick Searra - Alien Communication, Golden Record, Future Relics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 75:06


    Use code coolworldspodcast at https://incogni.com/coolworldspodcast to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan. In this week's episode, David is joined by Nick Searra, Founder and Executive Directory of the Interstellar Foundation (https://www.interstellarfoundation.com/). The Interstellar Foundation is building updated versions of the Golden Record for the new space age - physical data storage devices that will be attached to spacecraft to serve as a record of humanity's knowledge and an attempt at alien communication through deep time.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #17 Adam Riess - Modern Cosmology, Hubble Tension, New Physics

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2024 63:13


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Nobel laureate Adam Riess, Bloomberg Distinguish Professor and Thomas J Barbar Professor of Physics & Astronomy at John Hopkins University. In this conversation, we explore the Hubble tension and recent disagreements between cosmology teams.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support   Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #16 Janna Levin - Black Holes, Singularities & Wormholes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 78:18


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Prof Janna Levin, Professor of Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. Janna is an expert in the theoretical physics of black holes, an author, a communicator of science and co-founder of Pioneer Works. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Go to https://ground.news/CWP to discover the full spectrum of truths and absurdities behind today's headlines. Save 40% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.  Prof Levin's research page: https://jannalevin.com/ Pioneer Works: https://pioneerworks.org/ Janna's Books: https://jannalevin.com/books/black-hole-survival-guide/ Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #15 Jackie Faherty - Brown Dwarfs, Clouds, Atmospheres, JWST

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 96:35


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Dr Jackie Faherty, Senior Scientist and Senior Education Manager at the American Museum of Natural History and co-founded of the BDNYC research team. Jackie is a champion of brown dwarf science, mysterious objects that aren't quite stars, and aren't quite planets. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to https://coolworldslab.com/support Dr Faherty's research page: https://www.jackiefaherty.com/ 2030 STEM: https://2030stem.org/ BDNYC: https://bdnyc.org/ Backyard Worlds: https://backyardworlds.org Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #14 Gavin Schmidt - Climate Science, Projections, Measurements, Denialism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2024 94:56


    In this week's episode, David is joined by climate scientist Dr Gavin Schmidt, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) and co-founded of the RealClimate blog. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support RealClimate: https://www.realclimate.org/ NASA GISS: https://www.giss.nasa.gov/ Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #13 David Spergel - NASA UAP Taskforce, Dark Matter, Hubble Tension, Leadership

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2024 71:54


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Dave Spergel, Professor of Astrophysics, Chair of the NASA UAP Taskforce and President of the Simons Foundation. Dr Spergel has been a prominent leader in the field of cosmology, both intellectually and strategically. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support NASA UAP Report: https://smd-cms.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/uap-independent-study-team-final-report.pdf Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #12 Lisa Kaltenegger - Alien Earths, Astrobiology Controversies, Frequency of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 92:04


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Lisa Kaltenegger, Professor at Cornell and Director of the Carl Sagan Institute. Lisa's new book, "Alien Earths", has just hit the shelves so we talk about what made her write this book, her view on the abundance of life in the cosmos, and her take on a couple of recent controversies in the field of astrobiology. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #11 Paul Sutter - Rescuing Science, Restoring Trust In an Age of Doubt

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2024 88:01


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Dr Paul Sutter, Professor at Stony Brook and a Visiting Professor at Barnard College. Paul is a theoretical cosmologist, who has had a long and productive career in research, but is better known to most for his science communication work. Having one numerous awards, written popular science books and starring in shows like "How the Universe Works", Paul has become a familiar face to many. In this third book, "Rescuing Science: Restoring Trust In an Age of Doubt", Paul explores how the public are losing trust in scientific institutions and what we can do about it. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support Paul's book: https://www.amazon.com/Rescuing-Science-Restoring-Trust-Doubt-ebook/dp/B0CCH5K6JL Paul's website: https://www.pmsutter.com/ Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #10 - Viraj Pandya - Early Galaxies with JWST, Galaxies "Gone Bananas", Galaxy Formation

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 73:56


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Dr Viraj Pandya, Hubble Fellow at Columbia University. Viraj's work was recently highlighted on the front page of the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/science/space/astronomy-galaxies-bananas.html) where his recent discoveries with JWST were showcased. Viraj's work suggests that early galaxy formation was far more bizarre than expected and is shaking up long standing ideas. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support Viraj's website: https://virajpandya.github.io/

    #9 Renée Hložek - Axions, Tracing Dark Matter, Fate of the Universe

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 58:47


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Prof Renée Hložek from the University of Toronoto/Dunlap Institute. Renée is cosmologist studying the CMB, Type 1A Supernovae and baryonic acoustic oscillations. She's an Azrieli Global Scholar within the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a Senior TED fellow and a Sloan Research Fellow. Our conversation spans axions, dark matter, dark energy and most importantly how astronomers can unravel the secrets of the universe.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support Renée's website: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/dunlap-people/prof-renee-hlozek/ TED Ed, "The Death of the Universe": https://youtu.be/mSzCS_5qtVY?si=oLSKFqVbSBO77yKv TED Archive, "The Making of Cosmic Soup": https://youtu.be/mWzQ3aYlMVQ?si=t5bWERtS0mkFCGGr

    #8 Malena Rice - Planet Nine, Oumuamua, Misaligned Exoplanets

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 65:23


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Prof Malena Rice from Yale University. Malena obtained her PhD from Yale University before heading to MIT for a year as 51 Pegasi fellow. She has recently returned to Yale, joining the astronomy faculty. Malena has been featured in Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 and is an expert in planetary dynamics and detection techniques. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

    #7 Ramesh Narayan - Black Holes, Extreme Astrophysics, Event Horizon Telescope

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 61:49


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Ramesh Narayan - a renowned astrophysicist whose groundbreaking research has significantly advanced our understanding of black holes and accretion processes. With a career spanning decades, Narayan's work has contributed invaluable insights into the behavior of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies and the dynamics of matter falling into these cosmic giants. He has also been lead member of the Event Horizon telescope which captured the first photo of a black hole. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

    #6 Adam Frank - Technosignatures, Semantic Information, Galactic Colonization

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 76:10


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Adam Frank. Adam is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rochester University, author of popular science books such as "The Little Book of Aliens" and "Light of the Stars", as well as a regular CNN contributor. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support You can watch to the video recording of this podcast over at https://youtu.be/VM8n7HANYpM Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #5 Kathryn Johnston - The Milky Way, Dark Matter vs MOND, Gaia

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2023 73:56


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Kathryn Johnston. Prof Johnston is a Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and the Dynamics Group Leader at the Flatiron Institute. Kathryn is a world renown expert for her work on Milky Way dynamics, especially tidal streams and the dark matter components of our galaxy. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support Cool Worlds Podcast Theme by Hill [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hdkvBtRdOW4SPsnxCXOjK]

    #4 Hod Lipson - Automated Physics Discovery, ChatGPT, Future of AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 64:38


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Hod Lipson. Prof Lipson is the Director of the Creative Machine Lab at Columbia University and is a leading researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, self-replicating robots and self-learning machines. We dive into his work on machines that can discover new physics, the trajectory of current AI and the future of humanity and AGI. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

    #3 Chiara Mingarelli - NANOGrav, Background Gravitational Waves, Black Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2023 77:52


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Chiara Mingarelli. Prof Mingarelli is currently moving from the University of Connecticut to Yale University and is theorist working on the so-called background gravitational wave signal. Predicted for decades but incredibly elusive, we are on the cusp of detecting this signal for the first time. Learn all about what this signal is and what it means for astronomy in today's episode. To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

    #2 Wendy Freedman - The Crisis in Cosmology, Standard Candles, Future of Cosmology

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 58:53


    In this week's episode, David is joined by Wendy Freedman. Prof Freedman is a legendary cosmologist, who has played a central role in understanding the expansion rate of our Universe. She is a Professor of Cosmology at University of Chicago, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a legacy fellow of the American Astronomical Society and winner of the Gruber Prize in Cosmology. Her recent work has focussed on precise measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe and has been a the heart of the so-called "Crisis in Cosmology" that we get into in today's episode.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

    #1 Rebecca Charbonneau - Astrohistory, Carl Sagan, Cold War SETI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2023 54:19


    In our inaugural episode, David is joined by Rebecca Charbonneau. Dr Charbonneau holds a PhD in the History of Science from Cambridge University, and served as the Historian-in-Residence at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics from 2020-2022. She is currently a Janksy Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and working on an upcoming book exploring the history of SETI - the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

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