Cosmic Castaway

Moving forward, it is the hope that the seasons of the podcast can become more themed and more rooted in specific research regarding the topics covered. 

Everyone faces adversity and everyone most certainly fails. It is however, what we do in and with that failure that defines the long term affect it has on our lives. We can choose to let it deter us from our goals, or we can use it to gain the insight necessary to achieve them.

College is definitely a great experience but can also come with a hefty price tag. So is it still something worth doing? The answer isn't as simple as a yes or a no and it most certainly varies from person to person, but one thing is certain, college sports beat professional sports any day!

Climate change is unfortunately, a touchy subject. Sadly, its resulting outcomes care very little about our squabbling and will likely take place without our say so. The path to renewable energy is a difficult one, there is no doubt about. The economics of it alone are daunting but not impossible if given the proper care and forethought. It is necessary to recognize that both sides of the equation need some tuning in order to make the necessary headway needed on this most difficult of challenges. In this episode, I give my thoughts on several areas that need addressing if we are to make such progress. Enjoy!

Humans in space, for most of human history, was a pipe dream, only possible by the grace of the gods. Fast forward to July 20, 1969, those same humans touched the heavens, and landed down on Earth's close neighbor and celestial dance partner.  What was achieved that day wasn't for any one singular entity, but for all mankind. For a moment, all our differences forgotten despite the lingering issues still at our doorsteps. That is the power of human space exploration. As the Artemis missions kick off, it seems appropriate to dedicate an episode solely focused on what space exploration means to us as a species!

The information available at our fingertips is unparalleled through history. Never has there been such an easier time to know something. So why then, is it easier now than ever to run around claiming expertise in something all the while no ones validates such a claim? In this episode, we discuss how important it is to respect expertise, but to be cautious and critical with who we give that title to. We must be responsible with our own knowledge about the growing areas of concern and do the research! Good research! Not just googling regurgitated crap! 

It can be difficult to listen to an opinion you completely disagree with, but doing so with dignity and grace is critical in progressing good dialogue and public discourse. The importance of hearing the opposing side to an opinion may not seem obvious at first, but nevertheless, such is the case and it can even lead to the more important outcome...compromise. In this episode we discuss what it means to have an opinion, why sharing them is so important, and why protecting the space to share them is paramount to human progress. Enjoy! 

For the first episode of 2021, attempts are made to make sense of what is wrong with how Americans get their scientific information. From the poor approach of mainstream news media that often leaves people more conflicted and confused, politicians holding snowballs as contradictory evidence to climate change, social media armchair experts, all the way to the difficulties the scientific community still endures trying to ensure proper and effective communication of the discoveries and advancements that look to change our daily lives. The modern age needs a modern way of thinking, luckily for us, such a way of thinking already exists, now we must make the effort to learn how to apply it in everything we do and say! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

In this one, host Garrick Lewellyn, expands on his passion for astrophotography, discussing types of telescopes, cameras, mounts, and other gear needed to jump into the hobby. There is no greater way to capture the meaning of life than to take a picture of our origins itself. The stars are where all things on Earth come from, and being able to take pictures and snapshots in time of some of the events that unfolded in the vastness of space, is like no other form of photography. Enjoy!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

In this episode, host Garrick Lewellyn breaks down a recent discovery that points to a plausible sign of life on Venus! Key word plausible... Recently, a group of astronomers published their findings of a compound called phosphine in the upper atmosphere of Venus. For you Breaking Bad fans out there, no Venus does not harbor our beloved Walter White despite what some online conspiracy theories might have you believe... Using radio telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, scientists where able to pretty conclusively determine the existence of phosphine in the Venusian atmosphere and this is amazing because phosphine is understood to only be made by us humans (enter your Breaking Bad jokes), and bacteria living in oxygen deprived environments. Tune in to find out why this is so exciting!!!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

Podcasting isn't easy...Add a broken computer to the equation and it's impossible. Host Garrick Lewellyn dives into the components of a computer and how his own system blew up in his face... Just kidding, it just wouldn't turn on and that doesn't sound near as exciting. Tune in for an update on NASA's Artemis mission and to learn more about computers than you ever cared too. Enjoy!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

We live in a world filled with problems. Climate change, a pandemic, civil inequality and unrest, people are hungry and without clean water. How do we solve these problems? So far, the most successful method we humans have at our disposal is the method of science. It isn't perfect, but it time and time again, proves itself the best means of overcoming the obstacles in front of us as a species. Understanding its principles and using them to keep us honest with ourselves seems to be the best way forward. Remain curious and ever objective about the world around you.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

In the first ever episode, host Garrick Lewellyn dives into the details of the recently launched Mars rover Perseverance and the successful SpaceX mission DEMO-2. Space Exploration has never been more exciting and only continues to yield new information about our place in the cosmos and a growing number of questions waiting to be answered!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)

An introduction to the new podcast Cosmic Castaway. Host Garrick Lewellyn establishes the premise of what is to be discussed on this new Cosmic adventure!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CosmicCastaway)