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1950Private Enterprise Advances Space ExplorationBob Zimmerman highlights major developments in commercial space flight and astronomy. SpaceX achieved orbit on its 14th Starship test flight, deploying 26 Starlink version 3 satellites before completing soft vertical ocean splashdowns. Boeing and NASA agreed on an unmanned cargo mission to test fixes for Starliner thruster and corrosion issues. Meanwhile, Blue Origin raised $10 billion to advance New Glenn development under CEO David Limp. NASA's Perseverance rover resumed updates after surveying Jezero Crater for drilling. Finally, the James Webb Space Telescope detected heavy elements in early galaxies, challenging current cosmological models. (8)
"Big Bang" was once a term of derision for a model of the origin of the universe. Then it rose to general acceptance. And now that the James Webb Space Telescope has shown us so much more about the cosmos, the Big Bang seems to be fizzling out. What if we didn't have to guess? What if we could hear what happened, and how this all came to be, from Someone who was there? We have that eyewitness report in Genesis. Here's Jim to kick off our new series, Firm Foundations. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS09302026_0.mp3Scripture References: Genesis 1:1-10
"Big Bang" was once a term of derision for a model of the origin of the universe. Then it rose to general acceptance. And now that the James Webb Space Telescope has shown us so much more about the cosmos, the Big Bang seems to be fizzling out. What if we didn't have to guess? What if we could hear what happened, and how this all came to be, from Someone who was there? We have that eyewitness report in Genesis. Here's Jim to kick off our new series, Firm Foundations. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS09292026_0.mp3Scripture References: Genesis 1
"Big Bang" was once a term of derision for a model of the origin of the universe. Then it rose to general acceptance. And now that the James Webb Space Telescope has shown us so much more about the cosmos, the Big Bang seems to be fizzling out. What if we didn't have to guess? What if we could hear what happened, and how this all came to be, from Someone who was there? We have that eyewitness report in Genesis. Here's Jim to kick off our new series, Firm Foundations. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS09282026_0.mp3Scripture References: Genesis 1
Host explores James Webb Space Telescope's latest findings: early galaxies exhaling heavy elements, "dead" galaxies reviving, misidentified quasars as extreme star factories, mysterious "little red dots," water near Sagittarius A*, and Chariklo's shifting rings. A wonder-filled tour through cosmic mysteries. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
# The Space Cowboy: Latest James Webb Space Telescope Discoveries — Water Near a Black Hole, Ancient Cosmic Chemistry & an Interstellar Comet Saddle up for the newest trail reports from the **James Webb Space Telescope** in this episode of The Space Cowboy. From the heart of our galaxy to the edge of the observable universe, Webb continues to prove that the cosmos was far busier, older, and stranger than astronomers ever imagined. In this episode, we explore:
# The Space Cowboy: Riding the Cosmic Range with James Webb's Latest Discoveries **Podcast Episode Description:** Saddle up for another journey across the cosmic frontier with The Space Cowboy as we explore the newest discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope! In this episode, we dive deep into groundbreaking findings that are reshaping our understanding of the universe. Explore the massive infrared panorama of IC 348, a stunning star-forming region in Perseus where Webb has uncovered the **least massive brown dwarfs ever confirmed**—cosmic objects barely twice the mass of Jupiter that are challenging everything we know about star and planet formation. Discover hidden protostellar jets, distant spiral galaxies, and gravitational lensing captured in this record-breaking image. We also unpack the mystery of **"Little Red Dots"**—strange, compact objects from the early universe that new supercomputer simulations suggest may be rapidly growing black holes, potentially solving one of cosmology's biggest puzzles about how supermassive black holes formed so quickly after the Big Bang. Closer to home, learn how Webb captured **Chariklo's mysterious rings** changing in real-time, providing the first clear evidence that small body ring systems in our solar system are far more dynamic than previously believed. Plus, we cover: - Webb's investigation into **"dead galaxy" outflows**, revealing the most powerful gas ejection ever recorded from a quiescent galaxy - The search for **exomoons** around exoplanet LP 899-c, showcasing Webb's precision in ruling out large moons - Why quenched galaxies might not stay dead—they could be cycling between quenching and reigniting star formation Whether you're a space enthusiast, astronomy student, or just curious about the universe, this episode breaks down complex JWST discoveries in an accessible, engaging way. From brown dwarfs to black holes, ring systems to exomoons, The Space Cowboy brings you the latest cosmic news with a friendly, down-to-earth approach. **Keywords:** James Webb Space Telescope, JWST discoveries, brown dwarfs, Little Red Dots, black holes, exoplanets, Chariklo rings, star formation, IC 348, astronomy podcast Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
Join your host as James Webb Space Telescope: A New View of the Universe unpacks six stunning discoveries—quasar impostors revealed as massive star-forming galaxies, ancient reionization bubbles, black holes growing into Little Red Dots, trans-Neptunian objects, exomoon searches, and brown dwarfs redefining stellar mass limits. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
James Webb Space Telescope reveals surprises: early quasars are star-blazing galaxies, a mysterious black hole star, Neptune's moon origins, tiny trans-Neptunian objects, and a distant planet losing its atmosphere. Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts craving fresh cosmic discoveries. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
# The Space Cowboy Show: Riding Through JWST's Latest Cosmic Discoveries **Episode Description:** Saddle up for another wild ride through the cosmos! In this episode of The Space Cowboy Show, we explore the most groundbreaking **James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)** discoveries reshaping our understanding of the universe—from the earliest galaxies to worlds that might harbor life.
Следващото Ratio събитие: Дигитално детство: проклятие или благословия - https://ratio.bg/events/digitalyouth/ В новия епизод на Ratio Weekly Петко и Никола Кереков разглеждат няколко от най-интересните космически истории от последните седмици – от дългото пътуване до Меркурий до възможното откриване на нов тип космически обект в ранната Вселена. Европейско-японската мисия BepiColombo завърши последната си двигателна маневра за сближаване с Меркурий и вече е на финалната права към планетата. След години на пътуване и технически проблеми мисията трябва да достигне околомеркурианска орбита през ноември. Ще поговорим и за това защо Меркурий е толкова трудна цел за космическите мисии и как гравитационните маневри позволяват на BepiColombo постепенно да намали скоростта си и да се „промъкне“ до най-близката до Слънцето планета. Междувременно една друга мисия се оказва в сериозна беда. Космическият апарат LINK беше изпратен, за да помогне за спасяването на телескопа на NASA Swift, но проблеми със системата за ориентация поставят под въпрос първоначалния план. Ще стане ли възможно поне да бъде извършено сближаване с телескопа и какво може да научим от този рискован експеримент? Оттам се отправяме към Луната, където NASA обмисля необичайно решение: да изпрати на лунната повърхност инженерния двойник на марсохода Perseverance. А на Земята учените мислят за далеч по-драматичен начин да защитят планетата ни – Китай планира мисия, която ще се блъсне в астероид, за да тества възможностите ни за отклоняване на потенциално опасни космически тела. Накрая поглеждаме възможно най-далеч назад във времето. James Webb Space Telescope е наблюдавал необичаен обект от ранната Вселена, който може да се окаже нещо, което досега не сме виждали – огромна структура с черна дупка в центъра, обвита в плътен слой водород и изглеждаща като гигантска звезда. Ако интерпретацията се потвърди, тя може да даде ново обяснение и на мистериозните „малки червени точки“, които JWST открива в ранната Вселена. Гледай епизода тук: https://youtu.be/eRVCHg8QRvs Споменато в епизода: Бепи Коломбо на път към Меркурий (тук) Мисия за спасяване на космически телескоп (тук) (тук) Предстои изстрелване на нов косм.телескоп (тук) . Ще пращат марсоход на Луната? (тук) Китай планира мисия като DART, но по яка (тук) Black hole sun (тук) За подкаста: В епизодите на Ratio Weekly, нашата импровизирана научна новинарска емисия, молекулярният биолог Никола Кереков в компанията на харизматичния водещ Петко Желязов ви представят най-новите открития и най-любопитните постижения в сферата на науката, технологиите и медицината от изминалата седмица. В тази мини-серия на Ratio Podcast говорим за неща като това как да общуваме ефективно с котките, защо китовете се самоубиват и какво живее на Венера. Това е една от шестте серии на Ratio Podcast – един подкаст за любопитни хора. С негова помощ ще си сверите часовника за всичко най-ново в света на науката и културата и ще чуете неформални разговори, свързани или вдъхновени от наука.
Join our AI host on James Webb Space Telescope: A New View of the Universe as we explore hidden faint stars reshaping galaxy mass estimates, a mysterious "black hole star" at cosmic dawn, an archival gravitational arc discovery, rapid exoplanet formation signals, and stunning new imagery from the Treasure Chest and Lion Nebulae. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
# The Space Cowboy: James Webb Space Telescope's Latest Cosmic Discoveries **Episode Description:** Ride along with The Space Cowboy on a journey through the universe's most fascinating recent discoveries, all captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This episode explores groundbreaking findings that are reshaping our understanding of space, from our own solar system to the edges of the observable universe. **In this episode, discover:**
On Friday's show: A Galveston County jury has sentenced James Elmore, 61, to 20 years in prison for his role in a decades-old "Texas Killing Fields" case that went unsolved for over 40 years. We get the details on his trial and sentencing.Also this hour: NASA just launched a new telescope. We learn what makes the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope different than others before it, like the Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, and what the agency hopes to discover with new snapshots of the universe.Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And members of the ensemble WindSync tell us about their joint performance with Musiqa tonight at Miller Outdoor Theatre.Watch
# Episode Description **Riding the Infrared Frontier: James Webb's Latest Cosmic Discoveries** Join The Space Cowboy for an action-packed journey through the newest James Webb Space Telescope discoveries reshaping our understanding of the universe. In this episode, we saddle up to explore groundbreaking findings that span from the dawn of time to our own cosmic backyard. **In this episode, you'll discover:**
Host Griffin Rowe explores JWST's latest discoveries: a mysterious "black hole star" in Cetus, undercounted galaxies with hidden planet-forming potential, an "early galaxy crisis" resolved, heavy water on exoplanets, and a supermassive black hole anchoring a forming galaxy. Cosmic mysteries meet ancient myth in this deep-dive into the universe's origins. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
The new Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is slated to launch this weekend. It was originally built for the National Reconnaissance Office as a spy satellite, but was never launched. Instead, NRO gave it to NASA about 15 years ago. After some major modifications, it's set to begin its five-year mission peering at new supernovas, distant galaxies and planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. It should help scientists get a better understanding of the mysterious force known as dark energy – which will tell us about the fate of the universe.If you liked this episode, check out Regina's reporting demystifying the mysterious red dots spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope.Interested in more space news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Are We Living Inside a Black Hole? And Why You Should Never Trust a Nazi With a Plate Of Cookies. What if our entire universe is hiding inside a black hole? The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered strange new clues about the early cosmos—including an ancient galaxy that appears far more developed than it should be and a mysterious imbalance in the way distant galaxies rotate. Then, meet the WWII interrogator who extracted secrets from hundreds of Allied pilots without threats or violence. His weapons were casual conversation, carefully placed misinformation…and sometimes a plate of cookies. How did prisoners reveal valuable intelligence without realizing they'd said anything at all? Two mind-bending stories involving cosmic mysteries, psychological manipulation, snack cakes, and the unsettling possibility that everything we know exists inside someone else's patch of darkness. It's The Box of Oddities! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In four days from now NASA plans to launch The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. A remarkable scientific achievement that will compliment both the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope and see more of the cosmos. Join Emmy award broadcast journalist David Denault with pre-launch pre-view.
In today's episode we'll meet some very intelligent dolphins, learn about a newly discovered cosmic object and hear all about which book characters you're dressing up as for Book Week! Quiz Questions1.Who do the marine researchers think the dolphins are learning the hunting skill of shelling from? 2.What does LRDs stand for? 3.What is the theme for this year's Book Week? Answers1.Their mothers2.Little Red Dots3.Symphony of StoriesNews NoodlerWhat else do you think the James Webb Space Telescope might discover that we don't know about yet?
When the James Webb Space Telescope started sending back images in 2022, something mysterious appeared: little red dots, speckled across the sky. They didn't look like any known celestial objects, and astronomers began racing to figure out what they were. There was a lot of hot debate, but researchers are making progress—the dots appear to be black holes, but black holes like we've never seen them before. In a recent study, astrophysicist Rohan Naidu and his team looked into one little red dot with the catchy name of MoM-BH*-1 and concluded it was a new cosmic category called a black hole star. Guest: Dr. Rohan Naidu is an assistant professor at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What do you call a very-but-not-so-supermassive black hole completely encased in a warm dense cloud of hydrogen? A hot mess? How about "black hole star", a new category of crazy astronomical object that can explain some of the James Webb Space Telescope's mysterious findings from the early universe. And we're a step closer to understanding our own star with dazzling data from the Inouye Solar Telescope that shows evidence of a fluid instability at the surface that helps explain how the solar corona gets so hot. Join us for this, space news, sci fi trivia and more.
# The Space Cowboy: Latest James Webb Space Telescope Discoveries & Cosmic Mysteries **Episode Description:** Saddle up for the latest James Webb Space Telescope news roundup! In this episode of The Space Cowboy, we explore NASA's newest JWST discoveries, from the stunning "Treasure Chest" cometary globule in the Carina Nebula to a dramatic new view of the Lion Nebula (NGC 2392), where a dying Sun-like star reveals its white dwarf core blasting radiation into space. We dive deep into one of 2026's biggest astronomy stories: the discovery of "MoM BH star 1," a mysterious black hole star dating back to just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Published in *Nature* and reported by ScienceDaily, this find may hold the key to understanding Webb's puzzling "little red dots"—and we break down new research suggesting some of these objects might simply be distant spiral galaxies in disguise. This episode also covers groundbreaking findings on early galaxy mass estimates, revealing that ancient galaxies may have been far more massive and star-dense than previously thought. Plus, we journey to our own solar system backyard, where Webb's observations of Neptune's tiny moons hint at a violent past involving shattered worlds and the historic capture of Triton. From dark matter mapping to galaxy evolution studies, discover how the James Webb Space Telescope continues to reshape our understanding of the universe—one infrared image at a time. **Topics covered:** JWST news, Carina Nebula, Lion Nebula NGC 2392, black hole stars, little red dots mystery, early universe galaxies, Neptune's moons, Triton, dark matter research, space telescope discoveries 2026 **Perfect for:** Space enthusiasts, astronomy fans, science podcast listeners, and anyone curious about the latest cosmic discoveries from NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope. *A Quiet Please Production. Subscribe for weekly space news and telescope updates. Learn more at quietplease.ai* Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
Host Griffin Rowe explores James Webb Space Telescope's boldest 2026 discoveries: a mysterious "black hole star" at cosmic dawn, potential biosignature gases on exoplanet K2-18b, a warped protoplanetary disk around TW Hydrae, and a Webb-Hubble composite of the Black Eye Galaxy. Science meets storytelling in this cosmic exploration. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-21-2026Anatol Lieven discusses the war in Ukraine, highlighting Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure like Black Sea resorts and a commercial center. He carefully examines the psychological impact of these infrastructure strikes, noting that while they aim to weaken Russian morale, history shows such strategies rarely succeed. Lieven describes growing domestic resentment over rampant government corruption, which threatens Western aid and has already led to several high-profile dismissals. Finally, he analyzes global energy and food security threats caused by port and refinery strikes, alongside Prime Minister Andy Burnham's struggle to balance costly military commitments with domestic recovery. (1)Peter Berkowitz reflects on the 30th anniversary of Alan Sokal's famous academic hoax, which exposed the intellectual decline within higher education humanities. Berkowitz critiques contemporary humanities departments for their ideological hypocrisy: professors claim objective truth is subjective while simultaneously insisting that their own political claims are absolute truths. He references a report from Vanderbilt and Washington University confirming that significant contingents of humanities faculty in core disciplines subordinate scholarship to political activism. Finally, Berkowitz notes that this progressive ideological capture is concentrated among college-educated voters in elite university towns, warning that treating education as political indoctrination severely perverts liberal education. (2)Mary Anastasia O'Grady discusses the alarming rise of authoritarianism in Mexico under President Claudia Sheinbaum and her ruling party, Morena. O'Grady details how the ruling party has systematically consolidated power by taking control of independent electoral bodies, tribunals, regulatory commissions, and the judiciary through politicized popular elections. She warns that Morena's latest effort targets television and radio—the primary sources of information for most Mexican citizens—to effectively censor critical independent media. While O'Grady deeply laments the weak leadership of the official political opposition, she finds hope in the strong pushback and widespread mobilization of Mexican civil society against these state controls. (3)Jonathan Miltimore discusses the ongoing imprisonment of 79-year-old pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, calling it the world's most overlooked story. Miltimore expresses his deep disappointment that Donald Trumpfailed to raise Lai's case publicly during his Beijing trip, instead repeating CCP rhetoric that Lai caused "bedlam." He describes Lai's deteriorating health inside his tiny, unventilated six-foot cell and urges President Trump to pressure Xi Jinping during his upcoming U.S. visit. Miltimore notes that even certain CCP factions want Lai released to avoid international outrage if he dies in prison, emphasizing that Lai is fully prepared for potential martyrdom. (4)Veronique de Rugy critiques California Representative Ro Khanna's proposal for a "one-time" 5% wealth tax on billionaires. De Rugy explains that several different European countries largely abandoned wealth taxes because they are administratively difficult, generate little revenue, and cause severe economic distortions. Highlighting a debate between Khanna and Mark Cuban, she details how taxing paper wealth completely ignores true liquidity, forcing entrepreneurs to sell shares of private companies or borrow against volatile collateral. De Rugy warns that wealth taxes inevitably expand to target middle-class citizens, ultimately costing states far more in lost income taxes than they retrieve from the wealthy. (5)Rohan Naidu discusses the groundbreaking discovery of "black hole stars" at cosmic dawn using the James Webb Space Telescope. Naidu explains that these infant objects appear as mysterious "little red dots" but possess hybrid properties of both highly luminous black holes and stars. He explains how a young black hole surrounded by dense hydrogen gas absorbs blue and green light, creating a signature "Balmer break" resembling the star Vega. Naidu outlines future research, including finding atmospheric chemical fingerprints like water, and using the newly proposed Celestemission alongside ground telescopes to directly image swirling gas feeding these infant black holes. (6)James M. Scott traces the dramatic, complex final months of World War II in the Pacific. Scott details how Secretary of War Henry Stimson briefed Truman in depth on the secret atomic bomb, and praises General Leslie Groves' masterful management of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. He describes Japan's political division: Emperor Hirohito secretly sought peace while militarists prepared a fanatical defense of Kyushu to force better terms. Scott explains the intense debate over demanding unconditional surrender versus preserving the Japanese monarchy, concluding with the Trinitytest, Potsdam Conference, and Truman's hope that the bomb's shock value would force surrender. (7)Evan Ellis analyzes key regional political and security developments in Latin America. Ellis discusses EcuadorianPresident Daniel Noboa's visit to China to secure security, trade, and economic assistance, and explains how historical visa-free policies turned Ecuador into a major transit corridor for Chinese migrants entering the US. He details Bolivia's ongoing political instability and the dangerous scandals involving Evo Morales. Ellis also covers Chile's border enforcement efforts, Colombia's return to aggressive military operations against cartels following a major earthquake, and the stalled democratic transitions in Venezuela and Nicaragua, where regimes rely on brutal repression and illicit economies to hold power. (8)This fuller eight-file version supersedes the earlier seven-file draft — de Rugy now sits at (5) and everything falls in place without gaps. The Celeste mission appears again in segment 6; the source calls it "newly proposed," which explains why I couldn't verify it earlier, so I've let it stand.
Rohan Naidu discusses the groundbreaking discovery of "black hole stars" at cosmic dawn using the James Webb Space Telescope. Naidu explains that these infant objects appear as mysterious "little red dots" but possess hybrid properties of both highly luminous black holes and stars. He explains how a young black hole surrounded by dense hydrogen gas absorbs blue and green light, creating a signature "Balmer break" resembling the star Vega. Naidu outlines future research, including finding atmospheric chemical fingerprints like water, and using the newly proposed Celestemission alongside ground telescopes to directly image swirling gas feeding these infant black holes. (6)
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Vanta https://www.vanta.com/twist Agree https://agree.com YSecurity https://YSecurity.io/TWIST Today's show: Frontier AI models can ace PhD-level exams, but it's still bad at tracking down the product you want in the style that suits you. Onton's Zach Hudson tell us that the problem is that models are a black box. His solution? A neurosymbolic model, Ontology 1, that learns about your taste and preferred aesthetic over time, then produces product searches tailored specifically to you, rather than just using keywords and relevant tags. How do neurosymbolic models work, and how does Onton understand your prompts and favorite design trends? And why aren't the frontier labs working on neurosymbolic models of their own? Zach joins Jason and Lon to discuss. PLUS, following a record-smashing SpaceX IPO, Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium makes the case that the real bottleneck in space isn't launching rockets off the ground any more. It's refueling in orbit. Guests Zach Hudson on X: ****https://x.com/nosduhz Onton: https://onton.com/ Spacium: https://spaceium.com/ Spacium on X: https://x.com/SpaceiumInc Relevant Links Poolside's journey to AGI: https://poolside.ai/vision/purpose Startup Archive: Sam Altman on the Paul Graham advice that saved OpenAI: https://www.startuparchive.org/p/sam-altman-on-the-paul-graham-advice-that-saved-open-ai-always-make-an-api Kelly Wearstler: https://www.kellywearstler.com/ Ennis House: https://franklloydwright.org/site/ennis-house/ Los Feliz Living: Ennis House profile: https://www.losfelizliving.com/los-feliz-historic-homes/ennis-house-los-feliz-hcm-149 Indiewire: Ennis-inspired "The Studio" offices: https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/the-studio-production-design-interview-seth-rogen-1235114365/ Monocle Magazine: https://monocle.com/ Spaceium on Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/spaceium-inc Orbit Fab's RAFTI: https://www.orbitfab.com/rafti/ James Webb Space Telescope: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 Zach Hudson joins: What is "neurosymbolic search" 4:03 Ontology 1 isn't a black box 6:31 Who is using Onton? 9:36 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist 11:35 Could neurosymbolic models reach AGI? 13:19 Jason loves Wright's Ennis House 17:03 The shape of AI companies is changing 19:28 Agree.com - Stop chasing invoices and automate your entire contract-to-cash stack. Go to https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life! 22:32 UGC as a data moat 26:03 The Dead Internet Theory 28:13 Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium joins 29:52 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST 31:50 Storables vs. cryogenics: the zero-boil-off breakthrough 34:11 All kinds of propulsion requires refueling 36:09 Getting more value from LEO to GEO 38:28 Moving at rocket speed 44:54 Why demand is so acute 49:37 The investing climate for space, post-SpaceX Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/ Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
# The Space Cowboy: James Webb Telescope's Latest Cosmic Discoveries **Episode Description:** Saddle up for another wild ride through deep space with The Space Cowboy! In this episode, we round up the latest jaw-dropping discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope, exploring everything from black holes to lava worlds. Discover how Webb captured the sharpest infrared view yet of IRS3, a star surviving dangerously close to our Milky Way's supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, proving that oxygen-rich dust and water can survive in even the harshest cosmic environments. Then journey 13 billion years back in time to witness a rare triple black hole system—including two giants on the verge of merging—offering unprecedented evidence of how black holes shaped the early universe. We break down Webb's mind-bending discovery of a possible "black hole star," a cosmic dawn object that may contain a black hole 100,000 times our Sun's mass wrapped in a stellar cocoon. Plus, learn how this connects to the mystery of "little red dots" and a distant spiral galaxy called Saguaro that's helping astronomers crack the code on supermassive black hole growth. This episode also explores the most distant jellyfish galaxy ever discovered, streaming star-forming tentacles as it crashes through a galaxy cluster 8.5 billion light-years away. We examine dramatic exoplanet science too, including WASP-121b's spectacular double-tailed atmospheric escape and the molten lava world 55 Cancri e, where volcanic outgassing creates a shifting hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Finally, we celebrate Webb's fourth anniversary with fresh looks at Centaurus A, black hole feeding streams in NGC 4696, and a glimpse into Jupiter's possible future via a white dwarf exoplanet system. **Perfect for fans of:** astronomy news, space exploration, JWST discoveries, black hole research, exoplanet science, and cosmology podcasts. **Topics covered:** James Webb Space Telescope, Sagittarius A*, supermassive black holes, little red dots, jellyfish galaxies, exoplanets, WASP-121b, 55 Cancri e, cosmic dawn, galaxy formation, N Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3Qs For more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
Host Griffin Rowe explores James Webb Space Telescope discoveries, including mysterious "little red dots," a proposed "black hole star" at cosmic dawn, three feeding black holes in one ancient galaxy, and dust from colliding stellar winds. A thoughtful dive into cutting-edge astrophysics and cosmic origins. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
# James Webb Space Telescope Update: New Uranus Moon, Cosmic Web Map & Dark Matter Discoveries **The Space Cowboy** rides back into the cosmic frontier with a jam-packed roundup of the James Webb Space Telescope's latest groundbreaking discoveries. In this episode, we explore how JWST continues to reshape our understanding of the universe—from our own solar system to the dawn of time itself. ## What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Host Griffin Rowe explores James Webb Space Telescope's latest discoveries: an infant galaxy from 280 million years after the Big Bang, real-time star birth in W51, sulfur dioxide in an exoplanet's atmosphere, and tentative biosignature findings on K2-18b. A wonder-filled journey through cosmic origins and the search for life beyond Earth. Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
# Space Cowboy Show: Riding the Cosmic Frontier with the James Webb Space Telescope **Episode Description:** Saddle up for an epic journey through the cosmos as the Space Cowboy explores the latest groundbreaking discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In this episode, we ride through the newest mapping of the **cosmic web**—the hidden scaffolding of gas and dark matter connecting galaxies across the universe—and examine how these findings are challenging our understanding of dark matter and dark energy. We dive deep into JWST's discovery of a **supermassive black hole** feasting in a galaxy from just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, raising fresh questions about how black holes grow so massive so fast. You'll also hear about the "impossible galaxies"—unexpectedly massive, mature star systems found in the early universe that are forcing scientists back to the drawing board on galaxy formation theories. Closer to home, we explore Webb's chemical analysis of the exoplanet **Beta Pictoris d**, uncovering water vapor and carbon compounds in its atmosphere, plus fascinating evidence that Neptune's moon **Triton** is actually a captured Kuiper Belt object. We also touch on Webb's role in mapping magnetic fields in distant galaxies and its contribution to solving the **Hubble constant** tension in cosmology. Whether you're fascinated by black holes, exoplanets, dark matter, or the origins of the universe, this episode breaks down complex astrophysics into accessible, engaging storytelling—perfect for space enthusiasts and curious minds alike. **Topics covered:** James Webb Space Telescope, cosmic web, supermassive black holes, early universe galaxies, exoplanet atmospheres, Triton, Neptune, dark matter, Hubble constant, astrophysics, space exploration, NASA discoveries
# The Space Cowboy: James Webb Space Telescope's Latest Cosmic Discoveries **Episode Description:** Saddle up for another journey across the cosmic frontier with The Space Cowboy! In this episode, we take a calm, thoughtful look at the latest James Webb Space Telescope headlines revealing an early universe far busier and more interconnected than scientists once imagined. We explore groundbreaking discoveries including:
Host Griffin Rowe explores James Webb Space Telescope's latest discoveries: a surprisingly bright ancient galaxy, mysterious magnetic fields stalling star birth in our Milky Way's core, a misclassified stellar cluster, and the ongoing debate over possible biosignatures on K2-18b. A thoughtful journey through cosmic mysteries, competing scientific claims, and humanity's oldest question—are we alone? Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI
Could spacetime curve in the opposite direction and produce a repulsive field instead of gravity? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice tackle fan questions about photons, heat death, gravitational waves, neutron stars and more with astrophysicist Michelle Thaller. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Thanks to our Patrons Richard Asante, Zan Barrage, Nekoda, Charles O'Neal, Fred FredericM, Douglas Torrance, Barbara Ziola, Nightangelj91, Leslie Woodward, Bryan Jones, Lori Tchen, Walter Lockhart, Paul Walker, Brian Kemp, ismael valdés, Pasquale Perrotta, Xavier LaVigne, nova
What if you could tell whether a rock exists on a planet 50 light-years away — without ever leaving Earth? This week Chris and Jesse welcome back friend-of-the-show Dr. Jackie Faherty (American Museum of Natural History) for her fourth appearance to talk about one of the wildest results in exoplanet science yet.The crew digs into a new Nature Astronomy paper on a rocky planet about 30% larger than Earth, orbiting a tiny star, whipping around fast with a scorching ~1,000 Kelvin surface and — surprisingly — no atmosphere. With no gas in the way, the James Webb Space Telescope was able to read the light coming off the planet itself and start distinguishing what the surface might be made of, right down to the debate geologists love: mafic vs. ultramafic, basalt vs. granite.Along the way, Jackie explains what makes JWST so special, why it sees in infrared, and how astronomers actually assign those famous colors to the images (spoiler: it's not random). They get into brown dwarfs and why she thinks one may be hiding in our own galactic neighborhood, the coming firehose of data from Rubin and NASA's Roman telescope, and why Jesse has to eat his old postdoc-era complaints that Webb was a waste of money.It's a mind-bending conversation about living in what feels like a science-fiction era — where a planet's light tells us its secrets.Download the CampGeo app now at this link. On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating!——————————————————Instagram: @planetgeocastTwitter: @planetgeocastFacebook: @planetgeocastSupport us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-usEmail: planetgeocast@gmail.comWebsite: https://planetgeocast.com/
The 365 Days of Astronomy, the daily podcast of the International Year of Astronomy 2009
Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org From May 2026. Today's 2 topics: - In 2007 a small icy object moving in the constellation of Ursa Minor crossed the orbit of Pluto at a speed of approximately 4.2 mi/s starting its journey towards the inner solar system. It was between the orbits of Saturn and Jupiter traveling at some 9 mi/s towards the Sun, when my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Dr. Kacper Wierzchoś discovered it on March 3, 2024, while asteroid hunting, in the constellation of Draco, with our 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona. Kacper studies comets passionately was thus excited to observe that it has a coma and a tail. On its way out of the solar system, in 2045, Kacper's COMET C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) will cross the orbit of Pluto heading in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major and is destined to wander between stars in the Milky Way till the end of time. - Looking into a star filled sky at a place like the Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary in New Mexico inspires a person to wonder if our home planet is unique in the Universe. To begin to answer this question, NASA launched the small satellite Pandora on January 11, 2026 . It is on at least a one year long mission to study the chemical composition of more than 20 planets orbiting nearby stars in the Milky Way. The Pandora satellite's results will hopefully include a list of potentially habitable planets to be observed the James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories in the search for life elsewhere in the Universe. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.
In this episode, Ray Cochrane digs into “algorithmic outing,” new research showing that social feeds can infer your sexual orientation before you have consciously come out. He also covers Meta’s privacy-aware AI infrastructure, Alberta’s 466-million-line code scan with Claude, NVIDIA on reinforcement learning, and the many journeys of learning Rust. Along the way, he hits Google DeepMind’s A24 deal, WhatsApp usernames, and scuba-diving cyborg cockroaches. Finally, he looks up with Webb’s puzzling early universe, NASA’s emergency telescope rescue, and a gorgeous aurora from orbit. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens with a quick personal update. He hopes listeners had a good holiday weekend, and he shares that he spent his time working his other job at Oregon’s Finest, chatting with people around Portland. Because his Blurbry workweek tends to be solitary, he refills his social meter on the weekends. He then recalls a Saturday night out with coworkers at the Hungry Tiger before turning to the lead story. Algorithmic Outing: When Your Feed Knows Before You Do Cochrane leads with new research from Australia that identifies a phenomenon called “algorithmic outing.” In short, the recommendation systems behind your social feeds can infer your sexual orientation or gender identity and start serving related content before you have worked it out yourself. Importantly, the study is small and qualitative, built on in-depth interviews with twenty LGBTQ+ adults in the Hunter region of New South Wales and published in the journal Gender, Place and Culture. The mechanism is engagement signals: what you like, who you follow, and how long you linger on a post, a metric the industry calls dwell time. Lead researcher Dr. Justin Ellis of the University of Newcastle notes that several participants said the algorithm “knew” they were queer before they did, an experience that felt validating for some but frightening for others in public settings. For Cochrane, the deeper worry is what else that hidden pattern encodes, from upbringing to mental health, and where that data ultimately gets sold. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support the show. Meta’s Blueprint for Privacy-Aware AI Infrastructure Next, Cochrane turns to a sharp engineering piece from Meta on privacy-aware infrastructure. The core challenge is that a system must understand what a piece of data actually is before any privacy rule can protect it. A field named “age,” for example, might describe a person in one place and a cache setting in another. Meta’s answer deploys a large language model only on the genuinely ambiguous cases, then distills what it learns into fixed, human-reviewed rules. The payoff is concrete. According to Meta, those deterministic rules already handle about 85 percent of the traffic, and only the last 15 percent falls back to the model, which costs roughly 400 times more compute. Cochrane loves this edge-case approach. However, he contrasts it sharply with the AI-everywhere software he wrestles with at his weekend job, which he says the heavy AI reliance genuinely makes worse and harder to audit. Alberta Scans 466 Million Lines of Code With Claude This one comes from Anthropic, and it ties directly to Meta’s theme. A team inside Alberta’s Ministry of Technology and Innovation used Claude to scan 466 million lines of code in about twenty hours, a review Anthropic estimates would have taken humans roughly six and a half years. Notably, they ran around fifty AI agents in parallel, essentially an automated red team and blue team probing the systems at once. For Cochrane, this is the good version of AI in production: cleaning up and locking down real systems rather than running the show unsupervised. NVIDIA on Reinforcement Learning for AI Agents On the AI-building side, Cochrane walks through an NVIDIA developer piece on reinforcement learning for agents. Reinforcement learning rewards a model for good behavior rather than showing it the right answer, much like training a dog with treats. Additionally, he clears up a common mix-up. NVIDIA treats RAG, retrieval-augmented generation, as a separate tool: reinforcement learning changes how a model behaves, while RAG changes what facts it can reach. GitHub Retires Two Gemini Models Meanwhile, GitHub is retiring Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 3 Flash across all of Copilot on July 31. The migration paths are Gemini 3.1 Pro and Gemini 3.5 Flash. Cochrane flags it as a sign of the times, since tools that felt brand new a couple of years ago are already getting sunset. He also wonders how quickly today’s “AI-optimized” chips will turn over as the models keep changing. The Many Journeys of Learning Rust One for the programmers, and Cochrane makes no secret of loving Rust. The Rust blog’s Vision Doc series explores how people actually learn the language, which is built around memory safety and its strict borrow checker. Honest themes surface throughout, including “clone guilt,” where beginners refuse to copy anything, and “silent attrition,” the learners who quietly bounce off. His take stands: getting your brain onto a memory-safe language rewires how you approach a problem. Google DeepMind Partners With A24 In an interesting collision of worlds, Google DeepMind is teaming up with A24, the studio behind Hereditary and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The two call it a first-of-its-kind research partnership, with DeepMind researchers and A24 building creative tools shaped by the artists who use them. Cochrane adds a detail worth noting: Google also invested in A24, so this is money on the table, not just a research handshake. For now, though, the announcement stays deliberately vague, with no named films or products. Google’s $1 Million Africa Indie Game Fund Another one from Google, and it is good news for developers. Google is launching an indie games fund for sub-Saharan Africa, a region whose gaming scene is growing about as fast as anywhere. The fund puts up $1 million across ten local studios, each receiving between $50,000 and $200,000 plus mentorship and hands-on support. Applications close at noon UTC on July 31. WhatsApp Usernames Are Here to Reserve WhatsApp is finally moving off phone numbers as your identity. With usernames, someone can start a conversation with you without ever seeing your number. Starting this week, you can reserve the name you want ahead of the full launch later this year. To claim yours, head into Settings, then Account, then Username. Intel Sets Its Q2 Earnings Date Cochrane flags a date worth watching for anyone tracking Intel. The company reports second-quarter results on July 23, right after market close, with an earnings call at 2 p.m. Pacific. Given recent US government investment and a shifting chip landscape, he is curious how the domestic chipmaker is holding up. Your Smartwatch Might Spot Illness Before You Do Shifting to health, Engadget reports that the wearables-plus-AI wave is starting to deliver. These devices excel at catching the moment your body drifts off its own baseline, often the first nudge to get checked out. A 2025 study from Texas A&M and Stanford suggests smartwatches can detect early signs of COVID or the flu within hours of infection. Additionally, Apple Watch’s irregular-rhythm alerts have flagged AFib correctly about 84 percent of the time. Working Memory and Consciousness Here is a heady one from Scientific American, written by philosopher Henry Taylor at the University of Birmingham. Working memory is the mental scratchpad holding whatever you are doing right now. Taylor opens with the doorway effect, that blank moment when you enter a room and forget why. Intriguingly, when information leaves working memory, it seems to leave conscious awareness at the same instant, a link drawing fresh attention across psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. Scuba-Diving Cyborg Cockroaches Now for the wild one. Scientists have built tiny diving suits that let Madagascar hissing cockroaches survive underwater for up to three hours, while an unequipped roach suffocates in minutes. The 3D-printed suit feeds oxygen through tubes into the insect’s breathing holes, called spiracles, using a chemical generator with no electronics. This lab already steered the roaches with electrodes, so the diving suit is the new trick on top. Researchers pitch it for search and rescue, though Cochrane notes the reality of the spy bug has already arrived. Quantum Time Runs Backward at Los Alamos Next, a genuine brain-bender. Physicists at Los Alamos, led by Luis Pedro García-Pintos, found a way to make a quantum system look like it is running backward in time. To be clear, time is not literally reversing. Precise measurements just make the system’s evolution appear to unfold in reverse. The useful part is energy: measurement itself becomes a resource in what they call a continuous measurement engine. Cochrane admits the paper drifted further from his reality the more he read. Tall Trees Shrug Off Drought A new study in Science overturns some textbook wisdom. For years, the assumption held that taller trees suffer more in drought because they must lift water higher. However, researchers studying dipterocarps in Southeast Asia found that trees topping seventy meters slowed their growth by about the same amount as short ones during the 2023-2024 El Niño drought. The trick is plumbing: a seventy-meter tree grows base vessels roughly twice as wide as a ten-meter tree, so the real driver of drought stress is subtler than raw height. The Energy Department Purges Conservation Pages This next one frustrates Cochrane. The US Department of Energy deleted roughly 6,000 web pages about energy conservation, and the timing is brutal during a record heatwave. The move followed backlash over New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani urging residents to ease strain on the grid. Fortunately, the Internet Archive and its Wayback Machine preserved the pages before they vanished. For Cochrane, deleting that kind of public information simply does not make sense. Webb’s Puzzling New Universe Heading to space, Quanta Magazine explores how the James Webb Space Telescope keeps finding early-universe objects that should not exist. Those include black holes that grew enormous too fast and hundreds of mysterious “little red dots” around 650 million years after the Big Bang. As astrophysicist Rachel Somerville of the Flatiron Institute puts it, scientists have “almost gone from having too many early galaxies to having too many theories.” The hard part now is figuring out which theory is right. NASA’s Emergency Telescope Rescue NASA has a rescue mission underway for the Swift Observatory, a 2004 telescope that studies gamma-ray bursts. Recent solar storms puffed up Earth’s atmosphere, and the added drag has dragged Swift’s orbit down to about 224 miles, low enough to risk burning up this year. To intervene, NASA enlisted Katalyst Space Technologies of Flagstaff, Arizona, whose LINK spacecraft launched Friday. The plan is to boost Swift back up to roughly 373 miles. A Gorgeous Aurora From Orbit Finally, Cochrane closes on something beautiful. ESA shared a stunning aurora captured from orbit, a shimmering green band of light rippling over the planet. If you have a few minutes, it is well worth a look. Cochrane wraps with housekeeping and a thank-you to GoDaddy for two decades of support, then signs off, wishing listeners a wonderful evening. The post Algorithmic Outing: When Your Feed Knows Before You Do #1869 appeared first on Geek News Central.
There's an object in space 25 times the size of Jupiter that's stumped scientists for years. They haven't been able to figure out if it's a planet or a failed star. But scientists are one step closer to an answer thanks to the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. After analyzing data collected by the telescope, astronomers have uncovered unexpected new clues floating light years away from us: Salty clouds sitting in space as hot as some home ovens. And if this mystery isn't enough, we have more to look forward to in this episode, including insights into the evolution of laughter and the burials of ancient human relatives. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-12-2026.1903 PRINCETON UNIVERSITYJeff Bliss describes massive, deadly swells hitting California beaches due to a southern hemisphere storm system. The conversation shifts to Las Vegas, where a massive, highly anticipated In-N-Out Burger recently opened on the Strip. Bliss details the chain's reputation for fresh food, cleanliness, and fair employee wages. (1)Jeff Bliss discusses the surprising results of the Los Angeles City Council primary, where Nithya Raman surged despite initially conceding. He highlights allegations of voter fraud in the Skid Row area and the impact of California's ballot harvesting laws. The segment also touches on Xavier Becerra's lead in the governor's race. (2)Richard Epstein analyzes the legal effort to prevent the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Centerfacade. He argues that the Trump-aligned board's appeal lacks legal merit and strength, as removing a nameplate does not constitute irreparable harm. Epstein suggests the judge should consider firing the current board due to bias. (3)Richard Epstein critiques the construction of the Obama Center in Chicago, lamenting the destruction of 800 historical trees and the seizure of public land. He describes the project's design as a "monstrosity" with a flawed traffic plan and expresses concern over the foundation's lack of financial transparency and endowment. (4)Jim McTague reports on a "budget-minded hesitancy" among Pennsylvania consumers despite falling gas prices. He notes a rare layoff notice for 70 logistics workers and uneven retail activity. Meanwhile, a data center project near Costcoproceeds under heavy security, while a similar proposal was rejected by a neighboring borough. (5)Lorenzo Fiori discusses the "disaster" of the Italian national football team failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. The segment transitions to Pisa, highlighting the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore and recent astronomical breakthroughs involving the James Webb Space Telescope. Fiori concludes with local wine and culinary recommendations. (6)Bob Zimmerman discusses the crew selection for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which has been simplified to focus on Earth-orbit docking tests. He also examines private sector developments, including German startup Isar's funding, Stoke Space's reusable rocket design, and an orbital servicing mission by Catalyst intended to rescue a decaying NASAtelescope. (7)Bob Zimmerman honors the late Alan Hale, co-discoverer of the record-setting Comet Hale-Bopp. He reviews the historical significance of the first image of the moon's far side taken by Luna 3 in 1959. The segment also explores current cosmological debates regarding dark energy and the existence of "little red dots" in the early universe. (8)Peter Huessy discusses the history of "tactical" nuclear weapons and the 1950s Desert Rock exercises where U.S. troops were exposed to nuclear detonations. He details the health risks soldiers faced and parallels these actions with Sovietmaneuvers, highlighting the "ludicrous" idea of trying to operate militarily in a post-detonation environment. (9)Peter Huessy explains that Russia views low-yield, tactical nuclear weapons as usable battlefield tools to achieve victory or coerce opponents. He contrasts this with U.S. doctrine, which keeps such weapons under central command. Huessywarns of the lack of transparency regarding China's dual-use nuclear capabilities and Russia's "reckless" potential to use these weapons. (10)Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses stalled negotiations with Iran, noting the heavy influence of the Revolutionary Guard Corps over the diplomatic process. He analyzes the military difficulty of seizing Kharg Island and the profound impact of Ukrainian drones on the Russian front, suggesting that drone saturation has leveled the battlefield and interdicted Russian resupply lines. (11)Jeff McCausland draws parallels between the performative style of Civil War General Jeb Stuart and current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He critiques Hegseth's recent speeches in Singapore, Normandy, and Guantanamo, arguing they prioritize individual image over grand strategy and mark significant, potentially transactional shifts in long-standing U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan and European allies. (12)Veronique de Rugy argues that the U.S. already has the most progressive tax system among OECD countries, with the wealthy paying a disproportionate share of revenue. She critiques Thomas Piketty's proposal for a global wealth tax and mandated "degrowth," characterizing it as an effort to limit national growth under the guise of climate and social justice. (13)Mary Anastasia O'Grady questions the delay in scheduling Venezuelan elections under Delcy Rodriguez. She reports that over 400 political prisoners remain held, and the notorious Helicoide prison remains operational despite contradictory claims. O'Grady notes that the regime lacks the political will to allow a free press or fair electoral body to organize. (14)Conrad Black emphasizes the vital economic ties between the U.S. and Canada, noting Canada provides 25% of U.S.aluminum and 20% of its uranium. He expresses confidence that Prime Minister Mark Carney will build necessary oil pipelines to both coasts to benefit the Canadian economy, despite opposition from environmental groups and Carney's own "green instincts." (15)Francis Rose discusses the U.S. military's efforts to integrate AI by "gamifying" systems to make them intuitive for young, video-game-literate service members. He also highlights CISA's work in rebuilding its workforce to protect private-sector cyber infrastructure and the Army's Joint Innovation Outpost, which aims to accelerate the transition of technology from private inventors to the battlefield. (16)One name correction: (2) Nithia Raman → Nithya Raman (established style for the LA city council member).
Lorenzo Fiori discusses the "disaster" of the Italian national football team failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. The segment transitions to Pisa, highlighting the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore and recent astronomical breakthroughs involving the James Webb Space Telescope. Fiori concludes with local wine and culinary recommendations. (6)1904
Andrea Ferrara describes using the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate a mysterious red light source initially thought to be the most distant galaxy. By observing luminosity changes over two years, he determined it is likely a rare pair-instability supernova, resulting from the explosion of a massive primordial star. (7)1919
Andrea Ferrara proposes building a 40-meter telescope on the lunar surface to succeed the James Webb Space Telescope. This moon-based facility would avoid atmospheric interference, allowing scientists to directly detect the universe's first stars and resolve long-standing mysteries regarding the aftermath of the Big Bang. (8)1919
SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-11-26.1900 BRUSSELSAnatol Lieven discusses NATO's top US commander, General Grynkewich, who states Russia is not looking for conflict despite European concerns about US military withdrawals. Lieven agrees, noting that the Russian army is bogged down in Ukraine, making a deliberate attack on NATO members like the Baltics appear militarily absurd. (1)Anatol Lieven examines rising anti-immigrant tensions in the United Kingdom, where violent demonstrations in Belfastand England highlight growing public anger toward sudden demographic changes and crimes allegedly committed by asylum seekers. Lieven suggests these tensions are politically explosive, potentially forcing a leadership change in the Labour Party if right-wing parties continue to gain ground. (2)Leila Philip discusses the ancient Algonquin legend of Great Beaver, an environmental parable about resource hoarding and the creation of the Connecticut River Valley. The story reflects traditional ecological knowledge, emphasizing the beaver's immense power to control the water cycle and shape resilient landscapes. (3)Cliff May argues that Qatar utilizes its vast energy wealth to buy influence through professional sports, media platforms like Al Jazeera, and university campuses. He argues these investments allow the state to manipulate Western academic discourse and hedge political bets while hosting major US military assets. (4)Jack Burnham discusses China and North Korea's strategic alignment, noting that Xi Jinping's festive visit to Pyongyang signals China's willingness to de-emphasize denuclearization in favor of regional stability and strategic balancing against the US. North Korea, now an "arsenal of tyranny," leverages its military experience from the Ukrainian front lines to strengthen its regime. (5)Jack Burnham examines the Pentagon's 1260H list, which identifies Chinese companies allegedly assisting the PRC's military-industrial base, signaling increased regulatory scrutiny for these entities. Burnham recommends streamlining government lists to prevent companies from exploiting gaps and advises retail investors of the national security risks these firms pose. (6)Andrea Ferrara describes using the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate a mysterious red light source initially thought to be the most distant galaxy. By observing luminosity changes over two years, he determined it is likely a rare pair-instability supernova, resulting from the explosion of a massive primordial star. (7)Andrea Ferrara proposes building a 40-meter telescope on the lunar surface to succeed the James Webb Space Telescope. This moon-based facility would avoid atmospheric interference, allowing scientists to directly detect the universe's first stars and resolve long-standing mysteries regarding the aftermath of the Big Bang. (8)Mickey Trescott explains that autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system attacks its own organs, a condition affecting a high percentage of women. The protocol is a diet and lifestyle experiment designed to help individuals identify personal triggers and manage their chronic health symptoms. (9)Mickey Trescott describes how the core autoimmune protocol involves a strict 30-to-90-day elimination phase removing common triggers like grains, dairy, and nightshades. This "detective work" calms the immune system, allowing patients to systematically reintroduce foods to discover which specific ingredients negatively impact their health. (10)Mickey Trescott introduces a modified autoimmune protocol that includes rice and coffee, making it more accessible and affordable than the core version. A successful transition requires tracking baseline symptoms and preparing the kitchen to handle the nutritional demands of the upcoming elimination and reintroduction phases. (11)Mickey Trescott emphasizes consuming nutrient-dense foods like bone broth and fatty fish to resolve inflammation and support the microbiome. During reintroduction, patients identify specific food "villains" by monitoring symptom flare-ups, ultimately empowering them to choose a diet that maintains their long-term vitality. (12)Evan Ellis discusses Bolivia's severe instability as blockades led by supporters of Evo Morales disrupt the capital's supply of food and oxygen. Morales is described as a dangerous figure using cocaine-related funds to destabilize the democratically elected government, posing a significant risk to regional US allies. (13)Evan Ellis highlights a razor-thin election in Peru between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sanchez, exposing deep national divisions over corruption and wealth distribution. The outcome is geopolitically significant, as China already maintains a massive foothold in Peru through control of critical infrastructure, including major ports, mines, and electricity. (14)Evan Ellis notes how public frustration with rising crime and President Petro's "total peace" plan has fueled the rise of hardline political candidates in Colombia. As the country grapples with internal conflict, many Colombians seek a "strong hand" to restore security, mirroring historical law-and-order movements seen in neighboring South Americannations. (15)Evan Ellis discusses how a banking scandal involving Flavio Bolsonaro has impacted Brazilian polls, giving Lula da Silva a temporary lead. Meanwhile, El Salvador's President Bukele remains highly popular due to a dramatic security transformation that has revitalized urban life, despite international concerns regarding due process and human rights. (16)Four name/term corrections: (1) Grinkovich → Grynkewich (General Alexus Grynkewich, current SACEUR) (2) Labor Party → Labour Party (UK spelling per house style) (3) Laya Philip → Leila Philip (the actual author of Beaverland) (6) 126H list → 1260H list (Section 1260H of the NDAA — the standard reference)
Bob Zimmerman highlights discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope, including a black hole 6 billion times the mass of the sun located 10 billion light-years away. He also describes a "flickering" quasar from the early universe that challenges current Big Bang theories. Finally, Zimmerman provides an update on the Curiosity rover as it travels through the "Grand" valley on its ascent of Mars. (16)1913
SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-10-26.Greg Scarlatoiu analyzes Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang, noting that Kim Jong-un now views himself as a strategic equal to Xi and Putin. Despite sanctions, North Korea's economy shows a facade of growth fueled by billions made exporting artillery and special forces to Russia. Kim is also modernizing his security apparatus into a structure similar to Russia's FSB. (1)Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)Victoria Coates highlights Taiwan's indispensable role in the global AI revolution through TSMC's high-end chip production, which the U.S. and China currently cannot replicate. She emphasizes that Taiwan's engineering "super workers" are a state secret. Coates also discusses the political friction in Washington regarding arms sales and the need for Taiwan to increase its own defense spending. (3)Victoria Coates addresses the Pentagon's decision to list major Chinese companies like BYD and Alibaba as security risks due to their military ties. She argues for clear country-of-origin labeling on products to inform American consumers. Furthermore, Coates criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing climate goals over addressing China's use of forced labor in the solar panel supply chain. (4)Natalie Ecanow details Qatar's massive $400 billion investment footprint in the United States, including high-profile real estate like New York's Park Lane Hotel and significant orders for Boeing aircraft. She argues these investments are not merely financial but serve to buy long-term political influence and goodwill with American policymakers, regardless of party affiliation, by embedding Qatari wealth into the U.S. economy. (5)Natalie Ecanow explains that Qatari wealth is controlled by the Al-Thani autocracy, whose values often conflict with U.S. interests, such as their support for Hamas and the Taliban. She highlights the lack of transparency in Qatarifunding, citing a lawsuit that revealed nearly half a billion dollars in undisclosed money sent to Texas A&M University, and calls for stricter U.S. disclosure laws. (6)Joel Kotkin examines the definition of fascism, arguing that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not a fascist because she respects democratic norms. He identifies China's government-led economy as the closest modern parallel to historical fascism. Kotkin also warns of "techno-fascism," where a small group of global tech companies exert unprecedented control over public opinion and information through surveillance tools. (7)Joel Kotkin disputes the label of "fascist" for the MAGA movement, noting it lacks the youth-driven, paramilitary organization characteristic of movements led by Mussolini or Hitler. He describes MAGA as a chaotic coalition of various interest groups held together by Donald Trump's personality. Kotkin emphasizes that using the term as a political slur ruins the possibility of necessary civil discourse. (8)Michael Bernstam discusses a looming glut of liquefied natural gas driven by record U.S. shale production, which is stabilizing energy prices in Europe. Regarding Russia, he explains that while crude exports continue, Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have created a domestic manufacturing crisis, leading to fuel shortages for Russian agriculture and industry that are difficult to repair under sanctions. (9)Michael Bernstam reveals that China has significantly reduced its oil imports by nearly half by drawing on massive strategic reserves of 1.4 billion barrels and increasing electric vehicle adoption. Simultaneously, the U.S. has reached record domestic oil production of nearly 14 million barrels per day. These factors combined help lower global oil prices despite declining inventories in other OECD countries. (10)Tal Fortgang explores Justice Scalia's legal philosophy through a biography by James Rosen, focusing on Scalia's dissent in Lee v. Weisman regarding religious benedictions at public graduations. Fortgang explains how Scaliapopularized "originalism" and "textualism," arguing that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the original public meaning of the text rather than through subjective "moral readings" by judges. (11)Tal Fortgang discusses the "Scalian revolution" that shifted the Supreme Court toward judicial restraint. He notes that while Scalia faced a hostile press and "nasty" internal criticism from colleagues like Harry Blackmun, his ideas eventually prevailed. Fortgang also observes that the modern partisan venom in confirmation hearings began during Scalia's era with the contentious treatment of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (12)Simon Constable reports from France on falling global commodity prices for food and energy due to supply meeting demand. He then shifts to the immigration crisis in Britain, where violent incidents in Belfast and Southampton have fueled public outrage. Constable attributes the unrest to a failure of both major parties to manage unfettered immigration and the lack of cultural integration. (13)Simon Constable discusses the declining popularity of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the potential rise of challengers like Andy Burnham. He highlights a dramatic shift in British public opinion, with polling by Lord Ashcroftshowing that a vast majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green voters—and even a third of Conservatives—now favor rejoining the European Union after a decade of Brexit. (14)Bob Zimmerman tracks the transition to commercial space, noting that private companies like Vast are leading the race to build stations to replace the aging ISS. He discusses Amazon's struggle to launch its satellite constellation due to rocket delays, contrasted with SpaceX's efficiency. Zimmerman also reports on a milestone for SpaceX, as a single Falcon 9 booster successfully completed a record 35th flight. (15)Bob Zimmerman highlights discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope, including a black hole 6 billion times the mass of the sun located 10 billion light-years away. He also describes a "flickering" quasar from the early universe that challenges current Big Bang theories. Finally, Zimmerman provides an update on the Curiosity rover as it travels through the "Grand" valley on its ascent of Mars. (16)Two name fixes: Joel Cotkin → Joel Kotkin (7, 8) — the urbanist/scholar's correct spelling Natalie Eacano → Natalie Ecanow (5, 6) — the FDD scholar's correct spelling
SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-3-2026.1907 TOJO(1) Scott Harold discusses the unprecedented question from Japan's Defense Minister at the Shangri-La Dialogueregarding America's Indo-Pacific commitment. He notes the omission of Taiwan in Secretary Hegseth's speech compared to last year. Japan remains a hawkish front-line ally, despite regional concerns over shifting US national defense priorities.(2) Rebecca Grant describes the proposed Trump class battleship, a nuclear-powered "missile truck" designed for standoff strikes. Unlike traditional battleships, it emphasizes hypersonic attack and laser weaponry. The ship would be highly survivable, defended by Space Force overwatch and advanced electromagnetic warfare techniques.(3) Steve Yates examines the KMT leader's visit to Washington following meetings with Xi Jinping. He expresses concern over the KMT cutting Taiwan's indigenous defense budget. Yates also analyzes Taiwan's "inverted triangle" demographics, where older voters remain more sympathetic to traditional KMT narratives than younger generations.(4) Steve Yates argues the "Thucydides trap" is a manufactured academic concept used by Beijing to suggest inevitable US decline. He emphasizes that the US is not a classical empire and remains globally influential. China uses this rhetoric for political warfare while remaining sensitive to American strength.(5) Michael Bernstam analyzes the humiliating Ukrainian strike on a St. Petersburg oil terminal during Putin's flagship economic forum. Russia's energy sector faces a crisis, forcing a ban on refined exports like gasoline due to refinery damage. Consequently, Russia must increase crude exports to China and India.(6) Michael Bernstam notes the OECD's warning of global recession if the Gulf energy crisis persists. While the US is depleting strategic reserves to maintain supply, it is also increasing domestic production. High prices are triggering "demand destruction," where consumers shift to public transport to mitigate energy costs.(7) Bob Zimmerman reports that Blue Origin's CEO expects to resume launches this year despite a recent launchpad explosion. Meanwhile, SpaceX secured $6 billion in Space Force contracts for tracking and communication satellites. China continues rapid development with its Long March 12B, a Falcon 9-style reusable rocket copycat.(8) Bob Zimmerman highlights Curiosity rover data confirming Gale Crater's shifting climate, which once supported warm water. The James Webb Space Telescope detected high methane levels on the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, suggesting a unique chemical composition. Webb also captured a spectacular infrared image of the galaxy M77.(9) Jonathan Schanzer describes the "ceasefire war" in the Middle East, where Iran continues attacks despite diplomatic efforts. He argues Iran aims to detach Gulf allies like Kuwait from the West. Schanzer advocates for maximum economic pressure on Tehran and increased IDF activity against Iranian proxies.(10) Jonathan Schanzer reports that Israeli forces have reduced Hamas control in Gaza to roughly 40%, aiming for 30%. Hamas is currently trapped in an Israeli "yellow zone" kill zone, making rearmament or offensive operations nearly impossible. Schanzer believes systematic military pressure is creating a viable theory of victory.(11) Titus Techera critiques the evolution of Animal Farm films, noting the newest version depicts Silicon Valley and AI as villains. He argues this shift denatures Orwell's original anti-totalitarian message for modern ideological purposes. The 1954 version remains the most effective educational tool regarding the dangers of tyranny.(12) Gordon Chang asserts that China is a declining power facing economic stagnation and a massive demographic collapse. He notes that the US economy remains superior, particularly in energy and AI. China's youth unemployment is estimated at 35-40%, forcing university graduates into menial roles like shepherding.(13) Jack Burnham discusses how Nvidia chips reach the Chinese military through loopholes in export controls and subsidiaries. He notes bureaucratic confusion over the "AI diffusion rule" allowed Chinese firms to stockpile high-end hardware. Burnham recommends stricter Commerce Department guidance to prevent further military modernization.(14) Jack Burnham explains that Volvo, though manufacturing in the US, is owned by Geely and must comply with Chinese data-sharing laws. He also warns of China's dominance in the biotechnology supply chain. Through state subsidies and "dumping," China threatens the security of US pharmaceutical and generic drug stockpiles.(15) Ryan Streeter honors economist Ed Phelps, who defined dynamism as a culture of grassroots tinkering and indigenous innovation. He explains that growth is driven by experimental mindsets rather than just scientific labs. Streeter notes that dynamic cultures, like Austin or California, naturally attract global risk-takers.(16) Ryan Streeter discusses human flourishing, defining it as the fulfillment of potential through purpose and upward mobility. He argues that dynamic societies improve job satisfaction for hourly workers by providing more options. Conversely, stagnation in Europe results from heavy regulation and a declining cultural valuation of entrepreneurs.One naming consistency flag: segment (15) uses "Ed Phelps" while your earlier preview blurb and outreach email today used "Edmund Phelps." Both are correct—Ed is the informal—but if you want consistency across the day's broadcast, I can swap to Edmund Phelps.
(8) Bob Zimmerman highlights Curiosity rover data confirming Gale Crater's shifting climate, which once supported warm water. The James Webb Space Telescope detected high methane levels on the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, suggesting a unique chemical composition. Webb also captured a spectacular infrared image of the galaxy M77.
For many astronomers and astrophysicists there are two distinct, important periods: before the James Webb Space Telescope – and after. It has powered many scientific discoveries since it came online, including two at the heart of this episode: insights into one of Neptune's moons and a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet orbiting another star. This exoplanet has a strange weather system with high winds and cloud coverage only on one side of the planet. Fill in some of the scientific gaps about our solar system and the universe beyond with us.Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have observed clouds on a hot gas giant exoplanet called WASP-94A b, some 700 light-years away. But these clouds aren't your usual wisps of water vapor—they're vaporized sand. Astronomer David Sing joins Host Flora Lichtman to describe the planetary weather, and how the researchers were able to observe it. Then, ecologist Elske Tielens joins Flora to describe how ecologists using weather radar data counted the insects aloft in U.S. skies: around 100 trillion of them on an average summer day. Guests: Dr. David Sing is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Elske Tielens is an ecologist with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research. Other episodes you may enjoy: How Insects Changed The World—And Human Cultures Not Just Dying Stars: A Black Hole That Came From Gas Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-4-SCIFRI Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.