Science of astronomical objects apparently in orbit around one or more stellar objects within a few light years
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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.
Host | Matthew S Williams For more podcast Stories from Space with Matthew S Williams, visit: https://itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space-podcast ______________________Episode Notes From Apollo to Artemis: What Lowell Observatory Knows About Going Back to the Moon Fifty years is a long time to forget how to do something. That is, more or less, where NASA stood when Artemis 1 left the pad — and where it stands now, with Artemis 2 having put humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in half a century. The institutional memory had thinned. The people who built Apollo had moved on, retired, or passed away. The books, as Dr. Alex Polanski puts it in this episode, had to be dusted off. Polanski, a Percival Lowell postdoctoral fellow at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, joins host Matt to talk about what Artemis 2 actually proved, and why Lowell — an observatory better known for its exoplanet work and its founder's obsession with Mars — has always sat closer to crewed spaceflight than most people realize. The nine Apollo astronauts trained on the volcanic terrain of northern Arizona. They studied lunar maps made at Lowell. They walked the same ground tourists walk today, in the shadow of the Clark refractor. The conversation moves from the geology of the Moon's Highlands and Maria to the meteorite work of Dr. Nick Moskowitz, the mapping happening at the USGS office down the road, and the longer question behind all of it: is the Moon a stepping stone to Mars, or a detour? Polanski makes the case for the stepping stone — not out of caution, but because there are things we don't yet know we need to know, and a one-second light delay is a much more forgiving classroom than a twenty-minute one. And then there's what comes next. Radio telescopes in the craters of the far side, shielded from Earth's noise. Optical interferometers spread across lunar real estate, free of the atmospheric wobble that makes ground-based astronomy feel, in Polanski's words, like reading a note card at the bottom of a pool. For the first time, the possibility of actually seeing the surfaces of other stars. Percival Lowell saw canals on Mars that weren't there. He may have been looking at the veins in his own eye. A century later, his observatory is helping figure out how to look at the real thing.
The Lazuli Space Telescope is slated to be the first of its kind to be completely funded by private dollars. University of Arizona planetary scientist Ewan Douglas discusses the spacecraft designed to be larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990. Ewan Douglas spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
A key development in the history of the early Earth is the formation of lithospheric plates that move independently of one another. In this episode, Brenner describes how he used paleomagnetic methods to detect relative motion between two ancient cratons, the East Pilbara and the Kaapvaal, 3.5 billion years ago. This is a full billion years earlier than any previous such detection, and it enables us to narrow down the kind of tectonics operating in the Paleoarchean. Of the candidate regimes, episodic subduction models fit his data best. Brenner is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Earth & Planetary Science at Yale University.
Monica Reza helped develop materials designed to survive one of the harshest environments in engineering: rocket engines.Neil McCasland oversaw the U.S. Air Force's top research laboratory.Both were connected through the Air Force Research Laboratory.Both have vanished.Now, people are noticing possible connections to other missing or deceased scientists and military personnel.Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/x8QV83k0IoYSubscribe to All Things Unexplained on YouTube: @allthingsunexplained Links: Missing scientist and general playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUBNCmjIGgJj34s02zqwIvv_hCASUdo9_Independent story: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/david-wilcock-ufo-researcher-dead-b2963362.htmlNew York Post article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/09/us-news/another-mysterious-nasa-death-as-ninth-scientist-linked-to-secret-programs-dies/Radar and Optical Observations of Asteroid 1998 KY26: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.285.5427.557Michael Hicks obituary: https://obituaries.forestlawn.com/obituaries/michael-hicksUniversity of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory tribute to Michael Hicks: https://lpl.arizona.edu/about/memoriam/michael-hicksDivision for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) tribute to Michael Hicks: https://dps.aas.org/news/michael-david-hicks-1964-2023Hayabusa2 extended mission target asteroid 1998 KY26 is smaller and rotating faster than previously known: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63697-4Both Vanished: Reza & McCasland | New Insight https://youtu.be/hJdpjR7WH-sMcCasland Update: Wife's 911 Call Raises New Questions https://youtu.be/KfuTmGjijUoUNSW tribute to Dallis Hardwick: https://www.unsw.edu.au/science/engage-with-us/alumni/alumni-career-stories/dallis-hardwickAir Force article: https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/803664/air-force-demonstrates-key-rocket-engine-technologies-for-next-generation-launcSasquatch Coffee Company: https://squatchcoffee.com/ ATU on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@allthingsunexplained Shop: https://all-things-unexplained-shop.fourthwall.com Website/support: https://allthingsunexplained.com Video podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUBNCmjIGgJjFeGxSZgrtDeW_TjIV4XHp Watch Dr. Mounce in Episode 0 of Beast Games by @MrBeast : https://youtu.be/gs8qfL9PNac?si=whD290YawP8WBSTH Watch Larry as #76 on @MrBeast : https://youtu.be/9WEQts7b8Pw?si=yVDRYlUcirHi-Pmx Guest list: https://allthingsunexplained.transistor.fm/people _______________________Hosted by Dr. Tim Mounce—best-selling author, Audible narrator, and Beast Games (by @MrBeast ) Season 1 contestant #718—alongside cohosts CJ and Smitty.Featured in Patricia Cornwell's New York Times Bestselling Novel Identity Unknown:“Earth was plan B. It's where the Martians escaped thousands of years ago when their own planet was about to be destroyed,” Marino replies as if it's commonly known.No doubt he learned this and more from All Things Unexplained, Ancient Aliens or one of his other favorite podcasts and TV shows. He and my sister both tune in religiously, and it makes for lively dinner conversations when all of us are together.— Identity Unknown, p. 164_______________________Follow All Things Unexplained: YouTube https://youtube.com/@allthingsunexplained X https://x.com/@ATUnexplained IG https://instagram.com/allthingsunexplainedpodcast TikTok https://tiktok.com/@allthingsunexplained FB https://facebook.com/allthingsunexplainedpodcast Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-unexplained/id1518410497 Top 15 Science & Society Podcast.People's Choice Podcast Award Nominee.Ranked among the Top 40 UFO Podcasts and Top 30 Bigfoot Podcasts by MillionPodcasts.Email us: allthingsunexplained@yahoo.com Music Credits sourced via YouTube Audio Library.Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100394Artist: http://incompetech.com/ ★ Support this podcast ★
The success of NASA's Artemis II mission is leading to discussion about a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. Former Paragon Space Development CEO Grant Anderson describes the challenges involved in creating a moon habitat for future explorers. Grant Anderson spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Alok Jha talks to meteorite-hunter Katherine Joy to discover why the icy continent is one of the best places on Earth to find them. Professor Katherine Joy is a Professor of Lunar and Planetary Sciences at the University of Manchester. She received her PhD in 2007 at UCL, before taking up post-doc positions at Birkbeck College and the Lunar and Planetary Institute/NASA Johnson Space Center, and then a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship and a Royal Society University Fellowship at The University of Manchester. Katherine studies different types of lunar samples to understand how the Moon has geologically evolved through time and how it is a recorder of Solar System processes. She is a member of the Artemis III Geology Team, and is involved in science teams for the ESA PROSPECT and DIMPLE lunar experiments. She also co-led the first UK team working with the British Antarctic Survey to recover meteorite samples from Antarctica.
Monica Reza helped develop materials designed to survive one of the harshest environments in engineering: rocket engines.Neil McCasland oversaw the U.S. Air Force's top research laboratory.Both were connected through the Air Force Research Laboratory.Both have vanished.Now, people are noticing possible connections to other missing or deceased scientists and military personnel.In memory of Nick Pope. You will be missed.Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6vjgZubUxho Subscribe to All Things Unexplained on YouTube: @allthingsunexplained Links: New York Post article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/09/us-news/another-mysterious-nasa-death-as-ninth-scientist-linked-to-secret-programs-dies/Radar and Optical Observations of Asteroid 1998 KY26: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.285.5427.557Michael Hicks obituary: https://obituaries.forestlawn.com/obituaries/michael-hicksUniversity of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory tribute to Michael Hicks: https://lpl.arizona.edu/about/memoriam/michael-hicksDivision for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) tribute to Michael Hicks: https://dps.aas.org/news/michael-david-hicks-1964-2023Hayabusa2 extended mission target asteroid 1998 KY26 is smaller and rotating faster than previously known: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63697-4Both Vanished: Reza & McCasland | New Insight https://youtu.be/hJdpjR7WH-sMcCasland Update: Wife's 911 Call Raises New Questions https://youtu.be/KfuTmGjijUoUNSW tribute to Dallis Hardwick: https://www.unsw.edu.au/science/engage-with-us/alumni/alumni-career-stories/dallis-hardwickAir Force article: https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/803664/air-force-demonstrates-key-rocket-engine-technologies-for-next-generation-launcSasquatch Coffee Company: https://squatchcoffee.com/ ATU on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@allthingsunexplained Shop: https://all-things-unexplained-shop.fourthwall.com Website/support: https://allthingsunexplained.com Video podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUBNCmjIGgJjFeGxSZgrtDeW_TjIV4XHp Watch Dr. Mounce in Episode 0 of Beast Games by @MrBeast : https://youtu.be/gs8qfL9PNac?si=whD290YawP8WBSTH Watch Larry as #76 on @MrBeast : https://youtu.be/9WEQts7b8Pw?si=yVDRYlUcirHi-Pmx Guest list: https://allthingsunexplained.transistor.fm/people _______________________Hosted by Dr. Tim Mounce—best-selling author, Audible narrator, and Beast Games (by @MrBeast ) Season 1 contestant #718—alongside cohosts CJ and Smitty.Featured in Patricia Cornwell's New York Times Bestselling Novel Identity Unknown:“Earth was plan B. It's where the Martians escaped thousands of years ago when their own planet was about to be destroyed,” Marino replies as if it's commonly known.No doubt he learned this and more from All Things Unexplained, Ancient Aliens or one of his other favorite podcasts and TV shows. He and my sister both tune in religiously, and it makes for lively dinner conversations when all of us are together.— Identity Unknown, p. 164_______________________Follow All Things Unexplained: YouTube https://youtube.com/@allthingsunexplained IG https://instagram.com/allthingsunexplainedpodcast TikTok https://tiktok.com/@allthingsunexplained FB https://facebook.com/allthingsunexplainedpodcast Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-unexplained/id1518410497 Top 15 Science & Society Podcast.People's Choice Podcast Award Nominee.Ranked among the Top 40 UFO Podcasts and Top 30 Bigfoot Podcasts by MillionPodcasts.Email us: allthingsunexplained@yahoo.com Music Credits sourced via YouTube Audio Library.Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100394Artist: http://incompetech.com/ ★ Support this podcast ★
Biologists are reporting progress in unlocking the secrets of ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The University of Arizona's Russ Buchan and Kevin Rhine describe their collaborative efforts investigating the role genetics plays for patients coping with ALS. Russ Buchan and Kevin Rhine spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley,Apr. 8, 2026.The NASA Psyche mission is on its way to orbit a small but immensely ancient world in our asteroid belt: A metallic object, the first humans will ever have visited. When our solar system was in its infancy, thousands of planetesimals (tiny planet-like objects) formed in less than a million years. Many planetesimals later melted, allowing metal cores to form inside rocky mantles. One of these metal cores may be revealed in the asteroid (16) Psyche. Dr. Elkins-Tanton, the Mission Lead, takes us behind the scenes in planning and carrying out this remarkable mission of exploration, which launched in 2023, and updates us of where we are over two years post-launch.
Could the ingredients for life have arrived on asteroids? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice unpack what the sample collected from asteroid Bennu is teaching us about the origins of life itself with Harold Connolly, geologist and mission scientist for OSIRIS-REx. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/secrets-of-asteroid-bennu-with-harold-connolly-jr/ Thanks to our Patrons Kevin Widener, WilfriedLepuschitz, Rodney Juste, Aladin Mihai, Marc Washington, david smith, Gary Flenthrope, Christian Becker, EricRobert, Sonya a, Steve Jones, leeinalaska, Sewit Haile, Edward Janezich, Miguel Rodriguez, Shea M, Mister E, G.Montagnard, Vincent Jenkins, Ryan B, Brandon Kavulla, Owoskeun Cinder, LehensGivris, Marc, Debbie Evercloud, Fakhreddine Madi, Logan Koehler, Cem Oğuz, Aaron Greeley, Ohad Meir, Paul Osborne, Bodnár Márton János, STRS, Lawrence, THEO NNEBE, Richard Mosby, Kenneth Hawley, Robert Wilson, Amelia Cooper, mabus98, Mandana Rad, Lucas Kiil, Channing Hodges, Elizabeth Newton, Sebastián Egaña, Eric Hall, Sondre Rypdal, Anne Shirley, Andrew Rosenfeld, Michael Owen, T Playle, Kevin Selman, david Aldridge, Raymond Wright, Biotoxin, Brittany, Wraptile, Frances Cooley, Rodney Bell, Hesam Eskandari, Patrick Dietz, Alexandre Malouin, Diana Smith, Jesse Hoffman, Ian Peterson, WickedProf, Jonathan, SUSAN Moore, Tom DeGerlia, Jessica Holden, Simeon Ivaylov Petrov, Dario Kubler, Robert Passeri, Jr., Fred Miller, Jason Delancey, Rory L, Alice Kelaine Harline Davis, Loonertick, Rich, Jason Rich, jon meier, Susan, Robert Christine, Simon, Lauren Zajac, Brandon Abramovitz, J Sauce, Christopher Smith, Suzan Stocker, Roch Dylla, Treven Price, Zippo, Preet Sandhawalia, Chris McAfee, Hoth, Cody Mecham, Lewis, Casey Hampton, Jason Beezley, and Anthony Gliganic for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Over his career Dr. Bill Dietrich has had an outsized influence on both the discipline of geomorphology and the community that surrounds the discipline. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Dietrich is one of the most influential geomorphologists of the last several decades, known for developing process-based theories of landscape evolution and geomorphic transport laws for soil production, hillslope transport, and river incision. His work spans hillslopes, rivers, debris flows, sediment transport, and the coupling of ecological and geomorphic processes. Over his career he has helped establish many of the conceptual and quantitative frameworks that modern geomorphology relies on today, and his publications are close to 70,000 citations (which is a truely astounding number). He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2003 and has received several of the field's highest honors, including the Robert E. Horton Medal of the American Geophysical Union for outstanding contributions to hydrology and the G.K. Gilbert Award for major advances in Earth-surface processes, which is apt because I see his work embodying Gilbert's tradition. Bill also began "the Gilbert Club" an AGU adjacent gathering that has become a center of mas for the geomorphic community, which we talk about in the episode.As I try to grow in my ability to predict river behavior and manage our interactions with our nation's waterways, I find I'm learning - approximately in equal parts - from the worlds of engineering and geomorphology, so I am trying to deliver heuristics and insights from those overlapping - but separate - thought worlds. In this episode we go deep into the science of upland river processes, including insights that have helped me along the way.We will have some bonus content on the YouTube channel...but you won't want to miss this: https://youtu.be/fixiMpBB3LE(an easter egg priview for the people who read episode notes)This series was funded by the Regional Sediment Management (RSM) program.Mike Loretto edited the first three seasons and created the theme music.Tessa Hall is editing most of Season 4.Stanford Gibson (HEC Sediment Specialist) hosts.Video shorts and other bonus content are available at the podcast website:https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/confluence/rasdocs/rastraining/latest/the-rsm-river-mechanics-podcast...but most of the supplementary videos are available on the HEC Sediment YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/stanfordgibsonIf you have guest recommendations or feedback you can reach out to me on LinkedIn or ResearchGate or fill out this recommendation and feedback form: https://forms.gle/wWJLVSEYe7S8Cd248
COVID 19 became part of our lives as a global pandemic in March of 2020. Since then, scientists have tracked the phenomenon of Long COVID, where symptoms have lasted well after the patient has recovered. University of Arizona medical professor Sairam Parthasarathy discusses the ongoing research into Long COVID and why so many questions about the disorder remain unanswered. Sairam Parthasarathy spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus in Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
What if a microscopic alien lifeform was slowly eating our sun? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice sit down with Andy Weir, the bestselling author of Project Hail Mary, for a deep dive into designing aliens, science fiction, and science behind the book (and the movie.) NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/project-hail-mary-with-andy-weir/ Thanks to our Patrons RT, Matthew Wessel, Tyler Walker, nuclear_detergent, Ryan Buchanan, The Lord of the Ganja, Tyrone Morgan, Ciara Steinert, Fabian De Rossi, Travis Anders, Dee El Dee, Lazzarous, Moshe Sedero, Sebastian Heineberg, David, Casey Sizeland, Anna, Simon Franklin, Chris Carley, ohhdontdoit, hilde, Jim Niemann, Jesse Lee, Sri Harsha Chennavajjala, grbac6800, Mike, Aviad Pineles, salima makitina, Gero Finke, Nick Charles, David Shapiro, Diyako Kochar Taymur, David Kunz, Bob, Doug, Aviral Bhatnagar, Matthew Sims, Squibb Thompson, Theta544, D00gster x702, Kyle Sullivan, John Hermansen, April Stearns, Brian Eastwood, jassim tazi, Kassious, Gustavo Rincon, Reloadown, Tom Kavanaugh, Kay 1, George Grimes, Barbara Lewis, Davey Maclaren, Blake Muccini, Sydney, MISFIT, Mohammed Nadeem Amin, JB, rasma, Chris, Glenn Whelan, Elizabeth Grey, Eli Hadden, Elias Holguin, Darrell Thayer, Jason, Shayla Hamady, Bradley Martin, jamie jarrard, Robert Douglas Brown, Michael Johnston, Kristine Nixon, VirusJTG, Briana Bartlett, Tim Rea, Leo Carrasco, Christopher Friedline, belle g, Carver Nevling, Emily Winter, Draxontheyeen, Leslie, Bombed Blonde, Shadow, Brian, Sam Smith, Brianna Smith, Evan Q, Anzhr, Jolo, Austin Applegate, Bryan Smarkola, Steven Patterson, Femke Seynaeve, Bee, Jeffrey Macris, Stan Ginsel, Bob M, Eric, and Yet Another Patron for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dr. Melissa Rice is the Professor of Planetary Science at WWU and she joined the show again this morning to talk about Artemis II flying around the dark side of the moon!
8. ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES AND PLANETARY SCIENCE GUEST: Bob Zimmerman The Reuben Telescope has discovered 11,000 new asteroids, including near-Earth objects. Bob Zimmerman also explains Saturn's warped magnetic field and the need for new orbiters to explore Neptune and Uranus,. (8)1926 MERATE OBSERVATORY
Dr. Melissa Rice is WWU's Associate Professor of Planetary Science and she joined us to talk about tomorrow's Artemis II launch and our return to study the moon!
Dr. Melissa Rice is WWU's Associate Professor of Planetary Science and she joined us to talk about tomorrow's Artemis II launch and our return to study the moon!
We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! Have you ever heard of the gas tax refund for Mass Pike drivers? You may be eligible for some cash back! 8:05PM: The latest on the Cape Cod Bridges Project. Guest: Luisa Paiewonsky, Executive Director of MassDOT's Mega Projects Delivery Office 8:15PM: Dave McGillivray is running the 54th Boston Marathon, alongside his three children, Astronaut Sunita Williams, and the Finish Strong Foundation Charity Team. Guest: Dave McGillivray, long-time director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon / athlete, author, and motivational speaker 8:30PM: Have you ever heard of the gas tax refund for Mass Pike drivers? Find out how you might be able to get some money back this tax season! Guest: Mary Connaughton, Director of Government Transparency at the Pioneer Institute in Boston 8:45PM: We’ve had a few asteroids/meteorites hitting Earth lately, but thankfully there are folks out there monitoring it all! A team of MIT researchers are on the “space-case” and have developed a new way to mitigate threats posed by smaller asteroids.Guest: Julien de Wit, Associate Professor of Planetary Science at MITSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Researchers have been studying data from NASA's Juno spacecraft since the summer of 2016. University of Arizona planetary scientist Bill Hubbard looks back on nearly a decade of discovery from the orbit of Jupiter, our solar system's biggest planet. Bill Hubbard spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
More than perhaps any other state, Hawaii has major incentives to decarbonize. Imported oil accounts for about 90% of Hawaii's total energy consumption, and electricity prices are more than three times the national average. So it may not be surprising that Hawaii was the first state in the nation to set a 100% renewable energy goal by 2045. But that's a hard goal to achieve, especially given the realities of geographic isolation and the costs of importing fuel and materials. Hawaii Governor Josh Green is bullish about the island state's decarbonization and wants all options on the table. That includes making liquified natural gas part of the mix, along with solar, wind, and geothermal. His administration passed the first “green fee” which imposes a tax on Hawaii visitors and is expected to generate $100 million for climate resilience projects. What can we learn from Hawaii's decarbonization process? Guests: Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii Rylee Brooke Kamahele, Youth Plaintiff, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Tessa M. Hill, Oceanographer and Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC DavisFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 03:08 Josh Green on achieving Hawaii's climate goals 07:11 Josh Green on offshore wind 13:17 Josh Green on the effect of the wildfires and the recovery 18:09 Josh Green on decarbonizing 20:22 Josh Green on the health effects of the climate crisis 23:30 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on growing up 24:26 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on community action 29:06 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on the outcome of the lawsuit 34:27 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on the responsibility of older generations 37:55 Tessa M. Hill on rapidly changing oceans 41:43 Tessa M. Hill on the impact to common fish 44:44 Tessa M. Hill on the winners and losers of the changing oceans ********** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More than perhaps any other state, Hawaii has major incentives to decarbonize. Imported oil accounts for about 90% of Hawaii's total energy consumption, and electricity prices are more than three times the national average. So it may not be surprising that Hawaii was the first state in the nation to set a 100% renewable energy goal by 2045. But that's a hard goal to achieve, especially given the realities of geographic isolation and the costs of importing fuel and materials. Hawaii Governor Josh Green is bullish about the island state's decarbonization and wants all options on the table. That includes making liquified natural gas part of the mix, along with solar, wind, and geothermal. His administration passed the first “green fee” which imposes a tax on Hawaii visitors and is expected to generate $100 million for climate resilience projects. What can we learn from Hawaii's decarbonization process? Guests: Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii Rylee Brooke Kamahele, Youth Plaintiff, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Tessa M. Hill, Oceanographer and Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC DavisFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 03:08 Josh Green on achieving Hawaii's climate goals 07:11 Josh Green on offshore wind 13:17 Josh Green on the effect of the wildfires and the recovery 18:09 Josh Green on decarbonizing 20:22 Josh Green on the health effects of the climate crisis 23:30 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on growing up 24:26 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on community action 29:06 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on the outcome of the lawsuit 34:27 Rylee Brooke Kamahele on the responsibility of older generations 37:55 Tessa M. Hill on rapidly changing oceans 41:43 Tessa M. Hill on the impact to common fish 44:44 Tessa M. Hill on the winners and losers of the changing oceans ********** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week Inside Science comes from Space Comm Expo in London, one of the biggest space conferences in the world. Tom Whipple explores the conference with Suzie Imber, Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester. Tom also speaks to Dr Everett Dolman, Professor of Space Strategy at John Hopkins University in the USA, about the role of space in modern warfare. Jodie Howlett, who oversees in-orbit manufacturing at the UK Space Agency talks about why the unique physics of space could be the perfect environment in which to manufacture the next generation of medicines. And Daniela Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences at Bristol University tells us why new research shows how we've drastically underestimated our measurements of sea level.To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Alex Mansfield and Clare Salisbury Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Martin Smith
In this episode, we discuss… What science really is, both as body of knowledge and a constantly evolving process Why one study is never enough and the importance of multiple methods, reproducibility, and scientific consensus over time When "gold standard" research falls short and why fields like nutrition require more flexible, creative approaches Science's built-in caution and how new ideas face a high bar of proof, slowing acceptance but strengthening reliability How doubt is manufactured, from the tobacco era to climate science, using fringe voices to challenge strong consensus The role of ideology, and how "freedom" narratives can shape public resistance to scientific evidence Acting without certainty and why we must make public health decisions even when data isn't 100% complete AI and misinformation and the promise and risk of tools like OpenAI in shaping how we consume science Naomi Oreskes Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences ON LEAVE SPRING 2026 emailoreskes@fas.harvard.edu Faculty Assistant: Yaz Alfata Primary Areas of Research: Agnotology; the Political Economy of Scientific Knowledge; History and Philosophy of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Science and Technology Studies (STS); the History of Climate Change Disinformation Secondary Areas of Interest: Science Policy, Science and Religion, Women and Gender Studies Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. Oreskes is author or co-author of 9 books, and over 150 articles, essays and opinion pieces, including Merchants of Doubt (Bloomsbury, 2010), The Collapse of Western Civilization (Columbia University Press, 2014), Discerning Experts (University Chicago Press, 2019), Why Trust Science? (Princeton University Press, 2019), and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change, (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Merchants of Doubt, co-authored with Erik Conway, was the subject of a documentary film of the same name produced by participant Media and distributed by SONY Pictures Classics, and has been translated into nine languages. A new edition of Merchants of Doubt, with an introduction by Al Gore, was published in 2020. Her latest book, with Erik Conway, is The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, which has been translated to French and Italian. Oreskes wrote the Introduction to the Melville House edition of the Papal Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality, Laudato Si, and her essays and opinion pieces on climate change have appeared in leading newspapers around the globe, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, the Times (London), and Frankfurter Allegemeine. Her numerous awards and prizes include the 2019 Geological Society of American Mary C. Rabbitt Award, the 2016 Stephen Schneider Award for outstanding Climate Science Communication, the 2015 Public Service Award of the Geological Society of America, the 2015 Herbert Feis Prize of the American Historical Association for her contributions to public history, and the 2014 American Geophysical Union Presidential Citation for Science and Society. She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2018, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow, and in 2019 she was awarded the British Academy Medal. In 2024, she was awarded the Nonino Foundation "Maestro del Nostro Tempo" award. And in 2025, she was awarded the Volvo Environment Prize for her contributions in "shaping our understanding of how scientific knowledge is collectively constructed and addressing the challenges of misinformation in public discourse." Curriculum Vitae Select Publications The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, 2023 (Bloomsbury Press) Science on a Mission, 2021 (University of Chicago Press) Why Trust Science?, 2019 (Princeton University Press) Science and Technology in the Global Cold War, 2014 (MIT Press) The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future, 2014 (Columbia University Press) Collapse of Western Civilization Home Page Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, 2010. (New York: Bloomsbury Press.) Merchants of Doubt Home Page Merchants of Doubt at the 52nd New York Film Festival, October 8, 2014 Models in Environmental Regulatory Decision Making, Whipple, Chris et al. (fourteen additional authors), 2007. (Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology), 287 pp. The Rejection of Continental Drift: Theory and Method in American Earth Science, 1999. (New York: Oxford University Press) In the Media Testimony Before the US Senate Budget Committee, Twitter, June 22, 2023 Science Isn't Always Perfect - But We Should Still Trust It, TIME, October 2019 Climate Change Will Cost Us Even More Than We Think, New York Times, October 2019 Escaping Extinction, World Economic Forum, January 2019 Yes, ExxonMobil Misled the Public, LA Times, September 2017 What Exxon Mobil Didn't Say About Climate Change, The New York Times, August 2017 Assessing ExxonMobil's Climate Change Communications (177-2014), Environment Research Letters, August 2017 Scientists Dive Into the Political Fray, PBS Newshour, April 2017 How to Break the Climate Deadlock, Scientific American, November 2015 What Did Exxon Know?, On The Media, November 2015 The Pope and the Planet, The Open Mind, November 2015 Exxon's Climate Concealment, New York Times, October 2015 Naomi Oreskes, a Lightning Rod in a Changing Climate, New York Times, June 2015 A Chronicler of Warnings Denied, New York Times, October 2014 Merchants of Doubt, Documentary from Sony Pictures Classics, 2014 "Why We Should Trust Scientists," TED Talk, June 2014 The 2014 Vatican Environmental Summit: Can a Pope Help Sustain Humanity and Ecology?, New York Times Interview for Cosmologics Magazine Prof. Oreskes discusses her book, "The Collapse of Western Civilization..." Naomi Oreskes - The Collapse of Western Civilization, Inquiring Minds Podcast "A View From the Climate Change Future," National Public Radio via Boston's WBUR Edited Volumes Oreskes, Naomi, ed., with Homer E. Le Grand, 2001. Plate Tectonics: An Insider's History of the Modern Theory of the Earth (Boulder: Westview Press), paperback edition February 2003. Edited Journal Volumes Oreskes, Naomi and James R. Fleming, eds. 2000. "Perspectives on Geophysics," Special Issue of Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 31B, September 2000.
In an area which is about 1/400th of the entire sky, the NASA Kepler spacecraft has discovered 30 Earth like planets which are likely to have liquid water on their surfaces orbiting distant stars. These planets are likely to represent a tiny sample of the habitable planets which exist in the Milky Way. In spite of our efforts to find them, the question remains where are the alien civilizations? In a recent talk given at the Division of Planetary Sciences meeting Dr. Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute suggests that perhaps the majority of worlds with biology and intelligent civilizations exist on interior water ocean worlds where their existence is hidden by the thick layers of rock and ice which separate them from the hostile vacuum of space. We know that in our solar system alone the moon of Jupiter Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, and perhaps several other small worlds are likely to have oceans of nutrient rich liquid water covered by a thick layer of rock and ice. We also know that Whales and Dolphins have larger brains than humans, communicate with each other, and exhibit other forms of intelligence. Advanced civilizations existing in ice covered seas may know little of the greater Universe, may find it difficult to consider transporting enough water to travel beyond their worlds, and may not think that it is possible to communicate with others of their kind who are similarly hidden under miles and miles of radiation absorbing ice and rock.
Fruit flies have been crucial for researchers developing the basic principles of biology and disease. University of Arizona neuroscientist Martha Bhattacharya describes how the insects became pivotal instruments in learning about human genetics. Martha Bhattacharya spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Is there life in the Venusian Clouds? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are joined by planetary astrobiologist David Grinspoon to discuss NASA's return to Venus, our space future, and whether we'll find life in our solar system. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Thanks to our Patrons Nick Pullia, Sean Cater, Keith Reiss, Seph Gordon, Charlie Viola, Miguel Rangel, Andrew Ferguson, JeAnnette Elaine Thomas, Hugh Caley, Daniel Weber, Chris, Peter Grossman, Darryl Baker, Joyce A Edwards, Maxim, Joshua Richard, Patrick ridlon, Kathleen Reardon, David Watts, Angelina Bryant, Liza, Dave Holloway, Ricardo Andrés Morales Muñoz, Damian Wilson, m. szachacz, Vince Johnson, Lucy, Randal Walcott, Rachel Ambrose, andrew wong, Richard Hudson, Peter Galindo, Mehdi Degryse, Carl Starr M.D., Rodrigo De Luca Comelli, Christian Harris, Ryan Grillo, Jose Villavicencio, Kell, Russ, Mota Ephrahim, Andre Campos-Gomez, Catherine Noiboonsook, Sam McClure, Jerry Taylor, Ian Howarth, Gerrard Lobo, Jordan Strauch, Pretender to the Throne, Dustin, Bulbacats, Jim Mirra, Matt, Adrian Martinez, GuruMojo - Kenny, Malcolm Townes, Russell, Vincent Thomas, Caleb Winters, Carsten, Frank, Andrew Sabado, Roger beeper, Jason Burden, lilacjasminetea, Eric, Samantha, Eric Sneddon, philip griffiths, Christian Chidester, Bruce Berky, Bill Polskoy, Maddux Hammer, Tim Neumark, nathan burcl, Paul Santos, Tognia, sugar, Mike Vacay, Niklas lundkvist, JaneB, Gutek, Natalie & Dad, Ashley, J Sh-Wood, Alexej Muehlberg, and Emery for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
# Journey Through Space: Webb Telescope's Latest Cosmic Discoveries ExploredEmbark on a celestial adventure with "The Space Cowboy" in this captivating episode of The Starlit Saddle podcast. Join your knowledgeable host as they unpack groundbreaking discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope, including:- Webb's deepest-ever image capturing galaxies from 13.5 billion years ago through the gravitational lens of Abell S1063- Confirmation of water vapor and carbon dioxide on exoplanet K2-18b, potentially an ocean world 120 light-years away- Dramatic collision events in Stephan's Quintet revealing how galaxy mergers fuel star formation- Stunning new details of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Saturn's unexpected auroras- Revolutionary findings about planet formation in the Orion Nebula occurring earlier than scientists predicted- The discovery of the most distant active supermassive black hole ever observed in galaxy GN-z11Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts, space exploration fans, and anyone fascinated by our cosmic neighborhood, this episode delivers the latest verified news from NASA, ESA, and recent scientific journals. The Space Cowboy breaks down complex astronomical concepts into accessible insights that will leave you stargazing with new appreciation.#JamesWebbTelescope #Astronomy #SpaceExploration #Exoplanets #CosmicDiscoveries #AstronomyPodcastSome great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Many causes of death share the same common factor, the onset of advancing age. University of Arizona biologist George Sutphin describes how our understanding of aging could transform medicine in the future. He will be the first speaker in this year's College of Science free lecture series at Centennial Hall. George Sutphin spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus in Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Sonoyta Pupfish are native to southern Arizona and listed as critically endangered. University of Arizona professor Peter Reinthal designed a project that brought the fish to Biosphere 2's Desert Biome habitat and give it a head start on survival. Peter Reinthal spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Water can have a dramatic effect on the style of an eruption. In the podcast, Michael Manga explains how the most powerful eruptions, such as the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, occur when hot magma comes into contact with water and suddenly generates vast quantities of steam. Water dissolved in magma as it rises to the surface and depressurizes can also drive destructive volcanic eruptions. Manga also talks about water-driven volcanism on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.Manga is a Professor in the Earth and Planetary Science department of the University of California, Berkeley.
Los Angeles firefighters battled the Palisades Fire in January 2025. University of Arizona environmental health researcher Melissa Furlong talks about a study looking at the challenges the firefighters are now facing, including changes in blood proteins that can lead to cancer. Melissa Furlong spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.
Spewing lava and belching noxious fumes, volcanoes seem hostile to biology. But the search for life off-Earth includes the hunt for these hotheads on other moons and planets, and we tour some of the most imposing volcanoes in the Solar System. Plus, a look at how tectonic forces reshape bodies from the moon to Venus to Earth. And a journey to the center of our planet reveals a surprising layer of material at the core-mantle boundary. Find out where this layer was at the time of the dinosaurs and what powerful forces drove it deep below. Guests: Samantha Hansen – Geologist at the University of Alabama Paul Byrne – Associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis Robin George Andrews – Science journalist and author of “Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond” Originally aired May 29, 2023 Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Spewing lava and belching noxious fumes, volcanoes seem hostile to biology. But the search for life off-Earth includes the hunt for these hotheads on other moons and planets, and we tour some of the most imposing volcanoes in the Solar System. Plus, a look at how tectonic forces reshape bodies from the moon to Venus to Earth. And a journey to the center of our planet reveals a surprising layer of material at the core-mantle boundary. Find out where this layer was at the time of the dinosaurs and what powerful forces drove it deep below. Guests: Samantha Hansen – Geologist at the University of Alabama Paul Byrne – Associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis Robin George Andrews – Science journalist and author of “Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond” Originally aired May 29, 2023 Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 2025 International Mars Society Convention convened at the University of Southern California this October for three days of passionate discussion about humanity’s future on the red planet. Speakers explored science, policy, technology, AI, synthetic biology, and the long-term path toward becoming a multi-planet species. In this episode, Mat Kaplan, senior communications adviser at The Planetary Society, shares his conversations with speakers and guests at the Convention. We hear from Robert Zubrin, founder of The Mars Society, who delivered a fiery call to protect NASA’s science programs in the face of unprecedented budget cuts. Humphrey “Hoppy” Price, Chief Engineer for NASA’s Robotic Mars Exploration Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, updates us on the future of Mars Sample Return and new mission architectures. Keynote speaker Dex Hunter-Torricke, a longtime communications leader for SpaceX, Meta, and other major tech organizations, reflects on AI’s promise and peril, and why Mars remains a beacon of hope for humanity’s future. Biologist and technologist Tiffany Vora, vice president for innovation partnerships at Explore Mars, and Erika DeBenedictis, biologist and founder of Pioneer Labs, reveal breakthroughs in synthetic biology and engineered microbes that could help future Martians survive. Steve Benner, chemist and founder of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (FfAME), revisits the Viking lander experiments and makes a provocative case that we may have found Martian life nearly 50 years ago. Architect Melodie Yashar, CEO of AENARA and a pioneer in 3D-printed habitat research, shares progress in additive construction on Earth and Mars. James Burk, executive director of The Mars Society, discusses advocacy, analog research stations, and the organization’s expanding international footprint. Finally, we meet Sasha, a 13-year-old presenter whose enthusiasm offers a bright glimpse of the next generation of explorers. We wrap up the show with What’s Up with Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society, with a discussion of perchlorates in the Martian soil. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mars-society-conventionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
# Exploring the Cosmic Frontier with the Space Cowboy: From Ancient Spiral Galaxies to Evaporating AtmospheresJoin the Space Cowboy in this captivating podcast episode as he lassoes the latest discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope. Discover Alaknanda, a surprisingly mature Milky Way look-alike from the universe's early days, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation. Witness the dramatic atmospheric escape from WASP-107b, a "super-puff" exoplanet losing its helium cloud in real time.The episode also delves into Webb's unprecedented view of colliding dwarf galaxies Arp 269, offering insights into how early universe galaxies evolved. Marvel at the mysterious Apep star system with its multiple dust spirals created by a rare triple-star arrangement. Finally, explore planet-forming disks in the Taurus region, where Webb is capturing the very birth of new planetary systems.Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts and cosmic explorers, this episode showcases how Webb continues to revolutionize our understanding of the universe - from ancient galaxies to planetary evolution, all narrated with the Space Cowboy's signature down-to-earth wisdom.#JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #Astronomy #CosmicDiscoveries #Exoplanets #GalaxyFormation #SpaceExploration #AstronomyPodcastSome great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have finally launched on their journey to Mars. Designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ patchy magnetic fields and drives the loss of its atmosphere, ESCAPADE is NASA’s first dual-spacecraft mission to the Red Planet and a major milestone for the SIMPLEx program’s small, low-cost planetary explorers. The mission began its voyage aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after several weather and space weather delays, marking the vehicle’s first science launch. We begin with Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and Space Policy Intern at The Planetary Society, who was at Cape Canaveral for the prelaunch activities. Ari shares what it was like to navigate repeated scrubs and even a powerful solar storm, along with the emotional experience of watching a spacecraft carrying an instrument he helped build begin its voyage to Mars. Next, we are joined by Dr. Rob Lillis, ESCAPADE’s Principal Investigator and Associate Director for Planetary Science at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. Rob explains how ESCAPADE aims to unravel Mars’ complex space environment using two coordinated orbiters, why its measurements are key to understanding atmospheric escape, and how its innovative trajectory made the mission possible after the loss of its original rideshare opportunity. Finally, Dr. Bruce Betts, Chief Scientist of The Planetary Society, returns for What’s Up to talk about why Mars produces aurora even without a global magnetic dynamo. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-escapadeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. John Eiler is the Robert P. Sharp Professor of Geology and Geochemistry, as well as the Ted and Ginger Jenkins Leadership Chair of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech. In this episode, John discusses his career, his research examining the molecular structure of isotopes, and how the approach that he and his collaborators have developed is relevant for the anti-doping community. He goes into detail on a recent PCC-funded research project investigating the use of molecular isotopic structure as a tool for doping forensics, their promising new results, and the impacts that this work could have to advance clean sport.
Dr. Jonathan Payne is a Professor and Chair of Geological Sciences at Stanford University. He also holds a courtesy appointment in Biology, is a Member of Stanford's interdisciplinary biosciences institute Bio-X, and is an Affiliate of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Jonathan studies the history of life on Earth. He is interested in the interactions between the changes in earth's environments and the evolution of life on Earth. In particular, Jonathan focuses on large extinction events like asteroid impacts and volcanic eruptions, and how these impacted life in the oceans. When not working, Jonathan is often going to sporting events, traveling, and playing Nerf basketball in his house with his wife and two kids. He also enjoys hiking and working out at the gym. Jonathan received his B.A. in Geosciences from Williams College. Afterwards, he worked as a high school math and science teacher in Switzerland for two years before returning to graduate school. Jonathan was awarded his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University, and he conducted postdoctoral research at Pennsylvania State University before joining the faculty at Stanford. Jonathan has received many awards and honors for his work, including the Stanford University Medal for excellence in advising undergraduate research, the Charles Schuchert Award from the Paleontological Society, and a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. He has also been named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America as well as a Fellow of the Paleontological Society. In this podcast interview, Jonathan spoke with us about his experiences in life and science.
After 27 years, Melvyn Bragg has decided to step down from the In Our Time presenter's chair. With over a thousand episodes to choose from, he has selected just six that capture the huge range and depth of the subjects he and his experts have tackled. In this first pick, we hear Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the origins, science and mythology of the moon. Humans have been fascinated by our only known satellite since prehistory. In some cultures the Moon has been worshipped as a deity; in recent centuries there has been lively debate about its origins and physical characteristics. Although other planets in our solar system have moons ours is, relatively speaking, the largest, and is perhaps more accurately described as a 'twin planet'; the past, present and future of the Earth and the Moon are locked together. Only very recently has water been found on the Moon - a discovery which could prove to be invaluable if human colonisation of the Moon were ever to occur.Mankind first walked on the Moon in 1969, but it is debatable how important this huge political event was in developing our scientific knowledge. The advances of space science, including data from satellites and the moon landings, have given us some startling insights into the history of our own planet, but many intriguing questions remain unanswered.With:Paul Murdin Visiting Professor of Astronomy at Liverpool John Moores UniversityCarolin Crawford Gresham Professor of Astronomy at the University of CambridgeIan Crawford Reader in Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, London.Producer: Natalia FernandezSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
Richard Lindzen, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. William Happer, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Princeton University. Doctors Lindzen and Happer are recognized for questioning prevailing assumptions about climate change and energy policy.www.co2coalition.org Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Buy 1 Get 1 Free Trucker Hat with code ROGAN at https://happydad.com Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at https://ziprecruiter.com/rogan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There are three main types of geodetic measurement systems — satellite-based systems such as GPS, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), and interferometric synthetic-aperture radar (InSAR). While each type of systems has its particular strengths, the cost of satellite-based receivers has plummeted. Millimeter-level accuracy will soon be incorporated into phones. This has broadened the kinds of geological questions we can now address with such systems. In the podcast, Tom Herring describes how these systems are giving us new insight into plate motions, slow and fast deformation associated with faults and earthquakes, the Earth's rotation, as well as applications in civil engineering, such as dams and tall buildings, and agriculture.Herring is a pioneer in high-precision geodetic analytical methods and applications for satellite-based navigation systems to study the Earth's surface. He is a Professor in the Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The universe is hard enough to figure out without one kind of object dressing up as another, but - just in time for Halloween - researchers have figured out that the Little Red Dot in the early universe just might be massive black holes surrounded in a costume of glowing red gas. Also in this episode, Hyabusa2's amusingly tiny destination, a white dwarf star eating what may be an icy dwarf planet, and tales from the launch pad.
On October 6, 2025, hundreds of space advocates from across the United States joined The Planetary Society and 20 partner organizations on Capitol Hill to deliver one clear message: protect NASA’s science budget. We begin with Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and Space Policy Intern at The Planetary Society, who shares why this moment matters for scientists facing uncertainty about their future. Then Britney Schmidt, planetary scientist at Cornell University and member of The Planetary Society’s Board of Directors, calls in from Washington, D.C., to share what it’s like on the ground as hundreds of advocates come together to defend the future of space science. Next, we take you to the press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, featuring Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, Representative Glenn Ivey of Maryland’s 4th District, Marcel Agüeros, president-elect of the American Astronomical Society, and Brandon Jones, President of the American Geophysical Union. Together, they urge Congress to restore NASA’s science funding and maintain the United States' leadership in discovery. We close with Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, reflecting on the power of grassroots advocacy and what comes next for the Save NASA Science campaign. Finally, in What’s Up, Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, joins host Sarah Al-Ahmed to look ahead, exploring the great mysteries we could solve in the coming years if we continue to invest in space science. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-day-of-action-for-nasa-scienceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. Konstantin Batygin, professor of Planetary Science at Caltech, made a joke that turned out to be true. In 2014, another Caltech professor, Mike Brown, brought an intriguing research paper to Batygin's attention. The paper described a peculiar planetary alignment in the outer solar system. While developing theoretical models to explain the paper's assertions, Brown and Batygin had a running gag, "We were like, okay, as a joke, let's put a planet in the outer solar system just to see what would happen." In this episode of Looking Up, Dean Regas chats with Dr. Batygin and gets the full story.
Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, has officially joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this episode, we speak with Bill about what this rare honor means to him and to science communication. Then, we take you inside the star ceremony in Los Angeles, where friends and fans, including Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, paid tribute to his legacy. From there, we shift to Washington, D.C., where NASA faces the threat of deep budget cuts. Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly share the latest updates as we prepare for the upcoming Day of Action. We close with Bruce Betts and What’s Up, reflecting on the unexpected adventures that come with working in space science. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-bill-nye-starSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Billions of years ago, Mars may have looked less like the barren red desert we know today and more like Earth—with a blue sky, flowing rivers, and even seas. What happened to turn a once-habitable world into the frozen, lifeless planet we see now?On this episode of Big Brains, University of Chicago geophysical scientist Edwin Kite takes us on a journey through Mars' hidden past. From evidence of a lost carbon cycle to theories about ancient climate swings, Kite's research is rewriting the story of the Red Planet. But it's not just about the past—his work is also at the forefront of a provocative question: could humanity one day terraform Mars and make it a living world again? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dr. Leif Karlstrom is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon. Leif uses fluid and solid mechanics approaches to better understand how water moves through glaciers and how magma moves through the Earth's crust to erupt in volcanoes. Much of his work involves developing theoretical models to better describe these processes. In addition to his career as an academic scientist, Leif is also a professional musician. He plays violin and tours nationally and internationally as a member of bluegrass and folk music groups. When he's not engaging in scientific or musical pursuits, Leif enjoys rock climbing, river rafting, and generally spending his time outdoors. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of Oregon, receiving a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, as well as a B.M. in Violin Performance. He received his PhD in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of California, Berkeley where he was awarded the Louderback Research Award. Afterwards, Leif was the recipient of an NSF Division of Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at Stanford University. He joined the faculty at the University of Oregon in 2015. Leif is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his journey through life and science.
John Batchelor 09-03 segment 11.mp3 Guest: Bob Zimmerman who keeps the website Behind the Black. New Discoveries in Space and Planetary Science Bob Zimmerman highlights new solar research using the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter probe, improving predictions of solar events that impact Earth's technology. He discusses the uniqueness of stars, Juice's Venus flyby en route to Jupiter, and Mars' chaotic mantle structure. Zimmermanemphasizes Mars' ample near-surface ice, making it attractive for colonization, and presents an exoplanet found in an accretion disc, challenging planetary formation theories. 1957
Dr. Tess Russo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at The Pennsylvania State University. Tess is a hydrologist which means she studies water. Her research examines how water moves, how much of it there is in the world, and how the actions of humans change how water moves in the world. Tess has been spending a lot of time doing home renovations. When she's not working on her house, she likes to visit family and travel. She received her PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Her fantastic work is already getting a lot of attention. Last year, Tess was featured by the Green Sense Podcast, Scientific American, and she is a guest on an upcoming episode of Startalk Radio with the wise and wonderful Neil Degrasse Tyson. Tess is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.