1 day agoWow, that's was an unbelievably over-the-top and (I suspect) completely disingenuous reaction.Wow, that's was an unbelievably over-the-top and (I suspect) completely disingenuous reaction. If you post an argument filled with dubious claims, you should expect a response. Especially if you put it in the form of a question. You're not wrong, arguing with people on the internet is a waste of time, but only if they are so intransigent that they can't handle discussion or debate. So perhaps you're right, maybe this platform isn't for you. Not if it takes so little for you to quit entirely.1 min read1 min read
5 days agoEpisode 41 of Stories from Space — Going Nuclear! The Promise Nuclear PropulsionThis week’s topic is near and dear to my heart (I know, when aren’t they?). But this one is especially so since so much depends on it. Around the world today, space agencies and commercial space entities are developing nuclear propulsion systems. …Podcast2 min readPodcast2 min read
5 days agoEpisode 40 of Stories from Space — Signs of Life: What are “Ocean Worlds”?This week, I got into one of the more intriguing aspects of astrobiology — the search for life in the cosmos! Right now, all of our astrobiology efforts are focused on Mars, the most “habitable” planet (by our standards) beyond Earth. But what of the icy moons that orbit Jupiter…Podcast2 min readPodcast2 min read
May 15Protocol: SuccessionThe following is a piece of flash fiction inspired by a conversation between science communicator and cosmobiologist Graham Lau, myself, and others via Twitter. Everything and everyone depicted within is pure fiction, though they may allude to famous people living or dead. It hovered before him. The mass of entangled…Science Fiction8 min readScience Fiction8 min read
May 11Episode 39 of Stories from Space — The “Cool” Universe: Infrared Astronomy with Charles BeichmanThis week, I sat down with NASA astronomer and exoplanet researcher Dr. Charles Beichman, the Executive Director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) at Caltech. He’s an esteemed scientist who has spent decades searching for exoplanets and led several path-finding missions. …Podcast1 min readPodcast1 min read
Apr 30Episode 38: “The Great Migration: How Can Humans Live on Venus?”This week’s episode was the third installment of the “Settling the Solar System” (or “Great Migration”) segment. Previous episodes covered how humans could one day live on the Moon and Mars. In this latest installment, I discussed how humans (with the right technology and strategies) could live on Venus. …Venus1 min readVenus1 min read
Apr 23The Best Astronomy Podcasts for 2023I have to this, this was a complete surprise and I didn’t even realize anyone was keeping track. And yet, my friend and colleague James Maynard brought this bit of news to my attention. The list comes from PlayPodcast.net, a site that that offers free listening for hundreds of podcasts…Podcast1 min readPodcast1 min read
Apr 19Episode 37 of Stories from Space — “Where Are All the Aliens? The Planetarium Hypothesis” — is Now Live!This week, I got into another favorite proposed resolution to the Fermi Paradox. In 2001, famed scientist and SF author Stephen Baxter wrote a paper titled “The Planetarium Hypothesis — A Resolution of the Fermi Paradox.” …Podcast2 min readPodcast2 min read
Apr 10Episode 36 of Stories from Space, “How Can We Live on the Mars?” is Now Live!The second episode of my new segment, “Settling the Solar System,” has now aired. This week’s topic, how can humans settle on “Earth’s Twin” and create the first “Martians”? The subject has been explored for generations by scientists, speculative thinkers, science fiction writers, and more! And in the coming years…Mars2 min readMars2 min read
Apr 4Episode 35 — Living on the Moon — of Stories from Space is Now Live!We come to it at last! The first installment of a new segment on my podcast series, titled “Settling the Solar System” (or “the Great Migration”) has just aired. In this episode, I started with our nearest celestial neighbor and the first stop for any migration beyond Earth — the…Podcast1 min readPodcast1 min read
