Pocket Science

Superconductors are the closest thing to magic that science has to offer - and likely the key to our future. They'll change technology, transportation, and our power grids as we know it. Over five Nobel Prizes have been awarded for research into superconductive materials, but their behavior remains difficult to explain. AJ and Nate sit down with materials scientist Dr. Tim Cullinan to explore what...

Today, Venus is a scorching hot, inhospitable wasteland. Yet, in the distant past, it was a water world identical to Earth. To understand this drastic change, AJ and Nate will explore a strange phenomenon discovered in Venus's atmosphere. Then, they'll break down an insane, far-fetched plan to restore Venus to its former glory - that with enough time, just might work. Additional topics include: Ho...

Our daily lives would tell us we understand time - but what if that's not the case? AJ and special guest Nate Pinto explore the mysteries of time and what physics says about its place in our universe. Is there only "the now"? Is the past lost and is the future unwritten? The answer is a solid... maybe. Additional Topics Include: A potential new airspeed record, the best spot for a moon base, and w...

The Sun is the greatest source of energy in our entire solar system. So what if we could harness it's energy directly? This theory, known as a Dyson Sphere, has been around since the 60s, but recent research indicates that this theory could be a reality right here in the Milky Way. This episode, AJ and Jud discuss the purpose of Dyson Spheres, breakdown two new studies pointing to their existence,...

If you thought you'd heard all the crazy stories from the Cold War period, think again. This episode dives into one of the wildest military ideas to date. At a time when international communications were severely limited in their reach and reliability, the U.S. Military was ready to try anything. One such initiative was part Project Westford: a secret military plan to give the Earth a giant metal...

Who doesn't love more rules? Starting with the Outer Space Treaty in 1969, the United Nations has continued to build the framework for what flies in space (pun intended). Now, with the commercial space race in its beginnings, NASA has built the Artemis Accords with the help of seven other nations to provide continued guidance. This week, Jud and AJ will tear through the legal jargon and explain ex...

Despite life's age of 500 million years on planet Earth, brutal climate conditions have challenged its resiliency on several occasions. This week, AJ and Jud dive into every mass extinction, whether it was from volcanoes, asteroids, global cooling - or a hellish mix of just about everything. While it's been 66 million years since the last one, they'll explain why we might be nearing the next big e...

Regarded as one of the most technically demanding sci-fi movies of the 21st century, "The Martian" challenges what the near-future of spaceflight looks like. And while its science may seem sound, the story took an incredible amount of engineering (and movie-magic) to bring it to life. This week, AJ and Jud sit down with the film's production designer Arthur Max (known for other films such as Se7en...

Billions of years ago, the most energetic event in the universe would send space-warping shockwaves hurtling towards Earth. Yet, when they reached us in 2015, we didn't feel a thing. In fact, everything around you is constantly creating these gravitational waves. This week, AJ and Jud will dive into how they're created and how we're proving their existence with two of the largest experiments ever...

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if we had no moon? Well, how about if there were dozens? If we take a tour of the solar system, other moon systems get incredibly complex. So why isn't that the case here? In this episode, Jud and AJ will explain the billion year old physics of how the Earth was robbed of an even more interesting night sky. Additional Topics Include: Why snow (mostly)...

No event in our planet's history tops the arrival of our moon - and perhaps no other event is as debated. This episode, we'll dive into not only the biggest scientific theories of its arrival, but also how modern science can help us unravel its complex and explosive history. Additional Topics Include: A bubble space habitat, why butter sticks are sticks, and pocket-sized nuclear batteries Check ou...

Space: the vast, open unknown - or is it? Over 60 years of space activities have resulted in over 30,000 tracked objects in orbit. What's even more dangerous are the millions of untraceable objects orbiting fast enough to obliterate anything in their path. As more collisions cause an exponential rise in fragments, could our orbits become impassable, or will insane engineering save the skies - and...

This week, Jud, AJ, and guest Nate Pinto get a close look at all the rocky debris filling up our solar system. They'll explain the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors, and see what they can tell us about space history. Plus, they'll discuss the rarity and destructive power of a collision with Earth, and whether we could stop an incoming rock - or even see it coming... Additional Topi...

In 1998, construction started on one of the most ambitious international projects of all time. Now two decades later, it continues to bring us life-altering science and technology. This week, Jud and AJ will explore how its in-orbit assembly went off (mostly) without a hitch. Then, they'll discuss their favorite products and achievements that have resulted from the stations thousands of experiment...

This week, Vincent Ledvina, an aurora scientist all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska joins Jud and AJ to explore the Northern Lights. They'll learn how they appear, why solar weather is a threat to Earth, and what the approaching solar maximum could entail. Plus, tune in to hear how you can see the aurora yourself, and how the pictures on your camera roll might just make you a scientist. Additional...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get strapped into a 4.4 million pound rocket? This week, all your listener-submitted questions are answered by none other than Clayton Anderson, a former NASA astronaut who completed multiple missions to the ISS. The team will dive into everything about his journey from one horrible intern experience to seeing the Earth out the window. Additional topics incl...

Most of us feel in control of our actions on a daily basis - but what if we're not actually in the drivers seat? Inspired by Stanford's Robert Sapolsky, AJ and special guest host Nate Pinto take a stab at the mystery of free will - should we still take credit for our accomplishments? For our mistakes? Was recording this episode even our choice?... Additional Topics Include: the world's longest cou...

This week, Jud and AJ break down this year's (2023) Nobel Prizes and the impact that this ground-breaking science will have. They'll cover new vaccine advances in medicine, the new fastest lasers in physics, and "quantum dots" in chemistry. Plus, they'll include some pretty insane history surrounding the prizes along the way. Additional Topics Include: New discoveries about oceans near Earth's cor...

This week, Jud and AJ highlight two huge asteroid exploration missions from NASA: The OSIRIS-REx mission, and the Psyche mission. First, they'll dive into how the OSIRIS-REx sample is rewriting the history of life on the planet. Later, they explore how the Psyche mission will give us a look at our planet's core - or generate more money than the entire global economy. Additional Topics Include: The...

This episode, Jud, AJ, and special guest Dr. Tim Cullinan ask a big question: why do things in our universe...change? Nothing in our universe is static, and the team will explore how "entropy" causes all sorts of phenomena in our daily lives - and what it has to do with the beginning and end of all things. Additional Topics Include: Recent NASA work, why equilibrium doesn't exist, and some of the...

Confused by all this talk of “quantum computing“? Want to get even more confused? This week, Jud, AJ, and Nate break down how quantum computing holds the power to topple some of the world’s toughest challenges. Additional Topics Include: possible alien life, the Millennium Prize Problems, and why none of your data is safe anymore. Click the link to follow us on our socials!

This week, Jud, AJ, and special guest Nate Pinto walk (or rather sprint) through the entire history of computers, from mechanical machines to the digital revolution. They’ll explain exactly how these complex machines do the seemingly impossible - all while becoming easier and more accessible to the average person. Additional topics include: Moore’s Law, the new emission-free spaceships from SpinLa...

This week, strap in as Jud and AJ explore warp drives, one of science fiction's most popular methods of interstellar travel. They'll explore how they work, where they might take us, and why humanity won't be building them any time soon. Also on the table is how OceanGate plans to send 1000 humans to colonize Venus by 2050... Additional Topics Include: A new cancer treatment, the world's largest wi...

In this episode, Jud and AJ talk about the newest advancement in flying cars from Alef Aeronautics and its approval by the FAA. They'll see how it stands up against other insane flying cars in development, as well as discuss the possible benefits (and extreme downsides) of your future airborne commute. Additional Topics Include: An ISS power outage, the recent congressional hearing on aliens, and...

This week, Jud and AJ unravel the recent discoveries of some of the key ingredients for life on Saturn's moon Enceladus and butt heads over whether this is conclusive evidence that aliens exist. They'll explain just how NASA uncovered these secrets within our very solar system and what finding signs of potential alien life could mean for humanity. Additional topics include: The Cassini Spacecraft,...