Universe Today Podcast

Has AI already written any good science papers? Which are the primary targets for the Extremely Large Telescope? Which is scarier, finding aliens or not finding them? And in Q&A+, what happens if you keep feeding a black hole forever? BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:54 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/55VE01fptAM Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: htt...

Gravitational waves revolutionised Astronomy. But LIGO, VIRGO and KAGRA only operate in one spectrum. To detect longer waves we need bigger telescopes. Much bigger. Ones that don't fit on Earth. That is where LISA comes in, which will be humanity's biggest telescope. 🟣 Guest: Dr. Stefano Vitale  Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AUS8A9J3d5g 00:00 Intro 02:43 The e...

Rubin spots a rapidly spinning asteroid, Congress restores NASA’s funding, Crew 11 is back on Earth for a medical emergency, the Pandora Space Telescope launches. And in Space Bites+, two new exoplanets around a red dwarf could help push the habitable zone out. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZBlzQWyhf84 🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pi...

Does Europa Clipper have realistic chances to find traces of life at Jupiter? Can humans stop the Kessler syndrome? How long would Earth survive if it was thrown away from the Solar System? And in Q&A+, what's the current situation with RTG nuclear fuel? BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:11 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GJGctXIYZ-w Here's a link to the full, uned...

Would we even notice if 3I/ATLAS smashed into Jupiter? What are the plans for next gen space stations? Is it okay that most succesful space corporations are run by billionaires? And in Q&A+, what the hell is a Thorne–Żytkow object? BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:04 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZHdlHSv-OgQ Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https:...

A galaxy without stars, the wake of Betelgeuse’s companion star, a privately-funded Hubble class telescope, and could there be exomoons at TRAPPIST-1? And on Space Bites+, seeing an event horizon in 3D. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ilHG9OvMdmo 🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705 👉 Vote for the best story here: htt...

Can we find a use for the L3 Lagrange point? How long do the Voyagers have left? Which goals do we have for telescopes that are being built? And in Q&A+, arguably the most important technology we can focus on? BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:07 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/59zez1t-Xo8 Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gEN...

What exciting science can we expect in 2026? Can dark matter be black holes or even something else? Does light travel forever? And in Q&A+, could a rogue planet pass through the Solar System? BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:10 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bPQWwQFcNmU Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

There is growing mistrust in experts and expertise. Not just in space but in practically any field. Why do people stop trusting experts? What processes are behind it? What can we do to fix it? Finding out in this interview. 🟣 Guest: Dr. Frederic Bertley https://www.fredericbertley.com/ Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N3e2oISXWqU

Can we find siblings of the Sun? Is the expansion of the Universe symmetrical in all directions? Which molecules can be considered biosignatures? And in Q&A+, I answer a tricky question about Star Wars vs Star Trek. BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:33 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IGbFcmWjYd4 Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/liv...

Will Titan become habitable when the Sun expands? What is the next target for the Event Horizon Telescope? Could we see light from the Sun's past? And in Q&A+, a quick update on the search of Planet 9. BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:00 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bk3JZCNzdPw Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

LLM and Generative AI seems to be everywhere. But at the same time it generates a lot of AI slop in all forms. However, there are really good ways we can use LLMs for science. How can we do it in astronomy? Can we teach ChatGPT or Gemini to do good science? Finding out in this interview. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LF22szp7ouo BONUS PART STARTS at 40:59 🟣 Gu...

The best spacecraft images of 3I/ATLAS, maybe Titan doesn’t have a liquid ocean, planetesimals crashing in a nearby star system, and the first superkilonova. And in Space Bites+, astronomers are finding more exoplanet candidates that might have atmospheres. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/35YuMlCSgQg 00:00 Intro 00:14 More Activity from 3I/ATLAS https://www.unive...

Could people on Mars see city lights on Earth? Will it still be possible for amateurs to discover asteroids after Vera Rubin? What can we expect from Mars samples? And in Q&A+, what happens if you put your hand across the event horizon of a black hole? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/U5PLC2fmNTw

Will Jared Isaacman fly to fix Hubble as NASA Administrator? Why was 2I/Borisov covered much less than Oumuamua and 3I/ATLAS? Does the Milky Way have galactic weather? And in Q&A+, my thoughts about SpaceX IPO which is absolutely not financial advice? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bx_tpfvhoOk Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.c...

3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth, a new independent way to measure the Hubble constant, are Uranus and Neptune actually rock giants? Jared Isaacman is the new NASA administrator. And in Space Bites+, astronomers search for the black hole in the Omega Centauri cluster. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_P7MmL67vzc

Which of out current space travel methods are the fastest? Is it better to spend a week in orbit or on the Moon? What would happen if we nuked the Moon? And in Q&A+, which animal would handle 0G the best? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VvtM5D0Cd7s

We know exomoons should exist but so far none are confirmed. This is one the hottest search areas for astronomy. But how can we find them and what can we expect from the future discoveries? Finding out in this interview. 🟣 Guest: Dr. Thomas Winterhalder https://www.towinterhalder.com/ Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u8o50DfFZiY

Which part of the Universe does the CMB come from? Is Mars the best planet for habitability of all ones we found so far? How important is it to find a way to live off Earth? And in Q&A+, did we extract everything we can from the CMB? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xQVT0F275i8

Sugar in asteroid samples. Searching for an atmosphere at TRAPPIST 1e. China’s Space science missions for the next 5 years, and NASA loses contact with MAVEN. On Space Bites+, is Venus more volcanically active than we thought? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CuqwEdjcCWg

Can the whole Universe be a giant organic organism? How to fight back conspiracy theories? Which astronomical even do I anticipate the most? And in Q&A+, who would I interview from the entire history, given such a possibility? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JZnNPEJw8KY

Can humans be the great filter for themselves? Is there a question that's impossible to answer? How do we point a solar gravitational lens telescope in the right direction? And in Q&A+, what's my most unpopular space take? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bg2Tx13Dx2w

Has dark matter been found? A galaxy made of the first stars, China’s reusable rocket reaches orbit but doesn’t stick the landing, a possible explanation for the matter/antimatter asymmetry, and in Q&A+, Gaia helps pin down a supernova that hit the Earth 10 million years ago. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8jlLE-TzOp4

Is the galaxy a graveyard with no alternative? Is it worth saving for a telescope instead of buying a binoculars now? What would cause more damage, an icy comet or a rocky asteroid? And in Q&A+, should the Triangulum galaxy get a better PR team? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2bX4fPfvhCA

Are there viable alternative theories to The Big Bang? Do we know where the Giant Impact happen? And does a smart telescope ruin sky gazing? And in Q&A+, should you be excited about Project Hail Mary? Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SNRDtQWRBL0