Orbital Path

Building 29

All things in the cosmos have a lifespan, from the smallest particles to the most ancient suns. Everything has its season. Every season must come to an end. And this episode marks the end of Orbital Path. So, for the last transit of our podcast, Dr. Michelle Thaller and producer David Schulman join NASA astrobiologist … Continue reading Building 29

Hello, Asteroid!

Asteroids, as the dinosaurs found out, can have big effects on life on Earth.  Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid crashed into the Yucatán. The impact caused apocalyptic tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Grit and ash blotted out the sun. It wiped out species that had roamed the Earth for millions of years. Yet asteroid hits … Continue reading Hello, Asteroid!

Black Holes from the Dawn of Light

To make a black hole, you need to think big. Really big. Start with a star much bigger than the sun — the bigger the better. Then settle in, and wait millions and millions and millions of years for your star to die. That should do the trick, if you want to get yourself a … Continue reading Black Holes from the Dawn of Light

Space Lasers for the Home Planet

On September 15, 2018, the last Delta II rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force base, in California. It carried into orbit IceSat-2 — a satellite equipped with perhaps the most sophisticated space laser ever built.   NASA didn’t put it up there to shoot down rogue asteroids. Instead, it’s taking aim — with exquisite … Continue reading Space Lasers for the Home Planet

Brian Greene goes to 11 — again

We live our lives in three dimensions. But we also walk those three dimensions along a fourth dimension: time. 

Our world makes sense thanks to mathematics. Math lets us count our livestock, it lets us navigate our journeys. Mathematics has also proved an uncanny, stunningly accurate guide to what Brian Greene calls “the dark corners … Continue reading Brian Greene goes to 11 — again