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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 makes this phenomenon so miraculous why its explanation is so elusive.
Additional topics include: the antimatter paradox, Boeing's Starliner (yes, again), and the first sample from the far side of the moon.
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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: How to see 2024's best meteor shower, what your confidence says about your knowledge level, and a rampaging bulldozer.
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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 what your forehead says about your empathy.
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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, and discuss why they may - or may not be - very realistic.
Additional Topics Include: The new SpaceX EVA suit, the new age of humanoid robots, and a brand new vacation spot - complete with space debris.
And yes, we know that the Boeing Starliner ended up not launching. Again.
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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 ring. This episode, AJ and Jud jump into the project's wild history, the science behind it, and its incredibly complicated aftermath. Along the way, you'll learn how radio waves work, how they're used, and the unique role that the ionosphere plays for Earth.
Additional Topics Include: Boeing Starliner, China's new sample-return mission, Voyager 1, and more things Star Wars got wrong.
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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 exactly what these new laws mean - for better or for worse.
Additional Topics Include: the Cybertruck Recall, an 11-billion dollar NASA mission, and some interesting deaths.
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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 event - and how we can avoid it.
Additional topics include: A time zone for the moon, the new world's-largest camera, and the worst pick for a "state planet".
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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, Gladiator, and Napoleon) to see how the an off-world adventure was created right here on Earth.
Additional Topics Include: rock theater, a sneak peak at a Gladiator sequel 20 years in the making, and Brad Pitt's limousine driver.
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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 created.
Additional Topics Include: a breakthrough in quantum gravity, a ban for TikTok, and one of Germany's most interesting laws.
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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) isn't yellow, What you didn't know about Pompeii, and what Star Wars got right about having two suns.
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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
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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 our future?
Additional topics include: The origin of cordless power tools, the best place to spread your ashes, and how to ransom a GoPro.
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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 Topics Include: A new Star Wars movie, the fastest man-made object, and what makes a planet a "dwarf" planet.
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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 experiments.
Additional Topics Include: A new super-sonic passenger aircraft, "knocker-uppers", Febreze, and if a bird can fly in zero-Gs.
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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 Topics Include: Living with 3 hours of sunlight, why some flights can't take polar routes, and who - or what - is STEVE?
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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 include: astronaut diapers, "the bends", and a world-record underwater surgery.
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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 coughing fit, why doing your homework could make you famous, and free parental advice.
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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 core, why you don't have telekinesis, and a timeless debate: fruit- or chocolate-flavored candy?
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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 pareto distribution, a brand new space laser communication system, and what swearing says about you.
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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 most elegant equations.
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