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  • Hello Everyone! Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion.

    This week, we’re talking about Jaws, Claws, Life and Death, and what they can teach us about staying alive in space! In a little bit, we’re going to be talking with Jennifer Szymanski from Nat Geo Kids about their new book, Deadliest Animals on the Planet.

    But first, the boring bit of the show with me in it...



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • We get the inside scoop on planets from famed 1940s space reporter James G. Maynard, talking with the planets themselves, together with Sabine Stanley of Johns Hopkins University.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
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  • Hello everyone!

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore exploration, exploring the human need to
 explore. Later in the show, we’ll be talking with Jon Waterman, creator of Atlas of Wild America from National Geographic.

    From the dawn of time, humans have been driven by a primal urge: the need to explore. This innate curiosity has shaped our history, propelling us from the confines of caves to the vast expanse of our planet, and beyond.

    Let’s take a detour down memory lane. Somewhere between 75,000 and 50,000 years ago, a group of mobile Homo sapiens decided to take humankind’s first road trip out of Africa. Even without roads. Talk about wanderlust! This migration wasn’t just a change of scenery — it resulted in a monumental shift for our species, shaping human evolution.

    Jon Waterman appears on The Cosmic Companion 4 November 2023. Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution 2023 The Cosmic Companion.

    And who could forget the Ancient Greeks and Phoenicians? They were among the original sea-faring explorers, navigating the Mediterranean long before GPS and Google Maps.

    Wait. [HOLD EARBUD] I’m getting a notification that we have a surprise guest on the show this week. Yes, (is this real? are you sure, Max? Wow. Ok.) Everyone, in a special chronophone interview from 330 BCE, please welcome famed navigator, astronomer, and all-around curious fellow, Pytheas.

     — 

    Ï‡Î±ÎŻÏÎ”Ï„Î”! Name’s Pytheas. I’m just your average merchant from Massilia
 what? Oh, it’s somewhere in what you would call the Provence region of southern France.

    Anyway, I’ve always had this thing for stories. The wilder, the better. [FULL OPEN] More than 23 centuries before your time, I heard tales of mythical lands, strange creatures, and seas that stretch beyond the horizon. Most folks just dismissed them as sailor’s yarns. No, no. That’s a thing. You’d be surprised how many sailors enjoy macrame


    But me? Hearing these stories, I thought, “Why not go check out these legends for myself?” So, I packed my bags and set sail.

    Now, let me tell you, sailing the Mediterranean is a piece of honey cake. But the Atlantic? That’s a whole different kettle of fish. Literally. The fish are different. Heh heh. Fish


    Anyway, there I was, circumnavigating the land you call Britain, or as it went by in its youth, Britannia. I always had a knack for astronomy, and I even figured out the North Star isn’t exactly north. Also, I realized that the Moon plays a role in tides. Good to know when you’re spending months or years at sea.

    But I wasn’t on the boat all the time. I also got to walk around parts of Britannia, including the legendary tin mines of Cornwall. The people there call themselves the Briton Celtics. I didn’t even know they played basketball.

    But, up north, the real highlight was the midnight sun. Imagine this: it’s the middle of the night, but the sun is still shining brightly. Great for getting more science done, if not for sleeping outdoors.

    So there you have it. I’m just a regular guy on an extraordinary journey. Not only did I prove legends of northern Europe true, but I also wound up with a good story or two to tell.

    Any idea where I can hitch a ride on a rocket?

     — 

    Maritime voyages of Ancient Greeks and Phoenicians not only expanded their trade routes but also led to advancements in astronomy, geography, and navigation. Talk about making waves!

    Then there was Marco Polo, the original globetrotter. [ARE WE TALKING BASKETBALL AGAIN?] His travels to Asia were like the ultimate vacation slideshow, except instead of awkward family photos, he brought back tales of exotic lands and cultures that blew everyone’s medieval minds.

    [MARCO POLO: Dude. I LITERALLY hung out with Kublai Kahn in Xanadu. No way you’re going to top that!]

    And let’s not forget about those brave souls who dared to explore the icy wilderness of Antarctica and the towering heights of Mt. Everest. These explorers faced harsh conditions and extreme dangers, but their spirit of adventure and discovery pushed them forward.

    Their journeys expanded our understanding of these remote places, while testing the limits of human endurance.

    Fortunately for us all, not all exploration is that strenuous, or hazardous.

    Next up on The Cosmic Companion, we welcome Jon Waterman from National Geographic to the show. We’ll be discussing the human drive to explore, and his new Atlas of Wild America.

    Fast forward to the 20th century, and our thirst for exploration led us to the final frontier: space. The Apollo missions were like an interplanetary camping trip — with fewer s’mores and more moon dust. When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969, it was a giant leap not just for mankind, but for our collective spirit of discovery.

    As we look to the future in the 21st Century, the spirit of exploration continues to thrive. With advancements in technology, we’re not just exploring physical spaces but also virtual ones. The rise of virtual and augmented reality technologies, together with artificial intelligence, has opened up new frontiers for exploration, allowing us to experience places and ideas in ways previously unimaginable.

    As we stand on the precipice of a new era in space exploration — with missions to Mars and beyond on the horizon — we are reminded that exploration is not just about reaching new frontiers but also about pushing our limits and striving for a better understanding of our place in the universe.

    As we explore the depths of our oceans, the vastness of space, and virtual worlds — we carry with us this indomitable spirit of curiosity. Our future may lie in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, who said, “Not all those who wander are lost.”

    So go ahead, pack your bags (don’t forget your towel!) [TOWEL], and let’s set off on our next adventure, becoming a better, wiser, species than we were before we took our first steps away from the familiar. Because at its core, that’s what exploration is all about.

    The Cosmic Companion is starting the first half of our winter break, taking three weeks off. After all the dumb jokes and crazy costumes this year, we need it!

    We will come back on 2 December, getting The Inside Story on Planets, talking with physicist Sabine Stanley from Johns Hopkins University. We’ll be discussing her new book, What’s Hidden Inside Planets? Make sure to join us then.

    If you enjoyed this episode of The Cosmic Companion, please download, follow, share, send large sums of money to us, like, and comment on our show.

    Have a great Thanksgiving and we will see you all on 2 December. Bring a plus one.

    Clear skies!

    James

    The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    COLD OPEN:

    Oh, great. 21st-Century Earth. Smells like
 [sniff-sniff] humans.

    [“Wow, a real-life space chimp!”]

    Yes, yes, marvel at the space chimp. I’m not here for your amusement, you know!

    [‘I gotta get a selfie with you!’]

    What is this with you humans and your social media?

    [CARS WHIZZ BY]

    This must be what they call a “rat race.” I know rats, and they would never create this sort of society. It’s like humans are in a never-ending hurry to
 well, I’m not quite sure why they’re in a hurry.

    [Are you here to take over?]

    Take over? Why would I want to take over this mess? This world would be a much better place if everyone just watched The Cosmic Companion, you know!

    [What are your future plans?]

    If I ever get back to my own time, I’m going to become a sci-fi filmmaker. I’ll create a film called Planet of the Humans


    Action!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! (I mean, BOO!)

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, for our Halloween Special, we’ll be looking at The Top 10 Ways Space is Trying to Kill You! Later in the show, we’ll be talking with astrophysicist and science educator Ethan Siegel, host of Starts with a Bang!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Hello Everyone!

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we are Seeing the Invisible. We’ll be discussing how astronomers study objects in space which are invisible to the human eye.

    Later on, we will be talking with Anand Varma, creator of a new book, Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Hidden World, from National Geographic.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Global warming and climate change is happening all around us. We look at the science of climate change, talking with Elizabeth Rusch, author of The 21.

    ---

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Global Warming - It's Not Just Hot Air! We will be talking with Elizabeth Rusch, author of The 21.

    Climate change, the ultimate uninvited guest, has been making itself quite comfortable lately. It's like that distant cousin who shows up unannounced, cranks up the heat, and then leaves the door open.

    The science behind global warming is as fascinating as it is concerning.

    Since the Industrial Revolution, we've been burning fossil fuels like a barbecue at a Texas tailgate party, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere...



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Hello everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we are pondering why Greece is the Word, discussing the birth of science in the ancient world, and what it means for us today.

    Later on, we'll be talking with Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes, hosts of the Greeking Out podcast, and authors of a new book of the same name, from Nat Geo Kids.

    Once upon a time, in the sunny lands of Ancient Greece more than 25 centuries ago, a bunch of curious folks decided to ask some big questions. "Why does the sun rise?" "What are stars?" "Why do planets move?". They were tired of attributing everything to the whims of gods. Much like overgrown toddlers, they wanted ANSWERS, and they wanted them NOW! (errr
 then)...

    Jillian Hughes and Kenny Curtis appear on The Cosmic Companion 7 October 2023. Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution 2023 The Cosmic Companion

    The Greeks had a knack for asking questions that were way ahead of their time. More than 2,500 years before our age, a woman named Aspasia was known for holding gatherings of some of the greatest minds of her day, including Plato and Socrates. A gifted conversationalist, tales tell that she founded a school for girls, a groundbreaking advance for the era.

    Democritus of Abdera had the crazy idea that all matter was composed of individual bits, which we call atoms. Building on the work of his mentor, one day around 425 BCE, he may have just been walking around, minding his own business when he thought, "What if everything is made up of tiny, invisible particles?" Boom! The concept of atoms was born.

    Then there was Pythagoras who had a thing for triangles. He may have been sitting around one day, doodling triangles in the sand when he realized that the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Mind blown! And thus, the Pythagorean theorem came into existence.

    During the 4th Century BCE, Hippocrates took one look at medicine and said, "This needs some work."

    [Not my words exactly, but
 Yeah, sure.]

    He insisted that diseases were not punishments from angry gods but had natural causes that could be studied and treated. This revolutionary idea paved the way for modern medicine.

    Not long after, Agnodice of Athens practiced medicine dressed as a man, at a time when women were not allowed to be doctors. Thanks to her, laws in Athens preventing women from becoming doctors were overturned.

    [AGN: You're welcome!]

    But it wasn't all work and no play for these ancient scientists. Legend has it that Archimedes discovered his principle while taking a bath. He noticed that the water level rose as he got into his tub and realized this could be used to determine volume. He was so excited that he ran through the streets naked shouting "Eureka!" (which means "I found it!"). Now that's what I call a eureka moment!

    The birth of science in ancient Greece is a story of curiosity, ingenuity and occasional naked sprinting through the streets. The ancient Greeks might not have had all the answers, but they sure knew how to ask interesting questions!

    With questions come answers, and for a few of each, we're talking with Jillian Hughes and Kenny Curtis about their new podcast and book, Greeking Out, from Nat Geo Kids.

    ---

    Now. Let's talk about our friend Pythagoras. Remember him? The triangle guy? Well, his theorem is still used today in everything from architecture to video games. Yes, you heard it right! Every time you play a game of Fortnite or Minecraft, Pythagoras is there, making sure everything looks just right.

    Next up is Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. His idea that diseases have natural causes was a game-changer. Today, doctors across the globe follow his principles. So, the next time medicine helps you out, remember to say a silent thank you to Hippocrates (but maybe skip on the leeches and bloodletting).

    And who could forget Archimedes? His principle helps us design ships and submarines. And yes, he's also the reason why your bathwater rises when you get in. So, the next time you're enjoying a relaxing bath, spare a thought for Archimedes (and maybe keep your "Eureka!" moment to yourself).

    Last but not least, Democritus' atomic theory is at the heart of modern physics and chemistry. It's why we can build everything from skyscrapers to smartphones. So every time you send a text or take a selfie, remember that it's thanks, in part, to a Greek guy who lived over 2000 years ago.

    So there you have it! The Ancient Greeks might be long gone, but their discoveries are still very much alive and kicking. It just goes to show that great science never goes out of style!

    Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Global Warming: It's Not Just Hot Air!. We'll look at the science of climate change, and how our world could change in the coming decades. We'll be talking with Elizabeth Rusch, author of The Twenty-One, telling the story of a group of young people using the legal system to help reverse climate change.

    Make sure to join us, starting on 14 October, anywhere you see or hear The Cosmic Companion. While you are there, go ahead and do all that sharing and subscribing stuff. It'd be pretty cool if you did. Yup. Pretty cool indeed


    Clear skies!

    ---

    [COLD OPEN]

    So this is the future. Interesting.

    Well, good evening, everyone! I must say, when I was told I'd be time-traveling, I expected to see the future of Greece, not to land in 'Grease.' However, I am not entirely to blame, by Jove!

    Here are "The Top 10 Reasons I Thought Grease was Greece:"

    #10 When my agent said he booked me on a tour of Grease, I thought he said Greece. A natural mistake.

    #9 I thought I saw young people in togas and a group of Spartan warriors. It turns out they were wearing "poodle skirts" and "leather jackets."

    #8 All the spontaneous singing and dancing made me think I was near a Greek theatre.

    #7 I saw chariots without horses. I'm a scientist. Studying those was just natural.

    #6 One of the horseless chariots had lightning bolts on it. I naturally believed it to be a chariot of Zeus.

    [ZEUS APPEARS

    No. Not me. I wouldn't drive anything that ostentatious.

    FADE]

    #5 The sight of people eating in a diner reminded me of symposiums, though I have been told that wine has been replaced with milkshakes. Those are pretty good, honestly. Have you ever tried a flavor called "chocolate?"

    #4 Hearing about a beauty school dropout, and seeing a woman surrounded by other women in pink, I naturally believed them to be Aphrodite and her priestesses. She still owes me 10 drachma.

    #3 Watching a dance-off at the local gymnasium made me think of athletic competitions in Ancient Greece. Plato would have loved it.

    #2 Coming across what I thought was an open-air play, it turned out to be something called a "drive-in movie." I think those are going to be pretty popular in a few decades.

    #1 And, the NUMBER ONE REASON I Thought Grease was Greece is
 [DRUM ROLL] Seeing this teenage drama unfold, I mistook it for a Greek tragedy.

    OK. I'm ready to go back. Send James Maynard in, already


    [FADE. OFF SCREEN:

    -unintelligible-

    What do you MEAN the chariot flies? That's ridiculous.

    ]Clear skies! James

    The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Designing Dinosaurs. How do we know details about dinosaurs that are not readily apparent from the fossil record? How can we tell what we can tell about the colors, sounds, and behaviors of these magnificent little beasties?

    Later in the show, we are going to talk with Stephanie Warren Drimmer from National Geographic about her new book, Jurassic Smarts.

    Fossils, including those of dinosaurs, have been known about since ancient times. These findings led to legends of dragons, cyclopseseseses, and at least one odd guess at giant humans...



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week on The Cosmic Companion, we’re discussing Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Human Race. Later on, we are talking with one of your species more impressive information processing and dissemination units, Neil deGrasse Tyson.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week on The Cosmic Companion, we’re talking about how It’s a Weird World, After All! Later in the show, we’re going to talk with Kathryn Williams about Weird but True! World 2024, new from National Geographic Kids!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week on The Cosmic Companion, we take on a weighty subject — gravity. Later in the show, we are going to talk with Joe Swiggum from the NanoGrav Collaboration.

    Gravity is one of those things that we all know about, but when you really stop to think about it, it’s pretty mind-boggling. I mean, there’s this invisible force that keeps us all stuck to the ground and makes things fall when we drop them. How wild is that?



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • This week on The Cosmic Companion, we talk about the mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Later in the show, we will be joined by RenĂ© Laureijs, Euclid Project Scientist, from The European Space Agency.

    If one were to look at all the matter and energy in the Universe, about 68% is dark energy, 27% is dark matter, and just five percent is everything we see around us. 95% of everything out there — is totally unknown.

    [That’s chicken feed. What IS most of the Universe?] Good question!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • We are back from summer break with an amazing guest, Richard Dinan, founder of Pulsar Fusion (Yeah. The guy from Made in Chelsea!).Kicking off the second half of our seventh season, we offer you a look at how the human race might take our first steps to becoming an interplanetary species.

    Later in the show, we will be talking with Richard Dinan, founder and CEO of Pulsar Fusion, about spacecraft powered by nuclear fusion. Neat-O, Wally!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • We explore the greatest mysteries of the Universe, from the Big Bang, to black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and more, talking with famed cosmologist and author Lawrence Krauss...



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Planting the Seeds of STEAM w/ Ariane Szu-Tu, Nat Geo Kids

    Exploring STEAM education and learning, with Ariane Szu-Tu, senior editor, National Geographic Kids Books.

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we're going to take a wild ride through the exciting and innovative universe of STEAM education.

    Later in the show, we talk with Ariane Szu-Tu, senior editor at National Geographic Kids Books, about their new release, Almanac 2024!



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Hello everyone!

    Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. I’m James Maynard!

    This week, we look at the one thing every space traveler will have in common — they will all be Living with a Body in Space. Later in the show, we will be joined by Christina Sauer, Associate Editor for National Geographic Kids, talking about their new release, Why? The Human Body.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • How do we create computer models of the Universe, and how will artificial intelligence revolutionize astronomy? Talking with Andrew Pontzen, author of The Universe in a Box

    ---

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore the fascinating world of computer models of the universe! From humble beginnings to mind-boggling simulations, this is the history of how we unravel mysteries of the Cosmos using the power of computers.

    Astronomers and cosmologists seek to understand what happened billions of years ago, and what may happen billions of years in the future. They explore the mysteries of dark matter, black holes, galaxies, and more.

    Among their tools are computer models and simulations. Using mathematical equations and data to represent physical phenomena, researchers develop and test their theories about the Cosmos...



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • Hello everyone!

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, we will explore The Water Worlds of the Solar System, talking with Olivier Witasse from the European Space Agency, Project Scientist for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, now on its way to the Jovian system.

    Join me, your trusty celestial tour guide, as we don our intellectual swim trunks and dive into the water worlds of our solar system.

    Water, essential for all life on Earth, was once thought to be rare in the solar system.

    Large quantities of water ice are now believed to sit inside deep craters at the poles of the Moon, where sunlight never strikes. Ice deposits at the South Pole of the Moon alone could hold more than 150 times as much water as the Mediterranean Sea.

    These vast deposits of water mean these regions are where the first human settlements on the Moon will soon rise.

    But native life seems unlikely inside huge blocks of solid ice billions of years old.

    [> What is wrong with this guy, seriously? I’ve raised over 674,000 children in this thimble, and they turned out just fine!]

    Next up is the King of the Planets. Of the 80–95 known moons of Jupiter, three are now believed to house vast oceans of liquid water.

    Callisto is the most heavily cratered object in our solar system. Once thought to be a dead body, evidence for subsurface oceans was spotted by the Galileo spacecraft in the 1990s. This same craft also found a thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide, similar to the one in Isaac Asimov’s story “The Callistan Menace.” Unlike that story however, giant caterpillars were nowhere to be seen.

    [___ Dude! I’m right here! Hello! Giant caterpillar!]] {SCRATCH HEAD}

    Ganymede is larger than the planet Mercury, and it is the only moon known to have its own magnetic field. This behemoth world could also be home to the largest ocean in our family of planets.

    Bodies of water on Ganymede may stretch 10 times deeper than Earth, buried under 150 kilometers of ice. That’s five times deeper than the average crust of Earth here on Terra Firma. These massive oceans might also be sandwiched between layers of mineral-rich rock, greatly increasing the amount of chemistry happening at the boundaries between water and rock, where life on Earth first took hold.

    [[VENDOR: Get your Europa sandwich right heah! We got rocks, we got watah! We got little green stuff squirmin’ around dere. And slime! Extra slime! Also, pickles!

    CUSTOMER: Ewww
 Gross! Disgusting! No thanks! Who eats a sandwich with pickles?]]

    Europa, with an iron core, rocky mantle, and an ocean of salty water
 Sound familiar??? [->] 
may be the best place in the solar system to search for extraterrestrial life. Oceans here could hold twice as much water as is found on Earth.

    The surface of this world is covered in water ice, bent and pulled by tidal forces due to gravity from Jupiter. This action breaks the icy surface, and it cracks apart from stress, like every couple by the end of a Paul Simon song.

    Heat from this process might also help warm the oceans of Europa, increasing hope of extraterrestrial life forming on this distant world.

    On 14 April, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft, lovingly known as Juice, lifted off on its way to explore these intriguing moons of Jupiter.

    Next up, we talk with Olivier Witasse from the European Space Agency, Project Scientist for Juice.

     — 

    Next up, we head on out to the Ringed Planet.

    After staring at Saturn’s rings, mouth agape for 22 minutes like James Kirk first seeing the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, we turn our sights to two intriguing worlds — Titan and Enceladus.

    Titan is best-known for having massive oceans of methane and ethane. However, beneath its crust might also lie oceans of liquid water. With hydrocarbons, organic materials, mineral-rich rocks, and water, Titan could be the home of some intriguing chemistry, and perhaps even bizzare forms of life.

    Enceladus may be small, but it is the Old Faithful of the solar system, spewing forth geysers of water thousands of kilometers into space. These plumes, recently imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope, are infused with the chemical building blocks of life.

    Whipping around Saturn once every 33 hours, these eruptions from Enceladus form a giant donut of water encircling the planet. Mmm
 Giant Water doughnut


    Oh! You like geysers, you say! Well, I happen to know where to find some more. What? No, not Yellowstone. well, kinda. But
 You know what? Just follow me.

    OK — Here we are at the most distant full-fledged planet in the solar system (we think!), Neptune. See its largest moon? Yeah, that troublemaker orbiting in the opposite direction from all the other satellites here. That’s Triton.

    Now, it’s wet and cold on Triton, -235 Celsius on average, pretty much the exact opposite of Arizona.

    [At least it’s a wet cold!]

    MMmm


    The surface of Triton is covered in active geysers pushing nitrogen gas into space. This world is home to smooth volcanic plains and pits formed by flows of icy lava — a process known as cryovolcanism. Volcanoes of mineral-rich water on Triton turn the landscape into a cross between Ancient Pompeii and Frozen.

    Finally, we zoom out to the Kuiper Belt, paying a visit to the dwarf planet with a heart, Pluto!

    Beneath its rocky crust, Pluto is now thought to house a global ocean, which may be 100 kilometers — or more than 11 Mount Everests — deep. Despite the frigid temperatures this far from the Sun, stress from tidal forces between Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, could keep these oceans warm enough to remain liquid, and perhaps even provide enough energy to spark life.

    Each of these water worlds provides intriguing landscapes, along with geology, chemistry, and physics which could offer us the greatest finding of all time — the discovery of life on other worlds.

    Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we take a look at efforts at Coding the Universe. How do we recreate the Universe in computer simulations, and how will artificial intelligence revolutionize our understanding of the Cosmos? We will be joined by cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, author of The Universe in a Box. Make sure to join us, starting on 10 June.

    Head on over to TheCosmicCompanion.com to sign up for our newsletter, and never miss an episode.

    If you love your science shows informative, entertaining, and at least occasionally funny, where can I find a show like that? It sounds great! Oh, oh
 The Cosmic Companion, right. Share and follow us, and let your friends know about the show. Thanks!

    Clear skies!

    [[It’s
 cold


    Awww
 Jump on in. The water’s fine once you get used to it.]]

    James

    The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe
  • What would happen if the asteroid that ended the Age of Dinosaurs struck today? We are talking with Steve Brusatte, paleontologist with National Geographic and Jurassic World Dominion!



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  • Hello everyone!

    This week on The Cosmic Companion, Artificial Intelligence Takes a Flight to Space, talking with Ashlee Vance, author of When the Heavens Went on Sale.

    The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe