Episodes
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Nearly 40 years ago, on November 20, 1984, the SETI Institute was incorporated with inaugural officers CEO Thomas Pierson and SETI scientist Jill Tarter. The goal was to provide SETI researchers with a place to grow the search for life beyond Earth. What began with one NASA-funded SETI project and two people has since grown to include over 100 researchers and various scientific areas of study, all seeking to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe. As a part of our outreach and education efforts, we grew our presence on the Internet, reaching out to a wide audience through our website, social media, and livestreams like SETI Live. We have education programs across all age ranges. We produce the weekly podcast Big Picture Science. And today, we celebrate all of these accomplishments and look forward to the next 40 years of science. Join host and senior planetary astronomer Franck Marchis as he chats with SETI Institute President and CEO Bill Diamond, senior astronomer and Big Picture Science co-host Seth Shostak, long-time Board of Directors member Andrew Fraknoi, and the Director of the Carl Sagan Center Nathalie Cabrol. (Recorded live 14 November 2024.)
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OSIRIS-REx and the Hayabusa spacecraft have sample asteroids to understand what they're made of. NASA sent the DART mission to change the orbit of a tiny asteroid orbiting another asteroid. ESA sent Hera as a follow-up mission to see what the impactor did. All of these missions have been done in the name of planetary defense -- protecting Earth from the worst of the rocks in space. While none of the asteroids so far discovered are a threat to our planet in the next century, there are still more out there that are small enough to do major damage to a city or even country. So what do we do if we find a near-Earth asteroid that's a real threat? Launch a team a la "Armageddon"? Ignore the problem? Try to flee off-planet or below ground? As DART showed, the best answer seems to be "move it out of the way". In his new book "How to Kill an Asteroid", Dr. Robin George Andrews tells the story of planetary defense and how we got to this point in saving ourselves. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson in a fun (and slightly scary) conversation with Dr. Andrews about killer asteroids this Halloween on SETI Live. (Recorded 31 October 2024.)
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Missing episodes?
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In September 2022, a small spacecraft called DART hit the surface of a tiny asteroid moonlet called Dimorphos. That spacecraft was the first test of a planetary defense system, attempting to change an asteroid's orbit in the hope of being able to do so under a real near-Earth threat. The test succeeded, shortening the moonlet's orbit by 32 minutes. Now, a follow-up mission called Hera is on its way to the system, complete with an orbiter and a lander. The European Space Agency plans to observe the impact site and measure any changes to the shape and any craters left behind. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as she chats with Hera's principal investigator, Patrick Michel, from the Université Côte d'Azur about the mission, the science, and the technology being tested. (Recorded live 24 October 2024.)
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The cosmos is full of huge questions: "What caused the Big Bang? What happens inside black holes? Are there other dimensions?" Scientists have been working to answer these questions, but sometimes, we feel like the answers are unknowable. Astrophysicist Kelsey Johnson contemplates what this paradox means for science, particularly where philosophy and even religion come into play. In her latest book, "Into the Unknown", Johnson takes us to the edge of our understanding. Join communications specialist Beth Johnson as she chats with author Kelsey Johnson about science, philosophy, and our quest for answers that may not be available. (Recorded live 21 October 2024.)
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In 1976, NASA's two Viking spacecraft touched down on Mars, becoming the first successful landers on the red planet. On board Viking 1, the craft carried several biological experiments to search for life. While most scientists consider the results of those experiments to be negative for Martian life, one experiment gave a positive result. The resulting controversy has spanned decades, with numerous scientists weighing in. Now, Dirk Schulze-Makuch from the Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ZAA) at Technische Universität Berlin questions how those experiments were performed in light of what we know of extremely dry environments here on Earth. These Mars analogs, such as the Atacama desert in Chile, show that while microbes can survive in harsh conditions, too much water becomes a problem. And those Viking experiments may have involved too much water. Join Dr. Franck Marchis as he discusses Dr. Schulze-Makuch's recent Nature Astronomy article and how we should follow the salts instead of the water. (Recorded 28 October 2024.)
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Suppose global warming raised temperatures so drastically that crops failed and caused world hunger. Would you support the idea of gene editing humans’ skin cells so that photosynthesis would become an alternative source of human nutrition? The Non Random Arts Collective, part of the SETI Institute’s Artist in Residence (AIR) program, explores fascinating scenarios connecting climate change, habitability, and gene editing. SETI AIR Director Bettina Forget chats with the collective about their GAIA workshop series, which they led at the SETI Institute this summer, where they invited scientists and artists to engage with the intricacies of climate adaptation, space exploration, and genetic research. The Non Random Arts Collective consists of Linda O’Keeffe, Ashley James Brown, Tony Doyle, and Ines Montalvao. Together, they delve into the intersections between the arts and diverse fields such as astrophysics, genetics, urban planning, ecology, climate change, technological adaptation, AI, and design futures. (Recorded live 17 October 2024.)
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Comets are small objects in our solar system made of ice and dust. As they get closer to the Sun in their orbits, the ices turn into gas and give off a glow that can be seen in telescopes. With luck, that glow brightens to the point where a comet can be seen with the unaided eye. Some, like Halley's Comet, return on a regular schedule. Others are more one and done, breaking apart as they near the Sun or getting a gravity assist to leave our solar system. And every year, astronomers hope for the "comet of the century" -- a rare but visible comet that provides a show with a glorious coma and tail. This October, the observing community hopes that not just one but TWO recently discovered comets will put on that show. This week, Beth Johnson is joined by Dr. Ariel Graykowski, the Cometary Activity Lead for the SETI Institute and Unistellar citizen science project, to chat about the search for comets and the hope that either Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS or C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will soon be visible to the unaided eye. (Recorded 3 October 2024.)
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Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. We've been finding potential exoplanets more often since the Kepler and TESS spacecraft were launched. But confirming these planets takes time, and telescope time is limited. To speed up the process, amateur astronomers are using their own telescopes. One program, called UNITE (Unistellar Network Investigating TESS Exoplanets), brings together a global group of volunteer and professional astronomers. They use Unistellar telescopes to gather data when exoplanets pass in front of their stars, blocking some of the light. Scientists from the SETI Institute and Unistellar analyze this data. Recently, they confirmed two exoplanets—a hot Jupiter and a warm sub-Saturn. Dr. Lauren Sgro, UNITE’s Exoplanets Lead, talks with communications specialist Beth Johnson about exoplanets, community science, and how science is evolving. (Recorded live 19 September 2024.)
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In the quest to find life beyond Earth, icy worlds within our solar system are full of potential. Europa, one of Jupiter's four largest (Galilean) moons, is one possible target because of the vast ocean beneath its icy shell. That ocean, heated by the push and pull of Jupiter, could contain life. The Europa Clipper mission will send a spacecraft to the distant moon, and the spacecraft's instruments will determine if the conditions truly are suitable. This week, NASA announced that Europa Clipper passed another milestone toward the October 10 launch window. Communications specialist Beth Johnson is joined by Project Staff Scientist and Science Communications Lead Cynthia Phillips to discuss the mission and how it could answer the question, "Are we alone?" (Recorded live 12 September 2024.)
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There are supermassive black holes. There are stellar mass black holes. And based on the idea that galaxies evolve as they merge, there should be black holes in between -- intermediate mass black holes. However, finding these middle-of-the-road beasts has been difficult. Now, a new paper in Nature identifies the first ever mid-size sedan in a universe of compact cars and SUVs. This black hole resides in the center of the Omega Centauri star cluster, which is thought to be the core of a galaxy that merged with the Milky Way billions of years ago. Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center Simon Steel chats with lead author Maximilian Häberle (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy) about just what this discovery means for astrophysics and galaxy evolution. (Recorded live 5 September 2024.)
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When a star at its life's end explodes, a debris cloud expands away from the now-dead star. The debris forms intricate and amazing structures in the expanding cloud and can cause the formation of a variety of molecules. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have collected information regarding Cassiopeia A (Cas A), the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way. The observations shed light on how molecules and dust form and are destroyed in the aftermath of an explosion. These results suggest that supernovae, like Cas A, are key sources of the dust observed in ancient galaxies. A recent paper highlights the findings of this work, including the temperatures measured and molecules formed. Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center Simon Steel chats with lead author Jeonghee Rho and co-authors Danny Milisavljevic and Ilse De Looze about the data collected and what it means for dust formation in the universe. (Recorded live 29 August 2024.)
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Scientists now can work out what the atmospheres of worlds outside our solar system are made of. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, we have seen water, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases. Could we, from this distance, know how those gases formed? Possibly. Looking for planets with signs of being intentionally changed - terraforming - would give us proof of an advanced civilization, and a new paper explores just how the investigation process would work. Senior astronomer Franck Marchis talks with authors Edward W. Schwieterman and Daniel Angerhausen about what these gases would be and why they would work as evidence of life. (Recorded 28 August 2024.)
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A super-Earth in a distant star system may explain what Mars, Venus, and Earth were like billions of years ago -- incredibly hot and covered in magma oceans. Those oceans may have supplied the planets with early atmospheres full of gases needed for life. While Venus's atmosphere became thick and heavy and Mars couldn't hold on to its atmosphere, Earth became a truly habitable world where life thrives. What can 55 Cancri e, over 40 light years away, teach us about our early solar system? Planetary scientist Beth Johnson asks Renyu Hu (NASA JPL) about his recent paper that uses JWST to examine the distant world's atmosphere. (Recorded 22 August 2024.)
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"The Secret Life of the Universe" by Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, the SETI Institute's chief scientist and Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, is coming out this week, both in the US (August 13, 2024) and in the UK (August 15, 2024). Scriber/Simon & Schuster publishes both editions. Cabrol articulates an overview of where we stand today in our search for life in the universe, what's coming, and how looking out for life beyond Earth teaches us about our place on our planet. Nathalie joins communications specialist Beth Johnson during this week's SETI Live to celebrate this occasion and discuss her latest work. (Recorded live 15 August 2024.)
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Join SETI Institute CEO Bill Diamond as he explores NASA's AI-driven mission planning, data analysis, and anomaly detection. Since 2015, the SETI Institute’s Frontier Development Lab (FDL) has partnered with NASA, using machine learning (ML) to classify data, predict outcomes, and uncover trends. With FDL's support, ML tools automate tasks, streamline decision-making, save resources, and maximize NASA's science data potential. Guests will be Megan Ansdell, Program Officer in the Planetary Science Division (PSD) and the Astrophysics Division (APD) at NASA Headquarters; Victoria Da Poian, Data Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Eric Lyness, Principal Systems Engineer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Janice Bishop, Senior Research Scientist, SETI Institute. (Recorded live 1 August 2024.)
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In late 2019, an unremarkable galaxy with the catalog number SDSS1335+0728 suddenly started shining brighter than ever. Curious as to why, astronomers used data from space and ground-based observatories to track changes in the galaxy’s brightness and concluded that we are witnessing the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at the galaxy's core. The results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics in June 2024 with lead author Paula Sánchez Sáez, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Germany. Join Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center, Simon Steel, in a chat with Dr. Sánchez Sáez about these results and what they mean for our understanding of galaxies and their black holes. (Recorded 1 August 2024.) Press release: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2409/
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Imagine standing on the shore of a vast lake, watching the waves crash against the beach after a storm. Now put that beach on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, where the lakes contain liquid methane and ethane. Perhaps do not imagine yourself there after all, but enjoy the thought that even with the unfamiliar and hazardous contents, lakes on Titan are shaped by the same processes as lakes on Earth - crashing waves cause coastal erosion. Such is the discovery in new work published in Science Advances and led by USGS scientist Dr. Rose Palermo. Join Beth Johnson and Dr. Palermo for an interesting conversation about the similarities between the two vastly different worlds and their lakes. (Recorded live 11 July 2014.)
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When scientists found the first exoplanets over 30 years ago, the discovery defied all expectations. In the following decades, with the advent of NASA's Kepler and TESS missions and numerous ground-based observatories, the exoplanet count has risen to nearly 6,000 confirmed worlds and some 7,200 candidates. Press releases on newly confirmed planets tend to be about exciting or strange places, and this week's SETI Live is no exception. Discovered in TESS data, Gliese 12 b is a recently confirmed exoplanet the size of Earth or Venus, orbiting a red dwarf star every thirteen days and "only" about 40 light-years away from our solar system. This close-in, rocky world could potentially be studied using the JWST for more precise information on its size and atmospheric composition (if there is an atmosphere). Two separate teams of researchers confirmed the planet, and today, senior planetary astronomer Franck Marchis is joined by the two lead authors from one of those teams - Shishir Dholakia, a doctoral student at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, and Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh. Join Franck, Shishir, and Larissa in what promises to be an interesting conversation about Gliese 12 b's discovery, confirmation, and potential for understanding planetary formation and evolution. (Recorded 27 June 2024.)
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In 2023, scientists analyzed archival data from NASA's Magellan mission, which mapped the surface of our "twin" planet, Venus. They discovered evidence of a recent volcanic eruption on the world's surface by comparing the Magellan images over time. Now, a team of Italian scientists has found evidence for two more eruptions during Magellan's observations. Published in Nature Astronomy, this new research could help us understand why Venus took a different path in planetary evolution and provides some follow-up questions for the upcoming VERITAS mission. Join senior planetary astronomer Franck Marchis as he chats with lead author Davide Sulcanese of d’Annunzio University in Pescara, Italy, about this remarkable new work and what it means for future studies of Venus. (Recorded 20 June 2024.)
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Are we alone? This question continues to tantalize and mystify scientists and the public alike, wondering if Earth contains not only the one known sample of life in the Universe but also the ONLY life in the Universe. In her new book, Alien Earths, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger (founding director of Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute) "demonstrates how we can use our homeworld as a Rosetta Stone, creatively analyzing Earth's history and its astonishing biosphere" to inform our search for life beyond Earth. Communications specialist Beth Johnson chatted with Dr. Kaltenegger about her research, her writing, and the ever-improving tools available in our quest for answers. (Recorded 13 June 2024.)
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