Even empty space isn’t empty. It’s filled with quantum fluctuations of spacetime itself. Which can be measured with Casimir Effect experiment
Our Hosts
Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
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- Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
- Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer
18 Seasons
700+ Episodes
2018 Winner Parsec Award
#750: Supernova Early Warning System
If we can accurately detect neutrinos being emitted during supernova, we might be able to get on target before the light show even starts.
#749: Dark Energy Changing Over Time
We thought Dark Energy was constant, but new results from DESI say maybe not, and if it wasn’t the Hubble Tension would be easier to solve.
#748: Fast Radio Bursts
Fast Radio Bursts the briefest of moments, some dead stars can flash brighter than their entire galaxy (in Radio light) and then live to do it again and again. It’s time for an update on fast radio bursts, a phenomenon we’ve only known about for a few decades.
Recent Episodes
#752: Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next?
There is an ongoing debate on where NASA should go next with humans: to the Moon or Mars. (Or maybe an asteroid or one of Mars’ moons). We are on the verge of sending humans back to the Moon. At the same time others would prefer we focus our exploration on Mars. It’s...
#751: Vacuum Energy
Even empty space isn’t empty. It’s filled with the quantum fluctuations of spacetime itself. Which can be measured with famous experiments like the Casimir Effect. There is a surprising amount of energy in space itself, which has led to some interesting theories about...
#750: Supernova Early Warning System
When enormous stars detonate as supernovae they release a burst of neutrinos that can be the first sign of a coming explosion. Now, astronomers have built a network to watch for that flash of neutrinos, and help direct their telescopes for when the sky show begins....
#749: Dark Energy Changing Over Time
We thought Dark Energy was constant with time, but new results from DESI say maybe not, and honestly, if it wasn't constant the Hubble Tension would be a whole lot easier to solve. Show Notes Hubble Tension Definition Historical Debate & the current state...
#748: Fast Radio Bursts
Fast Radio Bursts the briefest of moments, some dead stars can flash brighter than their entire galaxy (in Radio light) and then live to do it again and again. It’s time for an update on fast radio bursts, a phenomenon we’ve only known about for a few decades. In this...
#747: Rogue Planets
Most planets orbit stars. That’s the rule, right? Well, maybe not. In fact the vast majority of planets could be floating freely through the Milky Way. Today we’re gonna talk about rogue planets. Sometimes planets just go rogue. Let's learn about planets living free...
#746: Dust Storms
We have dust storms on Earth and of course the famous dust storms on Mars. There are even dust storms on Titan. What causes these storms and how do they work differently on the worlds in the solar system. But what about the exoplanets? The bane of solar panels,...
#745: How We Know if Asteroids Will Attack
New asteroids are found every day, and every day we learn that those asteroids don't have any murderous intentions. But how do we learn that? In this episode we dig into asteroid orbital determination. Show Notes Detection of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) Discovery...
#744: Lunar Time
What time is it? OK, fine, what time is it on the Moon? The Moon orbits the Earth, so it doesn’t fall into a specific time zone. Also, there’s lower gravity on the surface of the Moon, which changes the rate that clocks tick. Well… It’s time to introduce Lunar...
#743: What Else Can We Learn From Gravitational Waves?
Just a few years ago LIGO detected the first direct evidence of gravitational waves coming from colliding black holes. And there you have it. Boom! Black holes collide! But that wasn’t all we learned from gravitational waves, nor will we learn. Sure, the masses of...
#742: Atmospheric Gravity Waves
Gravity Waves ... not gravitational waves ... move atmospheres and make pretty clouds. Show Notes Introduction to Atmospheric Gravity Waves: Definition and differentiation from gravitational waves. Their occurrence due to a balance of buoyancy and gravity....
#741: Technosignatures
Pollution will ultimately give away a society. And this episodes will shows us the potential indicators of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. Also the various ways such civilizations might unintentionally or intentionally reveal their presence through...
#740: Sneaky Stars
If you’re an astronomer you depend on accurate observations of stars, but there’s a problem. Stars are sneaky! Changing in size, brightness, color, they hide their chemistry, their age and even their companions from all but the cleverest observers. Stars explode...
#739: Drones
From little Ingenuity to the future Firefly and all our Earth Science fliers, let's look at the buzzy scientists. NASA’s Mars Ingenuity helicopter showed us how wonderful a flying science platform can be on another world. Soon there’ll be a helicopter flying on Titan,...
#738: Looking ahead to 2025
What can we hope (or dread) to see in 2025? Last week we talked about the 2024 strangeness. Now we’re gonna talk about the upcoming space stories for 2025 that we’re looking forward to. It’s a nice mix of new rockets, new missions and new fly-bys. Show Notes 2025...
#737: Weird Science Stories in 2024
2024 was a strange year! I’ll let your imagination take flight and consider how 2024 was weird for you. But, for space and astronomy we had some interesting, revolutionary, unsettling and downright weird stories pop up. Today let’s talk about them. Show Notes Color of...
#736: Gift Guide 2024
It’s time for our Holiday Gift Guide, where we suggest ideas for presents for the space fans in your life! What books are we reading? What games are we playing and what telescopes are we admiring? Show Notes Lego Sets for Space Fans Telescopes and Astronomy Equipment...
#735: Albert Einstein
Last week we talked about the Einstein probe. So this week it is only natural that we talk about the man himself, Albert Einstein. He revolutionized the field of physics, played a vital role in the early 20th century and struggled to unite the forces of the Universe...
#734: The Einstein Probe
Another day, another space telescope! Today we’re looking at the newly launched Einstein Probe. A collaboration between the Chinese Space Agency and the European Space Agency. The mission has been operating since January searching the cosmos for short, bright flashes...
#733: Euclid of Alexandria
Let's look at the Euclid of Alexandria, the father of geometry and his contributions in celestial mechanics and orbital calculations. Show Notes Who Was Euclid of Alexandria? Importance of Euclid’s work: Euclid’s Contributions to Mathematics Influence on Astronomy...