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Universe Today Podcast

Universe Today Podcast

Fraser Cain

Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.

  • 21 minutes 25 seconds
    [Q&A+] What Does The Milky Way Orbit?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:23

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BWKrIT28Uk0

    We orbit the Sun, Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way, but what does the Milky Way orbit? Can we still catch up with Oumuamua? Is the Big Crunch a ruled-out theory? And in Q&A+, have we seen a phenomenon we can't yet explain?

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:26 [@jonathanchamberlain6260] What does the Milky Way orbit?

    • 04:21 [@paulwilson1529] Could we still catch up with Oumuamua?

    • 08:28 [@bakkos_bakkos] Is The Big Crunch a ruled out theory?

    • 13:35 [@kamleshpatel6817] Why can't gravitational waves travel faster than light?

    • 15:23 [@paigepotter4682] Is there an astronomical phenomenon where you think we’ve probably seen the evidence already, but haven’t realized what we’re looking at yet?

    • 18:51 Final thoughts

    1 October 2026, 8:25 pm
  • 59 minutes 2 seconds
    [Interview+] How Good Was Our Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Really?

    BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:25

    Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/izP3FsO9u8o

    PBS Spacetime video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OM0zTfdsPo
    Professor David Kipping's channel:  @CoolWorldsLab 

    We've done a lot of searching for extraterrestrial life over the years. But how good was it? Did we look hard enough or deep enough? Is it too early for conclusions? Could do a better job? If so, how? Figuring out in this interview.

    🟣 Guest: Dr. Ben Zuckerman

    📜 Broadband Searches for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence: a New Strategy To Find Nearby Alien Civilizations https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07333

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 01:36 SETI

    • 05:07 How deep did we look

    • 24:12 What could we have done differently

    • 36:57 Most satisfying answer to the Fermi Paradox

    • 43:25 BONUS PART: pollution of white dwarfs

    • 53:01 Current obsessions

    • 57:14 Final thoughts

    30 September 2026, 10:11 pm
  • 22 minutes 19 seconds
    [Q&A+] We Were Promised A Firehose of Results From Vera Rubin. Where Are They?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:56

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cdHAMQf1Fnk

    When will we see the surfaces of exoplanets? What non-western telescopes should we expect? Where are all the big promised results from Vera Rubin? And in Q&A+, how to get in space journalism and is it worth it now?

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:33 [@theindianking3000] Will Roman see exoplanets better than JWST?

    • 03:13 [@fwd79] Which non-western space telescopes are coming?

    • 05:55 [@paulwilson1529] How packed is the asteroid belt?

    • 07:35 [@GadZookz] Are there any calories on the Moon or Mars?

    • 10:26 [@rilanfelnar2698] Results from Vera Rubin. When?

    • 13:56 [@absolute-doink] Any advice for someone interested in space journalism?

    • 20:31 Final thoughts

    29 September 2026, 9:20 pm
  • 21 minutes 1 second
    [Space Bites+] Turns Out, Superflares Are Quite Possible for Our Sun

    BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:59

    Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pkZ5tjeeiS0

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:33 Superflares are on the table https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-is-physically-capable-of-producing-a-superflare-according-to-a-new-study

    • 04:10 Direct image of the youngest exoplanet ever https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-directly-image-the-youngest-exoplanet-ever

    • 05:56 Weather report for exoplanets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/researchers-develop-a-way-to-check-the-weather-on-a-exoplanet

    • 07:34 Zombie white dwarf https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-zombie-white-dwarf-star-is-born-again-hallelujah

    • 08:55 More on LRDs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/little-red-dots-are-the-seeds-of-quasars-and-supermassive-black-holes

    • 11:10 Vote results

    • 11:35 Smashed icy moons https://www.universetoday.com/articles/smashed-icy-moons-cool-too-rapidly-to-retain-oceans

    • 13:57 Early galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-rare-distant-clump-of-early-galaxies-reveals-ancient-cosmic-secrets

    • 15:59 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/earths-center-of-mass-drifts-less-than-we-thought

    • 18:47 Final thoughts

    25 September 2026, 8:36 pm
  • 20 minutes 44 seconds
    [Q&A+] What Happened At the Very Beginning?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:04

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XukdOeLfIgQ

    What does matter and antimatter annihilate into? How do we know what happened before the CMB? Is outer space dirty? And in Q&A+, initial thoughts about Seestar S50 pro.

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:48 [@SirIke49] What do matter and antimatter annihilate into?

    • 05:00 [@nitstyles13] How do we know what happened before the CMB?

    • 12:36 [@Wackyg6] Question from a 6 yr old. Is outer space dirty?

    • 15:04 [@HavoJavo] Thoughts on the Seestar s50 pro

    • 17:42 Final thoughts

    24 September 2026, 7:46 pm
  • 47 minutes 59 seconds
    [Interview+] A Far Side of The Moon Radio Telescope May Happen Sooner Than You Think

    BONUS PART STARTS AT 31:55

    Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OVcy19IcuIg

    🟣 Guest: Dr. Dave Deboer

    📜 The Lunar Farside Transients and Technology Telescope (LFT3) Mission https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.25762

    https://lft3.space/

    A radio telescope on the far side of the Moon should become a reality very soon. How will it operate? What science will it do? Who and how will deliver it? Finding out in this interview.

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 01:59 Why the far side of the Moon?

    • 08:01 Possible science

    • 20:47 The potential survey

    • 23:20 Getting to the Moon

    • 31:55 Epoch of reionization

    • 43:27 Current obsessions

    • 46:03 Final thoughts

    23 September 2026, 5:46 pm
  • 23 minutes 4 seconds
    [Q&A+] How Feasible Is A Starship-Based Space Station?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:28

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6utGiIvm2LE

    Is combining multiple space telescopes the way to go? Can we detect ice-shell exoplanets? How feasible would a Starship space base be? And in Q&A+, why didn't CMB go past us?

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:39 [@estraume] Space telescopes flying in formation

    • 08:53 [@goatlord51] Do we have anything that can detect ice shell exo-planets?

    • 14:26 [@kipnielsen8752] How feasible would a starship space station be?

    • 17:28 [@zephyr9673] Why didn't CMB go past us?

    • 19:59 Final thoughts

    23 September 2026, 6:19 am
  • 19 minutes 56 seconds
    [Space Bites+] Moon Cities Are Not Happening. Here's Why

    BONUS PART START AT 15:19

    Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hCgllDUvjMk

    Interview with Martin Elvis about the Moon: https://youtu.be/CvFMw-kXIzs
    Astronomy Cast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdAB_hwPeA

    Maybe we won’t be living on cities on the Moon. A fresh new crater on the Moon, and it’s a biggie. Roman perfect launch adds years to its mission. Did the Sun eat a planet? And in Space Bites+, Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought.

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:42 Problems for Moon Cities https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-a-city-on-the-moon

    • 03:32 New Crater https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-moon-orbiter-spots-new-once-in-century-moon-crater/

    • 04:44 Roman Mission Already Extended https://www.universetoday.com/articles/from-10-to-22-years-the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescopes-mission-has-just-been-extended
      https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/09/15/nasa-activates-romans-primary-instrument-checks-out-coronagraph/

    • 08:34 Black Hole Hair https://www.universetoday.com/articles/if-black-holes-have-hair-we-will-see-it-in-the-ringdown-of-their-mergers

    • 10:23 Vote results 10:45 The Sun May Have Swallowed a Planet https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-may-have-swallowed-a-planet

    • 13:17 Beauty by Webb https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-searches-for-brown-dwarfs-in-a-stunning-star-forming-region

    • 15:19 BONUS STORY

    • 17:40 Final thoughts

    18 September 2026, 8:33 pm
  • 15 minutes 57 seconds
    [Q&A+] Why Didn't NASA Just Build Another Kepler When It Failed?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 09:07

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/koZUXaCXpYA

    When Kepler failed, why didn't we just build another one? Do we know about all the potentially dangerous asteroids? Could one just come out of nowhere? And in Q&A+, which planets are more difficult to visit (the answer will surprise you)?

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:22 [@paulcockerill4260] Why didn't NASA build another Kepler?

    • 05:16 [@SeanMann-o6v] Are the near earth asteroids all known?

    • 09:07 [@davew1959] Which planets are easier to visit?

    • 13:49 Final thoughts

    17 September 2026, 9:15 pm
  • 49 minutes 9 seconds
    [Interview+] This Crazy Robot Could Explore the CAVES of Titan | NIAC 2026

    BONUS PART STARTS AT 32:27

    Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6h5It3GnTGI

    Titan Dragonfly is one of the most exciting missions in development. But it'll have its limits. For example, it won't go into caves on Titan. Which are super interesting. But this NIAC project will study a robot that should be able to go there.

    🟣 Guest: Dr. Daniel Drew https://danieldrew.me/

    📜 Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK) https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/solid-state-propulsion-for-autonomous-reconnaissance-of-karst-spark/

    👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 01:31 What is karst

    • 05:59 The NIAC project

    • 23:28 Alternative use cases

    • 27:48 Earth-based version

    • 32:27 Using robots in Hawaii

    • 39:15 Current obsessions

    • 46:36 Final thoughts

    16 September 2026, 10:20 pm
  • 19 minutes 49 seconds
    [Q&A+] Can You Put An Consumer-Grade Telescope In Space?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:01

    Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UjOkLC6N9cY

    Can someone launch a regular small telescope into space? Are Moon caves stable enough for a permanent base? What happened to the Swift rescue mission? And in Q&A+, was the asteroid belt a planet at some point?

    • 00:00 Intro

    • 00:41 [@Noonyuh] Could affordable consumer smart telescopes be easily retrofitted to survive in space?

    • 05:06 [@user-kx2fc2mw5v] Are Moon caves stable enough to build in them?

    • 08:47 [@surrender_monkey] What happened to the Swift rescue mission?

    • 15:01 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Is the asteroid belt a destroyed planet or is it forming into a planet or neither?

    • 18:15 Final thoughts

    15 September 2026, 7:50 pm
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