Big Picture Science
By SETI Institute
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Podcast Description
Big Picture Science is a one-hour radio show and podcast that connects ideas in surprising and humorous ways to illuminate the origins and evolution of life and technology on this planet... and beyond.
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CleanGetting a Spacelift | I need my space… but oh, how to get there? Whether it’s a mission to Mars or an ascent to an asteroid, we explore the hows of human spaceflight. Also, the whys, as in, why send humans to the final frontier if robots are cheaper? Neil deGrasse Tyson weighs in. Plus, the astronaut who lived on the ocean floor training for a visit to an asteroid. Also, the 100YSS – the 100 Year Starship project – and interstellar travel. And, as private rockets nip at NASA’s heels, meet one of the first tourists to purchase a (pricey) ticket-to-ride into space. Guests: Neil deGrasse Tyson – Astrophysicst, American Museum of Natural History, and author of Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier Shannon Walker – NASA astronaut Nathan J. Strange – Formulation system engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory C. C. Culver – Former NASA mission controller, and motivational speaker with International Stars. How to contact: internationalstars@comcast.net Marc Millis – Physicist who has been NASA’s foremost expert on advanced propulsion concepts and founder of the Tau Zero Foundation | 2/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMaterial Whirl | What’s the world made of? Here’s a concrete answer: a lot of it is built from a dense, knee-scraping substance that is the most common man-made material. But while concrete may be here to stay, plenty of new materials will come our way in the 21st century. Discover the better, faster, stronger (okay, not faster) materials of the future, and Thomas Edison’s ill-conceived plan to turn concrete into furniture. Plus, printing objects in 3D… the development of artificial skin… and unearthing the scientific contributions of African-American women chemists. Guests: Darren Lipomi – Chemical Engineering post-doc, Stanford University’s “Skin Lab” Linda Schadler – Professor of materials science and engineering, and associate dean for academic affairs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York Nicolas Weidinger – Research assistant at the Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, California Jeannette Elizabeth Brown – Retired research chemist; author of African American Women Chemists Robert Courland – Author of Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World’s Most Common Man-made Material Descripción en español | 1/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSkeptic Check: Energy Vortex | “I feel your vibe!” Well, that describes a number of fabled locales that claim to pulse with mysterious energy – perhaps prompting books to fly across the room or airplanes to vanish into thin air. But what’s the science behind it? We examine spots marked with an X, for “extraordinary” – from a haunted house to the Bermuda Triangle – to sort out natural from supernatural phenomena. Plus, what causes the aurora borealis… a haywire Russian space probe… and just what the heck is an “energy vortex,” anyway? Guests: Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog: badastronomy Mike Borg – Group Sales Coordinator, Winchester Mystery House Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, Los Angeles Peter Williams – Hydrodynamicist at Agilent Technologies Guy P. Harrison – Writer and business owner in Southern California, author of 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True Rob Lillis – Space and Planetary Physicist, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley Descripción en español | 1/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWired for Thought | A cup of coffee can leave you wired for the day. But a chip in your brain could wire you to a machine forever. Imagine manipulating a mouse without moving a muscle, and doing a Google search with your mind. Welcome to the future of the brain-machine interface. Don your EEG thinking-cap, and discover a high-tech thought game that may be the harbinger of machine relationships to come. Plus, the ultimate mapping project: the Human Connectdome Project aims to identify all the neural pathways in the human brain. It may help us understand what makes us human, but could it also point the way to making us smarter? And, what all this brain research reveals about the mind and free will – who, or what, is really in charge? Guests: Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley Arthur Toga – Neurologist at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, and researcher on the Human Connectome Project Michael Gazzaniga – Neuroscientist, director of the University of California Santa Barbara’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, and author of Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain Bradley Voytek – Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco Descripción en español | 1/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCosmos: It's Big, It's Weird | It’s all about you. And you, and you, and you and you… that is, if we live in parallel universes. Imagine you doing exactly what you’re doing now, but in an infinite number of universes. Discover the multiverse theory and why repeats aren’t limited to summer television. Plus, the physics of riding on a light beam, and the creative analogies a New York Times science writer uses to avoid using the word “weird” to describe dark energy and other weird physics. Also, people who concoct their own theories (some would say fringe) of the universe: is all matter made up of tiny coiled springs? Guests: Brian Greene – Physicist and mathematician, Columbia University, and author of The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos Dennis Overbye – Reporter, New York Times Simon Steel – Science educator at University College London Margaret Wertheim – Science writer, author of Physics on the Fringe: Smoke Rings, Circlons, and Alternative Theories of Everything Descripción en español | 1/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanLight, the Universe, and Everything | ENCORE What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts! For possible answers, we travel to the moment after the Big Bang and discover all that came into being in those few minutes after the great flash: time, space, matter, and light. Plus, the bizarre stuff that makes up the bulk of the universe: dark energy and dark matter. Also, what we set in motion with the invention of the light blub. How artificial light lit up our homes, our cities and – inadvertently – our skies. Guests: Sean Carroll – Theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology Leonard Susskind – Theoretical physicist, Stanford University Jane Brox – Author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light Peter Fisher – Physicist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Descripción en español First aired September 6, 2010 | 1/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSkeptic Check: Superstition | ENCORE Wait! Before you step outside… is it Friday the 13th? Any black cats prowling around? Broken a mirror lately? Homo sapiens are a superstitious lot. Find out why our brains are wired for irrational belief. Plus, from the 2012-end-of-the-world prophesy to colliding planets – why some people believe the universe is out to get ‘em. Also, Brains on Vacation takes on a challenge to relativity and our Hollywood skeptic has doubts about exorcism. It’s enough to make your head spin on Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it! Guests: Bruce Hood – Cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and author of The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs David Morrison – Director of the Carl Sagan Center for The Study of Life in The Universe at the SETI Institute and keeper of the NASA website Ask an Astrobiologist Martin Snow – Research Scientist, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, West – Los Angeles Phil Plait – Astronomer, keeper of badastronomy.com, and author of Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . Descripción en español First aired August 16, 2010 | 12/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSensor Sensibility | Have you lost your senses? You’ll find them everywhere you look. Sensors respond to external stimuli – light, sound, temperature and much else – to help us make sense (ha!) of our universe. And more are on their way. “Ubiquitous sensing” is the term that describes a world blanketed by tiny sensors: on bridges, in paint and medicine bottles, and even in our brains! Discover where you’ll find sensors next. And, has the world’s largest detection device found the elusive particle that will help explain the universe? Where are you, Higgsy-wiggsy? Also, out-of-this world sensors have detected a possibly Earth-like planet. What’s next for the Kepler planet-hunters? Plus, DIY sensor kits, and, if computers can do all that, why can’t we send the odor of, say, freshly-baked bread over the Internet? The case for a smell-o-meter. Guests: Frank Close – Physicist at Oxford University, author of The Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley Barry Shell – Writer in Vancouver, Canada Andy Huntington – Interaction designer, based in London Sara Seager – Professor of planetary science and physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Planet hunters – Daryll LaCourse and Tom Jacobs, citizen scientists with Planet Hunters Descripción en español | 12/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanGoing Viral | The term “bird flu” is a misnomer, scientists say, because almost all human influenza originates in our feathered friends. How it lands in you and spreads is another matter … Hear what it takes for a virus to go global, from a virus hunter who plans to stop epidemics in their tiny DNA tracks with an innovative global surveillance system. Also, why your genome is littered with fossil viruses of the past … the two largest viruses discovered so far, Mimi and Mega, square off … and, what it takes for ideas to “go viral.” Guests: Nathan Wolfe – Viral Ecologist, Director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative Robert Gifford – Evolutionary virologist, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University Vincent Racaniello – Virologist at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, host of the podcast, “This Week in Microbiology,” and author of the “Virology Blog” Bill Wasik – Senior Editor at Wired, author of And Then There’s This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture Descripción en español | 12/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanScience's Alliances | Mom and apple pie. Computers and silicon. Martians and death rays. Some things just go together naturally. But how about science and politics? Science and religion? Science and fiction? These pairings are often unnatural and contentious … but they don’t have to be. Discover how science can team up with other endeavors in productive, if surprising, symbiosis. Meet a particle physicist, turned U.S. Congressman, who calls for more scientists on Capitol Hill. Also, a tour of the Golden Age of Islamic Science. Plus, scientists named Elmo and Super Grover 2.0 teach small children to conduct experiments with the help of chickens and dancing penguins. And, it’s not quite science but it’s not entirely fiction either: how sci-fi helps shape our cultural debates about the future. Guests: Bill Foster – Physicist and former U.S. representative from Illinois Carol-Lynn Parente – Executive Producer, Sesame Street Ranjana Mehra – Docent at The Tech Museum, San Jose, California Brooks Peck – Curator, EMP Museum, Seattle, Washington Descripción en español | 12/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSkeptic Check: Dubiology | There’s no harm talking to your houseplant, but will your chatter really help it grow? We look at various biological claims, from whether plants feel pain to the ability of cats to predict earthquakes. Feline forecasters, anyone? Also, when does understanding biology have important implications for health and policy? The arguments for and against genetically modified foods, and the danger of “pox parties” as a replacement for childhood vaccination. Plus, the history and current state of scientific literacy in the United States. When did we stop trusting science? Guests: Andy Michael – Seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California Ron Lindsay – President of the Center for Inquiry, headquartered in Amherst, NY Steven Novella – Clinical neurologist and Director of General Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine; host of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast Shawn Lawrence Otto – Author of Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America Chelsea Specht – Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley Descripción en español | 11/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWe've Got You Made | ENCORE Wish you could ditch computers? There’s no escape button for that. Computers are not only a part of your daily grind, they may soon be a part of you. We’ll hear from the world’s first cyborg about why we should make nice in our arms race with machines. Also, the secret behind the extraordinary breakthroughs that DARPA scientists are making – from building autonomous cars to wiring robotic surgeons. Plus, making space for humans… and their bodily functions: the engineering tricks of toiletry. And, a carbon-based astronaut on the view of Earth from orbit. Guests: Kevin Warwick – Professor of Cybernetics at University of Reading in the U.K. Santiago Bilinkis – Student at the Singularity University Mary Roach – Writer and author of Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void Tom Jones – United States astronaut, space consultant, and veteran of four Space Shuttle flights Michael Belfiore – Space and Technology writer, and author of The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs Descripción en español First aired August 23, 2010. | 11/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanBlame it on Bacterio | Think small! Microbes are tinier than the dot at the end of this sentence, yet they can make humans sicker than dogs, dogs sicker than humans, jump from animal to human and keep scientists guessing when and where the next disease will appear. Discover how doctors diagnosed one man’s mysterious infection, the role that animals play as hosts for disease, and why the rate of emerging diseases is increasing worldwide. Also, why your kitchen is a biosafety hazard, and how the Human Microbiome Project will tally all the microbes on – and in – you. Plus, the extreme places on Earth where microbes thrive and what it suggests for the existence of alien life. And, how one strain of bacteria helped a farmer grow a pumpkin the weight of a small car! Guests: Peter Hudson – Biologist, Director of Life Sciences at Penn State University Peter Krause – Senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health Durland Fish – Epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. Information on his Lyme disease app David Relman – Stanford University microbiologist and infectious disease clinician Erich Fleming – Biologist, SETI Institute O. Peter Snyder – Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management John Raeside – Oakland, California Frances Raeside – Oakland, California Jennifer Kate Arnold – Infectious Disease Clinic, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Dave Stelts – Farmer, head of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Neil Anderson – Owner, president of Reforestation Technologies International. Find retail products. Descripción en español | 11/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanNASA or What? | “Making space for everyone” could be NASA’s motto. But as commercial spaceships get ready to blast off, that populist idea is being tested. Space cowboys in the private sector say they’re the ones who can provide unfettered access to space, for tourists and scientists alike. Meet a scientist who already has a ticket to ride on SpaceShip Two and discover what he hopes to learn about asteroids during his five minutes of weightlessness. Plus, NASA in motion: it’s back to the moon as the GRAIL mission probes the interior of our lovely lunar satellite. Also, can you dig it? The rover Curiosity can. It’s headed to Mars to hunt for clues to alien life … with a jackhammer. Also, as the Hubble Space Telescope shuts down, the James Webb Space Telescope revs up. Or does it? The telescope is designed to study the birth of galaxies and hunt for evidence of water on far away worlds. But will Congress pull the plug? Guests: James Oberg – former Space Shuttle Mission Control engineer, and space expert Maria Zuber – Planetary scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Principal Investigator of NASA’s GRAIL mission Joy Crisp – Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Principal Investigator on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Massimo Stiavelli – Astronomer at the Space Science Telescope Institute, and Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Dan Durda – Planetary scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado More about the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference Descripción en español | 11/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanBug Off! | ENCORE What you can’t see … can make you sick. Humans have been battling viruses and bacteria since the beginning of time. The malaria parasite has been keeping deadly company with us for 500,000 years. King Tut had it and so did Julius Caesar. What’s keeping this bug going today? Also, how disease almost halted the most ambitious engineering project in the world … how elite disease detectives puzzle out perplexing epidemics … And – could tiny bugs from spaaace, ace, ace be our ancestors? Guests: Sonia Shah – Author of The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years Michael Conniff – Historian, director of Global Studies at San Jose State University, and author of Black Labor on a White Canal: Panama, 1904-1981 (Pitt Latin American Series) Mark Pendergrast – Author of Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Robert Zubrin – President of the Mars Society Descripción en español First aired August 2, 2010 | 10/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAnthropocene and Heard | What’s in a name? “Holocene” defines the geologic epoch we’re in. Or were in? Goodbye to “Holocene” and hello “Anthropocene!” Yes, scientists may actually re-name our geologic era as the “Age of Man” due to the profound impact we’ve had on the planet. We’ll examine why we’ve earned this new moniker and who votes on such a thing. Plus, discover the strongest evidence for human-caused climate change. Also, why cities should be celebrated, not reviled… a musing over the possible fate of alien civilizations … and waste not: what an unearthed latrine – and its contents – reveal about ancient Roman habit and diet. Guests: William Steffen – Climate scientist and the Executive Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, Canberra Simon Donner – Geographer at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver Edward Glaeser – Economist, Harvard University, author of Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier Douglas Vakoch – Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute Mark Robinson – Director of Environmental Archaeology at the University of Oxford Erica Rowan – Doctoral student, University of Oxford Descripción en español | 10/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHappy Daze | Calling all pessimists! Your brain is wired for optimism! Yes, deep down, we’re all Pollyannas. So wipe that scowl off your face and discover the evolutionary advantage of thinking positive. Also, enjoy other smile-inducing research suggesting that if you crave happiness, you should do the opposite of what your brain tells you to do. Plus, why a “well-being index” may replace Dow Jones as a metric for success … a Twitter study that predicts your next good mood … and whether our furry and finned animal friends can experience joy. Guests: Frank Drake – Astronomer and author of the Drake Equation Tali Sharot – Cognitive neuroscientist at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at the University College London and the author of The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain Michael Macy – Sociologist at Cornell University His team’s Twitter study: http://timeu.se/ Carol Graham – Economist at the Brookings Institution and author of The Pursuit of Happiness: An Economy of Well-Being David DiSalvo – Science and technology writer, author of What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite Robin Ince – U.K.-based comedian Jonathan Balcombe – Animal behavior scientist and author of The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure Descripción en español | 10/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWhat's Your Poison? | ENCORE “Aspirin and Old Lace?” Okay, it would take a bottle full of pills in a glass of elderberry wine to really harm you, but aspirin can be deadly. So can too much of anything, including water. Dose is key in toxicology, after all, but there are some poisons that can do deadly work in tiny amounts. Hear about the chemistry of poisons … why Botox may freeze your emotions as well as your face… which animal is most lethal to humans… and how 19th-century poisoners got away with murder – until the birth of forensic science. Guests: Deborah Blum – Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Martyn Smith – Toxicologist, University of California, Berkeley Joshua Ian Davis – Psychologist, Barnard College, New York Jamie Seymour – Venom biologist, director of The Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit, School of Marine Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia Descripción en español First aired July 26, 2010 | 10/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSkeptic Check, Beast Of | Zombies, aliens, Bigfoot, oh my!! We’ve covered – or rather uncovered – them all and more on Skeptic Check, our monthly look of critical thinking. And now we’ve collected enough strange encounters to assemble a sordid retrospective of sorts. Sharpen your brain, it’s Skeptic Check, Beast Of. But don’t take our word for it! Guests: Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog, badastronomy.com Bruce Hood – Cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and author of The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs Susan Jacoby – Author of The Age of American Unreason Steve Silberman – Contributing editor, Wired Magazine, author of “The Placebo Problem” in the September 2009 issue Mary Pope-Handy – Estate Agent, Silicon Valley and keeper of the website hauntedrealestate.com Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, West – Los Angeles Paul Offit – Pediatrician, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and author of Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure Stephen Schneider – Climate scientist, Stanford University Brendan Riley – Assistant professor of English, Columbia College, Chicago Descripción en español | 10/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRend Me Your Ears | ENCORE Shh – can you keep it down? Nope. Not unless you want to do away with civilization. Our buzzing, humming, whirling, machine-driven world is a poster child for technological progress, right? As is hearing loss. It’s driven one man to search the world for silence. We’ll hear what he didn’t hear, and what Einstein predicted we should hear in deep space, where gravitational waves may reveal the hidden sounds of the universe, including the birth of black holes. Guests: George Foy – Author of Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute Silence Garret Keizer – Author of The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want Craig Hogan – Director for Particle Astrophysics at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Descripción en español First aired July 5, 2010 | 9/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 20 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
fast, fun, fantastic
Seth Shostak is one of the quickest wits ever to broadcast their intelligence into space. His ability to create silly puns is just one great spice in each week's discussion of the latest space science news. Seth is unafraid of diving deep into his guest's area of research, and he's charming enough to keep the conversation entertaining and fun. In addition to his regular shows, his periodic "Skeptical Sundays" episodes are a very welcome and all too rare scientific investigation of news from (ahem) the outer limits.
Pleasantly Surprised
When I first looked into this podcast, I was anticipating a podcast more about the actual "SETI" project. After reading the blurbs that mention what each episode was about, I was interested in hearing some of the topics. After downloading, I am now hooked and this has become one of my favorites. If you are interested in science, of any kind, this is a great listen.
Fun, diverse and educational
I've been listening to this podcast for over a year now and, before seeing his picture, had pictured Seth as being an amazingly intelligent 18 year old. His wry wit, enthusiasm and relevant interjections make interviews very entertaining. Molly's solid presence is a perfect complement and provides a grounding influence that ensures that the show maintains an even keel. As others have noted, the show can be a little corny at times, but that is part of its charm. The enthusiasm the hosts bring and the diversity of topics make this an "always listen to" podcast for me.
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- Category: Natural Sciences
- Language: English
- © ℗ © SETI Institute May 2005
