Podcast Episodes

AaS! 255: How Do the Biggest Stars Get So Big?

Episode 255

How do we measure the sizes of stars? What are the biggest ones today, and how big could stars have gotten in the past? Is there any way for a star to cheat and get even bigger? I discuss these quest…

Published on 13 hours ago

AaS! 254: How Do Variable Stars, You Know, Vary?

Episode 254

What powers Cepheid variable stars? What about Mira variables and pulsating stars? And are there variable stars that don’t actually vary at all? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Sp…

Published on 3 weeks ago

AaS! 253: What Does Outer Space Sound Like?

Episode 253

What would the Sun sound like if we could hear it? Does any noise at all happen in the universe? What’s the biggest sound of all? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Published on 1 month ago

AaS! 252: Why Can’t We Get Free Energy from the Vacuum?

Episode 252

Why does the vacuum of spacetime have energy? How much energy does it have? What prevents us from using it to do anything useful? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

AaS! 251: Are the Cosmic Voids Really Empty?

Episode 251

How do we actually define voids? Are there regions within them that are truly empty? What would it be like to be inside one? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Published on 2 months ago

AaS! 250: Where Do the Constants of Nature Come From? Part 2

Episode 250

Part 2 of 2! What are the modern constants of nature? Is the universe fine-tuned for life? Does the multiverse or string theory explain the origins of the constants? I discuss these questions and mor…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

AaS! 249: Where Do the Constants of Nature Come From? Part 1

Episode 249

Part 1 of 2! How do fundamental constants appear in physics? Why are they so important? Why do we care where they come from? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Published on 3 months ago

AaS! 248: What’s Going on Inside Neutron Stars?

Episode 248

What’s inside a neutron star? What strange states of matter do we encounter? And what mysteries will we find deep in the core? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

AaS! 247: How Can We Get Giant Black Holes in the Early Universe?

Episode 247

How do we explain the giant black holes appearing in the young universe? Is it possible to directly collapse a black hole, skipping the formation of stars? What does ultraviolet radiation have to do …

Published on 4 months ago

AaS! 246: What is Stephen Hawking’s Legacy?

Episode 246

How do you measure the impact of a scientist? Does Stephen Hawking compare to Newton or Einstein? What were his contributions to black holes, the big bang, and quantum gravity? I discuss these questi…

Published on 4 months, 2 weeks ago