Episode Details

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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been making headlines since its announcement. But what makes the telescope so special? How do astronomers create the captivating images we see online? And is the $10 billion gamble actually paying off?

Here today to invite us into the intricacies of the controversial telescope is none other than Richard Panek, an award-winning science writer who specializes in astronomy and telescopes. 

Panek is known for making complex scientific concepts accessible to general audiences by blending them with his excellent storytelling. In his latest book, Pillars of Creation, he tackled the JWST and detailed its story from the very beginning.

Join us as we dive into the telescope’s groundbreaking design, the controversies surrounding it, the remarkable discoveries it has already made, the science behind the stunning images we see, and what the future of astronomy looks like.

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Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:29 Panic! at the Discs 
• 02:13 Hubble vs. Webb 
• 05:05 Judging a book by its cover
• 09:26 The discovery of dimethyl sulfide on Kepler K2-18b
• 11:27 Exoplanet detection and scientific goals 
• 13:33 Historical rhymes in astronomy 
• 16:56 The process and costs of running JWST 
• 21:21 Controversy around naming JWST 
• 28:25 How JWST images are made
• 37:43 Margin beyond the margin of error 
• 40:11 Assigning colors to infrared images 
• 43:26 The future of NASA’s giant observatories 
• 45:08 The 4-Percent Universe and what’s next for Richard
• 48:33 Outro

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Additional resources: 

➡️ Learn more about Richard Panek:

📱 Website: https://www.richardpanek.net/ 

📚 Pillars of Creation: https://a.co/d/d86haI5 

📚 The 4-Percent Universe: https://a.co/d/hBlWtol

➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:

✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 

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📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list 

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