The Star Spot

Episode 30: Hacking the Future of Space Exploration, Featuring the International Space Apps Challenge

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:00:00 +0000

On the weekend of April 20, 2013, 9000 people from over 80 countries responded to NASA’s call to hack their way towards unique and innovative solutions to special space challenges. A huge array of projects were available, from designing a deployable greenhouse for Mars to building an app to help visualize the topography of the dark side of the moon, to more arts related projects like designing jewellery celebrating the unique properties of 55 Cancri E, a carbon-rich Super Earth planet.

To assist NASA provided scientists and other experts as consultants through live international hookups. The goal? To open up both space exploration and social need while empowering citizens around the world. The event was the international space apps challenge.

Special Guests

On today’s episode of The Star Spot we chat with Jonathan Moneta, an organizer with the Toronto contingent. Then, we speak with William Sellier, a member of the team Green Mars. Green Mars, which answered the challenge of designing the concept for a deployable greenhouse for a future mission to Mars, won one of the two Best in Hardware awards. Finally, we hear from 4 members of the Team known as Museum of Intergalactic Species (Jane Saputra, Charlotte Tang, Kris Nicolaoum, and Mario Dabrowski). Their challenge was to adopt a space-craft, that is to humanize the voyager mission by telling the story of the first human object to leave the solar system in an innovative and interactive way that connected it to people’s lives.

Current in Space

Jessica Campbell and Dennis Silin provide a retrospective look at the remarkable expedition of Chris Hadfield, recently returned to Earth from the ISS. Plus, just how did the moon lose its mojo?

Episode 29: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, with Seth Shostak

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Feature Guest: Seth Shostak

With ever more groundbreaking data coming in from exploratory missions in our own solar system to the burgeoning array of extrasolar planets being discovered on a regular basis, are we getting closer to answering the age old question: Are we alone in the universe? Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer with the SETI Institute joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to explore the history, current status and future directions in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The two discuss the impact that changes in technology are playing in the nature of the search, how we might overcome the language barrier of communication, and the the potential impact on our civilization of the discovery of a signal. In a broad conversation ranging from musings on the synchronicity problem to whether a response might come from AI rather than carbon-based lifeforms, the SETI enterprise is explored from its many angles: part science, part philosophy, part psychology (both human and alien). SETI might even be, as Dr. Shostak explains, good for the soul.

Current in Space

Iron Man meets space exploration. In Current in Space, Julia and Justin report on the development of advanced robotics and the role they could play in helping astronauts exercise, travel and one day perform complex tasks on other worlds.

About Seth Shostak

Dr. Seth Shostak is an expert in radio astronomy, which he puts to good use as Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute: the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Dr. Shostak hosts the SETI institute radio program Big Picture Science as well as the monthly podcast Skeptic Check that focuses on debunking pseudoscience. He won the 2004 Klumpke-Roberts Award from the Astronomical Socierty of the Pacific for his work in the public understanding of astronomy and in 2010 was elected a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry at the Center for Inquiry. He is the author of several books, including Confession of an Alien Hunter, and Life in the Universe, co-authored with Jeffrey Benett and Bruce Jakosky

Episode 28: A Current in Space Interregnum

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

A quick episode to break up our usual interview-focused show. At The Star Spot today in Current in Space, can we boldly go where no one has gone before, and do so at the speed of light via space-time distortions? Harold White, a scientist at the Johnson Space Center at NASA, thinks the science says such a prospect is a possibility. And what do 1960s cocktails, lego and live music have in common? We give a brief report on Yuri's Night 2013.

Episode 27: The Birth and Death of Stars: Clusters, Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts, with Chris Matzner

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Chris Matzner joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot for a wide ranging conversation focused on the dynamical periods of a star’s life. He shares insights into the fascinating activities occurring in stellar nurseries, based on a major discovery by his research group of a region of our galaxy, dubbed Dragonfish, that hosts the most numerous cluster of young, supermassive stars yet found in the Milky Way. Then jumping ahead Matzner discusses gamma ray bursts, a mysterious phenomena tied to the death of some high mass stars, finally weighing in on an age old question: which should our species fear more - supernovae or gamma ray burst.

Current in Space

In Current in Space, Mallory Warren and Jessica Campbell report good news and bad news from Mars. Plus, could the private sector compete with government in the provision of earth observation satellites?

About Chris Matzner

Chris Matzner is Assistant Professor of Astronomy at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Stellar and Interstellar Astrophysics. He received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley based on research into the birth and death of stars. He is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Fellowship, and the National Merit Scholarship, among other distinctions. Matzner is a member of the Canadian Astronomical Society and the American Physical Society.

Episode 26: Exposing the Many Faces of Planet X, with Stuart Robbins

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Pseudoscientific belief in mysterious non-observable planets in the far off solar system span the gamut from small Earth-size objects to brown dwarf failed stars, the source for such nearly mystical beliefs range from Sumerian tablets to the Biblical Book of Revelation. On today's episode, Dr. Stuart Robbins, host of the Exposing Pseudoastronomy podcast, joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot, to discuss the varieties of Planet X. The two also discuss how Dr. Robbins first became interested in responding critically to misinformation, what motivates his continued passion, and what lessons we can learn from true believers who promote pseudoscience over genuine discovery.

About Stuart Robbins

Dr. Stuart Robbins in a postdoc at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the first recipient of the Baruch Blumberg Citizen Science postdoctoral fellowship through the NASA Lunar Science Institute. He is the Science co-Lead on the citizen science project "Moon Mappers" and maintains active involvement tin education and public outreach in astronomy. In particular, he leads a project called Exposing Pseudoastronomy, a blog and podcast of the same name that responds to bad science in the fields of astronomy, physics and geology, taking on topics such as UFO's, young earth creationism, astrology, galactic alignment paranoia and russian meteor conspiracies.

Current in Space

Mallory Warren joins Justin Trottier to ruminate on the puzzling dearth of dwarf galaxies in our neighborhood, and what the discovery of the Higgs Boson might mean for the future of existence.

Episode 25: Past Life and Humanity's Future on Mars, with Dr. Chris McKay

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:01:00 +0000

On this special first year anniversary edition of The Star Spot, NASA's preeminent astrobiologist Dr. Chris McKay talks all things Mars: the possibility of past life, the hunt for current spots of habitability by the Curiosity rover, and the prospects for a human future on the Red Planet. In conversation with Justin Trottier the two discuss the ethics of terraforming and why Mars deserves a future rich with the biodiversity of life.

Plus a behind the scenes look at The Star Spot, highlights of our first year, and a conversation with a familiar voice.

About Dr. Chris McKay

Dr. Chris McKay is a planetary scientist, with a PhD in Astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado. As a NASA Research Scientist with the NASA Ames Research Centre since 1982, he studies planetary atmospheres, the evolution of the solar system, the origin of life, astrobiology and terraforming. He’s been co-investigator for the Huygens probe to Saturday’s Moon Titan, the Mars Phoenix lander and the Mars Science Laboratory whose Curiosity rover is now on the red planet.

Dr. McKay conducts research on extremophiles in Mars-like environments on Earth, including in the ice-covered lakes of antarctica, Siberia, Death Valley, the Canadian Arctic. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Planetary Society.

Current in Space

Confirmation of Marsian past habitability is one of two space-related headline news stories of the last few weeks. The other is the discovery by astronomer Mike Brown and colleague Kevin Hand that Europa's vast liquid water ocean deep below its icy crust might not be isolated from the surface after all. Mallory Warren and Julia Mazurchuk discuss this new discovery and its implications.

Episode 24: Atmospheres & Signs of Life On Planets Beyond Our Solar System, with Sara Seager

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Sara Seager, a world authority on the study of atmospheres of extrasolar planets joins Justin Trottier to share how cutting edge research is pushing the frontier not just in discovering planets beyond our solar system, but in starting to actually characterize their attributes like atmosphere and composition.

The two discuss the startlingly diverse zoo of objects out in our galaxy, Dr. Seager's excitement being part of the team that detected evidence of the first extrasolar planet atmosphere, and most tantalizingly, how we are now on the cusp of being able to identify biosignatures of life as we home in on other Earths out there in space. Dr. Seager also provides some insider information on the pseudoscientific History Channel program Ancient Aliens, on which she's appeared on several occasions.

On January 25th of this year, the Astronomy and Space Exploration Society based out of the University of Toronto hosted its 10th annual Expanding Canada’s Frontiers symposium, a series that has become a fixture in the city for celebrating achievements in astronomy and space sciences and engineering. This 10th event in the series was a real landmark, focused on the search for life beyond Earth. The Star Spot caught up with Dr. Seager following her presentation on campus, and on an upcoming episode of The Star Spot we will be joined by NASA's eminent astrobiologist, Dr. Chris McKay, another of the symposium's keynote speakers.

About Dr. Sara Seager

Dr. Sara Seager is currently professor of astronomy at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology and a world authority on the study of atmospheres on extrasolar planets, the subject of her Harvard University PhD. She's the recipient of the Helen B. Warner Prize from the American Astronomical Society, Harvard’s Bart J. Bok Prize in Astronomy, and named to Popular Science’s Fifth annual brilliant 10. Even more cool, NASA’s planetquest has described Dr. Seager as “an astronomical indiana jones.”

Current in Space

On Current in Space, we comment on the excitement and destruction generated by the recent meteor that shot across the Russian skies and crashed into Chebarkul Lake, followed by a quick update on the ongoing adventures of the Mars Curiosity rover.

Episode 23: Studying the Universe's Large Scale Structure from the South Pole, with Keith Vanderlinde

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Keith Vanderlinde joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to share his Antarctica experience, studying the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation from the South Pole Telescope. He explains the ambiance, challenges and thrills of working in cold and darkness for nearly a year. The two then discuss how the origin and evolution of large scale structure in the universe can be read from imprints left on the first light released into space, and what we can learn about dark matter and dark energy from characterizing the universe’s earliest galaxy clusters.

Keith Vanderlinde is Global Scholar with the Canadian Institue for Advanced research and Assistant Professor in the University of Toronto's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics. Vanderlinde previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics in Chicago. He participated in crafting a number of science exhibits at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry. More recently he was stationed for nearly a year in Antarctica working with the South Pole Telescope to study data from the universe's youngest days taken at one of the coldest locations on earth.

In Current in Space, we look at some notorious recent international examples of space adventures - or sometimes misandventures.

Episode 22: Magnetism: Probing Planets and Searching for Life, with Sabine Stanley

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Professor Sabine Stanley joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss everything to do with magnetic fields: how they're created, where they can be found, and what they tell us about the composition and behaviour of planets. Why does Mercury have a magnetic field when we originally predicted it shouldn't? Why does Saturn's magnetic field line up so perfectly with its geographic poles? What makes the magnetic field of Mars so different in its northern and southern hemispheres?

The two then focus on Earth's magnetic field which is known to flip north and south poles throughout its history. Why do flips happen? Why do they occur at seemingly irregular intervals? Are they dangerous to life? Dr. Stanley shares her excitement for how using mangetic fields as another tool in searching for habitable exoplanets. Finally the two discuss upcoming missions to study the magnetic fields of objects in our solar system, such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) which will use mgnetic field information to tell us more about the oceans under Europa's ice sheets.

Sabine Stanley is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto, having received a PhD in geophysics from Harvard University. She has been awarded a Canada Research Chair in Planetary Physics, a Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Early Researcher Award from the Ministry of Research and Innovation of the Province of Ontario.

Episode 21: The Great Stories of Science, with Stuart Clark

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Dr. Stuart Clark joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to share his unique work dramatizing the great stories of science. Clark combines his background in astrophysical research with his career in science journalism and writing to author a trilogy of novels that focus on the lives of the great minds of astronomy, from the Trials of Galileo to the personality conflicts between Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke, to the discovery of the Big Bang by Einstein, Lemaitre and others. Clark also discusses his blog for The Guardian called Across the Universe, and shares his insights into teaching critical thinking and how to use the history of discovery to deepen the public appreciation and understanding of science. Dr. Stuart Clark.

Stuart Clark, PhD in astrophysics, is fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, former Director of Public Astronomy Education at the University of Hertfordshire and a writer for New Scientist, The Guardian and BBC Science programmes. He is the author of over a dozen books, including a trilogy of novels that dramatize pivotal periods in the development of our understanding of the universe, incorporating as characters in the plot the scientists at the centre of discovery. These books include The Sky’s Dark Labrynth about Galileo and Kepler, The Sensorium of God focused on Isaac Newton and his contemporaries, and the forthcoming The Day Without Yesterday on Albert Einstead and George Lemaitre.

Episode 20: A Universe From Nothing? with Lawrence Krauss

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Lawrence Krauss joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss nothing, and how a universe can arise from it. Covering Krauss' earlier book "The Physics of Star Trek," the two discuss warp drives, time travel and transporters, and then reflect on the likelihood of a space exploration future anywhere like that of the Star Trek universe. Arguing that not only matter, space and time, but the laws of physics themselves, can all be ultimately explained, Krauss defends his assertion that the ultimate question "Why is there something rather than nothing" properly belongs to the realm of science, responding to critiques from philosophers and some in the religious communities. The conversation also focuses on quantum gravity, the anthropic principle, and what it means about our place in the universe that in the very long run, our universe seems to be heading back in the direction of nothingness.

Professor Lawrence Krauss is Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. He grew up in Toronto and studied at Carleton University, then received a PhD in physics at MIT. He served on President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign science policy committee, and has received awards from the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics. He is the author of a number of books, including Hiding in the Mirror, Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science, The Physics of Star Trek and A Universe From Nothing: Why there is something rather than nothing.

Episode 19: Gravity Waves: Opening a New Window on the Cosmos, with Luis Lehner

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Luis Lehner joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss his work in numerical relativity and his search for elusive gravity waves. Since they are not scattered by intervening objects but carrying pure information from their points of origin, gravity waves would be a revolutionary new way to study everything from the Big Bang to supermassive black holes. The two also discuss future missions to search for gravity waves, like the Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (LISA) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). Finally Lehner explains his theoretical work on strongly gravitating systems in higher compactified dimensions where exotic objects called "black strings" may connect string theory, quantum gravity and black holes.

Luis Lehner completed his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and then held Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Briitsh Columbia. He is currently Professor at the University of Guelph and Associate Faculty at Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario. Lehner received the Nicholas Metropolis Award from the American Physical Society and a ellowship from the Sloan Foundation. He sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, and he was named among the Top 40 Under 40 by the Baton Rouge Business Report. Lehner lives by advice his father once gave him, who said: "Anyone can get a university degree. It takes work and study for a few years, and then one ends up with a degree forever. But to a be a gentleman or a gentlewoman one must work on it forever."

Episode 18: Hosting the World’s Longest Running Science Show, with Bob McDonald

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Star Spot is excited to announce a new development: video. Today’s episode of The Star Spot also features a special video edition to be posted on our recently launched YouTube channel, "TheStarSpotTV." There you can watch a video recording of our interview with today’s guest, Bob McDonald, as well as coverage of the 50 year anniversary celebration of the launch of Alouette 1, Canada’s first space satellite, the event at which Bob’s interview was conducted. We invite you to check out the video and subscribe to our new channel. Older episodes of our program will also be posted there in the near future.

Bob McDonald is Canada’s best known science journalist. A long standing fixture on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks which draws half a million listeners each week, Bob Mcdonald is the author of the book Measuring the earth with a stick: science as I've seen it, which was short listed for the chadian science writers association book award. He is the the recipient of a variety of awards for science communication, including the 2005 McNeil Medal for the public awareness of science from the royal society of canada and the 2001 michael smith award for science promotion from NSERC. The university drop out who wound up with 6 honorary doctoral degrees - and counting - sits down with Justin Trottier to discuss how unique opportunities have shaped his life, the value of story telling in selling science, and his experiences on the CBC.

Episode 17: The Mysterious Centre of the Milky Way Galaxy, with Leo Meyer

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Leo Meyer joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss his UCLA research group's discovery of S0-102, a star 11.5 light years from the supermassive black hole at the core of our galaxy. The closest star yet discovered to the galactic centre, S0-102 could provide a unique opportunity to test Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in an extreme environment. The two also cover the technological revolutions at the Keck telescope that have made this and related discoveries possible and what other surprises have been made and may yet be in store in the dynamic and volatile region at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy.

About Leo Meyer

Dr. Leo Meyer is Assistant Researcher in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California Los Angeles. He obtained his PhD in physics from the university of cologne, Germany. He held a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service from 2008 to 2009 and a Graduate Fellowship of the Max-planck Society from 2005 to 2008. His research expertise lies in adaptive optics, general relativity, back holes and especially the Milky Way’s galactic centre.

Episode 16: Curiosity on Mars, with Ralf Gellert

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 01:00:00 +0000

On today’s episode Dr. Ralf Gellert, principal investigator of the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectromer, or APXS, one of the primary instruments on the Mars Curiosity rover, joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss how his instrument is currently assisting in the search for signs of Martian habitability. Dr. Gellert compares Curiosity to its predecessors, especially the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity on which he continues to work. He describes how Curiosity's ten instruments together contribute to the mission goals, ponders whether we'll ever know for sure if Mars was, or was not, habitable, and shares his hope that the next step in Martian exploration would be a sample return mission. Gellert gives a feel for the complexity and scale of planetary exploration missions, describing how government, research institutions and private industry collaborate, and how Curiosity has become and international project.

In Current in Space we report on the discovery of super-luminous supernovae out at edge of the observable universe, and provide an update on Voyager 1 and its mission to a different edge - that of our own solar system.

About Ralf Gellert

Dr. Ralf Gellert is a German-born physicist who in 2005 became an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Guelph in Canada. He previously worked as a research scientist at the University of Mainz and the Max-Plank Institute for Chemistry, also in Mainz, Germany. After leading the successful proposal to NASA, he became the principal investigator of the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, or APXS instrument, one of the primary instruments currently on board NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover. The APXS is designed to analyze the elements of a Marsian sample through alpha particle and X-ray bombardment.

Episode 15: Sharing A Passion for Astronomy, with John Percy

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

In today's episode Professor John Percy, a professional astronomer with a passion for making astronomy and space exploration engaging, joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot.

Dr. Percy discusses his many educational astronomy activities, from hosting public events, to creating courses and resources for teachers, to finding creative cultural opportunities for outreach such as his work with the Toronto Tafelmusic baroque orchestra on their Galileo composition.

Starting their conversation on Dr. Percy's primary academic interest in variable stars, the two cover the challenges of developing relevant and engaging astronomy curriculum, the role of public science institutions in contributing to the vitality of city life, and how Dr. Percy ended up having an asteroid named after him.

About John Percy

Dr. John Percy is professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Toronto. He is past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the Royal Canadian Institute, and as honorary president of the science teachers’ association of ontario and vice-chair of the board of trustees of the ontario science centre.

Among a variety of awards and distinctions, Dr. percy won the 1997Royal Canadian Institute's Sandford Fleming Medal for contributions to public awareness and appreciation of science and technology and the 1999 Jack Bell Award for leadership in science education. He is a fellow of the american association for the advancement of science.

But perhaps his most long lasting recognition came with the naming of his own asteroid. He joins us here at the Star Spot to discuss that honour, and his insights bringing the world of astronomy and space exploration alive to students and learners of all ages.

Episode 14: Particle Physics and its Cosmological Implications, with Wendy J. Taylor

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Professor Wendy J. Taylor who joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss the Large Hadron Collider, the search for the Higgs Boson and dark matter, and how the new field of astro particle physics may prove that discoveries at the smallest scale can have cosmological implications.

In Current in Space, we present start S0-102 whose superclose orbit to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy presents a unique opportunity to test Einstein. Then we comment on the Canadian Space Agency's hope for a renewed deal to fly astronauts with NASA's new Orion program in exchange for next generation space robotics, and finally turn to an update on Mars Curiosity and planned activities with its own robitic arm.

About Wendy J. Taylor

Wendy J. Taylor is Associate Professor of Physics at York University and Canada Research Chair in Experimental Particle Physics. She is a member of the university’s High Energy Physics Group as well as its ATLAS group. ATLAS is a key experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Her research at the Fermilab particle collider showing differences in the production of matter and anti-matter in high-energy collisions is shedding light on the imbalance in matter and anti-matter in the early universe. Professor Taylor is a member of the American Physical Society and the Canadian Institute of Particle Physics.

Episode 13: Ancient Aliens, Astrology, and Pseudoastronomy, with Guy P. Harrison

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Appropriate to Episode #13, given the superstitious associations of that particular number, our guest today, Guy P. Harrison, is a debunker of superstitions and paranormal beliefs of all stripes. He joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss his newest book 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True. After an introduction to skepticism, why it's vitally important and how it differs from simply cynicism or denial, the two focus down on a variety of exciting specific beliefs: ancient aliens, modern UFOs, abductions, astrology, and the moon landing hoax. Harrison explains what convinced him to give up his belief that ancient aliens visited the Earth. He explains what we can learn about psychology and culture by looking seriously at alien abduction experiences. He confronts the most effective arguments of the moon landing hoax community and finally explains why we shouldn't take our newspaper horoscopes too seriously.

In Current in Space we comment on discussions from the 100 Year Starship initiative which seeks to prepare for interstellar travel within a century. At a recent symposium everything from new possibilities for warp drives to a debate about whether religion should accompany humanity was on the table. Finally, we provide an update on the status of the B612 Foundation's Sentinel mission, a sun-orbiting telescope that will increase our ability to track dangerous asteroids on potential collision courses with Earth.

About Guy P. Harrison

Guy P. Harrison graduated with a history and anthropology degree from the university of southern florida. He is an award winning writer, journalist and photographer. Harrison is the author of a number of books, including Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know about Our Biological Diversity, 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God, and his newest book, 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True, described as a skeptical grand tour of extraordinary claims such as ESP, ghosts, psyhics, hoemopathic medicine, bigfoot and more. His primary interest is to promote science and skeptical inquiry.

Episode 12: Quasars: Clues to the Ancient Universe, with Patrick Hall

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Patrick Hall who joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss one of the most energetic, myserious and ancient of phenomana in our universe: quasars. Hall shares his insights into the role quasars played in the evolution of the cosmos and galaxy formation, the mechanisms and physics of their behaviour, and the rare occurence of double quasars. He also describes the eventual fate of our Milky Way Galaxy to merge with Andromeda and produce quasars of our own. Finally, they focus on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and explore the tremendous opportunities afforded researchers by the growing scale and scope of large sky surveys.

In Current in Space we introduce a cryptic new start-up company Uwingu seeking to fundraising and raise public engagement in space exploration, comment on the enduring fascination with the concept of a space elevator, and pay tribute to one of the greatest explorers of our time - Neil Armstrong.

About Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall received his PhD in astronomy from the University of Arizona, worked at Princeton University as its Observatory Research Associate and is currently associate professor at York University. He is an expert in quasars and active galactic nuclei. He’s received a number of National Science and Engineering Research Council grants as well as the ontario early research award for studies on disks of matter orbiting supermassive black holes. Hall participates in analyzing data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a project that, among many many other things, resulted in the discovery of an asteroid that now bears his name Pathall.

Episode 11: The James Webb Space Telescope: Building the Successor to Hubble, with Neil Rowlands

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Neil Rowlands who joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss the engineering and science of the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2018. The two cover the exciting objects and phenomena JWST will study, explore why the JWST is a vast improvement over Hubble, and discuss how a project of this magnitude is organized and managed. Dr. Rowlands also shares insights from working in the private sector while under contract to a government agency, before concluding with the current status and upcoming milestones for this exciting project.

In Current in Space we ask whether space and time might not be fundamental after all but rather emerged at the Big Bang. We then detail some of the astronauts who have moved into the political world including first Canadian in space Marc Garneau, now likely to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Finally, we give tribute to a little world recently demoted to dwarf planet status.

About Neil Rowlands

Neil Rowlands Neil obtained his B.Sc (Engineering Physics) from the University of Alberta and his Ph.D. (Astronomy) from Cornell University. At Cornell, he participated in the construction and use of infrared instrumentation for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory and the 5m Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar.

He held NSERC post-doctoral fellowships at the Canada Centre for remote sensing and another at the Université de Montréal working with an infrared camera for the Canada France Hawaii Telescope.

In 1995 he joined CAL Corporation now called COM DEV, as an electro-optical engineer, developing space-borne scientific instrumentation for the space physics, atmospheric sciences and astronomy communities. He is currently a Staff Scientist at COM DEV. He has been working on the Canadian contribution to the James webb space telescope or JWST since 1997 on an instrument on the Fine Guidance Sensor/and near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph or NIRISS system

Episode 10: The Illusion of Time?, with Julian Barbour

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Julian Barbour who joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to share his unique insights into the elusive mystery of time. He explains how new perspectives and research he is leading on time - which take seriously the puzzling implications of the Many World interpretation of quantum mechanics - may herald a new revolution in physics. The two explore the paradoxes of simultaneity and duration, asking how we know a second today is the same as a second a billion years ago. They then discuss Barbour's own personal paradox, in which his belief that time is illusory exists alongside his fascination with human history. In his own eccentric, provocative and illuminating style, Barbour finally takes listeners on a tour of platonia, a new concept in which existence is turned into a series of nows - or time capsules - and time is intricately connected to every activity in the universe.

Barbour is a theoretical physicist. Uniquely, he contributes to various fields without holding an academic position. He works part time as a translator and lives on a farm north of Oxford village. He’s been a visiting professor at the University of Oxford since 2008. Barbour holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Buckingham and is the author of a number of books, including Absolute or Relative Motion?, The Discovery of Dynamics, and The End of Time. His interests include quantum gravity, the history of science, and of course time

In Curent in Space we remind listeners not to miss the final days of the Perseid Meteor Show and provide an update on the first few Sols of the Curiosity rover which is now sending its first colour images from the Red Planet.

Episode 9: Ancient Egyptian Astronomy, with Sarah Symons

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Our guest today is Professor Sarah Symons who joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to enlighten us about ancient Egyptian sophisticated conceptions of the night sky. The conversation ranges from understanding the intimate interplay between the supernatural and the scientific, to the practical uses of the stars for such purposes as predicting the flood of the Nile, and to the role of special classes of stars in ancient Egyptian myth and ritual.

Dr. Symons shares her enthusiasm in detailing how the night sky was at the centre of Egyptian religion. Pharoahs sought to transform themself into celestial beings, while the very body of one goddess formed the foundation of the Egyptian conception of celestial regularities. To close their conversation, the two reflect on why ancient Egypt continues to catalyze so much wild and crazy pseudoscentific and pseudoastronomical theorizing.

In Current in Space we discuss the illuminating findings from the nineth collection of UFO files recently turned over by the British government, then prepare for the August 6th landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover by exploring the many unique attributes of this most exciting mission to the red planet.

Episode 8: The Physics of Astronomy, with Marten Van Kerkwijk

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Professor Marten Van Kerkwijk who joins The Star Spot to discuss the physics of astronomy. With host Justin Trottier, the two focus on the intersection of astronomy and physics, how astronomical discoveries inform our understanding of physics, and how physical theories help explain and direct astronomical research. Within this topic, Dr. Kerkwijk shares his unique insights into a whole host of objects like transients, white dwarfs, magnetars, neutron stars, supernovae and even a bit on dark matter.

In Current in Space we cover the ongoing travels of Voyager, the first human-made object poised to cross into interstellar space. We describe the Geoflow series, designed to use experiments aboard the International Space Station to study events far of in the core of the Earth. Finally in our new Entertainment section, host Justin Trottier provides his review of Ridley Scott's science fiction summer blockbuster Prometheus.

About our guest: Dr. Marten Van Kerkwijk obtained his Masters and PhD from the University of Amsterdam. He worked as a Hubble Fellow at Caltech, then a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge, before joining the faculty of the University of Toronto in 2003. He was part of a team that discovered a solar system consisting of the smallest body to orbit a star at the furthest distance. He’s been interviewed by several Canadian TV networks on a broad array of astronomy topics.

The Star Spot invites listeners to send in their thoughts on any of the news and variety pieces we cover, as well as our interviews, or send in ideas for topics we should cover. Email starspotpodcast@gmail.com

For full information please visit the official website of The Star Spot at www.starspotpodcast.com

Episode 7: The Business of Space Exploration, with Chuck Black

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Chuck Black who joins The Star Spot to discuss the business case for space within the international scene. Following hot on the heels of the success of private spacecraft Dragon and the upcoming Chinese launch to the Tiangong Space Station, in this interview with Justin Trottier, the two discuss the space programs of various nations, debate private versus public-led initiatives, analyze the interaction of the 3 main players (government, industry and research centres), reflect on reforms being implemented by various countries to better respond to the changes in the space sector, and conclude with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of space exploration.

 Chuck Black is Treasurer of the Canadian Space Commerce Association. He is an aerospace pundit and writer who runs the Space Conference News website and the Commercial Space Blog. Within the space sector, he creates business proposals and plans, networks among stakeholders and technical professionals, organizes and manages conferences, and is an all around space sciences and technology advocate.

In Current in Space we describe the recently launched NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) telescope, a space-based x-ray telescope set to open a new window on the universe by studying the highest energy x-ray phenomena like supernovae, gamma ray bursts and active galaxies. We then remind listeners of the upcoming summer solstice in the northern hemisphere with a quick archeoastronomical history lesson. Finally, we shift to space exploration by discussing the Shenzhou 9 mission which will make China the third country in the world to establish a crewed base in orbit.

For full information please visit the official website of The Star Spot at www.starspotpodcast.com

Episode 6: Zooniverse & Citizen Science: How 300,000 Average People Became Astronomers, with Chris Lintott

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Christopher Lintott, an astrophysicist, a researcher in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford and a junior research fellow at New College. also at the University of Oxford. A fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr. Lintott`s work focuses on galaxies and star formation. He is the co-presenter of the BBC series The Sky at Night and a co-author of the book Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe co-authored with Patrick Moore and Brian May. It’s this focus on public engagement, and in particular the concept of citizen science that we’ll get into today, because most excitingly, Dr. Lintott is also Director of the astronomy crowdsourcing projects known as Zooniverse and Galazy Zoo, which have turned hundreds of thousands of people from around the world into scientists and astronomers.

In this discussion with Justin Trottier, the two discuss the emergence and growing sophistication of citizen science projects like Galaxy Zoo and Zooniverse. From sorting galaxies with Galaxy Zoo to identifying lunar craters with Moon Zoo to searching for planets and signs of life, not to mention a growing number of non-astronomy focused projects, Dr. Lintott explains the significant participatory impact being made daily by hundreds of thousands of people. Whether through basic categorization or unnanticipated observations like the discovery of the mysterious galaxy-like "Voorwerp," a growing army of citizen scientists are directing telescope time and providing data for research papers. The two also discuss the motives propelling this new development, and how they might grow a citizenry better informed by the tools of science.

In Current in Space we provide a final reminder about the upcoming Transit of Venus before turning to the thrilling conclusion of Dragon's landmark visit to the International Space Station. We then cover stories of life and death in the universe, highlighting the future merger of our own Milky Way with its nearest neighbour Andromeda. And finally we introduce a new Entertainment segment which will feature books, films, music and other areas of pop culture that connect to astronomy and space exploration. In particular, we tell how Haydon Planetarium's Neil deGrasse Tyson scored a victory for scientific accuracy in Hollywood when he convinced film director James Cameron to get the sky right.

For full information please visit the official website of The Star Spot at www.starspotpodcast.com

Episode 5: The Transit of Venus, with Jay Pasachoff

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Unless you expect to be alive in 105 years, you won't want to miss the June 5/6 transit of Venus. The appeal of this unique phenomenon has bridged the gap between art and science. It was was basis for a military brass band march, as well as a play and an opera.

One man who will be making the most of this event is renowned transit of venus authority Jay Pasachoff. Jay M. Pasachoff is the Director of the Hopkins Observatory as well as Chair of the Astronomy Department and  Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams College. He comments frequently on the status of astronomy and science education, and is the author of textbooks in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and various other sciences.

Pasachoff has an article in the May 2012 issue of Physics World about transits, and he sits down with Justin Trottier to discuss the history, science, and deep significance, of the Transit of Venus. After exploring the amazing discoveries that can be made from such a deceptively simple event, the two discuss Pasachoff's varied career which has taken him into nooks all over the field of astronomy, then onto science education and the dangers of pseudoastronomy.

More information and details about Transit of Venus events near you are available at http://venustransit.nasa.gov/

In Current in Space, we discuss blows to the favourd theories of dark matter, a historic flight that could open space to the commercial sector, and surprising plans already underway for mining beyond Earth.

Visit www.starspotpodcast.com for more details.

Episode 4: The Afterlives of Stars, with Victoria Kaspi

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Victoria Kaspi, the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics, the Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics and Professor of Physics at McGill University. She earned her PhD working under nobel prize winning astrophysicist Jospeh Hooton Taylor, Jr. and went on to work at MIT, the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory before joining the faculty of McGill in 1999. Dr. Kaspi is a Fellow in the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences. Her research expertise is in observational studies of neutron stars and pulsars, McGill Pulsar Group. Among other distinctions, she has won the John C. Polanyi Award from the NSERC, the Rutherford Memorial Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, and the Prix Marie-Victorin, the highest scientific award of the province of Québec.

 Dr. Victoria Kaspi joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss the wide range of exotic afterlife experiences a star may enjoy, including neutron stars, pulsars, magnetars, and quark (or strange) stars. The two also discuss upcoming missions like NuSTAR which will study black holes, supernova explosions, and active galaxy nuclei, as well as SWIFT, primarily concerned with mysterious gamma ray bursts. Dr. Kaspi shares her passion for discovery, why her work connects to the average person, and what new possibilities the future might hold.

In Current in Space, we discuss the case for ancient oceans on Mars, The Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE), and why two researchers think the safe bet that life exists beyond Earth may need to be rethought.

Visit www.starspotpodcast.com for more details.

Links

http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/swift/swiftsc.html

http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/2minutes-2minutes/Kaspi-Kaspi_eng.asp

http://www.technophilicmag.com/mag/qanda/victoria-kaspi

http://www.nustar.caltech.edu/home

http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/swift/swiftsc.html

http://www.cifar.ca/victoria-m-kaspi

http://www.hep.physics.mcgill.ca/~vkaspi/new_web_site/en/index.php

http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~pulsar/

Episode 3: Exploring Saturn, with Carolyn Porco

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Our guest today is Dr. Carolyn Porco, a planetary scientist who led the imaging team in studying and interpreting the images from the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn and its moon Titan. She is senior research scientist at the space science institute in boulder, CO, adjunct prof at U of Colorado and U of Arizona. Her scholarly work as well as her efforts to convey science education and literacy to the public has won her many awards and recognitions. These include the Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronmomical Society for Excellence in the communication of Science to the Public. In 2008 Wired Magazine named her one of 15 people the next president should listen to.

Dr. Carolyn Porco joins Justin Trottier at The Star Spot to discuss everything about Saturn: the mission, the moons, the rings, the possibility of life on Enceladus, and the momentous touchdown on Titan. She also shares her passion for science education and her special sense of the spiritual.

In Current in Space, guest journalist Amanda Gadke discusses the final adventure of the Discovery Space Shuttle.

Visit www.starspotpodcast.com for more details.

Episode 2: Life, the Universe and Everything, with Dan Falk

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 08:23:00 +0000

Our guest is Dan Falk, an award winning science journalist and broadcaster. He's been published very broadly, including in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Cosmos Magazine, and New Scientist, and has contributed to CBC and TV Ontario science programming. Dan Falk is also the author of two books, including In Search of Time: Journeys Along a Curious Dimension and The Universe on a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything, which was the winner of the 2002 Science in Society Journalism Award from the Canadian Science Writers' Association. He is currently at MIT pursuing a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship.

In their broad conversation, Dan Falk and Justin Trottier discuss the importance of astronomy and science literacy, why life may be rare in the galaxy but the SETI project is still important, how time might be just an illusion, the greatness of Galileo, and the endlessly fascinating scientific adventure.

In Current in Space, we discuss new insights on merging spiral galaxies, the Kepler planet hunting mission getting an extension, and a contrary view for the prevalance of life in the universe from Marc Kaufman, author of "First Contact."

Visit www.starspotpodcast.com for more details.

Episode 1: Images of New Worlds

starspotpodcast@gmail.com (Justin Trottier) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:19:00 +0000

Our pilot episode has featured guest Dr. David Lafreniere, an astrophysicist and an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Montreal. His pioneering work relates to the detection of exoplanets, which are planets beyond our solar system for which he's won multiple awards. His work has been published in Time Magazine, the National Geographic, ABC News and many other publications. Our Current in Space segment focuses on the Canadian Aerospace Review.