Blue Dot

In our third installment of Blue Dot's look back at Project Apollo for the 50th anniversaries of the missions, we examine perhaps the most overlooked of all, Apollo 9. Astronaut Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot, joins Dave to talk about the ambitious test flight that paved the way for Neil Armstrong's one small step, just over four months later.

Dave is joined by two rock stars on this very special episode of Blue Dot. Brian May is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist for Queen and along with his band mate Roger Taylor, was a creative and musical consultant for the Academy Award nominated Bohemian Rhapsody. But May is also a serious scientist with a Ph.D in astrophysics from Imperial College.

Dave is joined by Blue Dot's expert on all things seismological, Ken Hudnut from the United States Geological Survey in Pasadena as they interview the host and creator of The Big One podcast from KPCC (also in Pasadena!).

In the first half of this episode, Dave talks to Ryan Bigelow, Senior Program Manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. Their guides have been handed out at the aquarium for decades and give seafood consumers reliable, scientifically sound information on what fish and shellfish are the most sustainable to eat. Whether go out for sushi or to your favorite restaurant or shopping at the supermarket -- the Seafood Watch guide is an excellent resource for making sound ecological choices.

In the wake of the recent 35 day partial government shutdown, the longest in US history, Blue Dot takes a look back at three interviews with federal scientists, people whose lives and work have been directly affected. Science took a huge hit during the shutdown with scientists unable to attend conferences here and around the world, collect data nor share it with important stakeholders. We talked last year to Jim Smith from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, an expert on one of world's

On the next Blue Dot, Dave Schlom examines university research examining the strange world of Quantum Physics using cutting edge cold atom experiments. Stanford? MIT? No, it is happening in an undergraduate program at California State University Chico, due to an amazing relationship with CSU Physics professors Hyewon and Joe Pechkis along with their friend and mentor, Nobel Laureate William Phillips.

Dave visits with Lawrence University Geology Professor Marcia Bjornerud, author of the new book: Timefulness: How Thinking Like A Geologist Can Help Save The World. Dave and Marcia embark on an epic journey into the depths of geologic time together, examining how the concept of "timelessness" can actually be detrimental to our understanding of the Earth's geochemical cycles -- especially that pesky one involving carbon that humans have been messing with for the past two centuries.

Two of our favorite experts on weather and climate return for this special discussion moderated by Dave. Both of them were on the frontlines of the worst extreme weather disasters of 2018.

Blue Dot continues its look back at the 50th anniversaries of the Apollo program with a look at the very first mission to the Moon -- Apollo 8. Considered by most space historians as the most dramatic and bold mission of the entire lunar program, astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders became the first human beings to leave ride the powerful Saturn V rocket, leave Earth's gravitational well and see the backside of the Moon with their own eyes.

Dave learns about fighting fire with fire in this episode as he talks to CSU Chico Professor of Geography Don Hankins. Dr. Hankins teaches a course called "Pyrogeography" examining the role of fire on both landscapes and the communities that inhabit them. Hankins is a firm believer in the importance of using prescribed burning techniques to control fuel loads and enhance the native ecology of areas throughout California that evolved with fire as a natural element of their ecosystems.