Casual Space

On this episode of Casual Space, Beth meets Ed Finn!

• Ed shares his origin story for how the Center for Science and Imagination got started at ASU when a great question is presented to the college president
• We review some of Ed's favorite movies that opened his mind to merge Hollywood with space and science exploration…
• We touch upon the recent The Boeing 737 Max as an AI story; what it means to trust the machine over the human

"Storytelling is one of our best tools for dealing with complexity."- Ed Finn

[At the Center for Science and the Imagination] We do this through story telling. We bring people together with many different backgrounds engineers, social science managers, ask them to come up with technically grounded compelling exciting stories about the world that we might live in… we do this in different media- theater, comic books, etc. …. From all over the world.

"The best thing about (reading/ writing) science fiction is not inhabiting other worlds, but inhabiting other people's lives."

"We're confronted with impossible situations all the time…We all confront these impossible things from time to time, this is how we learns, where we demonstrate our resilience, and adapt to something we never thought was going to be possible."

Great links to find more related to Ed Finn, his essays and books, and The Center for Science and the Imagination www.edfinn.net

Why Exploration Matters;

"Why do we go to Space Now? Not about technical challenges, but now the question is about, what are we going to do there, who's going to get to go, WHY are we going to go, and what is our global relationship to the things that are happening off of planet Earth?

When you start to think about space in that way, you can start to recognize what's meaningful. We will always want to explore, but what about all the other stuff…what about how we're going to LIVE in space? How are we going to have careers? All of these questions are economic, they're social, and they're about how we make meaning and dwell in the world and how we make our lives interesting. Space on it's own is spectacularly gorgeous (so I've heard), but it is empty. So it's what we bring, and what we make of it that will make it worthwhile. So we have to have good answers to that questions. Because if we don't, then it's never going to happen. We'll just end up staying here with all of the interesting complicated messes we have on this planet."

About Ed Finn:

Ed Finn is a writer, researcher, editor, speaker, and incorrigible experimentalist. He is the kind of person who writes poetry during boring meetings and always has extra snacks. He is the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. He is also an associate professor jointly appointed in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering (which is all one thing) and the Department of English (which is a different thing). He reads, writes, and owns a number of books, and he enjoys traveling, launching into conversation in languages he doesn't really know, and being a dad.

On this episode, Beth and Astrobiologist Dr. David Warmflash discuss his new book, Moon: An Illustrated History; From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow.

Here are some highlights from both the book and the Casual (Space) conversation:

• This new and different book about the moon includes images on every left side of the page, and illuminating text on every right side!

• Moon: An Illustrated History chronologically presents 100 milestones in the Moon's development and exploration. Starting 4.5 billion years ago when the Moon formed, David walks through hypotheses of the Moon's formation to sixth-century BCE predictions of solar eclipses, from the twentieth-century Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union to private space companies and possible future lunar colonies.

• Did you know there were lunar calendars as well as solar calendars?

• David shares how lunar brightness was used to estimate stellar distances; how advancing telescopes in the seventeenth century allowed us to eye the Moon more closely; how author Jules Verne inspired the Father of Astronautics; the originals of the Saturn V Moon Rocket and we bring it all back to the Apollo missions.

• The Moon formed billions of years ago, and humans have been enthralled with the Moon throughout history.

• The moon has a lot of resources that we can mine- silicon dioxide and we can genetically engineer opportunities to mine for water (ice) for all kinds of things- fuel, oxygen, etc.

• Now is the time for the Moon! There's the 50th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon, so we are all reminiscing.

• In his book, David highlights how the moon effected humanity before any technology was applied to the moon.

• The Moon meant a lot of different things to many ancient people. We take our best guess when we find ancient structures that help line up the lunar year and solar year. People worshiped the moon as a goddess. Agricultural societies would use a lunar calendar to help successfully plant and harvest during the year.

"Going to the moon will help everyone on Earth. The new mission to go back to the moon is named Artemins (the sister to Apollo). We can get energy from the moon and make things [on Earth] more sustainable." Dr. David Warmflash

About David Warmflash:

Dr. David Warmflash is an astrobiologist and prolific science writer. He was in the first cohort of NASA astrobiology postdoctoral trainees and served as a member of NASA's Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Science Definition Team. He has collaborated with The Planetary Society on three experiments that have flown in space, including "the peace experiment" that involved an Israeli and a Palestinian student working with Dr. Warmflash as co-investigators. He has published in scientific journals and popular science publications including Wired UK, Scientific American, Discover, Air and Space, Astronomy Magazine, and others. He contributed to the book George and the Blue Moon by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking, and was interviewed for an article in the Kansas City Star concerning the accuracy of the science in the sci-fi TV series Orphan Black.

Show Notes for Lance Bush

In the aftermath of the Challenger accident, the crew's families came together, firmly committed to the belief that they must carry on the spirit of their loved ones by continuing the Challenger crew's educational mission. Their efforts resulted in the creation of Challenger Center for Space Science Education.

Challenger Centers use space-themed simulated learning and role-playing strategies to help students bring their classroom studies to life and cultivate skills needed for future success, such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication and teamwork.

A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) education organization, Challenger Center reaches hundreds of thousands of students, and tens of thousands of teachers every year.

In his own words, Challenger Center CEO Lance Bush explains what a Challenger Center is, and how each center provides inspiration, in memory and in celebration of the Challenger crew, to students all over the world.

• With over 40 Challenger Centers throughout the United States and in 4 countries around the world, more than 5 million students have been encouraged and inspired to pursue STEM careers. Students who attend range from pre-K up to adult, but focus mainly on middle school students.
• When a student attends a center, they have to work together as a team and as individuals to "overcome anomalies" during their "missions" in order to achieve success…
• Alumni often write to the centers sharing their professional STEM career success based on their experiences that began at a Challenger Center. Some alumni are part of the biggest space companies in the US including Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, and NASA, and they pay it back- even as young professionals- come back to volunteer at their local Challenger Centers to impact future generations.
• Christa McAuliffe's lesson plans (Teacher in Space Mission) were recently flown on board the International Space Station, where NASA Astronauts Ricky Arnold and Joe Acaba completed her lessons, filmed them and are now currently available to download and implement for any classroom! https://www.challenger.org/challenger_lessons/christas-lost-lessons/

Key Takeaways:

• You never know where inspiration can be found for young students, who may be the next people on the Moon and Mars.
• The impact of the Challenger crew; Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judy Resnik, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Michael Smith and Ellison Onizuka continues through the work of the Challenger Center.
• Classroom Adventures take the mission experience from the Challenger Centers and bring them directly into the classroom, and will be available in 2020! https://www.challenger.org/what-we-do/#classroomAdventures

"I think I have one of the best jobs in the world, all because we (the Challenger Center team and staff) get to see the mission fly, and experience seeing the students come out of a mission high-fiving, then hearing teachers say they're much more motivated and engaged in the related STEM topics presented in the classroom as a result" -Lance Bush, Challenger Center CEO

About The Challenger Center(s):

About Challenger Center As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides more than 260,000 students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, increase engagement in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L.

Casual Space Show BONUS Links & Resources:

Website: Challenger.org

Facebook: @ChallengerCtr

Twitter: @ChallengerCtr

Christa's Lessons: Challenger.org/christa

STEM Resources: Challenger.org/stem-resources

Brian is an experienced test engineer in our nation's space and defense industry. He's worked to test and improve space suits, parachutes, and F-14's. Which makes Brian pretty damn cool.

Beth and Brian enjoyed talking:

Star Wars talk & who is the best villain (Emperor) Brian remembers the theater he saw Star Wars in.

Working in air traffic control software in Dallas, working on F-16 program at Lockheed Martin (just like his grandmother).

His grandmother also worked at Lockheed Martin, and could name cars on the road as well as planes in the sky.

Worked flight controls for Orion program at NASA and then moved into flight integration and test, and working the software side and vehicle testing

The opportunity to see either a test of the project you've been working on, or seeing shuttle launch live is an easy decision to make….

Beth and Brian discuss what a good day is in the world of testing spacecraft…

Close does count when you get within 500 feet to landing on the moon, in our opinion.

Brian explains why simply changing out spacesuits, or getting a new one for a spacewalk is complicated…

Key Takeaways:

Testing is a critical and necessary part of preparing for a mission to space, and even crashing into the surface of Mars can be a test result we can study and learn from

Life support systems for spacesuits are pretty basic, and yet so complicated. Just like the life support systems in your home, you want everything to work for you (waste, air, water) at the touch of a button, so you can focus on other things.

Spacesuits were designed and built decades ago, and we're still using them today. Testing and designing the new spacesuits is a fun and exciting part of Brian's job that we will get to see the results of in the next few years! Doing an EVA (Extracurricular Vehicle Activity=spacewalk).

"All the talk about going to the south pole (of the moon) in a few years...the people at the forefront of building another lunar EMU are US, at the Johnson Space Center! It's great!" -Brian Neuman

"A suit is really a little spaceship."

About Brian Neumann:

On paper, Brian is a Avionics Integration Systems Engineer for the Portable Life Support Systems. This means he works on NASA's spacesuits! Like most talented engineers, Brian's work is varied and extends to numerous cool projects. He's an experienced test engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the Defense & Space industry. Skilled in Integration and Test, Systems Engineering, and Flight Test.

Dr. Roden brings his Texas tales to share:

• His assessment whether or not Beth could be medically qualified for space flight
• Why increased exercise helps space travel
• How growing up on a west Texas ranch allowed him to become the perfect medic for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia
• How he works to support "rock star" NASA astronaut Christina Koch's 11-month mission on the International Space Station

Key Takeaways:

• Every astronaut can call their physician directly on the phone if needed- and every astronaut gets space sick (the space "funnies").
• Getting the astronauts back home and with their family is the main priority once they return from space
• The twin study results may predict one's (human) ability to travel to Mars or farther
• **Internships within the space industry are available NOW- go find one!

"If I can do it, anybody can do it. To go from cowboy to NASA flight surgeon- just don't give up! I failed multiple times! It was not an easy road. When opportunities arise, take advantage of them!" NASA Flight Surgeon Dr. Sean Roden Show Notes Bonus Links: Dr. Sean Roden's Bio on Texas Flying Doctors https://www.texasflyingdoctors.com/biography/

About Dr. Sean Roden:

Dr. Roden is a unique physician who cares about his patients' overall health. Dr. Roden is a world-renowned physician who has provided health care to many unique individuals, with adventurous lifestyles and done so in austere locations. Best known for his work as a NASA flight surgeon, he helped support and train many astronauts for both short and long duration missions to the NASA International Space Station. Early in his career, he worked with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Northern Territory Rural Health Department. He was selected as the expeditionary physician for the Admunson –Scott South Pole station for the austral summer of 2012-2013.He returned to UTMB/Wyle laboratories as a flight surgeon in 2013. He supported expedition 42 as deputy flight surgeon then was selected to be a NASA flight surgeon in clinical medical operations in 2015.

In this episode, Brian shares with Beth

• How his father took him to air shows, space museums and started the foundation of an influence in air and space exploration. Then Star Wars came out and changed everything.
• What it was like to work with Marvel and DC Comics right out of college!
• What it would look like if all the planets in the Star Wars universe had their own luggage tags!?
• Brian's favorite ride at Disney ever (it's NOT Space Mountain)...

Key Takeaways:

• Brian's art is inspired by travel posters, mission patches, and even NASA-based projects along with conversations he shares with Star Wars, Disney & aerospace fans that results in a multi-dimensional perspective reflected within his work.
• "The story that compels [me] is that sense of exploration, that sense of what could be..what's just beyond our grasp, and I'd like to think that other people are inspired by that as well. I like to pay homage to Gemini, Apollo and the space shuttle missions that look back into the past, too. Many of the innovations we enjoy now were from those previous programs. If anything I do inspires anyone to go into the spaceflight or aviation field, that could be the best compliment that could ever be paid to my artwork."

"My job as an illustrator is to fill in between the lines, which in Star Wars means to fill in the stories that happen between the stories we've already seen. The what-if's. The things that happen off film. That's what I enjoy dreaming up, and (I believe) we can all enjoy the shared secret." -Brian Miller

SHOW NOTE BONUS LINKS!

Brian Miller's Art can be found at Oktopolis.com

CASUAL SPACE LISTENERS can use the discount code BLASTOFF20 to save 20% off all Space Exploration artwork*.

*Thanks, Brian!

Learn About Disney's Role in the Space Race: https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-walt-disney-helped-promote-the-space-race-to-americ-1834585175

About Brian Miller

Brian Miller is the creator behind Oktopolis. Best known for his pop culture propaganda artwork Brian currently illustrates artwork for Star Wars, Doctor Who, The X-Files, Rick & Morty, Archer, and GI Joe as well as other popular characters from comics, film, television, and video games. Brian's illustrations can be found featured at major events like Star Wars Celebration, Epcot's International Festival of the Arts, San Diego Comic-Con International, and Disney's D23 Expo. Brian has also illustrated cover art for publishers like Disney, IDW, & Titan UK for graphic novels & comics.

Brian's love of spacecraft has lead to the launch of his Space Exploration series of posters inspired by NASA and historic space missions. Brian's fondness for adventure travel is reflected in his new International Parks Poster series where exotic destinations are reimagined in the style of vintage parks and travel posters.

Nick and Beth talk space specifics in this episode, including:

• Nick's fascinating job working on composite structures- inner stage and the fearing (nose cone) and payload attachment structures
• How quality control plays such a major part of the rocket creation process, and how much is hand made!
• Nick's interpretations on the culture of SpaceX, and how new ideas are tested & encouraged

Key Takeaways:

• SpaceX works to make us become a multi-planet species, so ideas, rockets and most things need to be big.
• The process of developing with engineers and technicians at SpaceX has allowed anyone with the experience to take the instructions & implement them... you don't necessarily have to be the most accredited
• What's next for SpaceX and Nick's future?!

"We want to make a giant rocket that will get us to Mars, and become a multi-planet species." SpaceX Engineer Nick Hansen

SHOW NOTES & Bonus Links!

About SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/about SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket: https://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket: https://www.spacex.com/falcon9 What's inside the fearing of a SpaceX Rocket? THIS IS ONE OF BETH's MOST FAVORITE VIDEOS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FZIwabctw The Case for Mars (according to SpaceX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=18&v=Ndpxuf-uJHE

Professor Kristen Thompson and Loras College student Audrey Miller share with Beth:

• Why there was a need to improve the Hientkamp Planetarium at Loras College
• How a select group of honors students raised funding for a new projector
• Why the planetarium is an important part of both the college and the community
• How a man traveled all the way from Israel on the coldest day of the year to install the new projector

Key Takeaways:

• Never judge a planetarium by it's outside appearance… people are astonished when they come inside!
• The story of the stars can be told through history, different cultures, and from different perspectives
• Planetariums & observatories can be found everywhere- you don't have to go far to be inspired!

"[From the outside] you see such a different shape, and then you step inside and you feel like you're in a TARDIS and there's no limit to where we can go! We can visit Saturn, we can stand under the rings and look up at the rings. You can watch a sunset on Mars, we can go anywhere in the galaxy we have data for, and with the dome, we have our own IMAX theater!" Loras College Professor Kristen Thompson

SHOW NOTE BONUS LINKS!

Facebook page for the Loras College Planetarium: Heitkamp Planetarium at Loras College Loras College Magazine feature article about the planetarium and project: https://www.loras.edu/news/a-stellar-honors-project/ About the NASA National Space Grant and Fellowship Project:https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/spacegrant/home/index.html

About Kristen Thompson and Audrey Miller:

Audrey Miller is a senior in the Loras College honors program, and looks forward to studying astrochemistry or astrophysics in grad school soon! Kristen Thompson, Ph.D is the Associate Professor of Engineering at Loras College. Dr. Thompson earner her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin Madison where she studied Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV). Before attending graduate school she worked at IBM as a Manufacturing Engineer processing printed circuit boards. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is originally from the far west suburbs of Chicago. Her research interests continue to lie within the field of virology. We all think she should rename a popular physics class "Powerful Ideas for Physical Science" to "Physics for Poets."

In this episode, Beth and Chad geek out about:

• Impressions from the Star Wars Celebration event in Chicago- what it IS and what it was like to be among the 70,00+ attendees
• Chad shares an amazing story of how storm trooper fans in costume made it into a real Star Wars production
• Collectibles! Art! Costumes! Comics! Tattoos? AND What Star Wars tattoo Chad would get..
• Presentations! Panel and breakout discussions! Chad shares highlights from the artists, producers, and creators who gave behind-the scenes perspectives!
• Find out who Beth selects when she goes out with her "girls" from the galaxy
• STAR WARS EPISODE 9: The Rise of Skywalker PREVIEW! We weigh in on the FIRST time the trailer was ever released LIVE

Key Takeaways:

• What's the secret to a 40+ year success? Star Wars is a timeless narrative for everyone.
• Everyone can relate to a Star Wars character.
• May the force be with you!

"Everyone who sees Star Wars sees something of themselves within the story." Beth

SHOW NOTE BONUS LINKS

https://www.starwarscelebration.com

All things official Star Wars: https://www.starwars.com/ Star Wars YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/starwars Star Wars KIDS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/starwarskids My favorite Star Wars podcast, "Collider Jedi Council" https://www.podcastone.com/collider-jedi-council and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLBBpy2HHCU&list=PLayt6616lBcnqEWU6U0D8I95SUiqVU3DR

About Beth and Chad: Beth & Chad have seen every Star Wars movie in addition to several animated series and select comics. They never really lived, however, until they attended the Star Wars Celebration. If you were to visit Beth and Chad on December 20, 2019…don't. They will be in the theater. Watching Episode 9. Maybe the next day, too.

In this episode, Beth and Stuart laugh about:

• The stories from his family that helped inspire him to write "hard sci-fi"
• Why going to the moon was really expensive and incredible
• How writing allows you to learn about people and about yourself

Key Takeaways:

• Becoming an award-winning sci-fi writer didn't happen overnight, but when it happened… wow!
• Science can't answer everything, but reality is the standard

"All stories are about people. I look for what fits my technical knowledge, but mostly I look for characters." "Anybody who can't take rejection, should not be in a creative field." "As a science fiction author, my primary goal in a story is to reveal the reader, and learn something about yourself."

About C. Stuart Hardwick:

Stuart Hardwick is a winner of the prestigious Writers of the Future contest and the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. His work regularly appears in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, as well as Galaxy's Edge, Forbes.com and Mental Floss, among others. A southerner from South Dakota, Stuart grew up creating radio dramas and animated shorts before moving on to robots and ill-conceived flying machines. He's worked with the creators of the video game Doom, married an aquanaut, and trained his dog to pull a sled. Stuart studied writing at U.C. Berkeley, lives in Houston, and has been known to wear a cape. For more information and a free signed e-sampler, visit www.cStuartHardwick.com.