Big Picture Science

Life in the Solar System

05.29.2023 - By SETI InstitutePlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Spewing lava and belching noxious fumes, volcanoes seem hostile to biology. But the search for life off-Earth includes the hunt for these hotheads on other moons and planets, and we tour some of the most imposing volcanoes in the Solar System. 

Plus, a look at how tectonic forces reshape bodies from the moon to Venus to Earth. And a journey to the center of our planet reveals a surprising layer of material at the core-mantle boundary. Find out where this layer was at the time of the dinosaurs and what powerful forces drove it deep below.

Guests:

Samantha Hansen – Geologist at the University of Alabama

Paul Byrne – Associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Robin George Andrews – Science journalist and author of “Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond”

Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake

Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact [email protected] to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.

You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!

 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More episodes from Big Picture Science