Pocket Science

No event in our planet's history tops the arrival of our moon - and perhaps no other event is as debated. This episode, we'll dive into not only the biggest scientific theories of its arrival, but also how modern science can help us unravel its complex and explosive history.

Additional Topics Include: A bubble space habitat, why butter sticks are sticks, and pocket-sized nuclear batteries

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Space: the vast, open unknown - or is it? Over 60 years of space activities have resulted in over 30,000 tracked objects in orbit. What's even more dangerous are the millions of untraceable objects orbiting fast enough to obliterate anything in their path. As more collisions cause an exponential rise in fragments, could our orbits become impassable, or will insane engineering save the skies - and our future?

Additional topics include: The origin of cordless power tools, the best place to spread your ashes, and how to ransom a GoPro.

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This week, Jud, AJ, and guest Nate Pinto get a close look at all the rocky debris filling up our solar system. They'll explain the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors, and see what they can tell us about space history. Plus, they'll discuss the rarity and destructive power of a collision with Earth, and whether we could stop an incoming rock - or even see it coming...

Additional Topics Include: A new Star Wars movie, the fastest man-made object, and what makes a planet a "dwarf" planet.

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In 1998, construction started on one of the most ambitious international projects of all time. Now two decades later, it continues to bring us life-altering science and technology.

This week, Jud and AJ will explore how its in-orbit assembly went off (mostly) without a hitch. Then, they'll discuss their favorite products and achievements that have resulted from the stations thousands of experiments.

Additional Topics Include: A new super-sonic passenger aircraft, "knocker-uppers", Febreze, and if a bird can fly in zero-Gs.

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This week, Vincent Ledvina, an aurora scientist all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska joins Jud and AJ to explore the Northern Lights. They'll learn how they appear, why solar weather is a threat to Earth, and what the approaching solar maximum could entail. Plus, tune in to hear how you can see the aurora yourself, and how the pictures on your camera roll might just make you a scientist.

Additional Topics Include: Living with 3 hours of sunlight, why some flights can't take polar routes, and who - or what - is STEVE?

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to get strapped into a 4.4 million pound rocket? This week, all your listener-submitted questions are answered by none other than Clayton Anderson, a former NASA astronaut who completed multiple missions to the ISS. The team will dive into everything about his journey from one horrible intern experience to seeing the Earth out the window.

Additional topics include: astronaut diapers, "the bends", and a world-record underwater surgery.

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Most of us feel in control of our actions on a daily basis - but what if we're not actually in the drivers seat? Inspired by Stanford's Robert Sapolsky, AJ and special guest host Nate Pinto take a stab at the mystery of free will - should we still take credit for our accomplishments? For our mistakes? Was recording this episode even our choice?...

Additional Topics Include: the world's longest coughing fit, why doing your homework could make you famous, and free parental advice.

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This week, Jud and AJ break down this year's (2023) Nobel Prizes and the impact that this ground-breaking science will have. They'll cover new vaccine advances in medicine, the new fastest lasers in physics, and "quantum dots" in chemistry. Plus, they'll include some pretty insane history surrounding the prizes along the way.

Additional Topics Include: New discoveries about oceans near Earth's core, why you don't have telekinesis, and a timeless debate: fruit- or chocolate-flavored candy?

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This week, Jud and AJ highlight two huge asteroid exploration missions from NASA: The OSIRIS-REx mission, and the Psyche mission. First, they'll dive into how the OSIRIS-REx sample is rewriting the history of life on the planet. Later, they explore how the Psyche mission will give us a look at our planet's core - or generate more money than the entire global economy.

Additional Topics Include: The pareto distribution, a brand new space laser communication system, and what swearing says about you.

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This episode, Jud, AJ, and special guest Dr. Tim Cullinan ask a big question: why do things in our universe...change? Nothing in our universe is static, and the team will explore how "entropy" causes all sorts of phenomena in our daily lives - and what it has to do with the beginning and end of all things.

Additional Topics Include: Recent NASA work, why equilibrium doesn't exist, and some of the most elegant equations.

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