SP3: Space, Sports, Spectroscopy

Do you enjoy visiting your nearest neighbors? For us, we haven't since 1994. That seems like a long time. So NASA has decided to change that by selecting 2 standalone Venus missions for development. DAVINCI+ and VERITAS have been chosen from NASA's Discovery Program and will be sent to Venus to study its atmosphere and surface features. Venus really is Earth's sister planet and it's similar yet so vastly different in so many ways. Let's talk about why Venus is such and interesting place to study and why it should not have taken this long to get some missions to focus on the planet. Plus, let's talk about the other 2 missions that were not selected that would have focused on 2 very interesting moons in our solar system, Jupiter's moon Io and Neptune's moon Triton. Image of Venus from NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it flew by Venus.

Happy birthday to the show! Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to listen to this show. I truly appreciate all of you! It's been about a year since the show was launched so why not take a look back at what we have talked about over the past year. It's been quite an exciting year across space, sports, spectroscopy, and chemistry so let's recap what we have talked about. And I can't leave you without any new research! Let's talk about the discovery of some fairly complex organic molecules in a cold, dark interstellar dust cloud. Image from NASA.

The NFL Draft is a time when teams can fill the needs that become apparent during the season. It's also a time where teams like the Jets get their next franchise player and hope that he leads them to a Superbowl. And that means the Zach Wilson era has officially begun for the Jets! Let's talk about the other surprises, trades, and players taken during the draft too because there were some massive moves being made. Image from Sports Illustrated.

History has been made! The first controlled, powered flight on another planet! And this was all done by the Ingenuity helicopter that hitched a ride on the Perseverance rover. A real Wright Brothers moment! Let's talk about what Ingenuity is attempting to demonstrate flying in the thin atmosphere on Mars and how it's accomplishing this. Also, let's talk about that historic first flight. Image of Ingenuity's shadow on the surface of Mars taken by Ingenuity during its historic first flight from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Do you watch courtroom dramas on TV? Have you tried one of those family genealogy tests? Have you ever been tested for COVID? If you answered yes to at least one of these, then you have been exposed to a PCR test. This is used to test for DNA or RNA in a sample acquired from the field. Whether that's a person or an environmental site. But how does it work and what are some of the common variations of the PCR test that are utilized today? Let's break it down so you know what happening after that swab is removed from your nose. Image from Time Magazine.

Chemistry is one of those subjects where getting your hands dirty and doing the research with the necessary chemicals and materials in the lab drives some of the biggest advances. And when you get in there, sometimes you find some unexpected. Something that can change commonly taught concepts, something that hasn't been seen before, or something that could change how we impact our environment. Even something new about one of the basic building blocks of all matter. Check out all of this interesting chemistry that can be very impactful and prepare to learn something new! Image of the einsteinium complex from Nature.

Throughout history, women have contributed significantly in every facet of life. And STEM fields are no different. On this episode, let's talk about some very important women, past and present, that have impacted space science as well as chemistry. Highlighting these women will, hopefully, inspire the next generation of girls to pursue careers in STEM fields. Having diverse and inclusive thoughts and discussions will only give us better solutions to the problems we face. Image from youthareawesome.com.

Will your favorite team have the same starting quarterback next season? Now that the Superbowl is over, this triggers the offseason for the NFL. And it seems like there was a memo going around requiring teams to change their starting quarterbacks. Lots of player movement had already taken place and a lot more seems to be in the works. MLB has been in offseason mode since the World Series ended but huge trades of their own took place around the same time as all of these NFL trades. Let's talk about some of the huge trades that have happened or will likely happen across the NFL and MLB. Plus, let's talk about some of the rule changes that MLB will be implementing during the 2021 season. Image from USA Today.

We did it! Absolutely incredible and awe inspiring! Teams around the world have successfully guided three completely different probes to Mars and they all arrived within the last week and a half. Hope from the United Arab Emirates, Tianwen-1 from China, and Perseverance from NASA are all set to begin their missions learning more about the Red Planet. Let's talk about what each probe/orbiter/rover will accomplish during their missions, including the Ingenuity helicopter. And let's not forget the seven minutes of terror that Perseverance endured to reach the surface safely. Also, let's talk about new chlorine chemistry discovered in the atmosphere of Mars and an update on the phosphine that may have been discovered in the atmosphere of Venus. Image of Mars from Hope just after reaching orbit.

This pandemic is still ongoing, but that doesn't mean we should sit on our laurels with the two vaccines that are approved. We need more safe and effective vaccines so that more people can get vaccinated quicker. Luckily we are getting closer to more vaccines being approved. But they utilize different technologies to reach the same endpoint. So let's talk about 3 new vaccines that are awaiting approval in the US. Who is making them? How do they work? And how effective are they at preventing you from getting sick with COVID?