We welcomed guest Bryant Cruz, founder of New Sapience, a company developing artificial intelligence technology that processes language in a fundamentally different way from traditional models such as ChatGPT and GROK. New Sapience’s approach involves building internal models of the world that mirror human knowledge, allowing their AI to reason and understand more like a person rather than relying on statistical language patterns.As we started the interview, I offered Bryant a quick summary of the key difference in New Sapience’s technology compared to a traditional AI company in that New Sapience does not rely on statistical word associations like current mainstream AI models. Instead, as then explained by Bryant, their system creates an internal, structured representation of knowledge—more akin to how humans comprehend and retrieve information. He emphasized that while models like ChatGPT often produce plausible responses, their accuracy can be misleading, and users should be cautious when relying on them for critical tasks. Read the full summary of this program at www.thespaceshow.com for this program on this date, July 11, 2025. You can also read the summary on our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com.

Our program centered on the Viking life detection experiments on Mars and their broader implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. Our guest, Dr. Steven Benner, delved into topics including synthetic biology, paleogenetics, and the potential for current and future Mars missions to detect life. The conversation also addressed the capabilities and limitations of genetic engineering technologies such as CRISPR, along with the conditions required for life to exist on Mars and other planets. Following co-host Bill’s introduction of Dr. Benner, our conversation transitioned into a discussion of paleogenetics. Dr. Benner explained how ancient proteins can be inferred and resurrected using techniques analogous to those used in historical linguistics. These approaches allow scientists to better understand the evolution of life and the environmental conditions of early Earth. Drawing on his extensive background in paleogenetics, bioinformatics, astrobiology, and synthetic biology—with significant contributions to medical applications, Dr. Benner offered valuable insights into the Viking life detection experiments. Read the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this program and date plus at Substack, doctorspace.substack.com

John and I welcomed Dr. Marchi from the SWRI in Boulder, CO to discuss his work pertaining to "The shaping of terrestrial planets by late accretions." You can review his Nature Review paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08970-8. Briefly, he and his co-author examine the "disproportionate role of the last approximately 1% of planetary growth, or late accretion, in controlling the long-term evolution of the Earth and other terrestrial planets. Late accretion may have been responsible for shaping Earth’s distinctive geophysical and chemical properties and generating pathways conducive to prebiotic chemistry." During our discussion with Dr. Marchi he explained why the last 1% was so vital in the formation of Venus, Mars and Earth. Also Mercury but his comments on Mercury were a bit different. We talked about impacts being similar in nature but since each rocky planet was different, the consequences of the impacts were different. He said they were random, atmospheres made a difference and even shaped some of the consequences. Don't miss his comments about the dinosaurs and their extinction event, the role of luck, and the fact that we need to be looking for exoplanets not just for an Earth twin but also a similar impact history to Earth. When asked about our TRL for being able to do that, well, we have much to learn. In the second half John asked his usual question about having an unlimited budget. don't miss what he had to say about Venus as a priority in this four minute segment. Read the full version of this summary at www.thespaceshow.com and doctorspace.substack.com.

pending

John and I talked with Doug Messier for a single Hotel Mars program on SpaceX launches, the latest with Starship, including troubleshooting recent launch failures. Doug also talked costs, testing, technical problems, and timelines going forward for essential SpaceX and Starship related programs. Doug reviewed Block 1,2, and 3 for Super Heavy though he said things were not yet clear fro Block 3. Doug was asked about an ongoing risk for debris falling on populated areas. Don't miss his comment on this potential risk factor given he said they had a very thin and narrow needed to fly through over the Gulf. See the review on TSS site for this show and on our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com.

Dr. Young Bae was our guest for this Zoom program to discuss fusion energy possibilities. We began our discussion with Dr. Bae with a focus on nuclear fusion power and space propulsion. The conversation covered Dr. Bae’s research career, the challenges in developing fusion technology, and potential applications for space. We aimed to conclude with a consensus that both fusion and thorium-based fission could play key roles in future space propulsion, while fission would likely remain the more viable option for terrestrial energy needs. At the start of the program, I reminded listeners of the importance of financially supporting The Space Show, as it is 100% listener-funded. Please see the large Pay Pal button in the middle of the right side of our home page, www.thespaceshow.com.

We welcomed Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society to discuss what is termed the Skinny Budget cutting NASA programs and science. Casey went through the issues and concerns in detail. You can hear the audio archives on our website and our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com. The video will also be archived on our Substack page.

We welcomed Dr. Ersilia Vaudo to the program from Paris, France to discuss her book, "The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions." This was a fascinating discussion. It is audio archived both on The Space Show site and our Substack site, doctorspace.substack.com plus our video of the interview is also on Substack. I encourage you to watch the video rather than just listen to the program. Your comments are welcome on our blog and on Substack. The full program summary is on both TSS site and our Substack page.

The Space Show hosted a discussion with Dr. Saralyn Mark, focusing on space medicine, human spaceflight, and the challenges of long-duration space travel. The conversation covered topics such as the impact of space on human health, advancements in space technology, and the potential for space research to benefit medical treatments on Earth. Dr. Mark emphasized the importance of international collaboration, ethical considerations, and continued funding for space exploration to address challenges and unlock new possibilities for human health and space colonization. See the full summary at both www.thespaceshow.com for this program and the same on our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com.

This program sustained serious audio issues.My apologies.

Dr. Karen Lloyd, author of INTRATERRESTRIALS: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth, joined us for a 63-minute program to explore some of the most bizarre life forms on our planet—organisms that live hundreds to thousands of feet below the Earth's surface. Much of her research focuses on microbial life discovered via deep-sea submersibles like ALVIN. Please see the summary on our website or Substack page for full program details. Thank you.