Weekly Space Hangout - Guest: Dr. Katie Mack - The End of Everything

https://youtu.be/Z0Xdo84G648 Welcome to the Season Premiere for the new season of the Weekly Space Hangout! We had a productive – and yes, restful – two months during our hiatus, but it is great to be back with everyone! Host: Fraser Cain ( @fcain )Special Guest: For tonight's season premiere, we are excited to welcome Astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack to the show. Katie has just released her first book, "The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)", in which she takes readers on a "tour of five universe-ending possibilities proposed by cosmologists, narrating each with a wit and humor that will—almost—make you forget about what the end times means for us."   Katie is a theoretical astrophysicist exploring a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, where she is also a member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster.   Throughout her career she has studied dark matter, the early universe, galaxy formation, black holes, cosmic strings, and the ultimate fate of the cosmos. Alongside her academic research, she is an internationally recognized writer and communicator. She has been published in a number of popular outlets such as Scientific American, Slate, Sky & Telescope, and Cosmos Magazine, where she is a columnist, and she has recently been named a TED2020 Fellow.   To learn more about Katie, visit her personal website http://www.astrokatie.com and you can find her on Twitter as @AstroKatie.   For more information about The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), including how to order your own copy, visit http://www.astrokatie.com/book Regular Guests: Beth Johnson - SETI Institute ( @SETIInstitute / @planetarypan ) Allen Versfeld ( http://www.urban-astronomer.com / @uastronomer ) Veranika (Nika) Klimovich ( @veranikaspace / Pictame: @nika_klim ) This week's stories: - New NASA SRB booster test. - Torn planetary rings in a triple star system. - A gigantic search for aliens.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/ Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].