Universe Today Podcast

BONUS PART START AT 28:49

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4caOfg5K8Is

Little Red Dots are one of the biggest mysteries from JWST so far. They could be galaxies. They could be supermassive black holes. But they also could be supermassive stars. In fact, this suggestion could help solve another big cosmological mystery about globular clusters. More details on that in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Dr. John Chisholm https://www.chisholmjohn.com/

📜 Little Red Dots as Globular Clusters in Formation https://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.15935

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:41 Finding LRDs in JWST data

• 07:05 Probably not black holes

• 13:08 Globular clusters as possible descendants

• 18:56 The evidence for supermassive stars

• 28:49 Deepest JWST image yet

• 42:59 Current obsessions

• 45:10 Final thoughts

How does Vera Rubin's data stream work? Why are there data brokers and what's their function? Who can use the data and how you can do that? How will the discoveries be made and who will have naming rights? Finding the answers in this interview.

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VKrpJODdEM0

🟣 Guest: Dr. Tom Matheson

https://antares.noirlab.edu/

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:34 How Rubin's data pipeline works

• 04:41 Data brokers

• 08:45 Who can access the data

• 10:02 How discoveries will work

• 15:55 How can one tap in the data

• 21:46 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 21:25

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bqeK-3s-y1s

Starshades for ground-based telescopes, DART proved that asteroids share material, a new way to measure the age of the Universe, Webb sees Jupiter’s auroras. And in Space Bites+, how Dyson Spheres and Stellar Engines could be stable.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:18 Starshades for Telescopes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/starshade-concept-could-reveal-earth-like-exoplanets

• 03:38 Proba-3's problems https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Work_ongoing_to_restore_contact_with_Proba-3_s_Coronagraph

• 05:19 More from DART https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-find-the-first-direct-evidence-of-binary-asteroids-sharing-material

• 08:28 New way to measure the age of the Universe https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-answer-is-written-in-the-stars

• 11:51 JWST Reveals Surprises in Jupiter’s Auroras https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-reveals-some-puzzling-surprises-in-jupiters-northern-aurora

• 13:13 New Findings About The Sun https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-that-never-flips

• 14:57 Sun's Heartbeat https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-has-a-heartbeat 16:34 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 17:11 This Could be Masking The Signals from Aliens https://www.universetoday.com/articles/aliens-might-have-their-radio-signals-blurred-by-their-stars-solar-wind

• 19:09 Detecting Binary SMBHs Without Gravitational Waves https://www.universetoday.com/articles/looking-for-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-with-a-flash-of-starlight

• 20:40 Cosmic Hawk https://www.universetoday.com/articles/vlt-image-captures-a-cosmic-hawk-spanning-its-wings

• 21:25 Stabe Dyson Spheres https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-study-says-theres-a-way-to-make-dyson-bubbles-and-stellar-engines-stable

• 22:49 Thoughts on YouTube Premium

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:13

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zWkaeakf4Mg

Which different types of astronomers exist? If Mars flat? Is there a gravitational limit for planets? And in Q&A+, could other civilizations be frozen in time?

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:23 [@paigepotter4682] How do telescopes decide where to look?

• 03:34 [@drZab] How can neutrinos from a supernova arrive faster than light?

• 07:05 [@luboinchina3013] Is there a gravitational limit for planets to launch rockets from?

• 10:01 [@RP1_4breakfast] is Mars flat too?

• 10:31 [@fstrelniece] Which flavours do Astronomers come in?

• 12:37 [@Justchris6436] Would the perception of us from far away be the same?

• 13:34 [@silasmiller4417] How powerful could gravitational waves get on earth?

• 15:13 [@bryce.lochlan] Could most civilizations we see still be frozen in a time before they even evolved?

• 18:37 Outro

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:15

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iVoz7HnPp1k

What will Vera Rubin find? Can life on Tau Ceti be found? Why do we find galaxies of different age at same angular size? And in Q&A+, which is the closest planet we could find life at?

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:25 [@pete.runde.j] Will Vera Rubin find planet 9?

• 02:03 [@joshmiller7870] Is Vera Rubin currently scanning in the direction we suspect Planet 9 might be?

• 04:29 [@PerryM-vy4fe] Can Vera Rubin find a terrestrial world at Tau Ceti?

• 05:55 [@FLPhotoCatcher] Why do interferometers need insane time sync?

• 10:34 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Why can very different galaxies look the same in a telescope?

• 14:15 [@jackseabranch7960] Which is the closest star system that might contain intelligent life?

• 17:26 Outro

We built a search engine that allows us to search through all the Questions Shows we've recorded to look for specific topics. It turns out that black holes were the most searched-for topic, so we decided... let's make a supercut of all 300, spanning 10 years of my life, running 10 hours long. Was it a good idea? Insanity? We're beyond that point now. So busy wondering if we could, we never stopped to ask if we should. Nor will we... ever.

So now, you have the perfect machine to fall asleep to. Forever. An actual human, droning on until the heat death of the Universe. It will drive you mad, and yet, you might see the truth of the cosmos.

The only way past is through. Proceed into the black hole... with caution.

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:01:37 2016

• 00:22:19 2017

• 01:19:52 2018

• 01:48:06 2019

• 02:34:38 2020

• 03:20:29 2021

• 04:23:07 2022

• 05:47:14 2023

• 06:58:01 2024

• 08:28:32 2025

• 09:35:21 2026

BONUS PART STARTS AT 01:10:56

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0R3ykUkxH5M

👉 My previous interview with Dr Lee Feinberg https://youtu.be/eXchT7mtEao

How's James Webb doing? What's the state of the Habitable Worlds Observatory and when can we realistically expect it to launch? What is the LIFE observatory and what new tech will it bring? Finding out in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Lee Fienberg

📜 Habitable Worlds Observatory's Concept and Technology Maturation: Initial Feasibility and Trade Space Exploration https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.11803

• 00:00:00 Intro

• 00:02:54 Meet Lee Feinberg

• 00:03:39 State of JWST

• 00:13:28 Habitable Worlds Observatory

• 00:33:47 Finding planets vs Observing planets

• 00:43:28 Timeframe for HWO

• 00:58:12 LIFE Telescope

• 01:10:56 Quantum telescopes

• 01:21:51 Current obsessions

• 01:26:08 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 20:43

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the moon in 2032. Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought. New ways to measure the expansion rate of the universe. And in Space Bites Plus, even tardigrades struggle in Martian Regolith.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:16 Moon slam's not happening https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/Asteroid_2024_YR4_will_not_impact_the_Moon

• 01:43 Interplanetary Habitable Zone https://www.universetoday.com/articles/introducing-the-interplanetary-habitable-zone

• 04:39 We Were Wrong About Jupiter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jupiter-is-smaller-and-flatter-than-previously-thought

• 06:23 Most Detailed Radio Map of the Universe Ever https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-lofar-telescope-produces-the-most-detailed-radio-map-of-the-universe-ever

• 08:10 New Ways to Measure Cosmic Expansion https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-device-a-new-way-to-measure-cosmic-expansion-with-lensed-supernovae

• 10:15 Measuring Expansion with Gravitational Waves https://www.universetoday.com/articles/illinois-and-uchicago-physicists-develop-a-new-method-for-measuring-cosmic-expansion

• 13:37 Senate Approves Artemis Changes. Gives ISS 2 More Years https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/the-us-senate-empowers-nasa-to-fully-engage-in-lunar-space-race/

• 15:57 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 16:26 Alien Megastructures on The H-R Diagram https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-coldest-stars-in-the-galaxy-might-actually-be-alien-megastructures

• 18:19 Just Like The Martian https://www.universetoday.com/articles/growing-future-meals-in-space-will-require-human-waste

• 19:46 Euclid and Hubble Team Up https://www.universetoday.com/articles/cosmic-collaboration-euclid-and-hubble-team-up-to-capture-the-cats-eye-nebula

• 20:43 Bonus Topic https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-toughest-animals-in-the-universe-just-got-a-new-job

• 22:42 Something Big's Coming

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:37

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/olJR9OPYXbo

What are the plans for the next space station? What type of Europan life could Europa Clipper detect? Could we spot the rotation of our supercluster? And in Q&A+, is the Moon necessary for life?

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:25 [@meesalikeu] What are plans for the next ISS?

• 02:36 [@wainr777able] Which life Europa Clipper could find?

• 07:10 [@doogle4144] Could we see the rotation of our supercluster?

• 09:45 [@willstack6188] Antimatter engines for interstellar travel

• 13:28 [@nitstyles13] How will the SGL telescope work?

• 16:12 [@hangmann747tinmann8] Would systems like Jupiter survive the heat death of the Universe?

• 17:37 [@shashilwow] How crucial is the Moon for life?

• 19:30 Outro

This is an episode of John Michael Godier's Event Horizon show that we did together.

YouTube version on JMG's channel: https://youtu.be/RCiEXChXokI

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:16

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Jr32qD9WwjE

How close is too close for a dangerous supernova? Can we realistically hitch a ride on an interstellar object? Is there radiation coming from dark matter rich areas? And in Q&A+, are there multiple dark matters and dark energies?

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:25 [@KnownUnknown-i8r] Interactions between neutrinos and dark matter

• 05:03 [@Justchris6436] Is there any more or less radiation in areas we suspect have "more" dark matter?

• 07:22 [@DartmanX] What is the safe distance from a Type 1a supernova?

• 10:18 [@gangsterdaddy510] Do type 1A supernovas destroy their companion?

• 11:33 [@aeroskiff] Can we hitch a ride on a interstellar object?

• 13:16 [@hangmann747tinmann8] Can we use an interstellar object as a shield?

• 14:16 [@p0tatobiden350] Is there multiple Dark Matters and Dark Energies?

• 15:00 SpaceX orbital data centres plans

SpaceX is pivoting towards the Moon from Mars. Big part of it is because they now want to build data centres in space. And on the Moon. Is it a good idea? Can it work? Actually, it just might.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Casey Handmer https://terraformindustries.com

📜 I guess we’re doing Moon factories now https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/i-guess-were-doing-moon-factories-now/

Technology Connections' video mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQ9nt2ZeGM

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 20:50

🔭 Interview with Vera Rubin' Program Director Dr. Edward Ajhar: https://youtu.be/HQKswmYpxKE

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

Vera Rubin is operational! A star turned directly into a black hole and another exploded as a supernova. New images of Uranus from Webb. And in Space Bites+, scanning K2-18b for signals from intelligent civilizations.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:18 Vera Rubin is operational https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2605/?lang 03:05 Star goes un-nova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/no-supernova-needed-this-star-collapsed-directly-into-a-black-hole

• 05:31 Dark Matter Galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hubble-and-euclid-team-up-to-identify-a-dark-matter-galaxy

• 07:48 JWST Peeping Inside Uranus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-digs-into-the-uranian-ionosphere

• 08:40 Sun-Like Star Bubble https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-telescope-spots-a-young-sun-like-star-inflating-its-astrosphere

• 10:50 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 11:47 NASA Updates https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-is-preparing-to-roll-artemis-ii-rocket-back-into-the-hangar

• 14:36 Big restructuring for Artemis

• 16:03 Search for Exomoons Continues https://www.universetoday.com/articles/exomoons-could-reveal-themselves-through-lunar-eclipses

• 17:29 Supernova Progenitor Hid Behind a Thick Veil of Carbon Dust https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-supernova-progenitor-hid-behind-a-surprisingly-thick-veil-of-carbon-dust

• 18:32 Jellyfish galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/another-early-universe-surprise-from-the-jwst-a-jellyfish-galaxy

• 19:26 Cosmic Brain https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-cosmic-brain-as-seen-by-the-jwst

• 20:50 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/are-there-aliens-broadcasting-from-hycean-world-k2-18b-astronomers-just-listened-in

• 22:43 More space news

• 22:19 What I learned from a recent interview

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:21

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dTMAWvRteaQ

How weathered are the Voyagers by now? Did we already start building the Dyson sphere? What should we expect from the Extremely Large Telescope? And in Q&A+, why do we prefer L2 Lagrange point for our telescopes?

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:24 [@Sora._Cloud] Is Parker doing well?

• 03:44 [@Lothian53] Does Dyson sphere need to feed power to Earth?

• 05:33 [@paulwilson1529] How weathered are the Voyagers?

• 08:03 [@madmillion91920110] What to expect from ELT?

• 11:18 [@stevenlewis7669] Shouldn't we be sending robotic scouts to the Moon?

• 14:55 [@jimmirow] Is there mold on the ISS?

• 17:21 [@lclaurindo] Why send telescopes to L2?

AI data centers are a hot topic for a lot of space companies. That includes SpaceX who have applied for putting a million satellites into orbit. So, is this a genius idea that will put more money into space exploration and boost orbital infrastructure? Or are we all cooked when the bubble will burst?

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qwO0NKAIbqA

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:37 [@mrspaceman2764] How screwed up are we?

• 10:38 [@jpietersen519] How would Moon-made satellites circularise their orbits?

• 16:59 [@darthex0] Will orbital data centers shade the Earth?

• 19:43 Celebrating 400 Q&A episodes!

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 21:18

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a7TO-LHCCI4

The source of a powerful cosmic ray, did the late heavy bombardment actually happen? Did Titan create Saturn’s Rings? And James Webb is going to pin down the future orbit of YR4. And in Space Bites+, we might be able to intercept 3I/ATLAS.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:18 Amaterasu Particles https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-continue-to-trace-the-origin-of-the-mysterious-amaterasu-cosmic-ray-particle

• 03:18 Doubts for Late Heavy Bombardment https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-lunar-samples-challenge-the-late-heavy-bombardment

• 06:58 Possible Origin of Titan and Saturn’s Ring https://www.universetoday.com/articles/an-ancient-merger-could-have-created-titan-and-the-debris-created-saturns-rings

• 08:48 Fading Star https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-mystery-of-the-fading-star

• 10:27 Bennu Samples Continue to Deliver Science https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-make-a-game-changing-find-in-the-bennu-asteroid

• 12:19 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 13:13 Rotten Eggs and Exoplanets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-rotten-eggs-solved-an-exoplanet-mystery

• 15:38 Auroras on Ganymede https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/news/university-of-liege-scientists-reveal-similarities

• 16:55 The Heart of Mira A’s Latest Outburst https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-get-to-the-heart-of-mira-as-latest-outburst

• 18:40 JWST to Observe

• YR4 19:33 Succesful Artemis II WDR https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/02/19/nasa-begins-artemis-ii-launch-pad-ops-after-successful-fuel-test/

• 21:18 BONUS PART: Catching up with 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-concept-for-catching-up-with-3iatlas

• 23:20 Making money on YouTube

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:54

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JHFXyJmaHbw

Could we spot a black hole approaching us? Is the Moon just a distraction on the way to Mars? Why don't we see other stars' Oort clouds? And in Q&A+, can the make it rain on Mars?

• 00:00 Start

• 00:23 [@keithromig] Is the Moon a distraction from Mars?

• 04:10 [@vistotutti6037] Should we put a steam engine on the Moon?

• 06:25 [@ashd.007] What if a rogue black hole comes our way?

• 08:26 [@mrjp2149] A better description for a black hole

• 09:42 [@allixandra] Is the asteroid belt a failed planet?

• 10:46 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Why can't we see other stars' Oort clouds?

• 11:32 [@evandotpro] Is our view of other galaxies outdated?

• 12:56 [@Mark-Mattison] How does cosmological redshift work?

• 13:54 [@prugrade] Can they make it rain on Mars?

BONUS PART STARTS AT 34:49

Why is time moving forward? Some find an answer in the Second Law of Thermodynamics. That entropy defines the arrow of time. But is there another force behind it? My guests think so. Diving into this concept in this interview.

🟣 Guests: Dr. Robert Hazen, Dr. Mike Wong

📚 Time's Second Arrow Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature https://miquai.myportfolio.com/times-second-arrow

🎧 Strange New Worlds Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/strange-new-worlds-a-science-star-trek-podcast/id1246395860

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:50 Order in the Universe

• 19:39 Biosignatures

• 27:11 Fermi Paradox

• 34:49 Star Trek

• 47:16 Current obsessions

• 51:56 Final thoughts

Is Earth actually a planet or not? Can dark matter be just black holes? Can a planet have a figure-eight orbit around binary stars? And in Q&A+, what happens if you put antimatter into a black hole?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:31

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/K3fcY-cizn4

🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice: https://www.patreon.com/posts/147346705

• 00:00 Start

• 00:25 [@churchdiscography] Is Earth not a planet?

• 02:02 [@paulhatfield1333] Can a planet have a figure-eight orbit?

• 04:03 [@lucashouse9117] Can dark matter be black holes?

• 06:59 [@clarkholt7892] What would a star remnant look like through a telescope?

• 09:04 [@andyfry.wireless] Are we in the center of the Universe?

• 10:56 [@iancudmore9795] Are there more space publishers like me?

• 14:31 [@irri4662] Does dark matter contribute to black holes?

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 14:28

A lava tube found on Venus, China tests its new capsule and softlands a rocket, SpaceX shifts focus from Mars to the Moon, and in Space Bites+, 5 galaxies colliding in the early Universe.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:16 New image from EHT https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-collaboration-that-brought-you-the-first-image-of-a-black-hole-just-released-photos-of-its-massi

• 02:19 Lava Tube on Venus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/massive-venus-lava-tube-detected-using-data-from-nasas-long-defunct-magellan-spacecraft

• 04:43 China's Moon Rocket Test https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-11/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDg5MDIw/index.html

• 06:25 SpaceX pivots from Mars to Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/spacex-makes-a-huge-pivot-wants-to-build-on-the-moon-instead

• 08:21 Another possible explanation for Little Red Dots https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-little-red-dots-observed-by-webb-were-direct-collapse-black-holes

• 11:17 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 11:55 Possible bright comet alert https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-sungrazer-comet-a1-maps-could-be-bright-in-early-april-if-it-survives-perihelion

• 13:46 More of 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-spherex-mission-spots-3iatlass-bright-envelope

• 14:28 BONUS STORY: 5 galaxy merger https://www.universetoday.com/articles/cosmic-collision-the-jwst-found-an-early-5-galaxy-merger

• 16:23 Why SpaceX plans make sense

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:22

Could Venus be turned into hell by an ancient civilization that lived on it? Why Dark Matter is not a theory? What's up with all the Great Attractor videos on YouTube? And in Q&A+, what's the current state of lava tube exploration?

👉 Dark Matter in NOT a Theory https://youtu.be/PbmJkMhmrVI

👉 Channels mentioned
https://www.youtube.com/@AstroAF/
https://www.youtube.com/@MaximumAstronomy
https://www.youtube.com/@frosthastrophotography/

• 00:00 Start

• 00:26 [@9999Joppe] Could an ancient civilization cause the greenhouse effect on Venus?

• 01:53 [@curtishorn1267] Dark matter is not a theory

• 12:11 [@evo1ov3] What is the Great Attractor?

• 16:22 [@brentcalaway] Missions to lava tubes

Japan’s space agency often flies under the radar, despite pursuing missions many larger agencies haven’t attempted. Like returning samples from Phobos or deploying a Toyota-built lunar rover. In this interview, we trace JAXA’s origins and the decisions that defined it.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_u9ZJBLCDBQ

🟣 Guest: Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne https://subowijeyeratne.com/

📚 The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan's Space Programs https://bdo.wfu.mybluehost.me/the-islands-the-stars/

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:01 Researching JAXA

• 06:48 Star of Japan's space journey

• 16:05 Japan's first liquid fuel rocket

• 24:14 Japan's relationships with NASA and others

• 31:23 Lesser known projects

• 36:53 Dependency on the US

• 42:00 Excitement for the Future

• 44:41 Current obsessions

• 50:17 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:43

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aALqt_Ng0dU

• 00:00 Start

• 00:26 [@ar-visions] Are white dwarf a solution for Dyson spheres?

• 02:41 [@gumby2ms] How will Vera Rubin's data releases work?

• 06:48 [@karandeepgill5589] How much of a galaxy does the SMBH take up?

• 09:47 [@hangmann747tinmann8] Where do magnetars come from?

• 12:43 [@logicbug] What if the laws of physics are not uniform across the Universe?

BONUS STORY starts at 19:42

👉 Interview about Europa with Dr. Paul Byrne https://youtu.be/Sj3JwQde-b8
👉 Interview about Magnetars with Dr. Genevieve Schroeder https://youtu.be/Q3JGdARjzTA
👉 How AI Destroyed My Job: https://youtu.be/HjDD8xwU6s8

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

Another reason why Europa might not be habitable, Artemis II is delayed for a month, Claude takes Perseverance for a drive, SpaceX is planning to launch data center satellites, and in Space Bites+, making discoveries in leftover data.

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:15 New Measurements for Europa https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-juno-measures-thickness-of-europas-ice-shell

• 03:16 Ammonia on Europa https://www.universetoday.com/articles/cracks-on-europa-sport-traces-of-ammonia

• 04:40 No Artemis Launch in February https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-artemis-ii-spacecraft-on-the-launch-pad

• 06:34 Claude AI Took Over Percy https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-completes-first-ai-planned-drive-on-mars/

• 08:26 Many More Satellites for SpaceX https://www.universetoday.com/articles/elon-musk-lays-out-a-new-vision-of-ai-satellites-as-spacex-acquires-xai

• 12:06 New Shepard Paused For No Less Than 2 Years https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-to-pause-flights

• 13:18 Vital Molecule in Interstellar Space https://www.universetoday.com/articles/for-the-first-time-scientists-detect-molecule-critical-to-life-in-interstellar-space

• 15:09 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 15:42 Lava Tunnels for Venus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/venus-might-harbor-massive-subsurface-lava-tunnels

• 17:23 Kilonova simulation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt6vcy-hssA

• 18:36 Even Further Galaxies https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-pushes-boundaries-of-observable-universe-closer-to-big-bang/

• 19:42 BONUS STORY

• 21:02 Missions that didn't happen

How will livestreams from Artemis be different from Apollo? Can planetary systems survive their stars exploding? Can a completely different life hide deep inside Earth? And in Q&A+, when should we expect new NIAC awards?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:31

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N9PwTZFnMRc

🟣 Universe Today: https://www.universetoday.com/

• 00:00 It already happened

• 00:45 The downfall of ad-supported media

• 05:08 My response

• 06:44 What's next?

Will AI help us to create a warp drive? Could aliens even survive a trip to Earth? What would happen if you fire a powerful beam at a black hole? And in Q&A+, which part of the Universe does the CMB show us?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:06

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JWST is still up there and working 24/7. There are papers coming out every day based on the results from Webb. What's the current status of JWST? What are the latest discoveries? What should we expect next from it? Finding out in this interview.

BONUS PART STARTS AT 28:29

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vcgUQy1SXdc

🟣 Guest: Dr. Andreas Faisst https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~afaisst/

📜 Young Galaxies Grow Up Fast https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/young-galaxies-grow-up-fast

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:41 How JWST changed Cosmology

• 05:36 Surprising findings from Webb

• 13:50 The role of super-massive black holes

• 17:09 The mystery of little red dots

• 21:57 What to watch for

• 28:39 DUUUST

• 35:57 Current obsessions

• 40:06 Final thoughts
  

The Dark Energy Survey results are in, an asteroid strike on the Moon would be a boon to science, Mercury might not be totally dead, and NASA continued to test its nuclear rockets. And in Space Bites+ solving the mystery of cosmic expansion close to home.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/NK-zu5eMvJU

BONUS PART START AT 17:21

👉 Escape Velocity Space News (EVSN) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtUsDJGqiI&list=PLo1j35Qh8M1xuXThFgWMJNdHYNBb9gf4U

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:15 4% Change of YR4 Hitting the Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/asteroid-2024-yr4-has-a-4-chance-of-hitting-the-moon-heres-why-thats-a-scientific-goldmine

• 02:15 NASA's nuclear rockets are back https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-fires-up-nuclear-future-for-deep-space-travel

• 04:57 Big results from the Dark Energy Survey https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dark-energy-survey-data-reveals-the-tighest-estimates-yet-on-cosmic-expansion

• 10:06 It's ALIVE (maybe) https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mercury-may-not-be-dead-after-all

• 11:01 TESS spies 3I/ATLAS https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/3iatlas/2026/01/27/nasas-tess-reobserves-comet-3i-atlas/

• 12:06 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 12:34 Super-Eddington limit black holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-rapidly-growing-black-hole-is-challenging-super-eddington-accretion

• 14:37 Circinus Galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-webb-telescope-peers-into-the-heart-of-the-circinus-galaxy

• 16:24 Huge gravitational lens https://www.universetoday.com/articles/an-almost-famous-galaxy-cluster-is-the-jwsts-picture-of-the-month

• 17:12 More space news

What will happen when Earth's magnetic poles flip? Is Andromeda launching hypervelocity stars at us? Can Vera Rubin find a new target for New Horizons? And in Q&A+, could ants evolve to develop space travel?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:52

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QMf2wHMyDWc

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/ojaiPqDdsXU?feature=share

Magnetars are a special sauce of neutron stars. They are extremely violent with crazy magnetic fields. But how are they created? Do kilonova neutron star collisions produce them? What do we really know about that? Finding out in this interview.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q3JGdARjzTA

BONUS PART STARTS AT 28:29

🟣 Guest: Dr. Genevieve Schroeder
https://astro.cornell.edu/genevieve-schroeder https://sites.northwestern.edu/genevieveschroeder/ https://bsky.app/profile/genevieveschroeder.bsky.social

📜 No Sign of a Magnetar Remnant Following the Kilonova-Producing Long GRB 211211A ∼1.7 Years Later https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09744

• 00:00 Intro

• 01:58 GRB 211211A

• 09:37 How can you get a magnetar

• 12:30 Searching for magnetars

• 16:28 Findings from GRB 211211A

• 24:01 What happens next

• 28:29 Off-axis Gamma-Ray Bursts

• 39:03 Current obsessions

• 43:18 Final thoughts

How would a rover for an icy moon look like? Which moon should we replace the Moon with? Why put a telescope on the Moon? And what's the probability of Artemis II launching this February? All this and more in this week's Q&A.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fLMnLaR1wlo

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/ojaiPqDdsXU?feature=share

Artemis II rolls out to the launch pad, Europe’s comet interceptor mission could fly a little earlier, NASA is racing to build a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and in Space Bites+, bacteriaphages evolved in space learn to kill bacteria in new ways.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/o9kb5caf7vw

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:19 Comet Interceptor Accelerated https://spacenews.com/esas-comet-interceptor-mission-moves-up-launch/

• 02:11 Artemis II Rollout https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-enters-final-preparations-for-artemis-ii-mission

• 04:14 Chang'e-6 Samples https://www.universetoday.com/articles/analysis-of-change-6-samples-addresses-mysteries-about-the-far-side-of-the-moon

• 05:50 Moon Reactor Race https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-2030-race-for-a-moon-reactor

• 08:08 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 08:31 Potential Ocean Habitability of Enceladus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/enceladus-plumes-may-hold-a-clear-clue-to-ocean-habitability

• 10:33 Helix Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/gazing-into-the-eye-of-sauron-with-the-jwst

• 11:48 Lupus-3 https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hunting-for-t-tauri-stars-in-a-dark-cloud

• 12:43 Galaxy Evolution https://www.yorku.ca/news/2025/12/18/canadian-astronomers-use-webb-to-uncover-milky-ways-turbulent-youth-through-galactic-twins/

• 14:50 More space news

• 17:00 My new smart telescope

Which space object would I want to see with my own eyes? Can you meaningfully contribute to science without an Astronomy degree? Has dark matter always been around? And in Q&A+, my weird relationship with Venus as a planet.

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:39

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube:

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/SiGmJkeCPl8?feature=share

Europa is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to look for extraterrestrial life. But new studies suggest that we were wrong. That the sub-surface ocean is most probably uninhabitable and lifeless. Why is it so and what does it mean for future missions and search for life? Finding out in this interview.

BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:02

🟣 Guest: Dr. Paul Byrne
https://bsky.app/profile/theplanetaryguy.bsky.social

📜 Europa May Be Lifeless and Unihabitable After All https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europa-may-be-lifeless-and-unihabitable-after-all

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sj3JwQde-b8

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:57 Why life could exist on Europa

• 10:48 Details of the research

• 17:57 Potential conditions for life

• 23:52 Crushing hopes

• 30:21 What it means for other sub-surface ocean worlds

• 36:30 The emotional response

• 43:02 Venus updates

• 56:32 Current obsessions

• 01:02:35 Final thoughts

Has AI already written any good science papers? Which are the primary targets for the Extremely Large Telescope? Which is scarier, finding aliens or not finding them? And in Q&A+, what happens if you keep feeding a black hole forever?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:54

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/55VE01fptAM

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/SiGmJkeCPl8?feature=share

Gravitational waves revolutionised Astronomy. But LIGO, VIRGO and KAGRA only operate in one spectrum. To detect longer waves we need bigger telescopes. Much bigger. Ones that don't fit on Earth. That is where LISA comes in, which will be humanity's biggest telescope.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Stefano Vitale 

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AUS8A9J3d5g

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:43 The evolution of gravitational wave search

• 05:33 Proving the concept with LISA Pathfinder

• 15:34 What will LISA see?

• 31:09 What are the next steps for LISA?

• 43:17 What happens after LISA?

• 50:02 Current obsessions

• 51:43 Final Thoughts

Rubin spots a rapidly spinning asteroid, Congress restores NASA’s funding, Crew 11 is back on Earth for a medical emergency, the Pandora Space Telescope launches. And in Space Bites+, two new exoplanets around a red dwarf could help push the habitable zone out.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZBlzQWyhf84

🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:15 Rubin Discovers A Record-Breaking Asteroid https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rubin-observatory-spots-fastest-spinning-asteroid-ever

• 02:15 NASA Budget Is Safe For Another Year https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/nasas-science-budget-wont-be-a-train-wreck-after-all/

• 04:57 First Ever Medical Evacuation from The ISS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-to-return-spacex-crew-ahead-of-schedule https://www.universetoday.com/articles/follow-spacexs-returning-crew-11-mission-wednesday-night

• 07:04 Pandora Launched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Ee8Z-sbSU

• 09:09 Vote Results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 09:38 A Supernova That Shouldn’t Exist https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-supernova-that-shouldnt-exist

• 11:43 Solving the Mystery of Blue Flashes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/solving-the-mystery-of-blue-flashes

• 14:06 Cool Space Images https://www.universetoday.com/articles/young-stellar-objects-are-prominent-in-a-new-hubble-image https://www.universetoday.com/articles/when-baby-stars-throw-tantrums

• 16:54 BONUS STORY

• 19:03 AI as the Great Filter https://www.patreon.com/posts/147346705

Does Europa Clipper have realistic chances to find traces of life at Jupiter? Can humans stop the Kessler syndrome? How long would Earth survive if it was thrown away from the Solar System? And in Q&A+, what's the current situation with RTG nuclear fuel?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:11

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GJGctXIYZ-w

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/yUqB8vkD4cE

Would we even notice if 3I/ATLAS smashed into Jupiter? What are the plans for next gen space stations? Is it okay that most succesful space corporations are run by billionaires? And in Q&A+, what the hell is a Thorne–Żytkow object?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:04

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZHdlHSv-OgQ

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/yUqB8vkD4cE

A galaxy without stars, the wake of Betelgeuse’s companion star, a privately-funded Hubble class telescope, and could there be exomoons at TRAPPIST-1? And on Space Bites+, seeing an event horizon in 3D.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ilHG9OvMdmo

🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705

👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:17 A galaxy with no stars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-galaxy-that-never-was

• 02:08 Hubble detects the wake of Bettelbuddy https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasa-hubble-helps-detect-wake-of-betelgeuses-elusive-companion-star/

• 04:31 JWST finds new objects astonomers can't explain https://www.universetoday.com/articles/as-puzzling-as-a-platypus-the-jwst-finds-some-hard-to-categorize-objects

• 06:25 Private initiative for a Hubble replacement https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/eric-schmidt-will-massively-invest-in-private-telescopes-including-hubble-replacement/

• 08:48 Problems for potential life on Europa https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europa-may-be-lifeless-and-unihabitable-after-all

• 10:52 Rare lensed supernova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-discover-a-bright-supernova-using-gravitational-lensing-for-the-first-time

• 12:36 Vote results

• 13:12 A mathematical solution for lunar dust problem https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sticky-problem-of-lunar-dust-gets-a-mathematical-solution

• 15:28 Potential for exomoons in TRAPPIST-1 system https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-trappist-1s-seven-worlds-host-moons

• 17:02 Decades-long supernova timelapse https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-releases-the-long-awaited-video-of-keplers-supernova-remnant

• 18:16 BONUS STORY

• 19:57 Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705
  

Can we find a use for the L3 Lagrange point? How long do the Voyagers have left? Which goals do we have for telescopes that are being built? And in Q&A+, arguably the most important technology we can focus on?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:07

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/59zez1t-Xo8

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

What exciting science can we expect in 2026? Can dark matter be black holes or even something else? Does light travel forever? And in Q&A+, could a rogue planet pass through the Solar System?

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:10

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bPQWwQFcNmU

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

There is growing mistrust in experts and expertise. Not just in space but in practically any field. Why do people stop trusting experts? What processes are behind it? What can we do to fix it? Finding out in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Frederic Bertley https://www.fredericbertley.com/

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N3e2oISXWqU

Can we find siblings of the Sun? Is the expansion of the Universe symmetrical in all directions? Which molecules can be considered biosignatures? And in Q&A+, I answer a tricky question about Star Wars vs Star Trek.

BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:33

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IGbFcmWjYd4

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

Will Titan become habitable when the Sun expands? What is the next target for the Event Horizon Telescope? Could we see light from the Sun's past? And in Q&A+, a quick update on the search of Planet 9.

BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:00

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bk3JZCNzdPw

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

LLM and Generative AI seems to be everywhere. But at the same time it generates a lot of AI slop in all forms. However, there are really good ways we can use LLMs for science. How can we do it in astronomy? Can we teach ChatGPT or Gemini to do good science? Finding out in this interview.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LF22szp7ouo

BONUS PART STARTS at 40:59

🟣 Guest: Nolan Koblischke https://nolank.ca

👉 AION Search https://astronolan-aion-search.hf.space/

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:30 Using LLMs for Astronomy purposes

• 10:30 Training LLMs

• 31:42 LLMs potentially contributing to new science knowlegde

• 40:59 Which part of astronomy is it most useful in

• 49:48 Current obsessions

• 58:11 Final thoughts

The best spacecraft images of 3I/ATLAS, maybe Titan doesn’t have a liquid ocean, planetesimals crashing in a nearby star system, and the first superkilonova. And in Space Bites+, astronomers are finding more exoplanet candidates that might have atmospheres.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/35YuMlCSgQg

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:14 More Activity from 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/esas-juice-mission-reveals-more-activity-from-3iatlas

• 02:28 We May Have Lost an Ocean World https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-solar-system-loses-an-ocean-world

• 04:48 Catastrophic Collision Spotted in Fomalhaut https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-witnesses-catastrophic-collisions-in-the-fomalhaut-system

• 07:34 Crashing Exocomets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-witnesses-catastrophic-collisions-in-the-fomalhaut-system

• 09:30 Superkilonova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/did-astronomers-just-find-a-superkilonova-double-explosion-maybe

• 11:47 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

• 12:15 "They Live" galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-found-a-jekyll-and-hyde-galaxy-in-the-early-universe

• 14:02 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/five-new-planets-and-the-battle-for-their-atmospheres

• 17:08 More space news

• 17:50 Wrapping up 2025

Could people on Mars see city lights on Earth? Will it still be possible for amateurs to discover asteroids after Vera Rubin? What can we expect from Mars samples? And in Q&A+, what happens if you put your hand across the event horizon of a black hole?

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/U5PLC2fmNTw

Will Jared Isaacman fly to fix Hubble as NASA Administrator? Why was 2I/Borisov covered much less than Oumuamua and 3I/ATLAS? Does the Milky Way have galactic weather? And in Q&A+, my thoughts about SpaceX IPO which is absolutely not financial advice?

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bx_tpfvhoOk

Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/2t71Jdjrp38