76: Mars' teenage robot with Dr. Fraeman
Dr. Abby Fraeman returns to the show to talk about Opportunity, the rover that won't quit. Along with its sister rover, Spirit, Opportunity has discovered Mars rocks that could have only formed in the...
18 Des 201618min
75: Looking for trouble with Eric Rice
Eric Rice talks about systems engineering and we drink what turns out to be the most disgusting beverage yet. He talks about what it is like to control a spacecraft, and explains why predicting what c...
11 Des 201612min
74: Asteroid families with Dr. Masiero
Dr. Joe Masiero returns to the podcast to talk about asteroid families, which are groups of asteroids that astronomers think are fragments from ancient collisions. He describes how he identifies these...
4 Des 201614min
73: Earthquake early warning systems with Dr. Weiser
Dr Debbie Weiser explains the importance of building an early warning system in the US before a major earthquake hits. Even a few seconds warning is enough to stop elevators, pause surgery, and give p...
27 Nov 201628min
72: Perturbing the Earth with Dr. Weiser
Dr. Debbie Weiser talks about human-made earthquakes on my favorite planet, Earth. She explains how seismologists try to distinguish between natural earthquakes and those caused by human activity, and...
20 Nov 201621min
71: Rovers on an asteroid with Dr. Takir
Dr. Driss Takir stops by the show. He explains how he looks for water that's molecularly bound up in the rocks on asteroids. He also tells us about the Hayabusa-2 mission, which will put rovers on the...
13 Nov 20169min
70: Every crater tells a story with Dr. Scully
Dr Jennifer Scully talks about the geology of Ceres and Vesta, two large asteroids in the main belt that have been visited by NASA's DAWN mission. She's talks about the experience of getting to know e...
6 Nov 201615min
69: Pinging passing asteroids with Dr. Naidu
Dr. Shantanu Naidu tells us about planetary radar. Using large telescopes in California and Puerto Rico, he bounces radio waves off of asteroids and "listens" for the return signal. With this techniqu...
30 Okt 201611min
