If you thought you'd heard all the crazy stories from the Cold War period, think again. This episode dives into one of the wildest military ideas to date. At a time when international communications were severely limited in their reach and reliability, the U.S. Military was ready to try anything. One such initiative was part Project Westford: a secret military plan to give the Earth a giant metal ring. This episode, AJ and Jud jump into the project's wild history, the science behind it, and...

Who doesn't love more rules? Starting with the Outer Space Treaty in 1969, the United Nations has continued to build the framework for what flies in space (pun intended). Now, with the commercial space race in its beginnings, NASA has built the Artemis Accords with the help of seven other nations to provide continued guidance. This week, Jud and AJ will tear through the legal jargon and explain exactly what these new laws mean - for better or for worse. Additional Topics Include: the...

Despite life's age of 500 million years on planet Earth, brutal climate conditions have challenged its resiliency on several occasions. This week, AJ and Jud dive into every mass extinction, whether it was from volcanoes, asteroids, global cooling - or a hellish mix of just about everything. While it's been 66 million years since the last one, they'll explain why we might be nearing the next big event - and how we can avoid it. Additional topics include: A time zone for the moon, the new...

Regarded as one of the most technically demanding sci-fi movies of the 21st century, "The Martian" challenges what the near-future of spaceflight looks like. And while its science may seem sound, the story took an incredible amount of engineering (and movie-magic) to bring it to life. This week, AJ and Jud sit down with the film's production designer Arthur Max (known for other films such as Se7en, Gladiator, and Napoleon) to see how the an off-world adventure was created right here on...

Billions of years ago, the most energetic event in the universe would send space-warping shockwaves hurtling towards Earth. Yet, when they reached us in 2015, we didn't feel a thing. In fact, everything around you is constantly creating these gravitational waves. This week, AJ and Jud will dive into how they're created and how we're proving their existence with two of the largest experiments ever created. Additional Topics Include: a breakthrough in quantum gravity, a ban for TikTok, and one...

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if we had no moon? Well, how about if there were dozens? If we take a tour of the solar system, other moon systems get incredibly complex. So why isn't that the case here? In this episode, Jud and AJ will explain the billion year old physics of how the Earth was robbed of an even more interesting night sky. Additional Topics Include: Why snow (mostly) isn't yellow, What you didn't know about Pompeii, and what Star Wars got right about having two...

No event in our planet's history tops the arrival of our moon - and perhaps no other event is as debated. This episode, we'll dive into not only the biggest scientific theories of its arrival, but also how modern science can help us unravel its complex and explosive history.  Additional Topics Include: A bubble space habitat, why butter sticks are sticks, and pocket-sized nuclear batteries Check out our new merch store, Pocket Science, with this link!

Space: the vast, open unknown - or is it? Over 60 years of space activities have resulted in over 30,000 tracked objects in orbit. What's even more dangerous are the millions of untraceable objects orbiting fast enough to obliterate anything in their path. As more collisions cause an exponential rise in fragments, could our orbits become impassable, or will insane engineering save the skies - and our future? Additional topics include: The origin of cordless power tools, the best place to...

This week, Jud, AJ, and guest Nate Pinto get a close look at all the rocky debris filling up our solar system. They'll explain the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors, and see what they can tell us about space history. Plus, they'll discuss the rarity and destructive power of a collision with Earth, and whether we could stop an incoming rock - or even see it coming... Additional Topics Include: A new Star Wars movie, the fastest man-made object, and what makes a planet a "dwarf"...

In 1998, construction started on one of the most ambitious international projects of all time. Now two decades later, it continues to bring us life-altering science and technology. This week, Jud and AJ will explore how its in-orbit assembly went off (mostly) without a hitch. Then, they'll discuss their favorite products and achievements that have resulted from the stations thousands of experiments. Additional Topics Include: A new super-sonic passenger aircraft, "knocker-uppers", Febreze,...

This week, Vincent Ledvina, an aurora scientist all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska joins Jud and AJ to explore the Northern Lights. They'll learn how they appear, why solar weather is a threat to Earth, and what the approaching solar maximum could entail. Plus, tune in to hear how you can see the aurora yourself, and how the pictures on your camera roll might just make you a scientist. Additional Topics Include: Living with 3 hours of sunlight, why some flights can't take polar routes, and...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get strapped into a 4.4 million pound rocket? This week, all your listener-submitted questions are answered by none other than Clayton Anderson, a former NASA astronaut who completed multiple missions to the ISS. The team will dive into everything about his journey from one horrible intern experience to seeing the Earth out the window. Additional topics include: astronaut diapers, "the bends", and a world-record underwater surgery. Visit our linktree to...

Most of us feel in control of our actions on a daily basis - but what if we're not actually in the drivers seat? Inspired by Stanford's Robert Sapolsky, AJ and special guest host Nate Pinto take a stab at the mystery of free will - should we still take credit for our accomplishments? For our mistakes? Was recording this episode even our choice?... Additional Topics Include: the world's longest coughing fit, why doing your homework could make you famous, and free parental advice. Click our...

This week, Jud and AJ break down this year's (2023) Nobel Prizes and the impact that this ground-breaking science will have. They'll cover new vaccine advances in medicine, the new fastest lasers in physics, and "quantum dots" in chemistry. Plus, they'll include some pretty insane history surrounding the prizes along the way. Additional Topics Include: New discoveries about oceans near Earth's core, why you don't have telekinesis, and a timeless debate: fruit- or chocolate-flavored...

This week, Jud and AJ highlight two huge asteroid exploration missions from NASA: The OSIRIS-REx mission, and the Psyche mission. First, they'll dive into how the OSIRIS-REx sample is rewriting the history of life on the planet. Later, they explore how the Psyche mission will give us a look at our planet's core - or generate more money than the entire global economy. Additional Topics Include: The pareto distribution, a brand new space laser communication system, and what swearing says about...

This episode, Jud, AJ, and special guest Dr. Tim Cullinan ask a big question: why do things in our universe...change? Nothing in our universe is static, and the team will explore how "entropy" causes all sorts of phenomena in our daily lives - and what it has to do with the beginning and end of all things. Additional Topics Include: Recent NASA work, why equilibrium doesn't exist, and some of the most elegant equations. Click on our linktree to follow us on our socials!

Confused by all this talk of “quantum computing“? Want to get even more confused? This week, Jud, AJ, and Nate break down how quantum computing holds the power to topple some of the world’s toughest challenges. Additional Topics Include: possible alien life, the Millennium Prize Problems, and why none of your data is safe anymore. Click the link to follow us on our socials!

This week, Jud, AJ, and special guest Nate Pinto walk (or rather sprint) through the entire history of computers, from mechanical machines to the digital revolution. They’ll explain exactly how these complex machines do the seemingly impossible - all while becoming easier and more accessible to the average person. Additional topics include: Moore’s Law, the new emission-free spaceships from SpinLaunch, the Chandryaan 3 moon landing, and why sweat doesn’t actually stink… Click our linktree to...

This week, strap in as Jud and AJ explore warp drives, one of science fiction's most popular methods of interstellar travel. They'll explore how they work, where they might take us, and why humanity won't be building them any time soon. Also on the table is how OceanGate plans to send 1000 humans to colonize Venus by 2050...Additional Topics Include: A new cancer treatment, the world's largest wind turbine, and Jud's thoughts on lightsaber colors.Click the link to follow us on all socials: link

In this episode, Jud and AJ talk about the newest advancement in flying cars from Alef Aeronautics and its approval by the FAA. They'll see how it stands up against other insane flying cars in development, as well as discuss the possible benefits (and extreme downsides) of your future airborne commute. Additional Topics Include: An ISS power outage, the recent congressional hearing on aliens, and NASA+, your next favorite streaming service. Click our linktree to never miss updates from us!

This week, Jud and AJ unravel the recent discoveries of some of the key ingredients for life on Saturn's moon Enceladus and butt heads over whether this is conclusive evidence that aliens exist. They'll explain just how NASA uncovered these secrets within our very solar system and what finding signs of potential alien life could mean for humanity. Additional topics include: The Cassini Spacecraft, Jar Jar Binks, and what Big Soda doesn't want you to know. Click our linktree to support us on...

From halfway across the country, Jud and AJ join forces to talk about one of the Earth's most valuable features: the ozone layer. They discuss how it's created, how it's destroyed, and how without it we'd be literal toast. Additional topics include: the German Death Star, the Montreal Protocol, and bad acronyms. Check out our linktree to support us on all socials.

Here it is. The second part of our ground-breaking discussion with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tune in to hear theories about the origins of our universe, the spectacular nature of black holes, or the future of spaceflight. Additional topics include: the cosmic horizon, the billionaire's space race, and the big rip. Special thanks to Louie Jordan and Dani Orris working behind the scenes for all the amazing tech support, and thank you to Cliff Fuller for making this episode possible! Click here...

You read that right. This episode, we sit down for a conversation with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. We discussed everything from ChatGPT, why college today kind of sucks, and the difference between objective and personal truths, as discussed in his new book: Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization. Additional topics include: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Joan of Ark, and how to make your life worth living. Special thanks to Louie Jordan and Dani Orris working behind the scenes for...