Big Picture Science for Aug 26, 2024 - Life in the Solar System

Big Picture Science - Life in the Solar System

REPEAT
Spewing lava and belching noxious fumes, volcanoes seem hostile to biology. But the search for life off-Earth includes the hunt for these hotheads on other moons and planets, and we tour some of the most imposing volcanoes in the Solar System.

Plus, a look at how tectonic forces reshape bodies from the moon to Venus to Earth. And a journey to the center of our planet reveals a surprising layer of material at the core-mantle boundary. Find out where this layer was at the time of the dinosaurs and what powerful forces drove it deep below.

Guests:

• Samantha Hansen – Geologist at the University of Alabama
• Paul Byrne – Associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
• Robin George Andrews – Science journalist and author of “Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond”

This repeat podcast originally aired on May 29, 2023

Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/life-in-the-solar-system

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/

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Big Picture Science for 05/12/14 - Smiley Virus

Big Picture Science - Smiley Virus

For many, the word virus is a synonym for disease – diseases of humans, plants, and even computers. Ebola is an example: a virus with a big and terrifying reputation. And yet the vast majority of viruses are not only friendly, they are essential for life.

Find out how viruses make plant life in Yellowstone’s hottest environments possible, and fear your spinach salad no longer: a scientist recruits viruses to defeat E. coli bacteria.

Plus, a new study presents the disconcerting facts of just how far a sneeze travels, and viruses in another kind of culture: but is ours benevolent? Find out from the man who coined the term, “viral media.”

Guests:

• David Quammen – Science journalist, contributing writer for National Geographic Magazine, author of Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. His Op Ed about Ebola appeared in the New York Times.
• Marilyn Roossinck – Professor of plant pathology and environmental microbiology, Penn State, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics
• Paul Ebner – Microbiologist and an associate professor of animal sciences, Purdue University
• Lydia Bourouiba – Physical applied mathematician, department of civil and environmental engineering, M.I.T.
• Douglas Rushkoff – Media theorist, author, Media Virus! Hidden Agendas in Popular Cultureand Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Smiley_Virus

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Unprecedented Blooms of Ocean Plant Life

Source - NASA Science News for June 8, 2012

Scientists have made a biological discovery in Arctic Ocean waters as unexpected as finding a rainforest in the middle of a desert.

You can find the complete story here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/08jun_arcticbloom/

How to Explore Earth-like Planets Light Years Away

Source - NASA Science News for March 29, 2012

With NASA's Kepler spacecraft discovering alien worlds at a record pace, it seems to be just a matter of time before an Earth-sized planet is found in the "Goldilocks zone"--that is, in an orbit sized just right for liquid water and life. In today's story from Science@NASA, researchers discuss how they'll explore a cousin of Earth so many light years away.

The full story can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29mar_goldilocks/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diz4Q3ALi5k

New Evidence for Liquid Water on Europa

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 16, 2011:

Scientists studying data from NASA's Galileo probe have found evidence for a body of liquid water the volume of the North American Great Lakes locked inside the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The finding could have significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16nov_europa/

Big Picture Science for 07/11/11 - The Big Picture

Big Picture Science - The Big Picture: Science’s Biggest Questions

How did life begin? What’s the universe made of, and what’s the nature of consciousness?

These are truly some of the biggest puzzlers in science, but answers are in the offing.

We consider the modern-day hunt for life beyond Earth, as well as a new theory of consciousness: could it be merely an illusion to entertain us and make our lives more worthwhile?

Also, after thousands of years of examining the heavens, are we finally learning the true nature of the cosmos?

Guests:

• Marc Kaufman – Reporter for the Washington Post, and author of First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth
• Carolyn Porco – Planetary scientist and leader of the Cassini Imaging Team
• Michael Russell – Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Nicholas Humphrey – Theoretical psychologist and author of Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness
• Saul Perlmutter – Physicist at the University of California, Berkeley and senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National laboratory

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/The_Big_Picture

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

NOTICE - Are We Alone is now Big Picture Science! You can find out more here: http://radio.seti.org/blog/2011/05/the-names-they-are-a-changin/

A Fizzy Ocean on Enceladus

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 26, 2011

Evidence is mounting that Saturn's moon Enceladus harbors a bubbly subterranean ocean where conditions might be friendly to life.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/26jan_fizzyocean/

A Cassini image of vaporous, icy jets emerging from fissures on Enceladus.

(Image copyright NASA)

Are We Alone for 05/04/09 - Genes That Fit

Are We Alone - Genes That Fit
Encore: Remember Mr. Potato Head? You changed his look by snapping in plastic mustaches, googly eyes and feet. Now imagine doing the same with a living cell: inserting the genes you want to create the organism you want. Welcome to the world of synthetic biology. It has potential to create new bio-fuels and life-saving drugs. It also ushers in a host of ethical and safety concerns. We examine both when we discuss this emerging science of mix and match genes.
Plus, does doing an end run around Mother Nature challenge the essence of life itself?

Guests:

• Jay Keasling – professor of chemical engineering and biological engineering at UC Berkeley and founder of Amyris Biotechnologies
• Jonathan Eisen – biologist at UC Davis
• Jim Thomas – researcher at ETC group in Ottawa, Canada
• Ed Regis – science writer and author of What Is Life?: Investigating the Nature of Life in the Age of Synthetic BiologyWhat Is Life: Investigating the Nature of Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology
• Michael Dosmann – curator of Living Collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.