The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu

A Double Dose of Physics with Dr. Betty Jensen and Dr. Mary Lou West

What was it like forging a career in physics as a woman in the 1970s? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the “Dynamic Duo of Physics” – physicist Dr. Betty Jensen and astrophysicist Dr. Mary Lou West.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a potential new revelation about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. It seems that the current spot may be only 190 years old rather than 400 years old, and that the first spot described by Cassini in the 1600s may have actually disappeared in the early 1700s. Mary Lou points out that the older spot may not even have been red and gives us a primer on the storms of Jupiter.
Next, Betty talks about her love of math and science, her research in fusion energy, and how she forged her own path to becoming the physicist she always knew she would be. Both scientists talk about how “the two body problem” led each of them to stay in the New York area. Mary Lou talks about how she also studied math and physics, but how she ended up becoming an astrophysicist.
Then it’s time for an audience question for Dr. Jensen and Dr. West: “What kinds of mentoring opportunities were available during your PhD years?” Betty says that while as the lone woman in her area she didn’t feel very supported, she did have some really good experiences with professors at Columbia University, including Nobel prize winner in physics Dr. Isadore Isaac Rabi.
Mary Lou, who was also at Columbia, tells the story of how she had to do a second thesis after someone published on the subject she’d been working on. She also recounts the wild story of how she used a children’s chalkboard to save her PhD thesis defense after student protests disrupted it.
Charles brings up the story of Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most famous woman physics professors of the period and a member of the Manhattan Project, with whom Betty took a class. In a perhaps unsurprising turn of events, Dr. Wu and the other women on her team who conducted the “Wu Experiment” were ignored by the Nobel Prize committee in favor of the male scientists who predicted the results of her experiment.
Throughout the episode, Betty and Mary Lou share some of their most interesting experiences, from riding in the back of a car with Edward Teller, the father of the H-Bomb, to the nearly catastrophic installation of a large telescope at the Harriman Observatory.
Chuck talks with Betty and Mary Lou about what it was like to use computers in the punch card era. It turns out, both Betty’s dissertation and Mary Lou’s thesis were on punch cards!
Finally, after the two scientists brag about their families, Chuck asks them for some parting words of advice for future scientists. But we wouldn’t dream of speaking for them, so please tune in to the episode for words of wisdom from these two inspirational physicists.
 
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
Great Red Spot seen by the Juno probe – Kevin Gill, CC BY 2.0
Cassini’s drawing of Jupiter’s “permanent spot” – Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Public Domain
Great Red Spot in the 1880s – Thomas Gwyn Elger
Magnetic plasma storms on the Sun – Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, Public Domain
Dr. Isadore Isaac Rabi – Nobel Foundation
Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu at work – Smithsonian Institution, no known copyright restrictions
Dr. Edward Teller – UC Davis, CC BY 2.0
 
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #Physics #Astrophysics #BettyJensen #MaryLouWest #Jupiter #GreatRedSpot #MagneticPlasmaStorms #JovianStorms #SolarStorms #Cassini #NobelPrize #IsadoreIsaacRabi #ChienShiungWu #EdwardTeller #ManhattanProject #HarrimanObservatory #ColumbiaUniversity #TwoBodyProblem

Into the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 2

Why should people care about fundamental questions of existence or try to understand the principles of our universe? Because we may be the only sentient beings in existence who can! At least, that’s what returning guest Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the AAS and the ASP, and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, tells Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu as our interview resumes.
And then we’re off and running! Kelsey explains where her passion for astrophysics comes from, and why it’s our responsibility to explore the reality in which we live. You’ll hear about how really big our universe is and why we need to get comfortable with the unknown – with an assist from Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Letters To A Young Poet.”
Our first question comes from Violetta, who asks, “What was the most interesting thing that got you into astrophysics?” Kelsey describes how, long before she knew anything about astronomy, she fell in love with Vega while staring at it from the middle of a giant potato field. She talks about what it’s like to discover something through a telescope that no one on Earth has ever seen before. Charles shares a memory about hunting for – and discovering – quasars around the Hubble Deep Field (North) when he was a post-doc using the MMT Telescope in Arizona. Kelsey talks about seeing the unbelievable night sky while visiting the site of the ALMA Observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
We end the episode with Chuck and Kelsey talking about how hard it can be for parents to get their kids to follow in their footsteps, at least when those footsteps lead to a telescope!
If you’d like to know more about Kelsey, you can visit her website and follow her on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @ProfKelsey,
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
The Hubble Deep Field (north) – NASA, Public Domain
Inside the MMT observatory – Bill85704 on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Two of ALMA’s radio antennae – Iztok Bončina/ESO, CC BY 4.0
Vega – Stephen Rahn, public domain (CC0)
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast  #KelseyJohnson #AAS #ASP #IntotheUnknown #RainerMariaRilke #LettersToAYoungPoet #ALMAObservatory #AtacamaDesert #Vega #MMTObservatory #HubbleDeepField

Into the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 1

Why is star formation the workhorse of the universe? What is a flocculent galaxy? Which cosmic cataclysm creates new globular star clusters? And why are we currently seeing such amazing aurora in unusual places?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astronomer Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the auroras that have been occurring during the peak of the current solar max period of the roughly 11-year-long solar cycle. From the Mother’s Day aurora borealis in May to the amazing night of October 10, when millions of people as far south as Florida and Mexico were treated to one of the most spectacular, vibrant light shows many of them had ever seen.
Kelsey shares the story of the first time she saw an aurora, as a high school student in Minnesota who didn’t even know what one was. Upon leaving her boyfriend’s house at around 2 in the morning, she saw a brilliantly glowing sky. Kelsey’s availability bias kicked in, and her assumption was that it had to be either god or aliens, with the latter being the more likely. Needless to say, the next day the front page of the local paper solved the mystery.
And then it’s on to a nerdy discussion of existential curiosity, deep, philosophical questions, and her book, “Into the Unknown.” You’ll hear what drove Kelsey to write the book, and about her lifelong drive to understand our place in the universe. Kelsey and Allen nerd out over Calabi-Yau manifolds (concepts from string theory), imaginary numbers and complex numbers, Euler’s Formula and more, and then, thankfully, it’s time for our first question.
Johnny asks, “What is a flocculent galaxy, and why are they interesting?” Kelsey says that they’re spiral galaxies with spiral arms that aren’t very pronounced, that are exceptionally “floofy and chaotic” with very different, but very cool star formation. Chuck and Kelsey explain why star formation is the workhorse of the universe and how important it is. Kelsey also explains why globular clusters are her “favorite” type of star cluster. There are about 150 of them living around our galaxy, and they’re almost as old as the universe itself, over 10 billion years old. Kesley studies them to learn how the universe was formed and how galaxies came together. New globular clusters are rare, but they can be created by the collision of two galaxies.
That’s all we could squeeze into Part 1, but come back in two weeks for Part 2 of "Into the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson."
If you’d like to know more about Kelsey, you can visit her website at and follow her on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @ProfKelsey,
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
Graph of the solar cycle – David Hathaway, NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Public Domain
May 2024 aurora in Northern Ireland – David Kernan, CC BY
May 2024 Aurora from Chihuahua, Mexico – Levi bernardo, CC BY
Chuck & Allen’s view of the October 2024 aurora – Allen Liu
Eugenio Calabi and Shing-Tung Yau – National Science Foundation, Public Domain
Eugenio Calabi and Shing-Tung Yau – Konrad Jacobs
3D model of a Möbius Strip – Inductiveload, Public Domain
3D model of a Klein bottle – Lukáš Hozda, Public Domain
Number line – Rumil, Public Domain
Complex Plane – Brigban, Public Domain
NGC 2775, a flocculent galaxy – European Space Agency, CC BY
Messier 2, a globular cluster – NASA Hubble, CC BY
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast  #KelseyJohnson #AAS #ASP #IntotheUnknown #aurora #solarmax #CalabiYaumanifolds #stringtheory #imaginarynumbers #complexnumbers #flocculentgalaxy #spiralgalaxy #globularclusters #starformation #starcluster

A HaLIUween Special

Happy Halloween! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd to bring a scientific eye to the holiday and some of its most familiar denizens: witches, werewolves, zombies, black cats and even the Great Galactic Ghoul!
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). You’ll learn all about this visitor from the Oort Cloud, including how we know where it came from. Hannah talks about how ancient people responded to the arrival of a comet, including how leaders have used them for their own political purposes, and Charles brings up the inclusion of Halley’s Comet on the Bayeux tapestry.
Then it’s time for Chuck to introduce our theme for this special episode: how the superstitions of the past interact with the mysteries of science.
You’ll hear from Hannah about the history of Halloween and its beginning as the Druidic celebration of Sawen (or Samhain) marking the end of the harvest season.
Jumping ahead in history, we look at the Salem Witch Trials of the 17th Century, and the “science” that was used to condemn innocent young women to death for behaviors the powers that be disapproved of.
You’ll also get serious answers to spooky questions like “Do full moons affect behavior?” (We’re talking the behavior of moths, sea turtles and humans, rather than werewolves, although we do actually get into the possible origins of the wolfman myth as embodied in the Greek myth of Zeus and Lycaon with a minor digression into D&D and legendary DJ Wolfman Jack.)
After witches and werewolves, what else could we talk about next than zombies? In this case, natural zombie spiders created by the sting of a parasitic Tarantula Hawk wasp, or zombie ants that have been infected by the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. And yes, somehow The Walking Dead and The Last of Us shamble into the discussion, although regarding the latter, Allen explains why cordyceps probably couldn’t survive in a human host.
Next up, we look at the connection between black cats and the holiday. Hannah brings up the traditions of cats as “Witch’s Familiars” and shapeshifters, and Chuck reminds us of the moment when we saw a cat transform into Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. You’ll hear about how STS-13, which was slated to be the thirteenth mission of the Space Shuttle, was renamed STS-41-C, in an attempt to avoid any superstition or reminder of the ill-fated Apollo 13. There was an alternate mission patch that featured an illustration of the shuttle landing under a giant black cat, referencing the mission's original designation, STS-13; and that the day the mission returned was April 13, 1984, which was a Friday the 13th.
Speaking of space, Hannah asks Chuck about the concept of “The Great Galactic Ghoul,” the fictitious space monster blamed for the failure of nearly every probe sent to Mars by the Soviet Union, Japan, and even NASA between 1988 and 1999. Out of 10 missions, only 2 US probes landed successfully on the Red Planet. Since then, while the Ghoul did claim a few more victims including two missions by the UK, it seems to have gone into hiding, since the US has had multiple successful missions, as has China with their Tianwen lander and Zhurong rover, India, Russia, the European Space Agency, and the UAE.
Finally, to end our special HaLIUween episode, Chuck brings up Albert Einstein’s term, “Spooky Action at a Distance,” which he coined derisively to describe the physics concept known as quantum entanglement that he dismissed but has since been proven to exist.
We hope you enjoyed this special episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas – AlexL1024, Public Domain
Diagram of the Oort Cloud – NASA, Public Domain
Halley's Comet on the Bayeux tapestry – 11th century English embroiderers, Public Domain
Irish hero Fionn fighting Aillen on Samhain – Beatrice Elvery, Public Domain
Later depiction of the Salem Witch Trials – Joseph E, Public Domain
Painting of the Aos Sí – John Duncan, Public Domain
Ant infected with Ophiocordyceps unilateralis – Denis Zabin
Tarantula Hawk wasp – Davehood, Public Domain
STS-13 alternate mission patch –  Bp1222
Mars Climate Orbiter, unit error victim – NASA/JPL, Public Domain
Purported face on Mars – Viking 1, NASA, Public Domain
Better image of the same feature – NASA / JPL / Malin Space Science Systems, Public Domain
China’s Tianwen lander and Zhurong rover – China News Service
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #HannahLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #Halloween #Samhain #Sawen #witches #werewolves #zombies #blackcats #GreatGalacticGhoul #SalemWitchTrials #Ophiocordycepsunilateralis #zombieantfungus #TarantulaHawkwasp #STS13 #CometC2023A3 #CometTsuchinshanAtlas #HalleysComet #BayeuxTapestry

Chuck GPT 4.0

Welcome to Season 4 of The LIUniverse and thank you for joining us on this journey.
 
We’re kicking off the new season with another Chuck GPT episode devoted to answering your questions, and to do that, we’ve brought back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd. She’s not alone: joining Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu is The LIUniverse’s Social Media Guru, Stacey Severn.
 
As always, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, Earth’s temporary second moon 2024 PT5. Don’t get excited, though, because it’s only the size of a school bus and won’t be visible to the naked eye. But it gives Chuck the chance to ask Hannah about the impact of celestial visitors in the past, and she tells us the story of Caesar’s comet (C/-43 K1) which showed up for about a week in the summer of 44 BCE – not long after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Allen also brings up the Great comet of 1680 and how it affected the development of astronomy.
 
Our first question comes from NSimplexPachinko, who asks, “During condensation of matter to 300,000 years after the Big Bang, did spacetime cease to expand, or did it continue expanding at the same rate as the energy within it?”
 
Short answer: Yes. For the long answer, you’ll have to watch or listen to the show for Chuck’s description (honed for the Intro to Astronomy class he teaches) of decoupling, expansion, universal evolution and “BIG, BIG, INFLATION!”
 
Stacey reads the next question from a listener in Poland. Pshemo Ziembora wonders, “The volume/length of space should be different for every observer depending on how fast they’re travelling or how strong the gravity field is. In other words, the speed of light will always be constant for each observer, but it may have a different value than 300,000 km/second. Distances on cosmic scales may vary due to your speed. When you are traveling faster in space your distance should be shorter. What am I missing?”
 
Chuck explains that Pshemo isn’t missing anything and has got it exactly right, describing the insight we now call the “Lorentz Contraction” which Albert Einstein built into his Special Theory of Relativity. Allen explains the physics involved, with an example that includes muons and cosmic rays and how different mediums can impact the speed of light.
 
Speaking of Poland, Hannah shares a story about licking the wall of the Wieliczka salt mine, which she visited on a trip there. For those of you watching, you can see a photo of one of the caverns hollowed out by the miners, with statues and scenic reliefs carved from the salt. There are no photos of the reported salt tasting.
 
Our next question comes from one of Chuck’s Astronomy 100 students: “Is Earth Intelligent?”
 
Chuck describes the Gaia Hypothesis, before the group grapples with the question. Hannah looks at the skepticism around the validity of that very hypothesis, and then takes a typical LIUniverse deep dive into Percy Jackson, and Greek and Egyptian mythology. Allen assesses Earth’s intelligence through the lens of Artificial Intelligence. Stacey brings up the concept that climate change is the Earth taking revenge on humanity for our actions, which Hannah relates back to Greek mythology, natural disasters, and the role of Demeter in bringing about winter.
 
Finally, “@I have an unoriginal name” asks, “How does the cyclic model of the universe deal with information not being destroyed.” And Andy Love wonders “about the quantum gravity issue. My thought is that gravity is emergent, from loop or string vibrations, where the outward pulse of the loop or string creates the atoms (Higgs field) and the inward pulse is gravitational force meaning there is no need for a new quantum gravity theory, gravity is already quantum.”
 
Both of those questions spawned some interesting and far-ranging conversations amongst the group (Can you say slinky cosmology and quantum gravity?) that would be impossible to summarize for you here, so just please watch or listen to the episode now!
 
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
– 2024 PT5’s orbit –NASA/JPL-Caltech – Public Domain
– Caesar’s comet coin –From ~18 CE in modern Spain, – Public Domain
– Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS – AlexL1024, Public Domain
– Great comet of 1680 –Lieve Verschuier, Public Domain
– Diagram of the universe’s expansion –NASA/WMAP Science Team, Public Domain
– Refraction in a block of plastic –Ajizai, Public Domain
– A muon’s view of Earth –The LIUniverse, derived from “Blue Marble”
– Wieliczka salt mine –Rj1979, Public Domain
– Gaia depicted on pottery –About 410 BCE, Public Domain
– Statue of Demeter –Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY
– Lord Kelvin’s Analog tide computer –Photo by Daderot, Public Domain
– Svalbard Global Seed Vault –Frode Ramone, CC BY
– ~1800 year old clothes preserved by a bog – Bullenwächter, CC BY
– LIGO gravitational wave signals –Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab, CC BY
 
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #HannahLiu #StaceySevern #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #2024PT5 #CaesarsComet #SlinkyCosmology #QuantumGravity #comets #GreatCometof1680 #UniversalExpansion #muon #GaiaHypothesis #PercyJackson #GreekMythology #Egyptianmythology #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #cyclicmodeloftheuniverse #LorentzContraction #AlbertEinstein #SpecialTheoryofRelativity #archaeology

The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 2

How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” In Part 2, we look at dark matter, Gravitational Memory Effect, and more. (You can listen to Part 1 here.)
We dive right in with a question from David: “I was wondering if any physicists have looked into the idea that the “empty” space in an atom is actually “filled” with dark matter. What experiments could be done to prove or disprove this hypothesis?”
In order to answer David, first Katie explains the science supporting the idea that dark matter exists, including gravitational lensing and other evidence. The fact that there are indications of dark matter in areas where there is sparse regular matter suggests that dark matter is an entirely different kind of particle. Katie describes many of the ways that that dark matter is unrelated to the empty space in atoms, including the fact that dark matter has no real interaction with atoms at all.
Chuck asks whether the amount of dark matter still holds the key to how the universe evolves as he was taught or have new understandings made it entirely irrelevant? Katie explains that dark energy has replaced dark matter in importance, and that’s what’s making the universe expand faster. But we really don’t know what it is, or what it’s doing, or even if it will remain constant.
Our next question comes from Aileen Balderas: “I recently read about something called the Gravitational Memory Effect. This talks about how space remembers certain things. Gravitational wave signals have the power to make it so that the universe remembers what happens to it. How can scientists say that the universe is able to remember things?”
Katie unpacks this fascinating phenomenon which she only learned about five years ago. It turns out that, as Chuck puts it, “The universe has memory the way that memory foam has memory, not like the way elephants have memory.”
Chuck asks Katie about flying planes, which she learned to do in late 2020 during the pandemic, after her book came out. Talk about a lockdown hobby! Katie shares why she loves flying so much, and what she gets out of it. And while she doesn’t own her own plane, she has a share in a single engine airplane with 4 other people.
Chuck also asks the inevitable question: Star Trek or Star Wars? Katie’s answer: Star Trek!
We end the show with Katie describing what she’s doing at The Perimeter Institute, an independent research institute that’s dedicated to stretch the boundaries of our understanding of physics in areas like cosmology, particle physics, quantum information and various areas of theoretical physics. Katie’s been working with them to create some short videos. Check out Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics on YouTube to watch "Quantum Physics 101" and "Cosmology 101."
If you’d like to know more about Dr. Kathryn Mack and her work, check out her website, https://www.astrokatie.com/ where you can also sign up for her newsletter, “Watch this Spacetime.” You can also find her on Bluesky at astrokatie.com, Instagram and TikTok at @astrokatiemack, and Twitter (X), YouTube, and Facebook at @astrokatie.
You can also find Katie on John Green’s “Crash Course Pods: The Universe” on Complexly, YouTube, Spotify, Simplecast and more.
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
Galaxy group "Stephan's Quintet" seen by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope – NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
NGC 4826, otherwise known as M64— a spiral galaxy. – NASA / Hubble Heritage Team
Hubble image showing light distortions from the collective gravity of dark matter. – NASA, ESA, and J. Lotz and the HFF Team (STScI)
The expansion of the universe over time. – NASA
The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) – Scribner
Dr. Katie Mack in the cockpit of her plane – Image via Katie Mack’s Instagram
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast  #DarkMatter #DarkEnergy #UniversalExpansion #BlackHoles #EarlyUniverse #Spacetime #Physics #Astrophysics #Cosmology #GravitationalMemoryEffect #GravitationalWaves

The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 1

How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” You’re going to need your thinking caps for this episode, because the trio get into some pretty intense and complex concepts in physics and astrophysics.
 
We start off this episode hearing why Katie, who grew up under the starless pink skies in LA, embarked on her journey to explore the very beginnings of existence itself. It turns out, it wasn’t the constellations or “pretty space pictures” that drew her to astrophysics, but the fact that all of the really cool, mindbending questions and extreme physics were related to stuff that happens in space like black holes and spacetime and “The Big Bang.”
 
For the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing. Chuck, who studies Observational Galaxy Evolution, brings up a paper recently published in the Astrophysical Journal by Anna de Graaff et al, about the discovery, using the James Webb Space telescope, of a group of 13-billion-year-old dwarf galaxies with an unusually large amount of dark matter inside them compared to modern day galaxies. The researchers then used the Illustris cosmological simulation of galaxy formation to evolve those galaxies and found that they would end up with a percentage of dark matter that is consistent with dwarf galaxies today.
 
Katie talks about the value of simulations in the study of the galaxies and the early universe, especially as the simulations get better at exploring more physics, like Illustris does. The kinds of simulations she works with, though, are more simple models designed to capture the essential physics of galactic evolution.
 
She’s currently studying the possibility of dark matter annihilation in the early universe and what that would mean in terms of interacting with gas and energy as galaxies evolve. (At least, we think that’s what Katie’s talking about!)
 
Then it’s time for our first cosmological question for Katie. Ellis asks, “What’s your opinion on Block Universe theory?” Katie explains how the Block Universe theory attempts to model the past, present and future of spacetime, and how every point in space and time exists at the same time. (Again, we think that’s what she’s talking about!)
 
You’ll hear about physics equations that look the same forward and backward in time, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, relativity, causality, predetermination, the limits of observation, and the meaning of time itself.
 
Next, Chuck asks Katie about her book, “The End of Everything” and how she thinks the universe might end. The two discuss string theory, bouncing membranes, the ekpyrotic model of the universe, and other cyclical cosmological models. Katie shares how people often respond to her book from a theological perspective, including the idea of cyclical universes in religion.
 
Finally, this episode addresses the confluence of science, philosophy and faith, looking at life and death, religion and the divine, personal beliefs and the need many people have to find meaning in existence and possibly even objective truth.
 
Like we said, thinking caps! And that’s just Part 1. Join us in two weeks for the conclusion to our interview with Katie.
 
If you’d like to know more about Dr. Kathryn Mack and her work, check out her website, https://www.astrokatie.com/. You can also find her on Instagram and TikTok @astrokatiemack, and Twitter (X), YouTube, and Facebook @astrokatie.
 
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
TNG simulation (lines and shade) versus observations (symbols) – de Graaff et al. 2024
Observers moving through a block universe – Jonathan Schooler/UCSB
Model of two branes in extradimensional space that give rise to a cyclic universe. – Princeton University
"The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)" – Scribner
 
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #ObservationalGalaxyEvolution #DwarfGalaxies #DarkMatter #Illustris #CosmologicalSimulation #GalaxyFormation #GalacticEvolution #Galaxies #BlackHoles #EarlyUniverse #DarkMatterAnnihilation #BlockUniverseTheory #Spacetime #SecondLawOfThermodynamics #Physics #Astrophysics #StringTheory #BouncingMembranes #EkpyroticModelOfTheUniverse #CyclicalModels #Cosmology #Theology #Philosophy

Making Space Accessible with Celene Shimmen

How do you go from a small town in Colorado to being a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia? And how can you make space accessible for disabled astronauts? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist-astronaut candidate Celene Shimmen.
 
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the new study using the James Webb Space Telescope that disproves the detection of tryptophan, a complex amino acid, in the interstellar cloud IC 348. Or, as Chuck jokes, no sleepy turkeys in space.
 
Then we get to meet Celene Shimmen, who is a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia. She’s a physical therapy student who is already putting her research to work in the space industry.
 
Celene describes how she recently designed and implemented the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test in Microgravity for AstroAccess, a project she works with dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in human space exploration by paving the way for disabled astronauts. (You may remember Cady Coleman talking about working with AstroAccess in our recent episode, Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1.
You’ll hear about Celene’s acceptance into the scientist-astronaut training program for suborbital missions with the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences, beginning in 2023. She tells us about her upcoming parabolic flight where she’ll be the principal investigator testing balance differences after acute exposure to weightlessness. Chuck asks whether the “Vomit Comet” is aptly named – Celene explains that she’ll have to let us know, since her upcoming flight will have 16 periods of microgravity.
Our first question comes from Anne, who asks, “What are some psychological or physical traits that make for a good astronaut?” Celene highlights the importance of training for strength, endurance, balance, and cardiovascular fitness, especially for upcoming, long-term missions on the moon. It turns out that while the moon has lower gravity, the encumbrance of spacesuits requires greater strength and endurance. Allen explains that lesser gravity doesn’t mitigate some aspects of force and inertia that also require physical strength.
Celene describes the psychological aspects of being an astronaut, and the need for mental resilience to cope with isolation and stressful situations, as well as problem solving skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
You’ll also find out about Celene’s journey from growing up in a single-wide trailer in a town of 1000 residents in Colorado to studying hospitality in the Disney College Program in Florida, where she met her Australian husband. After watching “First Man”, the movie about Neil Armstrong, Celene decided she wanted to get into the space program. She applied to and was accepted by the Melbourne Space Program, working on a nano-satellite program. She also helped a humanoid robot take its first step, which inspired her to get involved with physiotherapy and the human body in space.
Our next question is from “anonymous”: What part of the human body is most vulnerable in space? Celene explains that extended exposure to microgravity leads to muscle atrophy and bone density loss, which is still a big issue even with ongoing exercise. Even just a 14-day stay in space leaves returning astronauts with muscle weakness.
Finally, we hear about Celene’s desire to be deployed to the moon, should the opportunity arise. Upcoming lunar missions to the moon will likely last about 30 days each, including 7 days of activity on the lunar surface.
If you’d like to reach out to Celene and chat, you can follow her on Instagram @spaceptcelene and on LinkedIn and Facebook as Celene Shimmen.
You can also find out more about AstroAccess here.
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
– JWST image of IC 348, a star cluster wreathed in dusty gas. – NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Kevin Luhman (PSU), Catarina Alves de Oliveira (ESA)
– The different gravity phases during a parabolic flight. – ESA
– 2013 parabolic flight for astronaut trainees on a NASA C-9 aircraft – NASA
– Astronaut Jim Irwin at the Apollo 15 mission’s Hadley-Apennine lunar landing site. – NASA
– Humanoid Robot developed by students in the Melbourne Space Program – University of Melbourne, Australia
– Participants in NASA’s 30-day bed rest study must maintain a six-degree head-down tilt at all times. – NASA
– Concept animation of NASA Artemis astronauts exploring the lunar South Pole. – NASA
 
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #CeleneShimmen #CeleneMerazBenavente #microgravity #weightlessness #AstroAccess #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #tryptophan #IC348 #spaceexploration #VomitComet #gravity #astronaut #astronauttraining #MelbourneSpaceProgram #physiotherapy #physicaltherapy #muscleatrophy #bonedensityloss #lunarmission #InternationalInstituteofAstronauticalSciences

Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 2

We jump right back in where we left off in Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.” (If you missed it, listen to Part 1 here.) 
Chuck asks Cady to tell us more about NASA’s decision to not include small and extra-large spacesuits to “save space.” She explains how, a few months later, they reinstated the extra-large suits, but not the small suits that affected about a third of the women, and the serious impact that decision had.
Chuck and Cady discuss the importance of diverse perspectives in the exploration of space. And then Cady offers her ideas about how to change the world for the better and the importance of doing what you can to help the people who come next. You’ll hear about astronaut Ron Garan and his nonprofit’s efforts to provide millions of filter straws to allow people in Africa to have access to safe, clean water. And you’ll hear about how you can purposefully shift your own perspectives.
For Part 2’s first question, Anne W. a student at “The School Without Walls” in Washington, D.C., asks, “What are some common reasons as to why people don’t become astronauts after starting training?” Cady explains why that rarely happens, mostly due the quality of the candidates who make it that far. But Cady then talks about why some people who should get selected to become astronauts don’t, and she shares some of her reasoning for the applicants she’s selected. The reason Cady stresses most is that if you don’t show them who you really are on the application, they cannot pick you. And she also explains the surprising reason why some astronauts who have flown already don’t get selected to go again.
The conversation circles back to diversity and bias in NASA. Allen shares the story of test pilot Ed Dwight, which he believes reflects some racial bias. Cady, who knew Ed, talks about some of the political factors in the choice, but also what an amazing artist he became. She reflects on the importance of Sally Ride in her life, and wonders what would have happened if the original Mercury 13 had been allowed to become astronauts back in the 60s.
Charles and Allen bring up Valentina Tereshkova, the cosmonaut who became the first woman in space in 1963, and how it took until 1983 for Sally Ride to take her famous flight as the first American woman. And yes, Cady does bring up “For All Mankind!” and “the role that art and storytelling can play to move the needle a little faster.”
For our final question, Allen shares a question from our podcast producer Leslie M., who asks, “Would materials behave differently in a different universe?” Cady, a chemical engineer who studied chemistry at M.I.T. and then got her Ph.D. degree in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says yes. And that kicks off a discussion of the impact of different physics on different materials. But Cady also talks about the importance of using the compelling nature of space to drive kids to want to become more educated and to improve life here on Earth.
In addition to Cady’s new book, Cady was recently in a documentary on PBS, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV, along with her family, NASA personnel and other astronauts. It’s called “Space: The Longest Goodbye” and it’s about how we are going to send people to Mars and put the human into human spaceflight.
You can find out more about her new book and everything else she’s up to on her website, https://www.cadycoleman.com/.
To find the kind of bookstore you love that carries “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change,” you can go to www.bookshop.org.
 
Follow Cady on Instagram, Twitter (X), and Threads: @astro_cady.
 
And please be sure to check out People Love Art, which shares 50% of their profits with their artists and donates 10% to causes of the artist’s choice: https://peopleloveart.com/. 
You can also find out more about AstroAccess (mentioned in Part 1) here: https://astroaccess.org/.
(Please note that The LIUniverse receives no compensation for these links and mentions. We just like what they’re doing in the world!)
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
3 crew members in a Soyuz space capsule – NASA/Bill Ingalls, Public Domain
Ron Garan on the space station – NASA, Public Domain
Eileen Collins in command of the Space Shuttle (STS-93) – NASA, Public Domain
Ed Dwight in the Air force – USAF, Public Domain
Bronze by Ed Dwight – Photo by Carol M. Highsmith (Public Domain), art by Ed Dwight
Jerrie Cobb of the “Mercury 13” – NASA, Public Domain
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #CadyColeman #NASA #astronaut #SpaceShuttle #ISS #SharingSpace #spacewalk #PeopleLoveArt #RonGaran #EileenCollins #EdDwight #JerrieCobb #Mercury13 #SpaceTheLongestGoodbye #SallyRide #ForAllMankind

Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1

What is the overview effect? Why is slow fast when you’re spacewalking? And what would happen to Chuck and Allen’s hair in space?
 
To get the answers to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change,” Dr. Cady Coleman.
 
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a micrometeorite pit 2 microns across found on a tiny volcanic glass beat that was part of the lunar regolith collected by China’s Chang'e 5 Lunar Sample-Return Mission. On the surface of the pit is a trace of Di-Titanium Oxide (TiO2) in mineral form that can’t exist on Earth.
 
Cady, who is a material scientist, talks about how this new discovery may not be as “new” as it seems, because we have much better detection technology for detecting it in lunar samples than we had during the Apollo lunar missions. She also explains how creating materials in space, unfettered by gravity, can be very different than here on Earth. She recounts the liquid physics experiments they did on her first Space Shuttle mission and how they could lead to innovations in the development of space toilets, among other things. (To find out more about space toilets and how to pee and poop in space, check out Appendix 1 of Cady’s new book!)
 
Our first student question today comes from Violetta, a student at “The School Without Walls” in Washington, D.C., who asks, “What is your outlook on the overview effect? Cady defines the effect, and how it changes people who go into space and see the planet below them. For her, she explains, “I knew I was going to go to space, and I just thought I’d be going to a different place. Then, when I got up there, I looked back at Earth, I still felt at home. It’s just that the whole place felt like home, and home was closer than I thought.”
 
Allen follows up Violetta’s question for Cady with one from Anne W., a fellow student, who asks, “How is Space?” Cady’s answer: “Space is Awesome!” She explains that here on Earth, we grow up with limits on what we can do, how far we can run, or how fast. But, in space, we’re constantly discovering more things that you can do: ”I love the flying.”
 
You’ll hear Cady share what it was like in space during her two Space Shuttle missions and 6 months on the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 26/27. She talks about her work schedules and experimentation and the self-induced tendency to work too much, to more personal activities like looking out the window, social media posting, and even shopping – or ordering a pizza from Domino’s like Ron Garan did, hoping to earn a free pizza since there was no way they could deliver it in 30 minutes or less! What would she do differently if she went back? Sleep more and take better care of herself, which she reminds us in equally important to all of us here on Earth.
 
Next, Chuck turns to some of the big ideas in Cady’s book, starting with “Slow is fast.” While holding up the very first copy of the book Cady ever got, she talks about spacewalking and how haste can be problematic. She takes issue with the phrase, “There’s no I in TEAM” and how in real life, it’s actually about what each individual member brings to the team.
 
Part One of our interview with Cady ends with a discussion of the t-shirt she’s wearing from “People Love Art” who she met through her work with AstroAccess, a project dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in human space exploration by paving the way for disabled astronauts.
 
There’s plenty more of our interview with Cady, so please tune in in two weeks for Part 2. But, until then, you can find out more about her new book and everything else she’s up to on her website: https://www.cadycoleman.com/.
 
You can also find out more about AstroAccess here.
And please be sure to check out People Love Art, which shares 50% of their profits with their artists and donates 10% to causes of the artist’s choice.
(Please note that The LIUniverse receives no compensation for these links and mentions. We just like what they’re doing in the world!)
We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.
 
Credits for Images Used in this Episode:
– Micrometeorite pit on lunar sample – Xiaojia Zeng et. al., CC BY 4.0
– Cady working on liquid experiments on the Space Shuttle – NASA, Public Domain
– Tracy Caldwell Dyson viewing Earth from the ISS – NASA, Public Domain
– Cady at work on the Shuttle – NASA, Public Domain
#TheLIUniverse #CharlesLiu #AllenLiu #SciencePodcast #AstronomyPodcast #CadyColeman #NASA #astronaut #SpaceShuttle #ISS #SharingSpace #spacewalk #Change5 #LunarSampleReturnMission #DiTitaniumOxide #liquidphysics #Slowisfast #AstroAccess #PeopleLoveArt