Afleveringen
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Professor Robert Simcoe is the Director of the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, and one of the world's leading astrophysicists on spectroscopy and the early universe.
In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Rob explains how astronomers use light to study the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. He shares why he likes to say that "if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a spectrum is worth a thousand pictures," and reveals how a beam of starlight can tell us about the composition, motion, and history of objects billions of light-years away.
We also discuss what it's like to design and build cutting-edge astronomical instruments, the excitement of detecting photons that have travelled for over 13 billion years, and how telescopes allow us to look back in time and uncover the universe's origin story.
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How do you study something you can't see?
In this episode, Yale astronomy PhD candidate Isabel Medlock explains how astronomers use powerful computer simulations and mysterious fast radio bursts to investigate the invisible universe. We discuss the cosmic web, the search for the universe's missing matter, and how scientists can effectively "rebuild" the cosmos inside a computer to understand how it evolved over billions of years.
We also chat about life as a computational cosmologist, the importance of making science accessible, and what advice Isa would give to students hoping to pursue astrophysics themselves.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Are galaxies truly eternal, or do they have lifecycles just like living things?
In this episode of Astrophysics for All, I speak with Dr Jesse van de Sande, astrophysicist and lecturer at UNSW, about how galaxies form, evolve, and eventually stop producing new stars. We explore the idea of "zombie galaxies," the future collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda, and how astronomers use the motions of stars to reconstruct events that occurred billions of years ago.
Jesse also explains how cutting-edge techniques such as integral field spectroscopy allow researchers to map galaxies in unprecedented detail, and shares insights into life as a professional astrophysicist.
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Professor Sara Seager is one of the world's leading exoplanet scientists and a professor of planetary science and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research has helped shape the modern search for planets beyond our Solar System and the quest to discover life elsewhere in the universe.
In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Professor Seager discusses how astronomers use spectroscopy to study exoplanet atmospheres, what scientists mean by a "biosignature", and why proving the existence of extraterrestrial life is far more difficult than many people realise. She also explains the science behind Project Starshade, reflects on the revolutionary impact of the James Webb Space Telescope, and shares why Venus has re-emerged as one of the most intriguing worlds in our Solar System.
Along the way, Professor Seager offers valuable advice for students interested in astrophysics and STEM, discussing confidence, curiosity, and the importance of building connections throughout your scientific journey.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Iâm joined by Professor Marla Geha, Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University and an award-winning educator whose research focuses on dwarf galaxies and dark matter.
We explore how some of the faintest and smallest galaxies in the universe could help answer some of cosmologyâs biggest questions. Professor Geha explains how astronomers detect invisible dark matter through the motion of stars, why dwarf galaxies are so important for understanding galaxy formation, and how modern digital sky surveys are transforming astronomy.
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Astronomy has long captivated human curiosity, but how can it reshape our lives and communities? Dr. Emma Cain Louden is a passionate astrophysicist with a PhD from Yale University, and serves as the president of Slooh, a platform that democratises access to astronomy by allowing people around the world to use remotely operated telescopes. Her work bridges the gap between complex scientific concepts and relatable experiences, making astronomy relevant to a wider audience.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Iâm joined by Professor CĂ©line BĆhm, an astroparticle physicist and Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Sydney, whose research focuses on dark matter and the fundamental structure of the universe.
Although we canât see dark matter directly, it makes up most of the matter in the universe. So how do we know it exists â and why has it been so difficult to detect?
In this conversation, we explore how scientists use galaxies, the cosmic microwave background, and particle physics to piece together clues about dark matterâs nature. We also discuss how theorists and experimentalists work together, what makes dark matter such a challenging problem, and what discovering it could mean for our understanding of the universe.
Professor BĆhm also shares her journey into astrophysics and her advice for students interested in exploring physics at the intersection of the very small and the very large.
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Dr Ben Montet is a Scientia Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney. He completed his PhD in astrophysics at Caltech and was a Carl Sagan Fellow at the University of Chicago. Dr Montet is a leading exoplanet researcher who uses data from missions like NASAâs Kepler and TESS to discover and study planets beyond our Solar System, uncovering the diversity of planetary systems across our galaxy.
In our conversation, we explore how astronomers detect planets using tiny dips in starlight, and how missions like Kepler and TESS have revolutionised exoplanet discovery. We also discuss his research on a âhot Jupiterâ that revealed a hidden companion planet, challenging current models of planetary systems.
We then look at how stars influence whether life is possible, from flares to magnetic activity, and how machine learning is helping uncover new discoveries in massive datasets. Finally, Dr Montet shares his journey into astronomy and advice for students, emphasising curiosity, coding, and taking initiative early.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, I speak with Dr Caroline Foster, an observational astronomer at UNSW Sydney who studies how galaxies form, grow, and evolve over billions of years.
We explore how astronomers use light to measure the motions and chemistry of stars, how galaxies grow through mergers and star formation, and why some galaxies gradually stop rotating as they age. Dr Foster also explains how globular clustersâancient, tightly packed groups of starsâact like cosmic fossils that help astronomers uncover the hidden histories of galaxies.
Dr Foster shares how she first became interested in physics and offers advice for students who want to pursue astronomy, highlighting curiosity, mathematics, and the excitement of exploring the biggest questions about the universe.
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What if everything we can see in the universeâstars, planets, galaxies, and even ourselvesâmakes up less than 5% of reality?
In this episode of Astrophysics for All, I sit down with Professor Geraint Lewis, a cosmologist at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy, to explore the invisible universe. Originally from Wales, Professor Lewis completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and went on to earn his PhD in astrophysics from the University of Cambridgeâs Institute of Astronomy. He has worked at research institutions in the United States and Canada before joining the University of Sydney, where he now leads the Gravitational Astrophysics Group.
Although everything we can seeâfrom stars to galaxies to ourselvesâmakes up less than 5% of the cosmos, the rest is dominated by mysterious dark matter and dark energy that scientists are still struggling to understand.
Professor Lewis explains how astronomers use gravitational lensing to map invisible matter, how galaxies grow by tearing apart smaller ones in a process known as galactic cannibalism, and why studying these phenomena can reveal the hidden structure of the universe. Along the way, Professor Lewis shares what life as a cosmologist looks like and offers practical advice for students curious about pursuing physics and astrophysics.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, I'm joined by Professor Sarah Brough, Head of the School of Physics at University of New South Wales and an observational astronomer studying how galaxies grow and evolve over billions of years.
Professor Brough explores some of the faintest and most elusive structures in the Universe: tidal features and intracluster light. She explains how these delicate traces reveal galaxiesâ hidden histories of mergers, disruption, and transformation. Professor Sarah Brough discusses her research on galaxy evolution, focusing on tidal features and intracluster light. She explains the challenges of detecting these faint cosmic phenomena and the technological advancements that have made such studies possible.
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How is Antarctica's unique environment revolutionising the way astronomers observe the universe? In this episode, Professor Michael Ashley shares the advantages, challenges, and groundbreaking discoveries made from the icy continent.
Professor Ashley is an astrophysicist at the University of New South Wales, specialising in astronomical instrumentation and observational astronomy. He completed his Masterâs at Caltech and his PhD at the Australian National University (ANU). His work focuses on conducting cutting-edge observations from Antarctica, one of the worldâs most extreme and scientifically valuable observing sites. He has pioneered the use of robotic telescopes in remote environments, enabling studies of transient celestial events such as supernovae and gravitational wave sources.
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Clouds might look soft and harmless, but they play one of the biggest roles in deciding Earthâs future climate.
In this episode of Astrophysics for All, I'm speaking with Professor Steven Sherwood, a leading climate scientist at UNSW Sydney, about how physics, computer models, and satellite data help us understand the atmosphere.
Professor Sherwood holds a physics degree from MIT, a masterâs in engineering physics and fluid mechanics from UC San Diego, and a PhD in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Iâm joined by Dr. Rosanna Ruggeri, a cosmologist and honorary research fellow at the University of Queensland. We explore how scientists map the large-scale structure of the universe, what dark energy is, and why understanding it is key to predicting the universeâs ultimate fate. Dr. Ruggeri shares her journey working with cutting-edge instruments like DESI and the Vera Rubin Observatory, and explains how curiosity, coding, and persistence shape a career in science.
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In this episode of Astrophysics for All, Iâm joined by Dr Laura Driessen, a radio astronomer and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydneyâs Sydney Institute for Astrophysics. We explore what radio astronomy actually is, how scientists study stars and cosmic events using signals we canât see, and why some of the universeâs biggest discoveries come from its quietest signals. Dr Driessen shares her journey into astronomy, her work with major telescopes like ASKAP and MeerKAT, and what itâs really like to search for things that appear, disappear, and change across the radio sky. Whether youâre interested in space, science, or how curiosity turns into a career, this episode offers an honest look at what it means to explore the universe.
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"We only know life as we know it."
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jerome de Leon, an astrophysicist who has helped discover dozens of exoplanets using telescopes like Kepler, TESS, and Subaru. He is a Project Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo and an astronomerâdata scientist leading international teams on new exoplanet discoveries. In this episode, we explore how scientists detect planets we canât see directly, why exoplanets have such unusual names, and what makes a planet âhabitable.â Dr. De Leon also shares his inspiring journey from the Philippines to some of the most remote observatories in the world. Whether youâre curious about life beyond Earth or just love space, this episode will bring the universe a little closer to you.
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Curious about how to really learn astronomy? In this episode, Taweewat (Champ) Somboonpanyakul, an astrophysicist with roots at Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Chicago, and now Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, walks us through the hands-on experiences that shaped his career, from childhood stargazing to using world-class telescopes. Youâll gain insight into how astronomers ask big questions and how different sciences come together to find answers.
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In this episode, alongside Leah Kalimeris from the International Centre from Radio Astronomy Research, we explore the invisible part of the universeâradio waves! Learn what radio waves really are, how theyâre different from visible light, and why radio astronomy is essential for discovering things like black holes, pulsars, and the early universe. Weâll break it all down in simple terms and show you how radio waves are not just for music, but for unlocking cosmic secrets.
