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The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures Podcasts
 
 
The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures Podcasts
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Public lectures by noted astronomers on new developments in our exploration of the universe. These lectures are recorded at Foothill College near San Francisco. |
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http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast
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1. A Scientist Looks at "Doomsday 2012" and the Rise of Cosmophobia
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Many people have heard the rumors that the world will end in 2012 -- and that some astronomical event or alignment is to blame. Dr. David Morrison of the NASA Lunar Science Institute and SETI Institute discusses the public fears and how they have been enflamed by the media. He sets our minds at ease
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Published on Tue, 11 May 2010 09:57:01 -0700 - 20 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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2. The Many Mysteries of Antimatter
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Antimatter is just like matter with all its properties reversed. Scientists think there may have been equal amount of matter and antimatter in the early universe, and yet today we have lots of matter and very little antimatter. How and when that imbalance developed is one of the great mysteries in u
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Published on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:44:40 -0700 - 18 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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3. The Search for Intelligent Life Among the Stars: New Strategies
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A half-century ago, astronomers began trying to "eavesdrop" for radio messages from nearby star systems. However, today, SETI researchers continue to point their telescopes at individual stars, on the assumption that technically advanced societies will inhabit a watery world like our own. Dr. Seth S
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Published on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:27:18 -0800 - Format: MPEG Audio
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4. Life at the Edge: Life in Extreme Environments on Earth and the Search for Life in the Universe
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Astrobiologist Dr. Lynn Rothschild of the NASA Ames Research Center has gone from the Bolivian Andes to the Rift Valley of Kenya searching for the hardiest of organisms in the most extreme environments for life. By getting to know life forms on Earth that can occupy the most hostile niches, we can b
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Published on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:08:19 -0800 - 21 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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5. Hubble Breakthrough: The First Photos of a Planet Orbiting Another Star
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Paul Kalas was the leader of the team who managed the long-sought feat of actually taking a photograph of a planet orbiting another star. Before this, all the planets outside our solar system were found by indirect means. He describes how they achieved the breakthrough, using the Hubble Space Telesc
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Published on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:39:11 -0800 - 16 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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6. The Dark Side of the Universe: Dark Matter and Dark Energy
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In the last decade or so, astronomers have been forced to accept two mysterious observations. About a quarter of the universe is made of "dark matter," which attracts things with its gravity, but is otherwise invisible. And roughly two-thirds of the universe is composed of "dark energy," which cause
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Published on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:10:27 -0700 - 20 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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7. Planetary Protection and Hitchhikers in the Solar System: The Danger of Mingling Microbes
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Scientists searching for life elsewhere have to worry about avoiding harmful cross contamination during the exploration of planets and their moons. We dont want to take Earth microbes to Mars or bring back alien microbes to Earth. In this timely talk, Dr. Margaret Race of the SETI Institute gives a
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Published on Wed, 27 May 2009 16:02:42 -0700 - 21 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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8. The Dawn of Creation: The First Two Billion Years
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All the great islands of stars got their start in the first billion years after the beginning of time, the Big Bang. Every deep picture of the sky reveals thousands of these galaxies, each made up of billions of stars like the Sun. Modern instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope have made it poss
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Published on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:08:50 -0700 - 27 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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9. Prospecting for Water on the Moon: The Upcoming LCROSS Mission
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In 2009, NASA will purposely crash two spacecraft into one of the Moons polar regions. The impacts should raise huge plumes of material, visible even to smaller telescopes on Earth. Dr. Anthony Colaprete (NASA Ames Research Center), the Principal Investigator for this intriguing mission, fills us in
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Published on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:46:11 -0800 - 17 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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10. Saturn's Restless Rings: Latest Results from the Cassini Mission
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NASAs Cassini spacecraft has entered its fifth year exploring the planet Saturn, its rings, and its moons. Dr. Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), a key member of the Cassini science team, shares some of the marvelous results from Saturn and recent discoveries from the mission. His special focus is Sat
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Published on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:50:50 -0800 - 11 MB Format: MPEG Audio
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