The Cosmic Companion - Astronomy, Space, Technology Advancing Humanity

What is Life? That's not an easy question to answer. We're going to do our best, talking with Robert Temple, author of A New Science of Heaven, in our first-ever mostly-fully-animated episode!This week on The Cosmic Companion, we're delving into one of the most profound questions in the Universe: What is Life? Later in the show, we will be talking with Robert Temple, author of A New Science of Heaven. Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we are Celebrating Diversity in Space Exploration, looking at the history of inclusion in human explorations beyond our world — past, present, and future. Later in the show, we’ll be talking with Meredith Bagby, author of The New Guys, a look at NASA’s groundbreaking astronaut class of 1978.The history of space exploration has been marked by numerous milestones, not only in terms of scientific and technological achievements but also in the inclusion and diversity of those who explore beyond our home world. Over the decades, space exploration has slowly evolved to include women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals, paving the way for greater representation in the future.NASA’s original class of astronauts from 1959, the Mercury Seven, were all Caucasian male jet pilots — not exactly representative of a melting pot of society. However, less well-known were the Mercury 13, a group of 13 women who underwent astronaut training in the early 1960s. Despite performing as well, if not better, than men at many rigorous physiological tests, NASA did not recognize these women as official astronaut trainees. Opposed by many politicians and media alike, no member of the Mercury 13 flew to space for 60 years until Wally Funk in 2021... Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Making Space Sustainable, talking with Daniel Bock from Morpheus Space. We’ll be looking at how we can move into the inner solar system while protecting the environments of Earth, the Moon, and Mars, as well as the future of space travel.The first and most obvious way to improve the sustainability of spaceflight is through the use of reusable boosters, and the development of greener fuel alternatives. Biofuels, for example, emit fewer harmful particles into the atmosphere and are an important step towards reducing carbon emissions during launch.Lifting off from Earth takes nearly all the fuel in a rocket, and most systems today shed empty fuel tanks and boosters once they pass beyond our planetary atmosphere.Listen to the podcast version of this episode here, or watch it as a video!This process can also shed smaller debris, potentially posing future hazards. There are currently 27,000 pieces of spaceborne flotsam larger than a softball being tracked in orbit around the Earth, and there could be 100 million such pieces larger than a millimeter in diameter whizzing around our world.[Well, that’s a whole lot of space junk now, isn’t it?] {sure is!}Being hit by a screw is one thing. Being hit by a screw flying at 10 kilometers a second is an entirely different issue.  Minimizing waste released into space is a priority, keeping low-Earth orbit as clear as possible for spaceflight.Apple co-founder and pioneer of the personal computer revolution, Steve Wozniak, recently founded Privateer Space, focused on clearing potentially-hazardous debris from low-Earth orbit.[WOOOOZZZZZZZZZZ!!!] {Yeah, He’s cool.}The Orbex Prime rocket is designed to be one of the most environmentally-friendly launch systems ever designed. This two-stage rocket is 19 meters tall… I’ll save you the math. That’s……8.6 Peter Mayhews standing on top of each other. [RrRRrrRR] You’re welcome!Powered by a 3D-printed propane-fueled engine, this green booster is reusable, produces 96% fewer emissions than comparable boosters, and the system leaves no debris in orbit. [The ultimate in clean fuels may be solar sails. These are EXACTLY what they sound like — spacecraft powered through the pressure of light from the sun, gently pushing on a large, reflective sail. Once in space, these sails create a gentle, yet continuous acceleration capable of taking a spacecraft from one planet to another. And the best part? No fuel required! Solar sails could offer us a clean, sustainable and a cost-effective way of exploring the Cosmos. They could also be attached to wayward space junk, moving debris out of the way of active satellites. As our species grows, heading out into the Cosmos, we can explore and populate the Moon and Mars. This exploration will drive science, social progress, and technology. The means to do that in the coming years and decades are being developed right now, by both nations and startups around the globe. Next up, we talk with one of those innovators, Daniel Bock, CEO and co-founder of Morpheus Space.As space tourism grows, costs to travel beyond the Earth will plummet. Within a decade or so, the price of a trip to space should equal that of a luxury cruise on the oceans of Earth. Still out of the reach of most people, but low enough to make space tourism far more common than it is today. As this industry grows, it’s essential to consider the impact it will have on the environment of Earth as well as destinations beyond our home world.The Age of Sail lasted for three centuries — from about 1550, when Copernicus first put forth his wacky idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun until about 1850, just before the invention of the refrigerator. Similar sailing ships could once again soar to distant worlds — this time, racing through the vast expanse of space, powered by the constant push of light from our life-giving star. This technology could also be adapted to passenger ships, riding the breeze of light from our parent star. Guests will marvel at the beauty of space, soaring aboard the environmentally-friendly sailing ships of the 21st century and beyond.The future of space travel is not just about reaching for the stars, but also about preserving the beauty and wonder of worlds for future generations to enjoy. By adopting more sustainable practices, we can continue to explore the Cosmos while reducing our impact on the environment. So, let’s raise the solar sails and set our sights on a greener future for space exploration!Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Diversity in Space Exploration from the dawn of the space age to our future among the stars. We’ll be talking with Meredith Bagby, author of The New Guys, the story of NASA’s legendary Class of 1978. If you enjoyed this episode of The Cosmic Companion, please subscribe, follow, share, and tell your friends about the show. Head on over to TheCosmicCompanion.com and sign up to get every episode in your email inbox. Free and VIP subscriptions are available! Educators get 25% off VIP subscriptions with any .edu email address!Clear skies!JamesThe Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Educators get 25% off VIP subscriptions with any .edu email address! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

We look at the future of living on Mars, talking with James Burk, executive director of The Mars SocietyThis week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at our shared future, living on the surface of the Red Planet. Later in the show, we’ll be talking with James Burk, executive director of The Mars Society.Science-fiction has fueled the human quest to live on Mars for generations, from the technically-adept-if-illness-prone aliens of H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” onward to Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles,” and through Red Mars from Kim Stanley Robinson... Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at the Apollo and Artemis programs, discussing how these first missions to the Moon set the stage for the next step in human evolution — becoming an interplanetary species.We will be talking with NASA historian Andy Saunders. His new book, Apollo Remastered, is filled with never-before-seen and newly remastered photographs exploring the history of humanity’s first forays to our planetary companion. The Apollo Program, one of the greatest accomplishments in human history, lifted off (Ha! See what I did there?) in 1961, when President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would put an astronaut on the moon before the end of the decade, a goal many people considered impossible... Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Teaching Kids About Space, as we welcome astronomer Dean Regas to the show. He is the author of a new book, 1,000 Facts About Space from National Geographic Kids.In years past, students didn’t have a lot of resources for learning about the stars and planets. They would have to rely on books, or perhaps a telescope if they were lucky. But all that began to change in the 20th century.In the 1920s and 30s, planetariums began to pop up in schools and museums around the world. These dome-shaped theaters make use of special projectors, simulating the night sky, providing viewers with an up-close and personal look at the stars and planets. This was a game changer for astronomy education, as it allowed kids and adults a means to experience the night sky in a way that wasn’t possible before that time... Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we imagine PREDATORS FROM SPACE!!! as we welcome Shark Week regular Paul de Gelder to the show. We will be talking about his new book, Shark: Why We Need to Save the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator. And — did I mention? PREDATORS FROM SPACE!!!Life on other worlds is likely to be far different than life on Earth. However, most lifeforms throughout the Cosmos are likely to share a few common traits. The laws of chemistry and physics suggest that carbon is an ideal chemical backbone for the formation of life, and water is a perfect medium if you want to create a bunch of complex chemicals and spread them around a planet.  Also many lifeforms on Earth depend on other life for their sustenance and survival. Even herbivores and vegans consume other forms of life. We can’t all be plants, living off photosynthesis, all snooty and stuff, you know… This means that life on other worlds is likely to include… PREDATORS FROM SPACE!! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our premiere of season seven of The Cosmic Companion!To kick off the new year, we’ll be looking at our collective future in space, as seen through the new tools of interactive 3D environments. Such prescience was once exclusively the hallmark of science-fiction. Today, as Star Trek goes into its sixth decade with hit-or-miss series, movies and episodes, as the Rolling Stones of sci-fi franchises, a revolutionary new media is taking shape. Later in the episode, we will welcome Tony Tellado, host of the Sci-Fi Talk podcast to the show, discussing how the development of metaverses is shaping insights into the future of the human race. Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we wrap up season six with a look at… SPACE: 2023. In the year 2023, a massive nuclear explosion will rip the Moon from its orbit, sending more than 300 inhabitants of a lunar colony careening into space. [No. No. That’s not right.] Oh, yeah, ANYWAY!We are going to give you a look at what’s happening in the night sky over the next 12 months, as well as looking forward to what’s coming up on our show in the coming weeks.In January, we will take a glimpse at how 3D environments give us our best look yet at our future beyond the Earth. We will also imagine predators in space - what can animal hunters here on Earth teach us about possible predators on distant worlds? We’ll be hunting down ideas with Shark week regular Paul de Gelder. On 28 January, we’ll be discussing the history of diversity in space exploration, from its earliest days, up through the modern age and beyond, talking with Meredith Bagby, author of The New Guys. Check that out in episode four of our upcoming season, coming out 7 February. If that weren’t enough, we’ll be kicking February off with a new look at the amazing remastered images of the Apollo Project. We welcome NASA expert and historian Andy Saunders to the show, discussing his new work, Apollo Remastered. Here’s a short clip from that interview.Join us starting on 4 February to watch the full interview with Andy Saunders, looking at Apollo to Artemis: Our Future on the Moon. Naturally, 2023 will feature the usual annular meteor showers, and the Moon is always going to be there. That is… unless a GIANT NUCLEAR EXPLOSION… But apart from that possibility, here’s a look forward to the coming year in the night sky. On 20 April in the coming year, many amateur astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere will be treated to a hybrid solar eclipse. These events appear total in some areas, and partial in others, hence the name hybrid. This eclipse begins in the southern Indian Ocean, stretching toward western Australia and southern parts of Indonesia. People living on the islands of Indonesia and parts of Australia will be treated to a partial eclipse. [the kangaroos will enjoy it as well] (and, naturally, the kangaroos will enjoy it, as well). A penumbral lunar eclipse happening on 5 May will be seen over parts of eastern Europe and Africa, all of Asia, and Australia again.Our planetary companion, the Moon, comes in closer to Earth than average, producing a supermoon on 3 July. Another supermoon - this one also a blue moon - takes place on 31 August. On 14 October, as you’re hanging Halloween decorations, an annular solar eclipse will develop in the Pacific Ocean west of southern Canada and spread toward the southwestern United States before moving into Central America and Brazil. Large swathes of North and South America will be treated to a partial eclipse from this event.Europe, Asia, Africa, and western Australia are going to see a partial lunar eclipse on 28 October - Halloween Weekend! [howl]If you enjoy The Cosmic Companion, also take a listen to our friends at Pale Blue Pod. This new podcast about space and astronomy, hosted by astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier and comedian and science educator Corinne Caputo brings science to everyone with fun, lighthearted episodes. Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier earned a degree from Harvard and a PhD from Columbia University. Given her desire to teach science with humor, (and perhaps just as important to our narrative), she also went on to meet writer and comedian Corinne Caputo. Now, Caputo is a former game show host, and she wrote Space Trash for Yale’s Summer Cabaret. Check out this podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe, but want to be its friend, at palebluepod.space. Next week, for our season seven premiere, we welcome Tony Tellado, host of the Sci-Fi Talk podcast to the show. We’ll be envisioning our future in space, as seen through the revolutionary technologies of the metaverse and 3D environments. Please join us starting 7 January. Make sure you enjoy all the Universe around us has to offer and visit us each week here on The Cosmic Companion. You’re always welcome in our corner of space!Clear skies and Happy New Year!JamesThe Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Start writing today. Use the button below to create your Substack and connect your publication with The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Happy holidays!This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore the winter skies using telescopes! But don’t fret — we’ll be talking with Michael Petrasko from Insight Observatory learning how to see the winter sky using telescopes from the warmth and comfort of home.The winter sky is filled with dazzling targets calling out to amateur astronomers. Jupiter is shining brightly in the southwestern sky. Look for the King of the Planets glowing with a bright white light in the southwestern skies during evening hours. Even a small telescope should reveal bands of color across the face of that mighty world, as well as up to four moons. Go out over the course of several nights, and you can actually see those Galilean moons of Jupiter race around their mighty parent world... Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we begin a two-part series, exploring the winter sky. We are going to take a look at what you can see using just your eyes. We'll welcome Andrew Fazekas back to the show. He is National Geographic's Night Sky Guy, and we'll talk about exploring the winter sky using eyes alone. We'll also take a look at how to view the Geminid meteor shower peaking on the 14th and 15th of December!  Winter is often considered the best season for amateur astronomy. Heat rising off the ground in summer can make for wavey air, similar to heat rising above a chimney, distorting views of objects behind it. The cooler conditions of winter reduces this effect, providing better viewing during the winter season.  Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere can head on out a little after 8pm this December, to see Orion - one of the easiest constellations to find - hanging out above the southeastern horizon. Look for the three stars lined up as the belt of this celestial hunter. Just beneath the belt, you should see the Orion nebula - a stellar nursery appearing as a fuzzy patch of light, making up the center of three stars of its sword...Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or watch it as a video!Join us next week on The Cosmic Companion for the second part of this look at the winter sky. In part two, we'll take a look at - you guessed it - the objects you can see in the night sky this winter using a telescope - even if you have never used a telescope before! We will be joined by Michael Petrasko from Insight Observatory. Make sure to join us, starting on 17 December.  If you enjoyed this episode of The Cosmic Companion, I'd love it if you could download, share, like, and maybe tell a friend about the show. It'd be much appreciated!  Sign up for our newsletter while you’re here. You'll never miss an episode.  Happy Holidays and clear skies!JamesThe Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on the Cosmic Companion, we take a look at Exoplanets in Your Backyard! Or, at least how you can get a small idea of what it might be like to visit these worlds, and you know… Survive. Later in the show, we’re going to be talking with Allyson Johnson, senior editor at National Geographic. We’ll be discussing their new release, Complete National Parks of the United States, and explore how some national parks can give us a small taste of life on distant worlds. Astronomers currently know of a little over 5,000 worlds orbiting stars other than the Sun. These range from small, hot rocky planets huddling close to their star, to massive Jupiter-like worlds. This largest class of worlds could themselves be encircled by families of Moons, some as large as Mercury — or perhaps even the Earth.Listen to the podcast episode here or watch this program as a video!Next week, we will begin a tour of the winter sky so grand, it will take two weeks (that’s a fortnight for those of you STILL refusing to use metric!). In part one, we welcome Andrew Fazekas - National Geographics’s “Night Sky Guy” back to the show. We’ll talk about what can be seen in the wintertide sky using just your eyes! (Part 2 will examine The Winter Sky w/ Telescopes! w/ Michael Petrasko from Insight Observatory!).Clear skies!JamesThe Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at the future of cities in space. We will discuss how the urban areas many of us live in today will lead to cities of the future, placed in orbit around Earth, on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, and beyond. Later on in the show, we will be talking with Joe Yogerst. We’ll discuss his new book from National Geographic, 100 Cities 5000 Ideas, as well as what cities of today can tell us about cities of the future. Currently, roughly four billion people — almost exactly half the world’s population — live in cities spread around the globe. By the year 2050, that number is likely to increase to roughly 68% of the world population (including 89% of people in the U.S.) living in urban areas. For those making their homes in space, that number will — almost certainly — be near 100%. Cities in space will also face the additional challenges of… well… being in space. Listen to the podcast here or watch this episode as a video!Next week:Exoplanets in Your Backyard! w/ Allyson Johnson from National Geographic, Senior Editor of Complete National Parks of the United States!Make sure to join us, starting 3 December!Clear skies! James Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion! This week, we kick off a new series, Why Explore Space? As we discuss how space travel and exploration are essential to help monitor and cure the effects of global climate change. Later on in the show, we are going to be talking with Alan Gratz. His new book, Two Degrees, is a young adult novel exploring the effects of catastrophic climate change around the world. Since the earliest days of the human race, people have been attempting to predict the weather. Such prognostications were essential for planting, hunting, and other reasons. The realization that climate is vital to understanding weather took quite a while for scientists to understand. And, the climates of Earth have changed over time, and will continue to change in the future. From the time of the Ancient Greeks, people have discussed the idea that human actions could change environmental conditions on Earth. By the 19th Century, researchers had started to realize, for the first time, that human activities — notably the consumption of fossil fuels — had started to alter the atmosphere of Earth, adding to the CO2 which naturally envelopes our planet. Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or watch it as a video!(technical video problems plague the first half of the episode. Sorry about that!)My birthday is next week, so I am on vacation! Join us again on 26 November for The Future of Cities in Space! w/ Nat Geo’s Joe Yogerst, author of 100 Cities 5000 Ideas from National Geographic.And - here is a look at our schedule for the rest of the year! I hope you listen and watch every week! Clear skies! James Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Hello everyone!My apologies for being a day late - but this one is worth it! (You might say… IT ROCKS!)This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore one of the most-interesting asteroids known, Ryugu. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft recently collected samples from this mysterious object, bringing fragments of the rocky body to Earth in December 2020. Ryugu could help researchers uncover the mysteries of the early Solar System, as examination shows this asteroid was likely born as our planets were still in their infancies. The makeup of Ryugu is similar to breccia rocks, a type of sedimentary stone formed on Earth as piles of various types of rocks merge together.This ancient asteroid likely formed from the breakup of a larger body long ago, in the early days of our Solar System. Quickly rotating, this intriguing asteroid developed a bulge near its equator, giving Ryugu a faceted shape, similar to a loose diamond.Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or watch the video version of this show.Next week on The Cosmic Companion, we start a new series Why We Explore Space - Curing Climate Change. Join us starting on 9 November, as we welcome Alan Gratz, author of Two Degrees, a new children’s book about climate change. Make sure to join us then!Clear skies! James Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Halloween!For our Spppooooky Halloween episode of The Cosmic Companion, we’re going to look at Death in Space! Nearly 600 people have launched into space since Yuri Gagarin’s first journey beyond our planetary birthplace. During that time, 19 people, so far, have perished during training or flights. 14 of these were accounted for by the pair of space shuttle tragedies. But, beyond accidents, death is one of the great certainties of life — or something like that. To paraphrase Will Shakespeare, “…[A]ll that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity, even in space.”One gruesome reality is that human bodies may need to be recycled — perhaps even becoming the basis of food. We will likely not be seeing Soylent Space anytime, but nothing can go to waste in space stations and habitats — astronauts aboard the ISS, for instance, are required to finish all their food for instance, and even human urine is recycled into water…  Listen to our podcast here or watch the video version of this episode!We have the second edition of the newly-revamped VIP newsletter coming out this weekend full of extras, and…Join us 3 November for Ryugu and the Giant Laser! We will talk with Esen Ercan Alp of Argonne National Laboratory and Barbara Levine from the University of Chicago about their work examining samples from the asteroid Ryugu! Happy Halloween and, as always….Clear skies! James Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at lil' baby planets, discussing the birth of solar systems.Later in the episode, we will be joined by University of Arizona astrophysicist Feng Long. She has recently developed a new means of finding young exoplanets as they form in clouds of gas and dust.But first, let's learn a little bit about how planets and solar systems form around the Cosmos. Planets coalesce from gas and dust revolving around their developing stars in formations known as protoplanetary disks.Finding young worlds in these dusky abodes is challenging at best. While planets hide within their shadowy sanctuaries, astronomers must rummage for indirect signs of planets in their infancies.Roughly 4.5 billion years ago, a massive cloud of gas and dust began to collapse inward, perhaps triggered by the gravitational influence of a passing star. This event would, eventually, give rise to our Solar System...Listen to the podcast version of this episode here or watch the video version!Thanks for subscribing to The Cosmic Companion!Clear skies!JamesVIP Subscribers! Leave us your comments below!P.S. We are also going to be revamping this newsletter, offering two regular mailings a week - one for everyone, and one just for VIP members. More on that later! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we examine what the oddities of life here on Earth can teach us about life on other worlds. Later in the show, we will welcome Stephanie Drimmer from National Geographic back to the show. Her new book, 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Animals) is filled with amazing facts about animals around the world. We will discuss her new work, as well as play a game exploring what life on our home planet can teach us about life on other worlds. But first, let’s imagine what life may possibly look like on alien planets. Naturally, we could imagine most anything we want, with no regard whatsoever to science. Half the sci-fi movies in the 50s are testament to that. But let’s instead use the tools of science to get a better idea of what life beyond the Earth may look like….Listen to the podcast here or watch the video version of this episode!Join us next week for It’s Just a Little BABY Planet! We will learn all about the formation of planets and solar systems, talking with Feng Long, astrophysicist with the University of Arizona! Make sure to join us then!Clear skies!JamesP.S. My apologies for being a day late here. Technical difficulties galore!VIP subscribers: Leave a comment below! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

Hello everyone!This week on The Cosmic Companion, we journey just 40 light years from our home, examining the TRAPPIST-1 family of planets, one of the most interesting families of worlds yet discovered by astronomers. Solar systems all begin with a star, don’t they? I mean, it’s as good of a place to start as any, in’t? The stellar furnace at the center of this family of worlds is a cool, red star, conveniently named TRAPPIST-1. Less than 12 percent as large as our own Sun and only eight percent as massive, the TRAPPIST-1 star was only discovered in the year 2000. The surface of this star, radiating heat at just 2,260 degrees Celsius, is hot enough to melt almost — but not all — metals. Darn you, tungsten!Listen to the podcast here or watch the video version of this episode!Thanks for being a subscriber - I appreciate every one of you!Clear skies, JamesVIP subscribers: Tell us what you thought of the episode below! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe

We talk about how the human body reacts to space travel, with astronaut and physician Dave Williams and science writer Elizabeth Howell, authors of Why am I Taller? Hello everyone!This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at some of the effects space travel has on the human body and examine some of the ways we can help protect human travelers to the Moon and beyond. Later in the show, we will talk with physician and two-time astronaut Dave Williams, as well as science writer Elizabeth Howell. We will be discussing their new upcoming book, Why am I Taller?Since humans first traveled to space in 1961, we have been learning about how harsh environments beyond our home planet affect human beings... (note: There were technical issues with the audio track during the interview, and we were also not able to put in a music track. Sorry about that, Chief!)Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howell appear on The Cosmic Companion 20 Sept. 2022. Released under Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution 2022 The Cosmic Companion. NEXT WEEK on The Cosmic Companion: We are on vacation. Lucky us! However, on 4 October, we will look at ways of Making Space Sustainable. We will be talking with Daniel Bock, CEO of Morpheus Space. Make sure to join us then!Subscribe today, and never miss an episode. Unless you don’t check your email. That’s on you. :)Clear skies! JamesVIP SUBSCRIBERS: We have some interesting ideas on how to bring you more exclusive content! We will be letting you in on what’s happening after vacation! Thanks for supporting science for everyone!VIP SUBSCRIBERS: Tell everyone what you thought of this episode! Get full access to The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe