Brief discussions about Sophia and the upcoming Hubble servicing mission from the AAS meeting in Saint Louis. Cameos by Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Mike Simonson (AAVSO).
Slacker Chat with Doug, Michael, Aaron and Travis
We bring the old gang back together for a chit chat about Mars, Brian May, kinematic footprints, IYA and more. We had some technical problems so please ignore the occasional static, beeps or bad jokes.
Interview: Doug Baum on the BIPH
Doug and Michael interview Doug Baum who, along with his partner Russ Lederman, has developed the Binocular Photon Machine (BIPH), a device which amplifies incoming light 50,000 times, effectively tripling your telescope aperture. We talk about the...
Interview: Ethan Vishniac
An interview with Dr. Ethan Vishniac who is the editor-in-chief of The Astrophyscial Journal and a professor of astronomy at McMaster University.
Interview: Science Cafes
An interview with Ben Wiehe of WGBH about science cafes.
Aaron Price on BZ UMa [FF]
Aaron Price won a Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award for this poster on the cataclysmic variable star BZ UMa. Aaron walks us through his poster and results.
Interview: Juan Collar and Detecting Dark Matter
An interview with Juan Collar of the Kavli Institute on detecting dark matter in the laboratory.
The Goddess of the IYA [FF]
A short interview with Susana Deustua about the International Year of Astronomy, with a brief cameo by Mike Simonson of the AAVSO.
Interview: Rick Fienberg of Sky and Telescope [FF]
A short interview with Rick Fienberg of Sky and Telescope magazine.
Ice Cube
Michael and Doug discuss the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory, supernovae light echos and buying a star.
Light Pollution
Julie Wilbert brings us a report on light pollution with members of the Minnesota Astronomical Society.
Whatever the hell is Slacker Astronomy
An interview with Aaron Price about the history of Slacker Astronomy plus ramblings by Michael.
Podcast interview with Brant Robertson
Doug and Michael chat with Brant Robertson, who is a Spitzer Fellow doing research at The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Brant is a theoretical astrophysicist involved with computer simulations of the evolution of galaxies.
Slackerpedia Galactica 8.0: A Brief History of the Universe
A brief history of the universe according to modern cosmology. Also a brief discussion of asteroid 2007 WD5, which may hit Mars.
First Principles 4.0 - Inside Stars [FF]
Discussion on what stars are and how they work.
Interview: Timothy Ferris [FF]
Astrotalk about news and events followed by an exclusive interview with author and film maker Timothy Ferris.
Video: DAO Visit [FF]
A tour of the DAO Observatory in Victoria, BC, Canada.
SG Chit Chat #6
Opening skit, Astro news, another First Principles, discussions of astronomy tenure
policies and the first of a new recurring segment: Kavli Cosmology Nugget, where cosmologists sit
around a table with wine and cheese and talk shop.
Cosmology #8: Dr. Lucy Fortson on VERITAS and new forms of astro research
Dr. Lucy Fortson is vice president for research at the Adler Planetarium
and a member of the VERITAS gamma ray experiment. She talks about VERITAS, gamma rays, astronomy
artifacts and new roles for the public in astronomy research practices.
Cosmology #7: The CMB Soap Opera w/Dr. Stephan Meyer
Dr. Stephen Meyer has been a part of most of the major CMB discoveries in the past two decades.
He takes us on a journey of all the experiments, their challenges and successes and then sets the stage for the next
phase of CMB experiments.
Cosmology #6: Dark Energy w/Dr. Josh Frieman
Dr. Josh Frieman discusses dark energy and alternative theories along with current and pending experiments to
test it.
Cosmology #5: Dr. Michael Turner updates his famous 1998 paper: Cosmology Solved?
Dr. Michael Turner updates his famous 1998 checklist of the seven major cosmological questions
Cosmology #4: Nobel Laureate Dr. Jim Cronin On Cosmic Rays
Dr. Jim Cronin, winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize in physics, discusses cosmic rays and the Pierre Auger
Observatory
Cosmology #3: The Big Bang and CMB w/Dr. Clem Pryke
Dr. Clem Pryke discusses the Big Bang, the cosmic microwave background, and
various properties of it currently being tested in an effort to test and answer open questions about the
Big Bang.
Cosmology #2: Dark Matter w/Dr. Andrey Kravtsov
Dr. Andrey Kravtsov gives a good description of the dark matter concept along with current
understandings, challenges and active experiments underway to positively detect dark matter.
Cosmology #1: The South Pole Telescope and KICP w/Dr. John Carlstrom
Our first interview from the Kavli Institute For Cosmological Physics. The Director, Dr. John
Carlstrom, gives us an overview of the institute and the major equipment they are building and using. Throughout the
week we will bring you many interviews,...
SG #5.0
It`s baaaacckk.
First Principles 2: Mass and Stuff (also McNaught/Titan skits)
The second in the First Principle series in which our heroes posit on mass, inertia and other stuff. Also, two skits with Travis and Rebekah about Comet McNaught and Titan.
First Principles 1.0: Astronomers
The first episode of a new segment called First Principles, in which we discuss the basics of what astronomers are and what they do.
