Best SETI Institute Podcasts (2025)

Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality (Whiteson & Warner, 2025) is a mind-bending exploration into what it would mean, scientifically and philosophically, for humans to communicate with an extraterrestrial intelligence through the language of physics. Daniel Whiteson, a particle physicist, and Andy Wa…

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Birth of Planets: JWST Spots Hot Mineral Condensation in a Proto-Stellar System 35:20

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7h ago35:20

35:20

How do planets start? Host Simon Steel (SETI Institute) speaks with Melissa McClure (Leiden University), lead author of a new study that caught the earliest spark of planet formation. Using JWST and ALMA, the team detected silicon monoxide (SiO)—both gaseous and likely crystalline—and pinpointed where hot, rock-forming minerals are condensing insid…

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Best of Blue Dot: Exploring California's Native Trees with Matt Ritter and Michael Kauffmann 51:38

1h ago51:38

51:38

Host Dave Schlom is joined by Backcountry Press Publisher Michael Kauffmann along with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo botany professor Matt Ritter. Both combined to author the superb new book, California Trees: A Field Guide to the Native Species.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Space Weather Alert! Sunspots, Coronal Holes, and Space Storms 41:31

6d ago41:31

41:31

The Sun is restless again! A massive coronal hole has opened up, sending streams of solar wind racing toward Earth. These high-speed particles not only light up our skies with dazzling auroras but can also affect satellites, power grids, and communications. In this special SETI Live, heliophysicist Dr. Becca Robinson (SETI Institute) joins host Sim…

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Hidden Habitability: What Dawn Discovered Beneath Ceres' Icy Crust 37:26

2d ago37:26

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Join host Beth Johnson and guest Dr. Sam Courville, lead author of a new study on Ceres, as they dive into the possibility that the dwarf planet may have had the energy needed to support habitability for much longer than once believed. Using data from NASA's Dawn mission, researchers uncovered evidence of persistent geologic activity, brine movemen…

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Blue Dot: New MacArthur Fellow Kareem El-Badry from Caltech on black holes, binary and hypervelocity stars 51:36

14d ago51:36

51:36

Host Dave Schlom visits with brand new MacArthur Fellowship award winner Kareem El-Badry, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Lunar Impact? Asteroid 2024 YR4 and the Risk to the Moon 31:22

6d ago31:22

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Join host Dr. Franck Marchis and guest Dr. Andy Rivkin (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) for a discussion on asteroid 2024 YR4 and its potential impact on the Moon. Thanks to new observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have refined the asteroid's orbit and determined there is about a 4% chance it coul…

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When We Find Life: Science, Society, and Survival 40:14

9d ago40:14

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What happens after we discover life beyond Earth? The question is no longer "if," but "when"—and how humanity responds could shape our future. Host and planetary astronomer Franck Marchis welcomes Martin Dominik, one of the authors of a new white paper on the societal, political, and philosophical challenges we'll face once alien life is confirmed.…

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Best of Blue Dot: Celebrating three years of astronomy with the James Webb Space Telescope 51:38

13d ago51:38

51:38

Blue Dot marks three years of operation of the magnificent James Webb Space Telescope. NASA Webb Project Manager Mike Davis joins host Dave Schlom for an overview of the telescope's operation and unique capabilities that have surpassed the expectations of the astronomical community.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Blue Dot: Understanding the earthquake and tsunami hazards of California's North Coast with Lori Dengler 51:35

20d ago51:35

51:35

Geology Professor Emeritus Lori Dengler joins host Dave Schlom from Cal Poly Humboldt for an in-depth look at the tectonic forces that have shaped California's North Coast.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Worlds of Fire: What Molten Exoplanets Teach Us About Planet Formation 34:43

23d ago34:43

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Join communications specialist Beth Johnson and Dr. Charles-Édouard Boukaré (York University) as they dive into new research on molten rocky exoplanets—worlds so hot that their surfaces are oceans of magma. This international study, led by York University, sheds light on how these fiery planets form, evolve, and what their extreme environments can …

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Blue Dot: The anatomy of a disaster: inside the Titan submersible implosion 51:35

29d ago51:35

51:35

Gordon Telepun joins host Dave Schlom to discuss the Titan submersible implosion that killed five people, including Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, in 2023.

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Life in Titan's Ocean? The Microscopic Possibility of Biomass on Saturn's Moon 38:57

30d ago38:57

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Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is a world of methane rivers and lakes, icy boulders, sandy dunes, and a vast subsurface ocean. Could this distant world harbor life? A new study led by Dr. Antonin Affholder, now a fellow at ETH Zurich, suggests that Titan's ocean might support life—but only in the tiniest amounts, making it incredibly hard to find. J…

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Blue Dot: SETI Institute: it's role in the Disney/Pixar animated film Elio and The Fermi Paradox 51:37

1M ago51:37

51:37

Host Dave Schlom is joined by two guests from the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, for a fun and thought-provoking program. Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research, joins us for an inside look at the Institute's role as a science advisor for the Disney/Pixar film Elio.…

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LaserSETI Live Puerto Rico Edition: A New Observatory & Revisiting the Wow! Signal 41:20

1M ago41:20

41:20

Join us for a special livestream featuring Dr. Abel Méndez from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, hosted by SETI Institute researcher Dr. Lauren Sgro. They will discuss the latest on LaserSETI, the all-sky project searching for optical technosignatures, including exciting updates from the new installation in Puerto Rico. This special "Laser…

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Pulsing White Dwarf! Decoding a Strange Radio Rhythm 34:22

1M ago34:22

34:22

Join us for a 30-minute livestream with Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute, and Dr. Sanne Bloot, lead author of a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. They will discuss one of the universe's most puzzling new discoveries: a white dwarf that emits highly polarized radio pulses in a…

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Best of Blue Dot: Restoring an ancient and important salmon habitat: Big Chico Creek in Northern California 51:37

2M ago51:37

51:37

Host Dave Schlom and Producer Matt Fidler go out in the field and in the studio to learn about the story of a major restoration on Big Chico Creek in Chico, California's historic and precious Bidwell Park.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Can We Recognize Alien Life? Ocean Worlds and the Search for Life 35:14

2M ago35:14

35:14

Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a conversation with Dr. Anastasia Yanchilina, Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute, as we explore how life might emerge and/or be mistaken for in environments beyond Earth. Dr. Yanchilla studies abiotic mineral structures, or "chemical gardens," that resemble biological life but form …

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Citizen Science in Astronomy (Part 7): Comet 3I/ATLAS and a Disintegrating Exoplanet 41:10

2M ago41:10

41:10

Join Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Unistellar, and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SkyMapper, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute…

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Blue Dot: Bill Nelson: Congressman, astronaut and NASA Director 51:37

2M ago51:37

51:37

Bill Nelson joins host Dave Schlom for a special conversation about his life in public service at NASA. Nelson served representing the people of his home state of Florida for 30 years, first in the House of Representatives and then the Senate.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Closest Exoplanet Yet? JWST Reveals Neighboring Planet Candidate 38:11

2M ago38:11

38:11

Join astronomers Franck Marchis (SETI Institute) and Julien Girard (Space Telescope Science Institute) for a 30-minute live discussion unpacking NASA's exciting new findings from JWST. Just announced, JWST has revealed strong evidence of a Saturn-mass gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A—the Sun's nearest solar twin—located just 4 light-years away. …

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Orbital Oddity and Neptune: Resonant Object Hints at Planetary Migration 36:30

2M ago36:30

36:30

Join us for a 30-minute live conversation with astronomer Dr. Rosemary E. Pike, lead author of a groundbreaking new study that reveals the discovery of a rare and distant object orbiting in resonance with Neptune. Hosted by Beth Johnson of the SETI Institute, this stream will explore the science behind this unusual trans-Neptunian object, what it t…

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Blue Dot: Permaculture; A Permanent Culture for People and all the inhabitants of the Planet 51:37

2M ago51:37

51:37

Host Dave Schlom is joined by Producer Matt Fidler for a special look at the world of permaculture. If you are like Dave and have never heard of permaculture before, this show is for youBy Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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A Vaporizing Planet: Why BD+05 4868 b is Turning to Dust 31:36

2M ago31:36

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Join communications specialist Beth Johnson for a live interview with astrophysicist Marc Hon (MIT), lead author of a new study revealing one of the most extreme exoplanets ever discovered — a small, rocky world that's literally disintegrating as it orbits its star. BD+05 4868 b is a Mercury-sized planet just 140 light-years away that's orbiting so…

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Comet 3I/ATLAS: A Visitor from Beyond the Solar System 34:01

2M ago34:01

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Comets are cosmic time capsules, but some carry stories from far beyond our Solar System. Join us for a live discussion on Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to visit our cosmic neighborhood. Host Simon Steel, Deputy Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, will be joined by a panel of experts to explore what makes …

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Blue Dot: The art and science of fly fishing with Hall of Famer Mike Mercer 54:59

2M ago54:59

54:59

Host Dave Schlom gets to delve into his favorite pastime, fly fishing, with two of his heroes -- Mike Mercer and Bryan Quick from The Fly Shop in Redding, California.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Blue Dot: The Roosevelt brothers quest to find the Giant Panda: a conversation with author Nathalia Holt 51:38

3M ago51:38

51:38

Host Dave Schlom visits with one of his favorite authors, Nathalia Holt, to talk about her new book The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Best of Blue Dot: Protecting invertebrate pollinators and endangered species with the Xerces Society 51:37

3M ago51:37

51:37

Executive Director Scott Black joins host Dave Schlom for a brief history and overview of the Xerces Society.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Blue Dot: Going nuclear? A conversation about atomic power with British scientist and author Tim Gregory 51:36

3M ago51:36

51:36

Host Dave Schlom visits with Tim Gregory, a senior nuclear chemist at the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield, Cumbria. Gregory is the author of Going Nuclear: How Atomic Energy Will Save the World, published in the US by Pegasus Books.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Blue Dot: On the frontiers of philosophy and physics: a conversation with Caltech's Chip Sebens 51:37

3M ago51:37

51:37

Host Dave Schlom is joined by California Institute of Technology Philosophy Professor Chip Sebens for an engaging look at how philosophical thought and methodology can help unravel the mysteries of modern Physics.By Dave Schlom

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Best of Blue Dot: Ocean science at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography 51:37

4M ago51:37

51:37

Host Dave Schlom is joined by guests from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of San Diego to profile the ocean science being done at one of the world's most important and historic places to study our blue planet.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

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Best of Blue Dot: The challenge of California's growing wolf population 51:31

4M ago51:31

51:31

Host Dave Schlom is joined by two University of California at Davis researchers and the state's gray wolf coordinator to learn more about how California's steadily growing wolf population is affecting cattle ranchers and communities in rural Northern California.By Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler