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On the latest episode of "Authenticated," Kate is joined by astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier to explore what happens when you understand both the universe's vastness and your own insignificance — and allow that scale of knowledge to deliver you liberation. They leverage their shared comfort with not knowing everything to dig into curiosity as an intimate relationship, spite as a temporary fuel versus fun as sustainable propulsion, and why comparing yourself to galaxies is healthier (and better science) than comparing yourself to other humans. Kate and Moiya tinker and play in the intersection of astronomy and mythology as two languages attempting to answer the same fundamental questions, the practice of enjoying your own brain as a prerequisite for creative work, and how grief mirrors the physics of space filling voids. Their conversation surfaces the spiral versus the circle, the privilege of authenticity once you've proven yourself, and why the fastest force in the universe still takes time — so maybe you can cut yourself some slack. They examine how studying the cosmos teaches personal philosophy, why creativity requires malleability over rigidity, and what it means to be a curious nihilist who knows nothing matters cosmically but everything matters locally. A conversation between two people who both geek out about the human experience, just from wildly different disciplinary entry points—proving that the most valuable dialogues happen when people approach similar life lessons through completely different means.

Dr. Moiya McTier: https://www.moiyamctier.com/

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Kate McLeod