Space

Word Of Mouth 05.04.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:47:19 +0000

In this special edition of Word of Mouth: are we catching up with technology? This week we'll explore the very human way we interact with technology; resistance is futile.

The Man Who Owns The Moon...Maybe

Taylor Quimby — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Dennis M. Hope claims to own the moon. He's been taking advantage of an obscure international treaty loophole since 1980, selling off lunar property, and declaring himself owner of the Lunar Embassy, and President of the Galactic Government. Sound like a joke? It's not. It's just business.

Space Law. Yes, That's A Thing.

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:41:47 +0000

For a long time, outer space was conceptually and legally a no-man’s land – that changed on October 4^th, 1967 when the Soviet Union launched a satellite called Sputnik into Earth’s orbit, triggering an international space race and calls for internationally binding laws to govern space exploration. Last amended in 1979, the outer space treaty drafted in 1967 facilitated smooth, peaceful interactions between nations capable of probing space. As the prospect of civilian space travel and settlement appears more accessible, international space law may be in need of revision. Joining us to discuss the field is Michael Listner, President of the International Space Safety Foundation.

Word Of Mouth 03.23.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:41:18 +0000

All of the pleasure, none of the guilt. Our Saturday show gets you caught up, in a convenient snack pack size. This week….A video game attempts to replicate the experience of autism; spying in space with the help of spectroscopy; a look back to when Peyton Place was in its heyday, almost 60 years ago; the delicious and sweet tradition of capturing maple syrup; making music by “playing” a tower; and a musician gives a private concert in Studio D, then talks about teenage inspiration and her love of pie.

Breaking Ground In Interplanetary Reconaissance

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

The existence of planets outside our solar system was first confirmed in 1992. Since then, nearly 900 extra solar planets have been identified, with NASA’s Keppler Mission detecting more than 18,000 potential planets, including 262 in the so-called “Goldilocks Zone,” or habitable range from the stars they orbit. Now, the American Museum of Natural History is breaking new ground in the observation of far-distant planets using high-tech spectroscopy and software for Project 1640.

Word of Mouth 01.26.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:26:42 +0000

Word of Mouth's weekly show that wraps up the best of our content in one great-to-listen-to package.

Five Reasons NOT to Take That Trip to Mars

Bill Barry — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:28:09 +0000

From the imagination of Ray Bradbury to the front pages of our newspapers, the prospect of traversing vast reaches of space and seeing Mars firsthand has long inhabited and excited the idealistic public consciousness. However, our recent talk with psychiatrist Mathias Basner revealed that the odyssey comes with a number of physiological costs. Here are some of the most prominent known bodily effects of long-term space travel:

1. “Puffy Face Syndrome”

The Mars500 Experiment: Sleeping in Space

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:48:30 +0000

If you think it’s difficult to get enough sleep in an age of 24 hours news cycles and the allure of Facebook surfing, consider how hard it must be without the sun…or gravity. The first of many studies on the Mars500 Project have been released, and it documented the sleeping habits of five men isolated on earth for 520 days.

Five Cinematic Reasons Not to Go Mars

Alison Kuzmickas — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:10:32 +0000

Our conversation today about our genetic wanderlust got us thinking about the interstellar urge to roam. Luckily, the Dutch-based Mars One is planning the first human trip to Mars in 2023. If you have ten years to spare—and are resilient, adaptable, trusting, curious, creative, and resourceful—you may be the ideal candidate. Before you rush to fill out your application, consider these cinematic warnings about space travel. Because everything that can go wrong in outer space, will go wrong. Yeah, Murphy's Law is intergalactic.

Inspired Lives: Jerry Carr

Mary Kuechenmeister and Jerry Carr — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

As part of our series Inspired Lives, we’ve hearing this summer from notable people who have taken inspiration from their time in New England. This week, we’re hearing from a New Englander who took his inspiration from the skies- astronaut Jerry Carr. A childhood fascination with airplanes led to a career as a military pilot, and then eventually, as the commander for Skylab 4, the third and final manned visit to the orbiting workshop.

Mice...in...Space...

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Three mice have returned home from ninety-one days aboard the international space station. The trip was the longest in space for any animal besides humans. Jessica Hamzelou wrote about what these intrepid space mice reveal about how space travel and zero gravity affect physiology for New Scientist Magazine and joins us now to go over the results.

Bringing a Mini-Spacecraft Back to Earth Safely - Without a Parachute

Brady Carlson — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:44:53 +0000

Time to add another page in the history of space exploration in New Hampshire. This week a team of high school students taking part in the Project SMART summer program at UNH sent a small craft 105,700 feet into the air – that’s over 20 miles up. And it came back down to Earth without a parachute.

See the Transit of Venus: This Week, or in the Year 2117

Brady Carlson — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Granite Staters are in line to see an astronomical event the night of June 5th that won’t come around again for over a hundred years: the transit of Venus.

Lights Off, Eyes Open: New Moon Darkens Skies For Meteor Shower

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Tonight is a good night for a meteor shower.

Back To The Future: Seattle's Space Needle Turns 50

Martin Kaste — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Seattle's Space Needle turns 50 on Saturday. Originally built as a tourist attraction for the city's 1962 World's Fair, the structure was meant to evoke the future. Now the future is here, and the Needle has become the city's favorite antique.

Peter Steinbrueck traces the tower's lineage to an abstract sculpture that sits in his office.