Shows
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuComets, Eclipses and Auroras: The LIUniverse Looks Back at 2024What were the coolest science and sci-fi events in the LIUniverse in 2024, and what’s in store for us in 2025? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome three members of our production team: Leslie Mullen, our Executive Producer making her first on air appearance, Jon Barnes, our Editor, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media/Patreon Community Director, both of whom are familiar to longtime fans.
But first, as always, we start with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the latest development in the dispute that astrophysicists call the “Hubble Tension.” Over the past 20...2025-01-041h 00The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuComets, Eclipses and Auroras: The LIUniverse Looks Back at 2024What were the coolest science and sci-fi events in the LIUniverse in 2024, and what’s in store for us in 2025? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome three members of our production team: Leslie Mullen, our Executive Producer making her first on air appearance, Jon Barnes, our Editor, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media/Patreon Community Director, both of whom are familiar to longtime fans.
But first, as always, we start with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the latest development in the dispute that astrophysicists call the “Hubble Tension.” Over the past 20...2025-01-041h 00
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSpace Lasers, Solar Panels and Stochastic Parrots with Leah VoytovichHow far can following your passions take you in science? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the multi-faceted Leah Voytovich, a software development engineer for Project Kuiper who planned on going to med school but instead ended up working on space lasers for Amazon’s satellite internet constellation.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the use of deuterium levels in the search for exoplanets with advanced civilizations. That’s because signs of deuterium depletion can indicate that a planet has developed nuclear fission power.
A...2024-12-2245 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSpace Lasers, Solar Panels and Stochastic Parrots with Leah VoytovichHow far can following your passions take you in science? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the multi-faceted Leah Voytovich, a software development engineer for Project Kuiper who planned on going to med school but instead ended up working on space lasers for Amazon’s satellite internet constellation.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the use of deuterium levels in the search for exoplanets with advanced civilizations. That’s because signs of deuterium depletion can indicate that a planet has developed nuclear fission power.
A...2024-12-2245 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuA Double Dose of Physics with Dr. Betty Jensen and Dr. Mary Lou WestWhat was it like forging a career in physics as a woman in the 1970s? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the “Dynamic Duo of Physics” – physicist Dr. Betty Jensen and astrophysicist Dr. Mary Lou West.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a potential new revelation about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. It seems that the current spot may be only 190 years old rather than 400 years old, and that the first spot described by Cassini in the 1600s may have actually disappeared in the early 1700...2024-12-0739 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuA Double Dose of Physics with Dr. Betty Jensen and Dr. Mary Lou WestWhat was it like forging a career in physics as a woman in the 1970s? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the “Dynamic Duo of Physics” – physicist Dr. Betty Jensen and astrophysicist Dr. Mary Lou West.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a potential new revelation about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. It seems that the current spot may be only 190 years old rather than 400 years old, and that the first spot described by Cassini in the 1600s may have actually disappeared in the early 1700...2024-12-0739 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuInto the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 2Why should people care about fundamental questions of existence or try to understand the principles of our universe? Because we may be the only sentient beings in existence who can! At least, that’s what returning guest Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the AAS and the ASP, and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, tells Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu as our interview resumes.
And then we’re off and running! Kelsey explains where her passion for astrophysics comes from, and why it’s our responsibility to explore...2024-11-2328 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuInto the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 2Why should people care about fundamental questions of existence or try to understand the principles of our universe? Because we may be the only sentient beings in existence who can! At least, that’s what returning guest Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the AAS and the ASP, and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, tells Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu as our interview resumes.
And then we’re off and running! Kelsey explains where her passion for astrophysics comes from, and why it’s our responsibility to explore...2024-11-2328 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuInto the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 1Why is star formation the workhorse of the universe? What is a flocculent galaxy? Which cosmic cataclysm creates new globular star clusters? And why are we currently seeing such amazing aurora in unusual places?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astronomer Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the auro...2024-11-0931 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuInto the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 1Why is star formation the workhorse of the universe? What is a flocculent galaxy? Which cosmic cataclysm creates new globular star clusters? And why are we currently seeing such amazing aurora in unusual places?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astronomer Dr. Kelsey Johnson, past president of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), and author of “Into the Unknown – The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the auro...2024-11-0931 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuA HaLIUween SpecialHappy Halloween! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd to bring a scientific eye to the holiday and some of its most familiar denizens: witches, werewolves, zombies, black cats and even the Great Galactic Ghoul!
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). You’ll learn all about this visitor from the Oort Cloud, including how we know where it came from. Hannah talks about how ancient people responded to the arrival of a co...2024-10-2741 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuA HaLIUween SpecialHappy Halloween! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd to bring a scientific eye to the holiday and some of its most familiar denizens: witches, werewolves, zombies, black cats and even the Great Galactic Ghoul!
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). You’ll learn all about this visitor from the Oort Cloud, including how we know where it came from. Hannah talks about how ancient people responded to the arrival of a co...2024-10-2741 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 4.0Welcome to Season 4 of The LIUniverse and thank you for joining us on this journey.
We’re kicking off the new season with another Chuck GPT episode devoted to answering your questions, and to do that, we’ve brought back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd. She’s not alone: joining Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu is The LIUniverse’s Social Media Guru, Stacey Severn.
As always, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, Earth’s temporary second moon 2024 PT5. Don’t get excited, though, because it’s only the si...2024-10-2056 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 4.0Welcome to Season 4 of The LIUniverse and thank you for joining us on this journey.
We’re kicking off the new season with another Chuck GPT episode devoted to answering your questions, and to do that, we’ve brought back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd. She’s not alone: joining Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu is The LIUniverse’s Social Media Guru, Stacey Severn.
As always, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, Earth’s temporary second moon 2024 PT5. Don’t get excited, though, because it’s only the si...2024-10-2056 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 2How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” In Part 2, we look at dark matter, Gravitational Memory Effect, and more. (You can listen to Part 1 here.)
We dive right in with a question from David: “I was wondering if any physicists have looked into the idea that the “empty” space in an atom is actually “filled” with dark matter. What experiments could be done to prove...2024-09-0824 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 2How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” In Part 2, we look at dark matter, Gravitational Memory Effect, and more. (You can listen to Part 1 here.)
We dive right in with a question from David: “I was wondering if any physicists have looked into the idea that the “empty” space in an atom is actually “filled” with dark matter. What experiments could be done to prove...2024-09-0824 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 1How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” You’re going to need your thinking caps for this episode, because the trio get into some pretty intense and complex concepts in physics and astrophysics.
We start off this episode hearing why Katie, who grew up under the starless pink skies in LA, embarked on her journey to explore the very beginnings of exis...2024-08-2536 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 1How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” You’re going to need your thinking caps for this episode, because the trio get into some pretty intense and complex concepts in physics and astrophysics.
We start off this episode hearing why Katie, who grew up under the starless pink skies in LA, embarked on her journey to explore the very beginnings of exis...2024-08-2536 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuMaking Space Accessible with Celene ShimmenHow do you go from a small town in Colorado to being a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia? And how can you make space accessible for disabled astronauts? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist-astronaut candidate Celene Shimmen.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the new study using the James Webb Space Telescope that disproves the detection of tryptophan, a complex amino acid, in the interstellar cloud IC 348. Or, as Chuck jokes, no sleepy turkeys in space.
Then we get...2024-08-1039 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuMaking Space Accessible with Celene ShimmenHow do you go from a small town in Colorado to being a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia? And how can you make space accessible for disabled astronauts? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist-astronaut candidate Celene Shimmen.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the new study using the James Webb Space Telescope that disproves the detection of tryptophan, a complex amino acid, in the interstellar cloud IC 348. Or, as Chuck jokes, no sleepy turkeys in space.
Then we get...2024-08-1039 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 2We jump right back in where we left off in Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.” (If you missed it, listen to Part 1 here.)
Chuck asks Cady to tell us more about NASA’s decision to not include small and extra-large spacesuits to “save space.” She explains how, a few months later, they reinstated the extra-large suits, but not the small suits that affected about a third of the women, and the serious impact that decisi...2024-07-2027 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 2We jump right back in where we left off in Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.” (If you missed it, listen to Part 1 here.)
Chuck asks Cady to tell us more about NASA’s decision to not include small and extra-large spacesuits to “save space.” She explains how, a few months later, they reinstated the extra-large suits, but not the small suits that affected about a third of the women, and the serious impact that decisi...2024-07-2027 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1What is the overview effect? Why is slow fast when you’re spacewalking? And what would happen to Chuck and Allen’s hair in space?
To get the answers to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change,” Dr. Cady Coleman.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a micrometeorite pit 2 microns across found on a tiny volcanic glass beat t...2024-07-0630 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1What is the overview effect? Why is slow fast when you’re spacewalking? And what would happen to Chuck and Allen’s hair in space?
To get the answers to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change,” Dr. Cady Coleman.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a micrometeorite pit 2 microns across found on a tiny volcanic glass beat t...2024-07-0630 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 3.0: Gravity, rocket Propulsion, space Tethers, and more!Does sound travel faster in space? Is the multiverse theory true? Can gravity escape a black hole? In our latest episode of our popular “Chuck GPT” series, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome our Social Media/Patreon Community Director Stacey Severn to answer fan questions collected from Patreon patrons, students, Facebook and YouTube.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the recently released Euclid space telescope image of galactic cluster Abell 2390, which is about 2.7 billion light years away from Earth, in which more than 50,000 galaxies are visible. You’ll also...2024-06-1547 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 3.0: Gravity, rocket Propulsion, space Tethers, and more!Does sound travel faster in space? Is the multiverse theory true? Can gravity escape a black hole? In our latest episode of our popular “Chuck GPT” series, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome our Social Media/Patreon Community Director Stacey Severn to answer fan questions collected from Patreon patrons, students, Facebook and YouTube.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the recently released Euclid space telescope image of galactic cluster Abell 2390, which is about 2.7 billion light years away from Earth, in which more than 50,000 galaxies are visible. You’ll also...2024-06-1547 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuComposing the Cosmos – Musical Explorations of Deep Space with Bruce LazarusIs there really a music of the spheres? And why is space so inspirational for creativity? To ponder these cosmic questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome noted composer and pianist Bruce Lazarus.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, this time in honor of our guest: the fact that the movie “Oppenheimer” won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Chuck mentions some other incredible musical scores, especially John William’s soundtrack to “Star Wars.” Bruce points out that Williams also did the theme song and soundtrac...2024-06-0234 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuComposing the Cosmos – Musical Explorations of Deep Space with Bruce LazarusIs there really a music of the spheres? And why is space so inspirational for creativity? To ponder these cosmic questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome noted composer and pianist Bruce Lazarus.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, this time in honor of our guest: the fact that the movie “Oppenheimer” won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Chuck mentions some other incredible musical scores, especially John William’s soundtrack to “Star Wars.” Bruce points out that Williams also did the theme song and soundtrac...2024-06-0234 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuCosmic Pathways with Dr. Ronald GambleDo gravitons exist? What are blazars? How did our universe begin? To grapple with questions on a cosmological scale, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ron Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the gravitational wave background. Luckily, we have the “cosmological - gravitational wave - black hole meister dude” Ron on board as our expert to unpack the concept. Ron’s explanation involves pulsars, pulsar timing arrays, and gravitational waves. You’ll hear about how ripples in...2024-05-1838 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuCosmic Pathways with Dr. Ronald GambleDo gravitons exist? What are blazars? How did our universe begin? To grapple with questions on a cosmological scale, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ron Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the gravitational wave background. Luckily, we have the “cosmological - gravitational wave - black hole meister dude” Ron on board as our expert to unpack the concept. Ron’s explanation involves pulsars, pulsar timing arrays, and gravitational waves. You’ll hear about how ripples in...2024-05-1838 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuVolcanoes on Earth and in Space with Dr. Samantha TramontanoVolcanoes in space...supervolcanoes here on Earth... and lava lakes everywhere! To get an expert opinion on eruptions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Sam Tramontano, a Post-Doctoral researcher in geology and Earth sciences at The American Museum of Natural History.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the Juno spacecraft’s two recent close passes (under 1000 miles) of Jupiter’s moon Io and the amazing images of volcanic activity and Io’s lava lake “Loki Patera” with an island in its center!
Allen and Samantha div...2024-05-0541 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuVolcanoes on Earth and in Space with Dr. Samantha TramontanoVolcanoes in space...supervolcanoes here on Earth... and lava lakes everywhere! To get an expert opinion on eruptions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Sam Tramontano, a Post-Doctoral researcher in geology and Earth sciences at The American Museum of Natural History.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the Juno spacecraft’s two recent close passes (under 1000 miles) of Jupiter’s moon Io and the amazing images of volcanic activity and Io’s lava lake “Loki Patera” with an island in its center!
Allen and Samantha div...2024-05-0541 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNeurobionics with Dr. Nicki DriscollHow does the brain actually work? And is there anything we can do when it doesn’t? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Nicki Driscoll, CTO and Co-Founder of NeuroBionics.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the recently announced discovery of Super-Earth TOI-715 b that is within its star’s habitable zone. It’s roughly 1.5x the diameter of Earth and orbits an M-4 Red Dwarf star in a zone where liquid water could exist and be stable on the surface of the planet...2024-04-2140 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNeurobionics with Dr. Nicki DriscollHow does the brain actually work? And is there anything we can do when it doesn’t? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Nicki Driscoll, CTO and Co-Founder of NeuroBionics.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the recently announced discovery of Super-Earth TOI-715 b that is within its star’s habitable zone. It’s roughly 1.5x the diameter of Earth and orbits an M-4 Red Dwarf star in a zone where liquid water could exist and be stable on the surface of the planet...2024-04-2140 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Great American EclipseThe total solar eclipse is almost here! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu bring you both the basics and some more in-depth investigations of how eclipses work, how to see them, and what makes them so unique. This episode includes clips from Chuck’s recent public talk at the College of Staten Island to a packed house. So, if you hear some background chatter, it’s the audience getting as excited about the eclipse as we are.
Today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing is, of course, the eclipse...2024-04-0536 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Great American EclipseThe total solar eclipse is almost here! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu bring you both the basics and some more in-depth investigations of how eclipses work, how to see them, and what makes them so unique. This episode includes clips from Chuck’s recent public talk at the College of Staten Island to a packed house. So, if you hear some background chatter, it’s the audience getting as excited about the eclipse as we are.
Today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing is, of course, the eclipse...2024-04-0536 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuckGPT 2.0 – Three Body Problem Q&AWhat is the science behind the science fiction in Three Body Problem? In our second episode of “ChuckGPT” Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome two members of our production team: Jon Barnes, our Editor, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media/Patreon Community Director, to delve into the questions and answers posed by the award-winning novel and new series on Netflix.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the recent discovery of an exoplanet by high school students in Mountain View, California in collaboration with the SETI Institute.
The...2024-03-3036 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuckGPT 2.0 – Three Body Problem Q&AWhat is the science behind the science fiction in Three Body Problem? In our second episode of “ChuckGPT” Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome two members of our production team: Jon Barnes, our Editor, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media/Patreon Community Director, to delve into the questions and answers posed by the award-winning novel and new series on Netflix.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the recent discovery of an exoplanet by high school students in Mountain View, California in collaboration with the SETI Institute.
The...2024-03-3036 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuAncient Astronomy with Hannah LiuWhat does the study of archeology, the study of the human past, offer to the astronomers of today? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd, to connect the past, the present, and the future of astronomy in an episode Allen has described as, “A Fistful of Lius.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a recent scientific paper just published by archaeologist Federico Bernardini and astronomer Paolo Molaro which suggests that a 3,000-year-old stone tablet discovered near Trieste, Italy may be...2024-03-1739 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuAncient Astronomy with Hannah LiuWhat does the study of archeology, the study of the human past, offer to the astronomers of today? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd, to connect the past, the present, and the future of astronomy in an episode Allen has described as, “A Fistful of Lius.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a recent scientific paper just published by archaeologist Federico Bernardini and astronomer Paolo Molaro which suggests that a 3,000-year-old stone tablet discovered near Trieste, Italy may be...2024-03-1739 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuLucy and L'SPACE with Freya HollowayHow can college students who would like to work in the space industry and at NASA get their foot in the door? And what is the purpose of the Lucy mission to the Trojan Asteroids? To get the answers to both of these questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Freya Holloway, a NASA L’SPACE Lab Tech at ASU.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the latest, most accurate coloration of Neptune. It turns out, the rich, deep blue Neptune we’ve come to know and love w...2024-03-0335 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuLucy and L'SPACE with Freya HollowayHow can college students who would like to work in the space industry and at NASA get their foot in the door? And what is the purpose of the Lucy mission to the Trojan Asteroids? To get the answers to both of these questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Freya Holloway, a NASA L’SPACE Lab Tech at ASU.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the latest, most accurate coloration of Neptune. It turns out, the rich, deep blue Neptune we’ve come to know and love w...2024-03-0335 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSolar Flares and Deep Space Nine with Dr. Jimmy NegusWelcome to the Season 3 premiere of The LIUniverse, your happy half-hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In this episode, Chuck and co-host Allen Liu welcome back Dr. Jimmy Negus, who was our guest on our very first episode, to talk about Solar Flares, “Deep Space Nine,” and more.
As some of you may remember, Jimmy was only a PhD candidate back then, with his research focused on active galactic nuclei, including black holes, quasars and more. Now that he’s got his doctorate, Jimmy has pivoted to studying solar physics, which...2024-02-1827 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSolar Flares and Deep Space Nine with Dr. Jimmy NegusWelcome to the Season 3 premiere of The LIUniverse, your happy half-hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In this episode, Chuck and co-host Allen Liu welcome back Dr. Jimmy Negus, who was our guest on our very first episode, to talk about Solar Flares, “Deep Space Nine,” and more.
As some of you may remember, Jimmy was only a PhD candidate back then, with his research focused on active galactic nuclei, including black holes, quasars and more. Now that he’s got his doctorate, Jimmy has pivoted to studying solar physics, which...2024-02-1827 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 1.0 Year End Q&AWhat happens to one sun of a binary pair if the other goes supernova? Can we mitigate the greenhouse effect? How big should a telescope be? For our Season 2 finale, we’re answering fan questions from YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. To bring those questions to life, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome two members of the LIUniverse social media team, “Vinyl Benjy” Schoenfeld, our TikTok manager, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media Director.
As always, though, we start off with the season’s final joyfully cool cosmic thing, the most recent image of Uranus by the Jame...2023-12-3149 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuChuck GPT 1.0 Year End Q&AWhat happens to one sun of a binary pair if the other goes supernova? Can we mitigate the greenhouse effect? How big should a telescope be? For our Season 2 finale, we’re answering fan questions from YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. To bring those questions to life, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome two members of the LIUniverse social media team, “Vinyl Benjy” Schoenfeld, our TikTok manager, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media Director.
As always, though, we start off with the season’s final joyfully cool cosmic thing, the most recent image of Uranus by the Jame...2023-12-3149 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 2Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with father and daughter team Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA astronaut and founder of the Ad Astra Rocket Company™, and Miranda Chang, Ad Astra’s Global Communications Director.
We pick up where we left off, with a focus on fathers working with their children! Host Charles Liu shares how much he loves doing The LIUniverse with his co-host and son Allen, while Franklin talks about how important Miranda is to the running of Ad Astra.
Then it’s on to our next question, from Ebony, who asks, “Do you believe that travelin...2023-12-1631 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 2Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with father and daughter team Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA astronaut and founder of the Ad Astra Rocket Company™, and Miranda Chang, Ad Astra’s Global Communications Director.
We pick up where we left off, with a focus on fathers working with their children! Host Charles Liu shares how much he loves doing The LIUniverse with his co-host and son Allen, while Franklin talks about how important Miranda is to the running of Ad Astra.
Then it’s on to our next question, from Ebony, who asks, “Do you believe that travelin...2023-12-1631 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 1When humanity heads out for the stars, what will be powering our spacecraft? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome father and daughter team Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA astronaut and founder of the Ad Astra Rocket Company™, and Miranda Chang, Ad Astra’s Global Communications Director for Part 1 of this two-part episode. (We’ll be posting Part 2 next Saturday!)
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing. Lucy, the robotic NASA mission to the asteroid belt, just passed by its first asteroid Dinkinesh (which has been given the Ethiopia...2023-12-1034 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 1When humanity heads out for the stars, what will be powering our spacecraft? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome father and daughter team Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA astronaut and founder of the Ad Astra Rocket Company™, and Miranda Chang, Ad Astra’s Global Communications Director for Part 1 of this two-part episode. (We’ll be posting Part 2 next Saturday!)
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing. Lucy, the robotic NASA mission to the asteroid belt, just passed by its first asteroid Dinkinesh (which has been given the Ethiopia...2023-12-1034 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBlack Holes and Space Junk with Vivienne BaldassareHow do we find black holes? And how can we tell whether it’s a small black hole “eating” really fast or a large black hole that’s eating very slowly? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Vivienne Baldassare, a professor of astronomy and physics at Washington State University.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the recently published composite photo of the X-ray Binary System in nearby starburst galaxy NGC_4214. Vivienne explains how X-ray Binaries, which are relatively rare, are created by a stellar...2023-11-1934 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBlack Holes and Space Junk with Vivienne BaldassareHow do we find black holes? And how can we tell whether it’s a small black hole “eating” really fast or a large black hole that’s eating very slowly? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Vivienne Baldassare, a professor of astronomy and physics at Washington State University.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the recently published composite photo of the X-ray Binary System in nearby starburst galaxy NGC_4214. Vivienne explains how X-ray Binaries, which are relatively rare, are created by a stellar...2023-11-1934 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuFinal Frontiers with Jeyhan KartaltepeIn this episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe, an astronomer and professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, who studies galactic evolution, including galactic collisions and the growth of black holes, to explore final frontiers, both real and fictional.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the first data drop from COSMOS-Web, a database of the deepest, coolest, largest field of deep space ever imaged by JWST, and the largest scientific project yet to be conducted by the James Web...2023-10-2932 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuFinal Frontiers with Jeyhan KartaltepeIn this episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe, an astronomer and professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, who studies galactic evolution, including galactic collisions and the growth of black holes, to explore final frontiers, both real and fictional.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the first data drop from COSMOS-Web, a database of the deepest, coolest, largest field of deep space ever imaged by JWST, and the largest scientific project yet to be conducted by the James Web...2023-10-2932 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Treks, Star Wars, and Star Domes with Jenny Powers and Elliot SevernHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be a science educator and work at a planetarium or science museum? Even better, to run one?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Elliot Severn, the Planetarium Director at Sacred Heart University’s Discovery Science Center and Planetarium, and Jenny Powers, the Director of the Springfield Science Museum.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing that has just come down to Earth: the samples of the asteroid Bennu that were collected by the OSIR...2023-10-1432 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStar Treks, Star Wars, and Star Domes with Jenny Powers and Elliot SevernHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be a science educator and work at a planetarium or science museum? Even better, to run one?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Elliot Severn, the Planetarium Director at Sacred Heart University’s Discovery Science Center and Planetarium, and Jenny Powers, the Director of the Springfield Science Museum.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing that has just come down to Earth: the samples of the asteroid Bennu that were collected by the OSIR...2023-10-1432 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStars vs. Planets with Dr. Tom RiceHow did our solar system get here? How did the Earth form? How commonly does that happen elsewhere, and how often do the conditions necessary for life come about?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Tom Rice, Astronomer-Educator and AAS staffer, who studies star and planet formations, how solar systems come together out of the “stuff that’s out there floating in our galaxy like gas and dust.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the discovery of “baby” brown dwarf TWA 27B that we ar...2023-09-3033 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStars vs. Planets with Dr. Tom RiceHow did our solar system get here? How did the Earth form? How commonly does that happen elsewhere, and how often do the conditions necessary for life come about?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Tom Rice, Astronomer-Educator and AAS staffer, who studies star and planet formations, how solar systems come together out of the “stuff that’s out there floating in our galaxy like gas and dust.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the discovery of “baby” brown dwarf TWA 27B that we ar...2023-09-3033 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNew York Comic Con: The Science of Sci-Fi 2021Why does Wakanda have no suburbs, and should we destroy them if it did? Is it ethical to become a cyborg, like in the Justice League? Can venom – the toxins or the Marvel character – save your life? In this 2021 New York Comic Con edition of “The LIUniverse,” Astronomer Dr. Charles Liu hosts venom researcher Dr. Mandë Holford and environmental expert Kendra Pierre-Louis for our panel “The Science of Science Fiction.”
Speaking to a packed room (in a convention ‘plagued’ by empty panels and COVID-19 attendance limits) the panelists share their insights into the science within the Marvel and DC comics and...2023-09-161h 01The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNew York Comic Con: The Science of Sci-Fi 2021Why does Wakanda have no suburbs, and should we destroy them if it did? Is it ethical to become a cyborg, like in the Justice League? Can venom – the toxins or the Marvel character – save your life? In this 2021 New York Comic Con edition of “The LIUniverse,” Astronomer Dr. Charles Liu hosts venom researcher Dr. Mandë Holford and environmental expert Kendra Pierre-Louis for our panel “The Science of Science Fiction.”
Speaking to a packed room (in a convention ‘plagued’ by empty panels and COVID-19 attendance limits) the panelists share their insights into the science within the Marvel and DC comics and...2023-09-161h 01
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBoston Fan Expo: The Science of Sci-FiHow realistic is the human augmentation depicted in comic, games and movies? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu welcomes the CEO/founder of Neurobionics Dr. MJ Antonini, experimental psychologist Liam McMahon, and our own social media maven and comic/gaming uber-geek Sarah Cotten to the stage for our first-ever appearance at the Boston Fan Expo for a discussion about the science of science fiction, and most particularly, BRAINS! (NOTE: This panel took place during the 2023 writers strike, so our panelists purposefully avoided naming characters our properties out of respect for the striking creators.)
The panel starts off w...2023-09-0232 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBoston Fan Expo: The Science of Sci-FiHow realistic is the human augmentation depicted in comic, games and movies? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu welcomes the CEO/founder of Neurobionics Dr. MJ Antonini, experimental psychologist Liam McMahon, and our own social media maven and comic/gaming uber-geek Sarah Cotten to the stage for our first-ever appearance at the Boston Fan Expo for a discussion about the science of science fiction, and most particularly, BRAINS! (NOTE: This panel took place during the 2023 writers strike, so our panelists purposefully avoided naming characters our properties out of respect for the striking creators.)
The panel starts off w...2023-09-0232 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuPlanet Formation with Dr. Holly CapeloHow do planets form out of dust particles? And what does that have to do with fluid dynamics? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Holly Capelo from the University of Bern in Switzerland.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which takes us to the Observatory of Paris, where a group of scientists are delving into the formation of planetesimals. What are they, where do they come from, and when do they form? Holly dives right in to explain what we kno...2023-08-1925 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuPlanet Formation with Dr. Holly CapeloHow do planets form out of dust particles? And what does that have to do with fluid dynamics? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Holly Capelo from the University of Bern in Switzerland.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which takes us to the Observatory of Paris, where a group of scientists are delving into the formation of planetesimals. What are they, where do they come from, and when do they form? Holly dives right in to explain what we kno...2023-08-1925 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Birth of Planets with Aleksandra KuznetsovaHow do you go about building a planet? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome computational astrophysicist Dr. Aleksandra Kuznetsova, a NHFP Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at The American Museum of Natural History.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the presence of both a mini-Neptune and an exo-Venus in the exoplanetary system GJ3929, each with very short orbits around their star. Aleksandra discusses planetary migration and how it’s possible to have as tightly packed solar systems as GJ3929.
For our first student question, Kevi...2023-08-0631 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Birth of Planets with Aleksandra KuznetsovaHow do you go about building a planet? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome computational astrophysicist Dr. Aleksandra Kuznetsova, a NHFP Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at The American Museum of Natural History.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the presence of both a mini-Neptune and an exo-Venus in the exoplanetary system GJ3929, each with very short orbits around their star. Aleksandra discusses planetary migration and how it’s possible to have as tightly packed solar systems as GJ3929.
For our first student question, Kevi...2023-08-0631 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBrown Dwarfs and Ballet with Johanna VosBrown dwarfs are often called failed stars, but today’s guest on the LIUniverse, astrophysicist Dr. Johanna Vos, prefers to think of them as overachieving planets. Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu discuss with Johanna why brown dwarfs are so cool (pun intended!), and how their formation is something of a cosmic-scale anticlimax.
Beginning with today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a pair of brown dwarfs orbiting each other more than a hundred times farther than the Earth is from the Sun, we’ll go into how astronomers study these objects from here on Earth a...2023-07-2330 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBrown Dwarfs and Ballet with Johanna VosBrown dwarfs are often called failed stars, but today’s guest on the LIUniverse, astrophysicist Dr. Johanna Vos, prefers to think of them as overachieving planets. Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu discuss with Johanna why brown dwarfs are so cool (pun intended!), and how their formation is something of a cosmic-scale anticlimax.
Beginning with today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a pair of brown dwarfs orbiting each other more than a hundred times farther than the Earth is from the Sun, we’ll go into how astronomers study these objects from here on Earth a...2023-07-2330 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun Wang Part 2Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu continue our exploration into the poetry of the stars with Part 2 of our episode featuring poet/astronomer/cosmologist Dr. Yun Wang and poet/author Midge Goldberg, editor of “Outer Space: 100 Poems.”
We pick up right where we left off in Part 1, with a discussion of standard candles and how Edwin Hubble used Cepheid Variable Stars to determine the distance to Andromeda – incorrectly, as Chuck explains.
We then find out that Yun is working on not one, but two upcoming space telescopes: The Euclid Space Telescope launching in July 2023 and th...2023-07-0929 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun Wang Part 2Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu continue our exploration into the poetry of the stars with Part 2 of our episode featuring poet/astronomer/cosmologist Dr. Yun Wang and poet/author Midge Goldberg, editor of “Outer Space: 100 Poems.”
We pick up right where we left off in Part 1, with a discussion of standard candles and how Edwin Hubble used Cepheid Variable Stars to determine the distance to Andromeda – incorrectly, as Chuck explains.
We then find out that Yun is working on not one, but two upcoming space telescopes: The Euclid Space Telescope launching in July 2023 and th...2023-07-0929 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuParticle Physics with Dr. Lesya HorynWhat is the universe made of? Will we ever have a complete list of all the particles that make up existence? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Lesya Horyn, PhD, a Fermilab researcher working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which takes us to Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, NY, where scientists have figured out how to make matter from energy. They smashed 2 photons together to produce a matter/anti-matter par...2023-06-2428 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuParticle Physics with Dr. Lesya HorynWhat is the universe made of? Will we ever have a complete list of all the particles that make up existence? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Lesya Horyn, PhD, a Fermilab researcher working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which takes us to Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, NY, where scientists have figured out how to make matter from energy. They smashed 2 photons together to produce a matter/anti-matter par...2023-06-2428 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun WangWe often hear about the music of the spheres, but why not the poetry of the stars? In this episode Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome poet/astronomer/cosmologist Dr. Yun Wang and poet/author Midge Goldberg, editor of “Outer Space: 100 Poems” that includes Yun’s poem, “Space Journal: Serendipity.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a possible candidate relativistic tidal disruption event. Put another way, in a galaxy far, far away, a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy is possibly shredding a star, creating a b...2023-06-1029 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun WangWe often hear about the music of the spheres, but why not the poetry of the stars? In this episode Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome poet/astronomer/cosmologist Dr. Yun Wang and poet/author Midge Goldberg, editor of “Outer Space: 100 Poems” that includes Yun’s poem, “Space Journal: Serendipity.”
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, a possible candidate relativistic tidal disruption event. Put another way, in a galaxy far, far away, a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy is possibly shredding a star, creating a b...2023-06-1029 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuScience and the Future with Dr. Andrew MaynardHow does the science of today lead us into the future we’ve imagined? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist, futurist and podcaster Andrew Maynard, PhD from Arizona State University. Dr. Maynard’s career has taken him from physicist to futurist, with sojourns in risk analysis, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and of course, science communication.
To begin, we travel back to Andrew’s early days studying aerosol physics, using electron microscopy to analyze minute airborne particles… like asbestos fibers. And, given the pandemic we’ve all been living through, it’...2023-05-2731 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuScience and the Future with Dr. Andrew MaynardHow does the science of today lead us into the future we’ve imagined? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist, futurist and podcaster Andrew Maynard, PhD from Arizona State University. Dr. Maynard’s career has taken him from physicist to futurist, with sojourns in risk analysis, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and of course, science communication.
To begin, we travel back to Andrew’s early days studying aerosol physics, using electron microscopy to analyze minute airborne particles… like asbestos fibers. And, given the pandemic we’ve all been living through, it’...2023-05-2731 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStudying Stars with Dr. Isabel ColmanHow do we study the spinning of stars? What is astroseismology? And what does data science have in common with “the music of the spheres?” To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Isabel Colman, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow from the American Museum of Natural History, who studies stellar rotation through a data science perspective.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, C/2022 E3 ZTF, aka the “Green Comet.” After Chuck regales us with the childhood classic, “Comet, it makes your mouth turn green...” Isabel explains why t...2023-05-1326 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuStudying Stars with Dr. Isabel ColmanHow do we study the spinning of stars? What is astroseismology? And what does data science have in common with “the music of the spheres?” To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist Dr. Isabel Colman, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow from the American Museum of Natural History, who studies stellar rotation through a data science perspective.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, C/2022 E3 ZTF, aka the “Green Comet.” After Chuck regales us with the childhood classic, “Comet, it makes your mouth turn green...” Isabel explains why t...2023-05-1326 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuHunting Meteorites with Geoff NotkinAre you ready to meet The Meteorite Man?
On this atypical episode of The LIUniverse, rather than our usual working scientist, academic or researcher guests, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome famous meteor hunter Geoff Notkin. And he brought show and tell!
“It is a strange truth… in our world of space rocks, that meteorites, more often than not, especially the rare or super desirable ones, are in the most inconvenient places.” (Although you will hear about this one time, in 1998, when the famous meteorite hunter Skip Wilson, who found over 100 meteorites in his ca...2023-04-2927 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuHunting Meteorites with Geoff NotkinAre you ready to meet The Meteorite Man?
On this atypical episode of The LIUniverse, rather than our usual working scientist, academic or researcher guests, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome famous meteor hunter Geoff Notkin. And he brought show and tell!
“It is a strange truth… in our world of space rocks, that meteorites, more often than not, especially the rare or super desirable ones, are in the most inconvenient places.” (Although you will hear about this one time, in 1998, when the famous meteorite hunter Skip Wilson, who found over 100 meteorites in his ca...2023-04-2927 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe LIUniverse: Sailing to Mars with Sarah Al-Ahmed of The Planetary SocietyWas there ever life on Mars? Where can your passion for astronomy and cosplaying take you? And what the heck is a Light Sail?
To get the answer to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Sarah Al-Ahmed, host of The Planetary Society’s podcast, Planetary Radio.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: a new ice-filled hole on Mars! Thanks to data from the Mars Insight Lander and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we know now that the disturbance that occurred on Mars on C...2023-04-1630 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe LIUniverse: Sailing to Mars with Sarah Al-Ahmed of The Planetary SocietyWas there ever life on Mars? Where can your passion for astronomy and cosplaying take you? And what the heck is a Light Sail?
To get the answer to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Sarah Al-Ahmed, host of The Planetary Society’s podcast, Planetary Radio.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: a new ice-filled hole on Mars! Thanks to data from the Mars Insight Lander and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we know now that the disturbance that occurred on Mars on C...2023-04-1630 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSimulating Galaxies with Paco HolguinHow can we create accurate models of galaxies, both ours and others? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Paco Holguin, a graduate researcher at the University of Michigan Dept. of Astronomy who specializes in computational astrophysics and galactic simulations.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: neutron decay. The scientists at Los Alamos National Lab have recently determined that the half-life of a neutron is 877+/- 0.5 seconds, or about 14.5 minutes!
Moving on, Paco tells us how his love for vide...2023-04-0127 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSimulating Galaxies with Paco HolguinHow can we create accurate models of galaxies, both ours and others? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Paco Holguin, a graduate researcher at the University of Michigan Dept. of Astronomy who specializes in computational astrophysics and galactic simulations.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: neutron decay. The scientists at Los Alamos National Lab have recently determined that the half-life of a neutron is 877+/- 0.5 seconds, or about 14.5 minutes!
Moving on, Paco tells us how his love for vide...2023-04-0127 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe LIUniverse: Weather Satellites with Andy GreenCan you turn your passion for science into a career that helps keep millions of people safe from severe weather and includes launching your own satellites into space? To find out. Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Andy Green, the entrepreneur and self-confessed computer nerd who runs MyRadar.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which has to do with weather... but on another planet! We’re talking about the latest infrared image of Jupiter showing storms, auroras, and atmospheric conditions on the planet’s surface, taken by the Ja...2023-03-1830 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuThe LIUniverse: Weather Satellites with Andy GreenCan you turn your passion for science into a career that helps keep millions of people safe from severe weather and includes launching your own satellites into space? To find out. Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Andy Green, the entrepreneur and self-confessed computer nerd who runs MyRadar.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, which has to do with weather... but on another planet! We’re talking about the latest infrared image of Jupiter showing storms, auroras, and atmospheric conditions on the planet’s surface, taken by the Ja...2023-03-1830 min
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNew York Comic Con: The Science of Science Fiction 2Are we all mutants? Can we all be superheroes? Is the multiverse all in our heads?
Welcome to Season 2 of The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. We’re kicking off this season the same way we did last season, with “The Science of Science Fiction” – our latest standing-room-only panel from the most recent New York Comic Con. Chuck’s guests this time around were neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Heather Berlin and geneticist Dr. Dan Ginsburg. Join us as we delve into the science surrounding three subjects: Super Genetics, Super Neuropsychology, and the Multiverse.
Segment 1: Super Gene...2023-03-0459 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNew York Comic Con: The Science of Science Fiction 2Are we all mutants? Can we all be superheroes? Is the multiverse all in our heads?
Welcome to Season 2 of The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. We’re kicking off this season the same way we did last season, with “The Science of Science Fiction” – our latest standing-room-only panel from the most recent New York Comic Con. Chuck’s guests this time around were neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Heather Berlin and geneticist Dr. Dan Ginsburg. Join us as we delve into the science surrounding three subjects: Super Genetics, Super Neuropsychology, and the Multiverse.
Segment 1: Super Gene...2023-03-0459 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSearching for Exoplanets with Jackie VilladsenWhat can exoplanets teach us about our own solar system? Dr. Charles Liu explores the furthest reaches of our galaxy with the help of Vassar College astrophysicist Jackie Villadsen and co-host Allen Liu.
As always, our episode starts with the day’s cosmically cool thing: a weird and fun exoplanet system called K2-290 that’s exhibiting some crazy celestial mechanics. Find out what a K2 designation means, how the Kepler space telescope overcame a mechanical disaster, and why reaction wheels are really important! (Plus, we geek out a little bit about Star Wars and Tatooin...2023-02-1830 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSearching for Exoplanets with Jackie VilladsenWhat can exoplanets teach us about our own solar system? Dr. Charles Liu explores the furthest reaches of our galaxy with the help of Vassar College astrophysicist Jackie Villadsen and co-host Allen Liu.
As always, our episode starts with the day’s cosmically cool thing: a weird and fun exoplanet system called K2-290 that’s exhibiting some crazy celestial mechanics. Find out what a K2 designation means, how the Kepler space telescope overcame a mechanical disaster, and why reaction wheels are really important! (Plus, we geek out a little bit about Star Wars and Tatooin...2023-02-1830 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuHow Planets Live and Die, with Sam GrunblattWhat’s going to happen to our planet Earth when our Sun turns into a red giant? Dr. Charles Liu explores planetary evolution and death with exoplanet specialist Sam Grunblatt, the Kalbfleisch postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History Department of Astrophysics, who studies planetary archaeology and stellar astrophysics, and co-host Allen Liu. Sam’s most recent paper is about “hot Jupiters” at the end of their lifespans, racing around their stars in orbits just a few days long.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the discove...2023-02-1826 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuHow Planets Live and Die, with Sam GrunblattWhat’s going to happen to our planet Earth when our Sun turns into a red giant? Dr. Charles Liu explores planetary evolution and death with exoplanet specialist Sam Grunblatt, the Kalbfleisch postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History Department of Astrophysics, who studies planetary archaeology and stellar astrophysics, and co-host Allen Liu. Sam’s most recent paper is about “hot Jupiters” at the end of their lifespans, racing around their stars in orbits just a few days long.
As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the discove...2023-02-1826 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSpace Telescopes with Dr. Alexandra GreenbaumAre we living in a golden age of space telescopes? As our minds are being collectively blown by the images of our universe beginning to come from the JWST, our host Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu explore the next space telescope on the horizon, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, with our guest, astronomer Dr. Alexandra Greenbaum, PhD.
Dr. Greenbaum is an astronomer at Caltech working on the NGRST, which is set to launch in 2027. Named after Nancy Roman, who created NASA's space astronomy program and is known to many as the “Mother of...2023-02-1829 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuSpace Telescopes with Dr. Alexandra GreenbaumAre we living in a golden age of space telescopes? As our minds are being collectively blown by the images of our universe beginning to come from the JWST, our host Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu explore the next space telescope on the horizon, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, with our guest, astronomer Dr. Alexandra Greenbaum, PhD.
Dr. Greenbaum is an astronomer at Caltech working on the NGRST, which is set to launch in 2027. Named after Nancy Roman, who created NASA's space astronomy program and is known to many as the “Mother of...2023-02-1829 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuAdventures in Science with Geoff Notkin, Dr. Andrew Maynard and Dr. Cady Coleman.Can your passions for science, science fiction, space, fossils and even opera lead you to a life of adventure and maybe a career in science?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome returning guest Geoff Notkin, The Meteorite Man, and the co-hosts of the “Mission: Interplanetary” podcast, physicist/futurist Dr. Andrew Maynard and chemist/astronaut Dr. Cady Coleman.
All three of our guests have had interesting journeys and adventures in their careers. They’re here to discuss how the circuitous paths scientists often take in our lives, in an epis...2023-02-1836 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuAdventures in Science with Geoff Notkin, Dr. Andrew Maynard and Dr. Cady Coleman.Can your passions for science, science fiction, space, fossils and even opera lead you to a life of adventure and maybe a career in science?
To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome returning guest Geoff Notkin, The Meteorite Man, and the co-hosts of the “Mission: Interplanetary” podcast, physicist/futurist Dr. Andrew Maynard and chemist/astronaut Dr. Cady Coleman.
All three of our guests have had interesting journeys and adventures in their careers. They’re here to discuss how the circuitous paths scientists often take in our lives, in an epis...2023-02-1836 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNuclear Fusion with Christina MiglioreNOTE: This episode was recorded in early 2022, before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and their attack on the Chernobyl nuclear facility, which we discuss.
What’s up with nuclear fusion? Dr. Charles Liu dives into the heated subject with the help of MIT Nuclear Physicist Christina Migliore and co-host Allen Liu.
We start with today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the JET, or Joint European Torus. JET is a “giant metal donut” in the UK engaged in plasma physics and nuclear fusion. You’ll learn about magnetic containment devices known as “tokamaks...2023-02-1830 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuNuclear Fusion with Christina MiglioreNOTE: This episode was recorded in early 2022, before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and their attack on the Chernobyl nuclear facility, which we discuss.
What’s up with nuclear fusion? Dr. Charles Liu dives into the heated subject with the help of MIT Nuclear Physicist Christina Migliore and co-host Allen Liu.
We start with today’s joyfully cool cosmic thing: the JET, or Joint European Torus. JET is a “giant metal donut” in the UK engaged in plasma physics and nuclear fusion. You’ll learn about magnetic containment devices known as “tokamaks...2023-02-1830 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBlack Holes, Galaxies, and The Expanse with Jimmy NegusWelcome to the first ever episode of the LIUniverse, your happy half hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In this episode, we talk quasars, “The Expanse”, and more with our guest Jimmy Negus, PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder, and with our co-host Allen Liu. The trio discuss Jimmy’s research on active galactic nuclei (AGNs), including some that might not even be in a galaxy’s nucleus at all, plus some sci-fi stories that have them hooked, and some in which the science really misses the mark.
You’ll d...2023-02-1831 minThe LIUniverse with Dr. Charles LiuBlack Holes, Galaxies, and The Expanse with Jimmy NegusWelcome to the first ever episode of the LIUniverse, your happy half hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In this episode, we talk quasars, “The Expanse”, and more with our guest Jimmy Negus, PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder, and with our co-host Allen Liu. The trio discuss Jimmy’s research on active galactic nuclei (AGNs), including some that might not even be in a galaxy’s nucleus at all, plus some sci-fi stories that have them hooked, and some in which the science really misses the mark.
You’ll d...2023-02-1831 min