Best Cosmic Computer Podcasts (2024)

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Starts With A Bang #106 - The Troublesome Hunt for Planet Nine 1:33:51

26d ago1:33:51

1:33:51

One of the most swiftly forgotten revolutions in all of science is our understanding of the Solar System out beyond Neptune. Although Pluto was discovered nearly a full century ago, it wasn't until the early 1990s that we even discovered the next object beyond Neptune that wasn't also part of the Plutonian system. And yet, in the 30 short years tha…

1
Podcasting’s Obsession with Obsession (Neil Verma) 52:19

1M ago52:19

52:19

Today we discuss how narrative podcasts work, the role they’ve played in American culture and how they’ve shaped our understanding of podcasting as a genre and an industry. Neil Verma’s new book, Narrative Podcasting in an Age of Obsession, offers a rich analysis of the recent so-called golden age of podcasting. Verma studied around 300 podcasts an…

1
Transmission Log Episode 9: Manufacturing and Production at System76 28:40

2M ago28:40

28:40

This episode features an interview with Stephanie and Marcos from the Production Team, where they help manufacture and build our desktops from raw sheet metal. We'll also talk about what makes the System76 factory unique, as well as new hardware updates, community happenings, and a fun game at the end! Five facts about us: -Desktops and keyboards h…

1
Starts With A Bang #105 - Dark Matter And Galaxies 1:38:19

2M ago1:38:19

1:38:19

Every January, I head to the American Astronomical Society's big annual meeting with an ulterior motive in mind. Beyond merely uncovering new scientific findings, gathering information for potential stories, and connecting with friends and colleagues, I also look to meet emerging junior researchers who are swiftly becoming not only experts, but lea…

1
Second Line: Footwork in New Orleans (Lowlines by Petra Barran) 32:39

2M ago32:39

32:39

Today we feature the first episode of a new podcast called Lowlines, which follows host Petra Barran as she travels solo through the Americas, meeting people with profound connections to the places they’re from. This episode takes place in New Orleans and focuses on Second Line, the brass band tradition that comes out of Black funeral processions a…

1
Unboxing the Terrors of Space: A Deep Dive into Mothership RPG Kickstarter 49:11

2M ago49:11

49:11

Get in touch with us! Discover sci-fi horror as we unwrap the Mothership RPG Kickstarter rewards and share our candid reactions. Picture the tense corridors of "Alien" and the haunting void of "Dead Space" as we analyze the game's system, designed for hair-raising one-shot adventures. Our friend Ryan hops aboard for this interstellar discussion, co…

1
Call of Cthulhu Roundtable Part 2: Tabletop Terror and the Gamble of Crowdfunding Ventures 33:50

2M ago33:50

33:50

Get in touch with us! Prepare to be immersed in the spine-tingling realm of Cthulhu board games as we continue to recount our harrowing yet delightful experiences from the comfort of our tabletops. From the sudden demise of the Mythos card game that left us in academic nostalgia to the complex machinations of Arkham Horror, our tales are fraught wi…

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An Odyssey into Cosmic Dread: A Roundtable Discussion on Call of Cthulhu 1:09:51

2M ago1:09:51

1:09:51

Get in touch with us! Step into the shadows with us and special guest Matt Sanderson, a distinguished author of the eldritch horror RPG Call of Cthulhu, as we convene for a spine-tingling, two-part roundtable discussion. Our personal forays into the game's chilling depths provide a backdrop to our broader conversation, which spans the intellectual …

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Beyond Listening: The Hidden Ways Sound Affects Us (Michael Heller) 1:00:01

2M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

There are sonic experiences that can’t be contained by the word “listening.” Moments when sound overpowers us. When sound is sensed more in our bodies than in our ears. When sound engages in crosstalk with our other senses. Or when it affects us by being inaudible. Dr. Michael Heller’s new book Just Beyond Listening: Essays of Sonic Encounter (2023…

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Ep 9 - Emily DeMoor - What is Intersubjectivity and the Noosphere? 39:01

3M ago39:01

39:01

Dr. Emily DeMoor is a lifelong learner, teacher, speaker, author, retreat director, poet and artist who seeks to participate meaningfully in the transition to a more unified, peaceful and sustainable world. Her current learning and teaching centers on intersubjectivity and the Noosphere. With a Master of Arts in Musicology, a Master of Pastoral Stu…

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Unveiling the Eldritch Lore: The Impact and Evolution of Call of Cthulhu 31:57

3M ago31:57

31:57

Get in touch with us! Step into the shadows of the unknown with us as we unearth the fascinating history behind the Call of Cthulhu RPG, a game that turned tabletop horror on its head. We'll trail the game's evolution, from Sandy Peterson's early work to the atmospheric depths of the 1920s setting, and delve into the ingenious Sanity Score. Prepare…

1
Noise and Affect Theory (Marie Thompson) 48:36

3M ago48:36

48:36

Feminist sound scholar and musician Marie Thompson is a theorist of noise. She has also been one of the key thinkers in integrating the study of sound with the study of affect. Dr. Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Popular Music at the Open University in the UK. She is the author of Beyond Unwanted Sound: Noise, Affect, and Aesthetic Moralism (Bloomsb…

1
Starts With A Bang #104 - The Magnetized Galactic Center 1:42:22

3M ago1:42:22

1:42:22

Have you ever wondered what the full story with the galactic center is? Sure, we have stars, gas, and an all-important supermassive black hole, but for hundreds of light-years around the center, there's a remarkable story going on that's traced out in a variety of elements at a whole slew of different temperatures. Imprinted in that material is a r…

1
Token of Our Humble Love For you Day - A Paranoia Actual Play Podcast - All Episodes! 2:56:12

3M ago2:56:12

2:56:12

Get in touch with us! Greetings citizen! Join Troubleshooter Rapid Response Team 413 as they take on another fun, routine task for your friend and mine, The Computer. As with most Troubleshooter missions, this one will be perfectly safe for everyone concerned. I've heard from some listeners who apparently like to listen to the whole series in one g…

1
Token of Our Humble Love For you Day - A Paranoia Actual Play Podcast - Episode 5 40:26

3M ago40:26

40:26

Get in touch with us! Greetings citizen! Join Troubleshooter Rapid Response Team 413 as they take on another fun, routine task for your friend and mine, The Computer. As with most Troubleshooter missions, this one will be perfectly safe for everyone concerned. This episode sees the team enter silo RYI as they attempt to complete their mission (what…

1
From HAL to SIRI: How Computers Learned to Speak (Benjamin Lindquist) 50:42

3M ago50:42

50:42

Today we learn how computers learned to talk with Benjamin Lindquist, a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University’s Science in Human Culture program. Ben is the author “The Art of Text to Speech,” which recently appeared in Critical Inquiry, and he’s currently writing a history of text-to-speech computing. In this conversation, we explore:…

1
Transmission Log Podcast: COSMIC, new laptops and an interview with Streaming Global! 30:01

4M ago30:01

30:01

Listen to the latest on System76 computers, manufacturing, Pop!_OS and COSMIC DE. This episode features an interview with Streaming Global and their work with GPU servers to create media and data delivery pipelines. We’ll also talk about new hardware updates, community happenings and even play a fun game at the end! 00:00:38 Marketing Summit 00:01:…

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Humanity's Rite of Passage with Carolyn Baker, Ph. D. - Ep. 8 32:44

4M ago32:44

32:44

Carolyn Baker, Ph. D., was a psychotherapist in private practice for 20 years and a professor of psychology and history for 10. She is the author of 15 books including Navigating The Coming Chaos: A Handbook For Inner Transition; Sacred Demise: Walking The Spiritual Path of Industrial Civilization’s Collapse; and Love In The Age of Ecological Apoca…

1
Publishing for Nonfiction Authors (Jane Von Mehren) 1:06:41

4M ago1:06:41

1:06:41

Join Our Patreon! Send us a voice message! Rate this podcast! Today’s episode provides a thorough walkthrough of the publishing industry for aspiring nonfiction writers. Our guest is Jane Von Mehren, Senior Partner at Aevitas Creative Management and a former Senior Vice President at Random House. Jane explains the structure of the publishing indust…

1
Starts With A Bang #103 - Active galaxies and the universe 1:30:52

4M ago1:30:52

1:30:52

All throughout the Universe, galaxies exist in a great variety of shapes, ages, and states. Today's galaxies come in spirals, ellipticals, irregulars, and rings, all ranging in size from behemoths hundreds or even thousands of times larger than the Milky Way to dwarf galaxies with fewer than 0.1% of the stars present here in our cosmic home. But at…

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John Roedel: From Comic to Best-Selling Author: The Journey of ‘Hey God. Hey John" - Ep. 7 40:47

4M ago40:47

40:47

John Roedel is a comic who unexpectedly gained notability as a writer and poet through his heartfelt Facebook conversations that went viral and became an Amazon best-selling book titled, Hey God. Hey John. He is the author of five books—Hey God. Hey John, Any Given Someday, Untied: The Poetry of What Comes Next, Remedy, and his latest work, Upon De…

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Noise and Information in the Office (Joseph L. Clarke) 1:08:48

4M ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Join Our Patreon! Send us a voice message! Rate this podcast! Ever wonder who’s to blame for the noise and distraction of the open office? Our guest has answers. Joseph L. Clarke is a historian of art and architecture and an associate professor at the University of Toronto. His 2021 book Echo’s Chambers: Architecture and the Idea of Acoustic Space …

1
Robin Miles: Talking Books 1:10:45

5M ago1:10:45

1:10:45

Today we bring you a masterclass in audiobook narration and acting with acclaimed actor, casting director, audiobook narrator and audiobook director, Robin Miles. Miles has narrated over 500 audiobooks, collecting numerous industry awards and, in 2017, was added to the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. She’s the most recognizable voice in literary Afr…

1
Starts With a Bang #102 - The missing exoplanets 1:46:33

5M ago1:46:33

1:46:33

Up until the early 1990s, we didn't know what sorts of planets lived around stars other than our Sun. Were they like our own Solar System, with inner, rocky planets close to our star and large, giant worlds farther away? It turned out that exoplanetary systems come in a great variety of configurations: with planets of all sizes, masses, and distanc…

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Radiophilia (Carolyn Birdsall) 1:06:47

5M ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Today’s guest is Carolyn Birdsall, Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Amsterdam. If you’re a scholar of sound or radio, you likely know her work, particularly her monograph Nazi Soundscapes (AUP, 2012) which was the recipient of the ASCA Book Award in 2013. Her new book, Radiophilia (Bloomsbury, 2023), examines the love of radio th…

1
System76 Transmission Log Episode 7: Defense Unicorns 27:56

6M ago27:56

27:56

Listen to the latest on System76 computers, manufacturing, and Pop!_OS. This episode features an interview with Defense Unicorns. They're on a mission to enable continuous software delivery for national security purposes. We’ll also talk about new product updates, some cool happenings at the System76 factory, our AI demo at CES, and so much moreeee…

1
Cosmic Visions in Sound 21:43

6M ago21:43

21:43

Today we share a podcast episode on the visual epistemology of astronomy by our friends at The World According to Sound. What kind of knowledge do we really gain when we look at images from space? Longtime listeners to this show will remember The World According to Sound. As we referred to them two years ago, WATS is a team of two rogue audionauts …

1
Starts With A Bang #101 - Quantum Computing 1:38:50

6M ago1:38:50

1:38:50

Happy new year, everyone, and with a new year comes a spectacular new podcast! We normally cover an intricate and underappreciated aspect of astrophysics on the podcast, but I had the opportunity to bring on a true expert in the field of quantum computing and just couldn't pass it up. You've likely heard a lot of noise about quantum computers and t…

1
Tinnitus Stories 38:39

7M ago38:39

38:39

Tinnitus can be annoying, for sure--and for some people it's much worse than annoying--but it also has a lot to say of interest, if we're willing to listen: "Tinnitus has been my guide in sound studies, my Virgil, leading me through a shadow world of sound. It's taught me how high the stakes can be when it comes to the perception and control of sou…

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Kristal Parks - From Prison Bars to Saving Elephants: The Story of an Anti-War Activist - Ep 6 33:44

7M ago33:44

33:44

Kristal Parks is a biologist, elephant conservationist, author, and environmentalist. She is a deeply spiritual person who has been involved in social justice activism and anti-war activism her entire life. Kristal is one of the rare visionaries of action. She truly walks her talk to the point of having put her own freedom and personal safety in da…

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Starts With A Bang podcast #100 - Galaxies in the JWST era 1:32:27

7M ago1:32:27

1:32:27

It's hard to believe, but it was only back just a year and a half ago, in mid-2022, that we had yet to encounter the very first science images released by JWST. In the time that's passed since, we've gotten a revolutionary glimpse of our Universe, replete with tremendous new discoveries: the farthest black hole, the most distant galaxy, the farthes…

1
Warren Zanes: Rockstar Biographer 1:11:53

7M ago1:11:53

1:11:53

Warren Zanes talks life as a rocker and writer, his new book on Springsteen's Nebraska, how to weave theory into a great story, and why he narrates his own audiobooks. Continue reading → The post Warren Zanes: Rockstar Biographer appeared first on Phantom Power.By Mack Hagood, sound professor and audio producer

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Token of Our Humble Love For you Day - A Paranoia Actual Play Podcast - Episode 4 36:21

7M ago36:21

36:21

Get in touch with us! Greetings citizen! Join Troubleshooter Rapid Response Team 413 as they take on another fun, routine task for your friend and mine, The Computer. As with most Troubleshooter missions, this one will be perfectly safe for everyone concerned. This episode sees the team dealing with the consequences of messing around in a power pla…

1
Making Radio History (Elena Razlogova) 1:03:22

8M ago1:03:22

1:03:22

Elena Razlogova discusses U.S. radio history, audience research, music recommendation and recognition algorithms, and her current book project, which centers on freeform radio station WFMU and the rise of online music. We also talk about Elena’s research strategies as a historian working in the digital age. Continue reading → The post Making Radio …

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Starts With a Bang #99 - Varying and evolving stars 1:42:07

8M ago1:42:07

1:42:07

You might not think about it very often, but when it comes to the question of "how old is a star that we're observing," there are some very simple approximations that we make: measure its mass, radius, temperature, and luminosity (and maybe metallicity, too, for an extra layer of accuracy), and we'll tell you the age of this star, including how far…

1
Brian Tucker, a cross-cultural spiritual director and computer scientist on the four archetypes and cosmogenesis - Ep 5 34:45

8M ago34:45

34:45

Today's conversation with with Brian Tucker, a cross-cultural Spiritual Director and Advisor who trained with the Guild for Spiritual Guidance, Brian Tucker has organized and facilitated Interfaith events for many years in the Central New Jersey area, serving two years with the Vincentian Renewal Center (St. Joseph's Seminary) in Plainsboro, NJ as …

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The Audiobook’s Century-Long Overnight Success (Matthew Rubery) 47:49

8M ago47:49

47:49

Today we present the first episode of a miniseries on audiobooks by getting into the history and theory of the medium. Audiobooks are having a moment—and it only took them over a century to get here. Dr. Matthew Rubery, a Harvard PhD and Professor of Modern Literature at Queen Mary University of London, pioneered the study of the audiobook, its his…

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Lost in Space: The Hilarious Misadventures of Cosmic Exploration 28:30

8M ago28:30

28:30

Have you ever wondered what really goes on when humanity ventures beyond our blue planet? Join us on an interstellar voyage filled with humor and cosmic curiosity. In this episode, we delve into the world of space tourism, private space enterprises with charismatic founders, Martian dreams that could turn into reality TV, gastronomic surprises in t…

1
Computer RPGs 1:20:46

8M ago1:20:46

1:20:46

Get in touch with us! With a certain Baldur's Gate 3 taking the world by storm, we decided to do an episode on computer RPGs - all those digital versions of our favourite games that we've lost hours to. Join us as we talk about games from the past that we loved (and loathed) and marvel at just how much time Steve has lost to Baldur's Gate 3... Cont…

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Going Public 19:26

9M ago19:26

19:26

In this brief opener for Season Six of Phantom Power, Mack discusses his new project of writing a trade press book, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Continue reading → The post Going Public appeared first on Phantom Power.By Mack Hagood, sound professor and audio producer

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Changes to Thelio Desktops with Carl Richell + Thelioheads Interview 25:20

9M ago25:20

25:20

Listen to get the latest on System76 computers, manufacturing, and Pop!_OS. This episode features System76 founder Carl Richell, who will be taking us behind the scenes of the engineering advancements made in Thelio desktops. We’ll also talk about the new desktop Thelio Spark, featuring a clip from Trolling Stone’s interview with the band, THELIOHE…

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Starts With A Bang #98 - The Line Between Star And Planet 1:32:22

9M ago1:32:22

1:32:22

Out there in the Universe, there's a whole lot more than simply what we find in our own Solar System. Here at home, the largest, most massive object is the Sun: a bright, hot, luminous star, while the second most massive object is Jupiter: a mere gas giant planet, exhibiting a small amount of self-compression due to the force of gravity. But elsewh…

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Cosmic Computer Podcasts

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