Best Ethan Siegel Podcasts (2024)

1
Solar Eclipse 2024: Eclipse Viewing Guide 8:35

12d ago8:35

8:35

This week, we are providing you with a viewing guide to the solar eclipse happening over much of North America on Monday 8th April. Sit back and enjoy. Take notes. There will be a test later. Maybe. naw, it’s only a quiz. Get ready for an incredible celestial event on 8th April — a solar eclipse! As the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and…

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

13d 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
Solar Eclipse 2024: Predicting Eclipses with Stephen Wolfram 1:07:58

26d ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. I’m James G. Maynard. This week, we take the first of two looks at the upcoming solar eclipse coming on 8 April. Later in the show, we will be talking with noted physicist, mathematician, and developer Stephen Wolfram about his new book, Predicting the Eclipse. From ancient fears and superstitions to modern-day…

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

1M 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…

1
Jaws, Claws, Life, and Death w/ Jennifer Szymanski, Nat Geo Kids 6:35

2M ago6:35

6:35

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. This week, we’re talking about Jaws, Claws, Life and Death, and what they can teach us about staying alive in space! In a little bit, we’re going to be talking with Jennifer Szymanski from Nat Geo Kids about their new book, Deadliest Animals on the Planet. But first, the boring bit of the show w…

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

3M 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…

1
Richard Borcherds | Monstrous Moonshine: From Group Theory to String Theory 2:05:15

3M ago2:05:15

2:05:15

Richard Borcherds is a mathematician and professor at University of California Berkeley known for his work on lattices, group theory, and infinite-dimensional algebras. His numerous accolades include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1998 and being elected a fellow of the American Mathematical Society and the National Academy of Sciences. Patreon (…

1
Announcements for 2024 and a Message to Viewers 1:13

3M ago1:13

1:13

Thought I'd share some exciting news about what's happening at The Cartesian Cafe in 2024 and also a personal message to viewers on how they can support the cafe. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timothynguyenBy Timothy Nguyen

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

3M 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
The Inside Story on Planets with Sabine Stanley, Planetary Physicist, Johns Hopkins University 1:00

4M ago1:00

1:00

We get the inside scoop on planets from famed 1940s space reporter James G. Maynard, talking with the planets themselves, together with Sabine Stanley of Johns Hopkins University. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe…

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

4M 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
Tim Maudlin | Bell’s Theorem and Beyond: Nobody Understands Quantum Mechanics 2:41:51

5M ago2:41:51

2:41:51

Tim Maudlin is a philosopher of science specializing in the foundations of physics, metaphysics, and logic. He is a professor at New York University, a member of the Foundational Questions Institute, and the founder and director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Patreon (bonus materials + video chat): https://www.patreon.co…

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

5M 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
Exploring Exploration: with Jon Waterman, Atlas of Wild America, National Geographic 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

Hello everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore exploration, exploring the human need to… explore. Later in the show, we’ll be talking with Jon Waterman, creator of Atlas of Wild America from National Geographic. From the dawn of time, humans have been driven by a primal urge: the need to explore. This innate curiosity has shaped our …

1
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: The Top 10 Ways Space is Trying to Kill You! w/ Ethan Siegel, Starts with a Bang! 36:00

6M ago36:00

36:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! (I mean, BOO!) This week on The Cosmic Companion, for our Halloween Special, we’ll be looking at The Top 10 Ways Space is Trying to Kill You! Later in the show, we’ll be talking with astrophysicist and science educator Ethan Siegel, host of Starts with a Bang! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with ot…

1
Seeing the Invisible w/ Anand Varma, Invisible Wonders, Nat Geo 31:05

6M ago31:05

31:05

Hello Everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we are Seeing the Invisible. We’ll be discussing how astronomers study objects in space which are invisible to the human eye. Later on, we will be talking with Anand Varma, creator of a new book, Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Hidden World, from National Geographic. This is a public episode.…

1
Global Warming - It's Not Just Hot Air! w/ Elizabeth Rusch, The 21 32:28

6M ago32:28

32:28

Global warming and climate change is happening all around us. We look at the science of climate change, talking with Elizabeth Rusch, author of The 21. --- This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Global Warming - It's Not Just Hot Air! We will be talking with Elizabeth Rusch, author of The 21. Climate change, the ultimate uninvited guest, has…

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

6M 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…

1
Greece is the Word: How science was born: With Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes, Greeking Out, Nat Geo Kids 29:13

6M ago29:13

29:13

Hello everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we are pondering why Greece is the Word, discussing the birth of science in the ancient world, and what it means for us today. Later on, we'll be talking with Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes, hosts of the Greeking Out podcast, and authors of a new book of the same name, from Nat Geo Kids. Once upon…

1
Designing Dinosaurs with Stephanie Warren Drimmer, National Geographic 25:32

7M ago25:32

25:32

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Designing Dinosaurs. How do we know details about dinosaurs that are not readily apparent from the fossil record? How can we tell what we can tell about the colors, sounds, and behaviors of these magnificent little beasties? Later in the show, we are going to talk with Stephanie Warren Drimmer from Nati…

1
Antonio Padilla | Fantastic Numbers, Naturalness, and Anthropics in Physics 2:34:13

7M ago2:34:13

2:34:13

Antonio (Tony) Padilla is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist at the University of Nottingham. He serves as the Associate Director of the Nottingham Centre of Gravity, and in 2016, Tony shared the Buchalter Cosmology Prize for his work on the cosmological constant. Tony is also a star of the Numberphile YouTube channel, where his videos have re…

1
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Human Race w/ Neil deGrasse Tyson 35:35

7M ago35:35

35:35

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we’re discussing Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Human Race. Later on, we are talking with one of your species more impressive information processing and dissemination units, Neil deGrasse Tyson. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epi…

1
It's a Weird World, After All! with Kathryn Williams, Nat Geo Kids 26:44

7M ago26:44

26:44

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we’re talking about how It’s a Weird World, After All! Later in the show, we’re going to talk with Kathryn Williams about Weird but True! World 2024, new from National Geographic Kids! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccom…

1
Starts With A Bang #97 - Tiny Galaxies and Us 1:38:50

8M ago1:38:50

1:38:50

When we look at our nearby Universe, it's easy to recognize our own galaxy and the other large, massive ones that are nearby: Andromeda, the major galaxies in nearby groups like Bode's Galaxy, the group of galaxies in Leo, and the huge galaxies at the cores of the Virgo and Coma Clusters, among others. But these are not most of the galaxies in the …

1
Gravity - a Weighty Subject! with Joe Swiggum, NanoGrav Collaboration 24:10

8M ago24:10

24:10

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we take on a weighty subject — gravity. Later in the show, we are going to talk with Joe Swiggum from the NanoGrav Collaboration. Gravity is one of those things that we all know about, but when you really stop to think about it, it’s pretty mind-boggling. I mean, there’s this invisible force that keeps us all stuc…

1
Exploring Dark Matter and Dark Energy w/ René Laureijs, Euclid Project Scientist, European Space Agency 32:39

8M ago32:39

32:39

This week on The Cosmic Companion, we talk about the mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Later in the show, we will be joined by René Laureijs, Euclid Project Scientist, from The European Space Agency. If one were to look at all the matter and energy in the Universe, about 68% is dark energy, 27% is dark matter, and just five percent is every…

1
Starts With a Bang #96 - Detecting the Cosmic Gravitational Wave Background 1:41:32

8M ago1:41:32

1:41:32

We all knew, if Einstein's General Theory of Relativity were in fact the correct theory of gravity, that it would only be a matter of time before we detected one of its unmistakable predictions: that all throughout spacetime, a symphony (or cacophony) of gravitational waves would be rippling, creating a cosmic "hum" as all of the moving, accelerati…

1
Finding Our Home Among the Stars- w/ Richard Dinan, Founder of Pulsar Fusion 31:32

9M ago31:32

31:32

We are back from summer break with an amazing guest, Richard Dinan, founder of Pulsar Fusion (Yeah. The guy from Made in Chelsea!).Kicking off the second half of our seventh season, we offer you a look at how the human race might take our first steps to becoming an interplanetary species. Later in the show, we will be talking with Richard Dinan, fo…

1
Boaz Barak | Cryptography: The Art of Mathematical Secrecy 2:33:29

9M ago2:33:29

2:33:29

Boaz Barak is a professor of computer science at Harvard University, having previously been a principal researcher at Microsoft Research and a professor at Princeton University. His research interests span many areas of theoretical computer science including cryptography, computational complexity, and the foundations of machine learning. Boaz serve…

1
Starts With A Bang #95 - Supermassive Black Holes and more 1:38:27

9M ago1:38:27

1:38:27

Sometimes, it's hard to believe we've come as far as we have, scientifically, in such a short period of time. We only began accumulating the first very strong evidence for supermassive black holes during the 1990s, and yet here we are, less than 30 years later, studying them, their effects, and their environments all across the Universe: from the p…

1
The Greatest Mysteries of the Universe with Lawrence Krauss 32:22

10M ago32:22

32:22

We explore the greatest mysteries of the Universe, from the Big Bang, to black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and more, talking with famed cosmologist and author Lawrence Krauss... This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Planting the Seeds of STEAM w/ Ariane Szu-Tu, Nat Geo Kids 25:40

10M ago25:40

25:40

Planting the Seeds of STEAM w/ Ariane Szu-Tu, Nat Geo Kids Exploring STEAM education and learning, with Ariane Szu-Tu, senior editor, National Geographic Kids Books. This week on The Cosmic Companion, we're going to take a wild ride through the exciting and innovative universe of STEAM education. Later in the show, we talk with Ariane Szu-Tu, senio…

1
Living with a Body in Space with Christina Sauer, Associate Editor, National Geographic Kids 25:20

10M ago25:20

25:20

Hello everyone! Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. I’m James Maynard! This week, we look at the one thing every space traveler will have in common — they will all be Living with a Body in Space. Later in the show, we will be joined by Christina Sauer, Associate Editor for National Geographic Kids, talking about their new release, Why? The Human …

1
Coding the Universe w/ cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, author of The Universe in a Box 27:01

10M ago27:01

27:01

How do we create computer models of the Universe, and how will artificial intelligence revolutionize astronomy? Talking with Andrew Pontzen, author of The Universe in a Box --- This week on The Cosmic Companion, we explore the fascinating world of computer models of the universe! From humble beginnings to mind-boggling simulations, this is the hist…

1
Starts With A Bang #94 - Dark Energy And Cosmic Growth 1:39:14

10M ago1:39:14

1:39:14

We have a pretty good idea of both what's in our Universe and how it grew up. But it's only because we have several different, completely independent lines of evidence that point to the same consensus picture that we actually believe that our Universe is 13.8 billion years old and composed of a mix of normal matter and radiation, but is dominated b…

1
Sean Carroll | The Many Worlds Interpretation & Emergent Spacetime 2:12:40

10M ago2:12:40

2:12:40

Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist and philosopher who specializes in quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the philosophy of science. He is the Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and an external professor at the Sante Fe Institute. Sean has contributed prolifically to the public understanding of science through a…

1
Water Worlds of Our Solar System with Olivier Witasse, Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer 29:14

10M ago29:14

29:14

Hello everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we will explore The Water Worlds of the Solar System, talking with Olivier Witasse from the European Space Agency, Project Scientist for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, now on its way to the Jovian system. Join me, your trusty celestial tour guide, as we don our intellectual swim trunks a…

1
Apocalypse 2.0: From Dinosaurs to Doomsday w/ Steve Brusatte, Jurassic World Dominion 27:08

11M ago27:08

27:08

What would happen if the asteroid that ended the Age of Dinosaurs struck today? We are talking with Steve Brusatte, paleontologist with National Geographic and Jurassic World Dominion! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Artificial Intelligence Takes a Flight to Space w/ Ashlee Vance, author of When the Heavens Went on Sale 28:46

11M ago28:46

28:46

Hello everyone! This week on The Cosmic Companion, Artificial Intelligence Takes a Flight to Space, talking with Ashlee Vance, author of When the Heavens Went on Sale. The Cosmic Companion w/ James Maynard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episo…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Ethan Siegel Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide