logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
12m 29s

What Science Fiction Gets Wrong About Sp...

NPR
About this episode
Contrary to sci-fi depictions in shows like Iron Man and Star Wars, getting from point A to point B in space is a tough engineering problem. NPR Science Correspondent Geoff Brumfiel explains how space propulsion actually works, and why some new technologies might be needed to get humans to Mars and beyond.

Follow Geoff Brumfiel and Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong on Twitter. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Will Punch the baby monkey be okay?
If you’ve been on the internet in the past few weeks, chances are you’ve seen him: a tiny gray-brown monkey dragging a big, stuffed orangutan around Japan’s Ichikawa Zoo. His name? Punch-kun, or Punch for short. His story? Early abandonment by his mother, careful treatment from l ... Show More
12m 32s
Yesterday
Spring ice is thawing earlier in lakes. What does that mean for life below the surface?
Lakes are freezing later, thawing earlier and experiencing dramatic temperature swings in between. And all that throws off the delicate balance of life below the surface. And that has a major impact on the roughly 1.7 million ice fishers in the U.S. who spend millions of dollars ... Show More
12m 39s
Feb 27
The dangers of warming winter lakes
Over half a billion people live by lakes that freeze over in the winter. But as the climate warms, those lakes are losing whole days of ice cover. Winters are also getting weirder, with more intense temperature swings that lead to multiple freezes and thaws. Those fluctuations ma ... Show More
12m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Leaving Earth: Colonizing Outer Space | Cosmic Chronicles Episode 7
Join us on "The Cosmic Chronicles Podcast" for an episode that looks beyond our planet Earth. Hosts Quinn and James explore the idea of humans leaving our planet to live on others. We'll dive deep into the concept of terraforming and its potential use in making Mars habitable. We ... Show More
45m 13s
Mar 2022
Rerun: Getting Around in Science Fiction
Special guest Ariel Kasten is back and we talk about some more sci-fi stuff, including the various means of getting from point A to point B. Hyperspace, warp speed and teleportation - how much is science and how much is fiction?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
1h 12m
Nov 2023
China's Mars Race, Neutron Star Gold & NASA's SPHEREx | S26E141
Welcome to the show notes for Episode 141 of the "Spacetime" podcast, hosted by Stuart Gary. In this episode, we delve into China's ambitious Mars mission, a novel cosmic source for gold, and NASA's upcoming SPHEREx mission. **Episode Highlights:** 1. **China's Mars Sample Return ... Show More
27m 54s
Mar 2021
Can space exploration be environmentally friendly?
<p>The space industry, with its fuel-burning rockets, requirements for mined metals and inevitable production of space junk, is not currently renowned for its environmental credentials. Can space exploration ever be truly environmentally friendly? Presenter Marnie Chesterton answ ... Show More
39m 34s
Jul 2022
Cosmic Queries – Space Suits with Ana Diaz Artiles
<p>What’s the future of space suits? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen explore innovation in space suit technology with aerospace engineer Ana Diaz Artiles. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free ... Show More
48m 45s
Dec 2021
A new space age?
Dr Kevin Fong convenes a panel of astronautical minds to discuss the next decade or two of space exploration.2021 was an eventful year in space. Captain James Kirk a.k.a William Shatner popped into space for real for a couple of minutes, transported by space company Blue Origin's ... Show More
41m 56s
Jul 2019
Space Flight
What is the future of space flight? With a successful Nasa landing on Mars and more commercial space travel in development than ever before, astronautical engineers are taking us into a new age. From lift off to landing, rapid innovations are radically changing what's possible an ... Show More
49m 32s
Jan 2023
Cosmic Queries – The Future of the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab with Laurie Leshin
<p>Could there be life under the icy surface of Europa? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic Chuck Nice explore interplanetary missions, asteroid mining, and other exciting launches with the Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Laurie Leshin.</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can list ... Show More
49m 52s
Feb 2024
S27E24: The Milky Way's Rugby Ball: Sagittarius A* Spins SpaceTime
The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 24 *Warping SpaceTime: The Fast-Spinning Black Hole at the Milky Way's Heart NASA's Chandra X-ray Space Telescope and the Very Large Array have observed the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at our galaxy's ... Show More
25m 1s