logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
13m 7s

The Woman Behind A Mystery That Changed ...

NPR
About this episode
In 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell made a discovery that revolutionized astronomy. She detected the radio signals emitted by certain dying stars called pulsars. Today, Jocelyn's story. Scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber talks to Jocelyn about her winding career, her discovery and how pulsars continue to push the field of astronomy today. (encore)

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

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
How To Disagree Better
Many people are gearing up for holiday conversation with loved ones who may disagree with them -- on everything from politics to religion and lifestyle choices. These conversations can get personal and come to a halt quickly. But today on the show, we get into neuroscience and ps ... Show More
15m 28s
Yesterday
Nature Quest: The Earthquake Prediction Problem
Their whole life, producer <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1255819925/hannah-chinn"target="_blank" >Hannah Chinn</a> has known about the Big One: a massive earthquake forecasted to hit the West Coast. Scientists say it’ll destroy buildings, collapse bridges, flood coastal t ... Show More
14m 35s
Nov 24
SNAP Delays: The Science Of Hunger And Food Insecurity
<p dir="ltr">One in every eight households in the U.S. isn’t always sure where the next meal will come from. Limited food access can spell hunger – and that can affect the body and mind. So can cheaper, less nutritious foods. Hunger has a huge impact on individuals – and whole so ... Show More
12m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2009
Astronomy 141 Podcast Teaser
A new podcast, Astronomy 141, Life in the Universe, is available for those interested in continuing an exploration of topics in modern astronomy. 
1m 2s
Dec 2009
Astronomy 141 Podcast Teaser
A new podcast, Astronomy 141, Life in the Universe, is available for those interested in continuing an exploration of topics in modern astronomy. 
1m 2s
Jan 2024
Radio pioneers: the enduring role of ‘amateurs’ in radio astronomy
With its wartime origins and iconic facilities, radio astronomy has always inspired curious tinkerers 
34m 58s
Mar 2003
The Life of Stars
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life cycle of stars. In his poem Bright Star John Keats wrote, "Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art". For Keats the stars were symbols of eternity- they were beautiful and ordered and unchanging - but modern astronomy tells a very d ... Show More
28m 19s
Sep 2023
Song of the Stars, Part 2: Seeing in the Dark
A blind astronomer “sonified” the universe’s most explosive events: gamma-ray bursts. By listening to, rather than looking at, the data, she made a critical discovery and changed the field of astronomy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
11m 40s
Jul 2013
David Munns, “A Single Sky: How an International Community Forged the Science of Radio Astronomy” (MIT Press, 2012)
How do you measure a star? In the middle of the 20thcentury, an interdisciplinary and international community of scientists began using radio waves to measure heavenly bodies and transformed astronomy as a result. David P. D. Munns‘s new book charts the process through which radi ... Show More
1h 9m
Jun 2023
42: A (brief) History of Astronomy
Dr Becky and Izzie dust-down the Supermassive Tardis to explore the history of astronomy. From fossilised baboon bones and baby lamas to Einstein and black holes, the Supermassive team discovers how we came to understand the Universe the way we do today. Editor Richard talks to a ... Show More
48m 41s
Nov 2023
The Life Scientific: Paul Murdin
Astronomer Paul Murdin believes a good imagination is vital for scientists, since they're so often dealing with subjects outside the visible realm.Indeed, over a long and successful career his imagination has taken him on a journey through space, discovering various new and unusu ... Show More
27m 44s
Jan 2021
Astrophysicist Andy Fabian
Professor Andrew Fabian from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy has spent his career trying to unravel the mystery of how some of the most dramatic events in the universe can profoundly influence its evolution. For over 50 years he’s been examining our universe using X-ray satell ... Show More
27m 39s