logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
22m 7s

The Invisible World of Gravitational Wav...

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
About this episode
Information about the universe is all around us. But there’s more than meets the eye! Gravitational waves are the invisible ripples in spacetime caused by supermassive interstellar activity. Join astrophysicists Ira Thorpe and Judy Racusin on an exploration of how NASA studies these unseen bends in time and space. 
Up next
Aug 4
Why Webb's Earliest Galaxies Are Blowing Scientists' Minds
With the James Webb Space Telescope, we are seeing the early universe like never before. Webb produces beautiful images and detailed scientific data that leave astronomers in awe. In this episode, Mic Bagley, a NASA scientist on the Webb team, guides us through new discoveries ma ... Show More
27m 54s
Jun 24
How Lying In Bed For 60 Days Helps Astronauts
In space, microgravity changes the body. Body fluids shift from the legs toward the head, the back of our eyes flatten, we lose muscle strength, our bones lose some of their density, and even the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each beat drops. To learn more about how mi ... Show More
27m 17s
Jun 4
Cosmic Dawn with Nobel Laureate John Mather
The James Webb Space Telescope is doing something astronomers dreamed about for decades: peering into our universe’s early past, a period known as cosmic dawn. A new NASA documentary—also called Cosmic Dawn—chronicles the inside story of Webb’s design, construction, and launch. J ... Show More
18m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
The Invisible World of Gravitational Waves
Information about the universe is all around us. But there’s more than meets the eye! Gravitational waves are the invisible ripples in spacetime caused by supermassive interstellar activity. Join astrophysicists Ira Thorpe and Judy Racusin on an exploration of how NASA studies th ... Show More
22m 7s
Aug 2023
Our universe is humming with gravitational waves
What the new discovery of gravitational wave imprints in pulsar signals can reveal about the cosmos 
30m 14s
May 2024
#419: Blue Horizons & Fairy Floss Planets: Unveiling the Universe's Softest Secrets
Embark on a celestial journey with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this episode of Space Nuts, where they explore a variety of space phenomena that are as intriguing as they are mysterious. Firstly, they discuss Blue Origin's return to the stars with NS-25, a mission ... Show More
30m 45s
Sep 2022
What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW
A century ago, astronomers were locked in a debate about the scope of our universe. Were we it? The answer is no. There are other galaxies beyond the Milky Way, and they are speeding away from us. Answering that question left astronomers with an even bigger puzzle. Why is everyth ... Show More
11m 15s
Aug 2021
Gravitational Waves: Unlocking The Secrets Of The Universe
Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce gives us the latest in gravitational waves and shares what scientists have learned (and heard) from these tiny ripples in spacetime. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic ... Show More
13m 33s
Apr 2023
The News Roundup Goes Intergalactic
It's our latest roundup of science news! This time, with Ailsa Chang of NPR's All Things Considered, who joins us to discuss three stories that take us on a journey through space — from the sounds of Earth's magnetosphere, to the moons of Jupiter, to a distant phenomenon NASA cal ... Show More
12m 2s
Apr 2023
A Glimpse into the Past: 3 Billion Years After the Big Bang | Space Nuts 349
Get ready to explore a 10 billion year old mystery! A closely bound duo of energetic quasars, the hallmark of a pair of merging galaxies, have been discovered when the Universe was only 3 billion years old. What secrets do these quasars hold and why have they lasted so long? Join ... Show More
52m 38s
May 2022
Where Do Space, Time and Gravity Come From?
Einstein’s description of curved space-time doesn’t easily mesh with a universe made up of quantum wavefunctions. Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses the quest for quantum gravity with host Steven Strogatz. The post Where Do Space, Time and Gravity Come From? first appea ... Show More
42m 4s
Aug 2023
Mapping the universe
A rocket launch, super-massive black holes and ghost particles! This past week’s scientific findings are testament to how hard-at-work cosmologists and physicists have been seeking out the fundamental building blocks of our universe and the rules that govern it. Professor of Cosm ... Show More
35m 18s
Jan 2022
Comment détecte-t-on les ondes gravitationnelles ?
Dans le cadre de sa théorie de la relativité générale, Einstein avait prédit, dès 1916, l'existence des ondes gravitationnelles. Mais il a fallu attendre 2015 pour que ces oscillations de l'espace-temps soient détectées par des appareils spécifiques. Qu'est-ce que les ondes gravi ... Show More
2m 25s