As the private space industry races to colonize space for profit, where does NASA fit in to the equation? Laurie Leshin is just the person to answer that question. She's the Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the first female director in JPL's storied history.
Mar 24
AI Can Do Everything… Except This (Why Humans Still Win) With Restaurateur Will Guidara
As businesses race toward faster systems, smarter tools, and total automation, something critical is getting lost: human connection. And ironically, the rise of AI is making that gap impossible to ignore. In this episode, I sit down with returning guest and close friend Will Guid ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 17
Revisited: What Dying Teaches Us About Living with Death Doula Alua Arthur
Team Simon here! While A Bit of Optimism is on a short break, we’re revisiting a few episodes you helped make some of our favorites. We’ll be back with brand-new conversations next week, on March 24th, 2026. In the meantime, we’re bringing back an episode that explores a word mos ... Show More
45m 7s
Mar 10
Revisited: The Kennedy Family and the Search for Self with Journalist Maria Shriver
Hello from Team Simon! We’re taking a short hiatus, but A Bit of Optimism will return with brand-new episodes March 24th. In the meantime, we’re revisiting some of our favorite episodes. Episodes that many of you who listened, shared them, and told us what resonated. This week, w ... Show More
43m 48s
Dec 2021
Moon missions and space junk
2021 was another year of firsts in the ever-expanding industry around space, as we moved towards space tourism as a reality. But what about NASA, and its plans to return to the moon? We hear all about it, and the space agency’s ambitious plans for not just the moon, but mars; fro ... Show More
17m 28s
Oct 2021
How Does NASA Help People on Earth?
When you think of NASA, you might think of astronauts, but NASA employs tons of people whose jobs are also important to the agency. Take a listen to Kirsten Larson, former NASA public affairs officer, now children's author, who gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into how NASA help ... Show More
26m 44s
Apr 2021
A NASA astronaut’s lessons on fear, confidence and preparing for spaceflight | Megan McArthur
How does an astronaut prepare physically and mentally to launch into space? NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, who will take part in the SpaceX Crew-2 mission later this month, shares stellar life lessons on how to cultivate the resolve to do incredible things through preparation -- ... Show More
11m 7s
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