logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2025
19m 27s

What Shape is Space?

THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
About this episode

Izzie Clarke is joined by Dr Robert Massey to tackle your questions on the shape of space, measuring gravitational waves and planet spotting. We also have another - another! - astronaut: Producer Richard chats to British ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan about her background as an astrophysicist. 


Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or on Instagram @SupermassivePod.


The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 10
Can Time Travel be sped up? What is the Bootes Void? And G'day to Australians
What is the Bootes Void? Why do we only see one side of the Moon? Can time travel be sped up? And what's the smallest amount of visible space debris? The Supermassive Podcast team answer your questions... And work on their Australian accents!?For the first time ever, you can now ... Show More
19m 42s
Jun 23
What the heck are neutrinos?
Is this the toughest subject we’ve ever tackled? Izzie certainly thinks so and it’s even making Dr Becky and Dr Robert's brains hurt. Helping them to make sense of these ‘weird and interesting’ particles are Dr Kirsty Duffy at the University of Oxford and Director of the Paris As ... Show More
54m 52s
Jun 12
Why Is There Motion in the Universe?
What happens if two diamond core stars collide? Will the Moon drift away from Earth? Why is there motion in the universe? And why we need a space AND time machine. Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your questions. For ad-free listening and to ... Show More
18m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
Cosmic Queries – The Shape of the Universe with Delilah Gates
<p>What is the shape of spacetime? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover the structure of the universe, spacetime geometry, and relativity with theoretical physicist at Princeton Gravity Initiative, Delilah Gates. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this e ... Show More
47m 24s
Apr 2023
Cosmic Queries – The Sound of Space with Kimberly Arcand
<p>What does space sound like? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt Kirshen explore space sonification projects and Chandra x-ray data with astronomy visualization expert Kimberly Arcand. Hear what the supermassive black hole at the center of The Milky Way sounds like…</p><p>NOTE: StarTa ... Show More
51m 39s
Sep 2025
Cosmic Queries – Get Some Space
<p>Can anything survive a black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are answering an eclectic set of fan-submitted questions covering topics from all across the spectrum of science. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-fre ... Show More
52m 23s
Oct 2024
Cosmic Queries – The Big Stretch
<p>What is fire? How do gravitational waves ripple through space-time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum answer grab bag questions about why supernovae form black holes, photons, the singularity, and more!</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire ... Show More
51m 25s
Aug 2021
Measuring the Mass of a Super Black Hole
Astronomy, Science, Space, and Stuff.<br />Space Nuts Episode 266 with Professor Fred Watson & Andrew Dunkley <br />●A new way to measure the mass of a supermassive black hole.<br />●A delay to the NASA Moon mission. And the launch of Boeing’s Starliner.<br />●The Mars Perseveran ... Show More
42m 25s
Mar 2022
The multiverse, alien existence and fit astronauts
Today Dr Lucy and Dr Karl are joined by special guest astrophysicist Professor Geraint Lewis to answer all your questions from around the cosmos. Can you get moonburnt? Could we ever move at the speed of light? How did the big bang happen? What's on the other side of the universe ... Show More
38m 54s
Apr 2021
Cosmic Queries: Space Balls?
<p>Quidditch in Space? Badminton on Mars? On this episode, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice answer a grab bag of patron questions about all things athletics with our geek-in-chief astrophysicist Charles Liu.<strong></strong></p> <p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Pat ... Show More
54m 45s
Sep 2022
Space
Liz Kelly launches into her thoughts on space travel. Hosts: Chris Ryan, Juliet Litman, Kate Halliwell, and Liz Kelly Associate Producer: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
7m 44s
Apr 2024
Cosmic Queries – Planck Lengths to Supermassive Black Holes with Matt O’Dowd
<p>Is space infinitely stretchable? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore fan grab bag questions about supermassive black holes, Planck lengths, and the gravitational wave background with extragalactic astrophysicist and host of PBS Space Time, Matt O’Dowd.</p><p>NO ... Show More
48m 43s
Nov 2023
Astronomical Inquiries: Unravelling the Mysteries of Space with Listener Questions | #380
In this episode as we (attempt) to answer your burning questions, you will be able to: <br />· Explore the mind-bending mysteries of black holes and event horizons.<br />· Discover fascinating specializations within the fields of physics and astronomy.<br />· Uncover the constant ... Show More
43m 9s