We Are Losing the Moon

We Are Losing the Moon

July 21, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode explores the implications of the moon drifting away and humanity's historical and future relationship with it.

The moon is drifting away. What does it mean? What do we do? With help from a poet, a space security expert, and the former chief scientist of NASA, Ben Bradford explores what the moon has done for Earth (tides, myths, months, werewolves), and asks the obvious mature follow-up: Should we blow it up? From lunar creation stories and moon-stealing dragons to Cold War plans to nuke the moon, humanity has always had strange ideas about our nearest neighbor. But the real problem may not be losing the moon. It may be what nations do now that everyone wants to go back. Guests: Jim Green, former NASA chief scientist and founder of Metavisionaries Chris Cokinos, author of Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon, from Antiquity to Tomorrow Victoria Samson, Chief Director, Space Security and Stability, at the Secure World Foundation Support Are We Doomed? , get bonus episodes, and more: https://doompod.com/support/ Watch earlier episodes on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@arewedoomedpod If you liked this episode about a giant space rock, check out last week's episode about the battle against giant space rocks: "Asteroids! The Doom We're Best At" To manage podcast ad…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Bradford

Guests: Jim Green, Chris Cokinos, Victoria Samson

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, Secure World Foundation

Books & works: Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon, from Antiquity to Tomorrow

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