Episode 121: No Country for Old Material

About this episode

The episode discusses sustainability in the cosmos and how the universe recycles material.

In this episode, we take a break from our usual astronomical antics to reflect on sustainability in the cosmos. Cormac, Cole and Shashank explore how the Universe manages to recycle material across all scales, from pepping up prostrated pulsars to cleaning up our orbital backyard. We conclude with a discussion of how analogies are (sometimes over)used in astronomy, and ponder when exactly a supernova remnant begins. Astrobites: Recycle your paper, plastic, and… pulsars?https://astrobites.org/2026/03/31/transitional_millisecond_pulsar The Final Frontier for the Circular Economyhttps://astrobites.org/2026/04/24/the-final-frontier-for-the-circular-economy Video about Swift boost mission:https://youtu.be/Up0LNTMPnjI

People in this episode

Hosts: Cormac, Cole, Shashank

Topics covered

• sustainability in the cosmos
• recycling material in the universe
• analogies in astronomy
• supernova remnants
• orbital debris

Keywords

• sustainability
• cosmos
• recycling
• pulsars
• supernova
• orbital debris
• astronomy

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Swift boost mission

Books & works: Astrobites, The Final Frontier for the Circular Economy

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