The Curious Cosmos with Derrick Pitts

Join Derrick Pitts and his long time friends and colleagues, Sam Storch and Steve Russo, as they bring you behind the scenes of the planetarium! Learn all about the history of planetariums, the many people and experiences they encountered over the course of their careers, and what makes planetariums such a special place for learning about the universe. Links for today's episode:Learn more about the East Kentucky Science Center, where Steve fished his career and still volunteersLearn more about the Hubble Planetarium, which Sam built and ran for many years at Murrow High SchoolAnd of course, check out the current offerings of the Fels Planetarium at The Franklin Institute, where Derrick spent his career.

Join Derrick Pitts for a conversation with John Blackwell, high school astronomy teacher and director of the Grainger Observatory at Philips Exeter Academy. Listen in as the two discuss the importance of teaching scientific citizenship, what John's students are currently working on, and what it's like teaching high schoolers about astronomy in the digital age.Links for today's episode:Learn more about John Blackwell and his work in Exeter Academy's Grainger ObservatoryLearn more about spectroscopy in astronomy, and the science behind how rainbow glasses work!To be prepped for the next time you read sensational headlines about a super special comet, check out this guide to comet observations

In this episode of The Curious Cosmos, Derrick is joined by astophysist, inventor, and media personality Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, to discuss everything from cutting edge physics, the future of human spaceflight, and Hakeem's unique and inspiring path to science.Learn more about Dr. Oluseyi, and check out his memoir, A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the StarsExplore the advancements physicist have made on gravitational wave astronomy and the cosmic microwave backgroundLearn more about 'Oumuamua, the first confirmed object from another star to visit our solar systemDiscover more about the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Derrick and Hakeem discussLearn more about the life and work of Hakeem's mentor, Dr. Arthur Walker

In this episode of The Curios Cosmos, Derrick Pitts sits down with Leslie Kean, an investigative journalist who's work led to the US government acknowledging the existence of unidentified flying objects! But what does this recognition mean for space science? Listen as the two discuss the reclassification of UFOs to unidentified aerial/anomalous phenomenon (UAPs), how stigma has prevented even the most credible sightings from being seriously studied, and the important role scientists will play in solving this mystery moving forward.For listener reference, this interview was recorded in February 2023. Between recording and air date, public government acknowledgment and investigation into UAPs have continued, including further reporting by Leslie and more congressional hearings on the topic.Links for this episode:Learn more about Leslie Kean, and check out her 2010 book exploring UFO/UAPsRead the NYT article Leslie helped write, which exposed the Department of Defense's UFO investigation program to the public, and check out the unclassified Navy videos for yourself!Look into some civilian-run UFO sighting databases, like the National UFO Reporting Center and the Mutual UFO NetworkLearn more about the Galileo Project at HarvardCheck out the National Geographic docuseries Leslie produced, UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, which featured Derrick as an expert!

In the inaugural episode of Curious Cosmos, join Derrick for a conversation with real-life astronaut Christopher Ferguson! Listen and discover what it's like to be a Top Gun pilot, the experience of looking down at Earth from orbit, and what the future of human spaceflight might look like.Links for this episode:Learn more about Christopher FergusonCurios about what it looked like when Chris saw a hurricane while in orbit? Check out this footage of Hurricane Florence, captured by NASA from ISSLearn more about NASA's Perseverance Mission on MarsCheck out the movie Chris and Derrick discussed, The MartianView a picture of Derrick with the Steel Star that's traveled to space multiple times!