Spacetime With Stuart Gary

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 109 Witnessing the birth of a comet More than 5 billion kilometres from Earth, an ancient icy object is slowly awakening as a distant frozen world known as a Centaur transforming into an active comet. New mysteries about the moons of Neptune A new study has revealed that three of Neptune's inner moons may be the shattered remains of ancient icy worlds. NASA’s Roman Space Telescope blasts off bound for orbit beyond the Moon NASA’s next great flagship cosmic observatory the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has successfully launched into space bound for orbit on the dark side of the Earth beyond the Moon. The Science Report Scientists have found a link between flavour chemicals in some vapes and pregnancy problems. A new study shows flight attendants and pilots have the highest risk of death from radiation-related cancers. A growing plant disease spreading across parts of Western Australia is linked to a loss of habitat. Scientists claim they’re working on a tent that can supply its

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 108 Discovery of a new class of molten planet Astronomers have discovered a new type of molten planet beyond our Solar System. The mother of all solar storms New evidence in tree ring records is showing scientists that the Sun can become far more violent than previously thought. Two giant blobs of hot rock discovered on Earth’s core mantle boundary Scientists have discovered two immense, ultra-hot rock structures located at the base of Earth’s mantle, around 2,900 kilometres beneath Africa and the Pacific which are affecting the underlying liquid outer core. The Science Report A new study suggests El Niño is intensifying as the planet warms. Researchers have discovered that some centenarians have rare cancer killing cells in their bodies. A new study shows Tasmanian tigers were significantly different from both wolves and wild dogs. Warnings that Artificial Intelligence is making writing styles more similar and losing the individual identity. Alex on Tech Apple’s new iphone fold

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 107 Have scientists glimpsed a hint of dark matter A new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment has recorded a particle interaction that scientists are having great difficulty explaining. A new scenario describing the birth of the Moon A new study claims the Earth’s Moon could have formed within just five hours of the giant planetary collision that formed the binary system. Starship's first orbital test flight slated for September 15 SpaceX looks set to undertake its next Starship test flight next week – and this one will be a full orbital flight. The Science Report There’s more confirmation today that people who use cannabis are more likely to develop psychosis. An Australian developed nuclear reactor designed to fit on the back of a truck has been ignored by the Albanese labor government. A new study has found memory loss begins much earlier than previously thought. The red waterfall in eastern Antarctica is likely a sign the region was once inundated with seawater. Skeptics g

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 106 The most distant Blazar ever seen Astronomers have detected the most distant blazar ever recorded. The blazar -- catalogued as OP 313 was detected some 8 billion light years away. Did the motion of an ocean carve Enceladus's tiger stripes? A new study suggests the iconic tiger stripes at the south pole of the Saturnian ice moon Enceladus may have been formed by ocean waves. SpaceX to build the world’s biggest space port in Louisiana SpaceX boss Elon Musk has announced plans to build the world’s largest spaceport in the Louisiana wetlands on the Gulf Coast 185 kilometres west of New Orleans. The Science Report It seems most girls prefer lovers to fighters at least in non-human animals. Scientists discover a type of brain activity that’s 'tagging' priority information to remember later. Discovery of the fossilized remains of a giant crocodile that once dominated the food chain. The trend for retro phones could mean people want to distance themselves from their smartphones. Skepti

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 105 More evidence Mars once had liquid water More than 20 years after NASA's Mars Spirit rover landed on the red planet scientists have uncovered new evidence that suggests liquid water – essential for life as we know it -- may once have covered large parts of the Martian surface. Are mysterious little red dots hiding something big A new study claims mysterious Little Red Dots seen near the dawn of the universe are likely to reside in small, dense compact star forming galaxies. Chang'e-7 lunar mission delayed Beijing has scrubbed for now its Chang’e-7 mission to the Moon sighting a failure to meet strict launch conditions. The Science Report A promising new way to tackle one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. Proof that alumni relationships between judges and lawyers are affecting court rulings. Looking for inexpensive and safer alternatives to dangerous lithium-ion batteries. The new app helping blind or visually impaired people navigate outdoors. Alex on Tech: Meta g

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 104 Strange anomaly discovered below the Martian south pole Astronomers have discovered a strange thermal asymmetry deep beneath the surface of the Martian southern hemisphere. Starship bound for home Starship 40 has finally left Australian waters bound for home. The orbiter used for SpaceX test flight 13 has been loaded aboard the 48,000-tonne semi-submersible vessel Forte for the long journey back to Starbase Texas. Roman Space Telescope final countdown The final countdown is now underway for the launch of NASA’s new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The Science Report A new record for keeping brain organoids made in a laboratory alive and developing. A new study shows smoking rates have continued to drop while vaping rates climb. Warnings that Australia’s native reptiles are disappearing at twice the rate previously thought. A new dog study says man’s best friend may be communicating with you through blinking. Skeptics guide to covering up the South Australian algal bloom. Our

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 103 *Warnings that some Earth microbes could contaminate the Moon NASA says some of Earth's microbes hitching a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon's South Pole contaminating the otherwise pristine environment. *China’s first reusable rocket China has finally landed a reusable rocket in one piece. *Russia develops a nuclear rocket motor Russia has developed a prototype nuclear plasma engine which could cut journey times to Mars from 6 months to just 30 days. *September Skywatch The September equinox, and the constellations Capricorn, Pegasus, and Cygnus are among the highlights of the September night skies on SkyWatch.   Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics And Senior science writer and Sky and Telescope magazine contributor Jonathan Nally   

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 102 *SpaceX’s Starship arrives at Christmas Island After some 24 days at sea, a SpaceX recovery team has successfully towed its test flight 13 Starship into the remote Australian Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island.  The unplanned operation was hastily put together after the spacecraft unexpectedly held together following its splashdown off the Western Australian coast. *How old really is the universe? Astronomers have come up with a new way to work out the age of the universe finding it to be 13.6 billion years old – some 200 million years younger than previously thought. *Einstein’s general relativity theory still stands More than 100 years after Albert Einstein published his iconic general theory of relativity, it remains science’s best understanding of gravity and the universe on the cosmic scale. *The Science Report A new study shows that carrying a little extra weight could be beneficial as you get older. People lacking human connections more likely to turn to AI ch

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 101 *NASA scraps its Swift rescue mission NASA has been forced to abandon its planned rescue mission to save the Swift Gamma Ray Space Telescope. *The Milky Way’s first big galactic collision Astronomers have discovered what was probably the first major galactic collision involving our home galaxy the Milky Way cannibalising a dwarf galaxy less than two billion years after the big bang. *Understanding the stuff atoms are made of New observations by the world’s largest atom smasher have revealed some of the basic fundamental physics of the universe, challenging long-standing theories of how gluons behave inside atomic nuclei. *The Science Report Australia records its first confirmed case of H5 N1 bird flu in a mammal on the nation’s main land. How bushfires are polluting water supplies with arsenic. Successful Phase 3 trials of a new Australian developed personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. The growing impact of plastic pollution on Lord Howe Island’s Sable Shearwaters rookery. Over

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 100 The ingredients for planets formed far earlier than thought A new study suggests that the basic ingredients needed to form planets - and possibly life - may have existed just a hundred million years after the big bang -- far earlier in the history of the Universe than previously thought. Hunting for the hypothetical axion For years scientists have been hunting for a hypothetical elementary particle called the AXION which could lead to new physics unlocking some of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Now the German Research Foundation has given a green light to the construction of a new six million Euro experiment called the BabyIAXO – a first step in the search for the elusive and as yet undetected particle. NASA’s Swift rescue mission back on track Katalyst Space has successfully uploaded a new flight software update designed to return its Link spacecraft into a more stable configuration.  Link is on a rescue mission to save NASA’s Swift gamma ray space telescope from cra

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 99 Discovery of black hole stars at the cosmic dawn Astronomers have suggested mysterious objects from the dawn of time known as little red dots may represent an entirely new type of cosmic phenomenon which they’re calling black hole stars. Claims Mars could have had liquid water less than a billion years ago A new study claims Mars may have had liquid water flowing across its surface as recently as 757 million years ago, far more recent than the several billion years previously thought. A new mission to extend the life of satellites in orbit Northrop Grumman’s latest Mission to extend the life of spacecraft has successfully reached Geostationary Transfer Orbit and is now closing in on its first target telecommunication satellite. The Science Report A new, faster more inexpensive test for lung cancer. Having European ancestry linked to a greater risk of developing colorectal cancer. Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design and build functioning viruses. Kids who start

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 98 Three supermassive black holes discovered in a single galaxy for the first time Astronomers have for the first time, discovered a galaxy near the dawn of time containing three monster black holes. A new White House advisory body on UFOs The pentagon has just released its latest batch of X-files looking at unexplained phenomena and strange happenings.  The release follows the appointment of Harvard University astrophysicist Avi Loeb as chair of the new White House scientific panel on UFOs. Was Venus once just like Earth A new study suggests that the hellish inhospitable world of Venus could have once been far more Earth like. The Science Report Western Europe has just experienced its hottest June and July on record. A new study says if you want to live longer then take the stairs. Scientists still don’t know how long most fungi can live - or even how to define their age. A dog’s ability to understand human language is likely a product of both nature and nurture. Skeptics guide

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 97 The world watches as a SpaceX rocket crashes into the Moon A disused SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage has crashed into the Moon providing astronomers with useful data on the effects of impacts hitting the lunar surface. The radiation eating mutant fungus from Chernobyl Scientists say there’s a black fungus in the highly radioactive ruins of the Chernobyl power station that’s now evolved to feed on radiation. NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory Scientists have designed two revolutionary new computer chips to process data from a new space telescope called the Habitable Worlds Observatory that will search the skies for Earth like planets and for signs of life on those worlds. The Science Report A strong correlation found between dementia death rates and living in the suburbs. Improving pedestrians’ thermal comfort through tree, shrub, and grass plantings along city streets. The exotic origin story of the Australian platypus. New Zealand's endangered yellow-eyed penguin found to be thr

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 96 The largest known galaxy in the universe Astronomers have taken the deepest images yet of the largest known galaxy in the universe – a behemoth called IC 1101 located at the heart of the galaxy cluster Abell 2029. Evidence of streams flowing on Pluto Astronomers have found the first ever evidence of liquids flowing across the surface of the distant frozen world of Pluto. The Mars Curiosity rover celebrates its 14th birthday on the red planet NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has just celebrated its 14th birthday on the surface of the red planet. It was on August the sixth 2012 that the 899 kilogram vehicle touched down on the floor of Gale Crater on a mission to determine if Mars was capable of ever hosting the sort of habitable conditions that could have supported life as we know it. With in months scientists were provided with their answer – a resounding YES. The Science Report Scientists developed a new app that could fast-track autism diagnosis. Researchers genetically engineer t

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 95 Spectacular vortices discovered on the Sun’s surface Astronomers have for the first time observed swirling whirlpool like vortices deep in the Sun’s photosphere – its visible surface. The event horizon of merging black holes seen for the first time Astronomers have for the first time picked up gravitational waves from the event horizon during the actual merger of two black holes. Starship recovery efforts underway off Western Australia SpaceX are towing their Test 13 Starship prototype back to shore after it survived its Indian Ocean soft splash down off the Western Australian coast. The Science Report Scientists develop a new blood test to help test for signs of Alzheimer's. E-scooter riders found to be 3.5 times more likely than motorcyclists to get traumatic brain injuries. Reshaping sciences understanding of mammal evolution during the age of dinosaurs. A new study shows how wireless charging for drones could be achieved using lasers. Skeptics guide to claims Artemis II was

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 94 Black holes are a hundred times more powerful than we thought Astronomers have been forced to rewrite their textbooks on the power of supermassive black holes after new observations have shown that these cosmic monsters can generate enough energy to impact galaxies hundreds of thousands of light years away. The dramatic collision the flipped our Milky Way galaxy A new study suggests that our home galaxy the Milky Way may have undergone a dramatic change in orientation following a head on collision with another galaxy. A successful return to Earth for the crew of the Soyuz M-28 The Roscosmos Soyuz M-28 spacecraft has returned safely to Earth bringing home the expedition 74 crew who have spent the past 8 months aboard the International Space Station. August SkyWatch The red supergiant Antares, Barnard’s star is the second nearest star system to the Sun, and the annual Perseids meteor shower are among the highlights of the August night skies on SkyWatch   This Week’s Guests NASA

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 93 The strongest evidence yet that Betelgeuse is not alone Astronomers have finally demonstrated that the red supergiant star Betelgeuse has a binary companion star about two to three times the mass of the Sun. Is the mighty Andromeda galaxy dying A new study has found that star formation is winding down in our nearest big neighbouring galaxy Andromeda. The most volcanically active world in the Solar System NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided the first measurements of the temperature below the surface of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. The Science Report A new study warns that mining is now a threat to over 12,000 species across the globe. Claims taking faecal capsules could help people with insomnia get a good night's sleep. The link between air pollution exposure and ending up with lung and heart issues. People who spend an excessive amount of time online tend be more stressed. Alex on Tech Telstra Starlink expanding.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podc

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 92 The monster that’s been let out of its cage Astronomers have for the first time discovered a monstrous supermassive black hole wandering unseen near the edge of a galaxy. Counting down to next week’s solar eclipse Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Greenland Russia and the arctic are about to experience a total solar eclipse as the Moon’s shadow sweeps across the surface of the Earth. The Swift Space Telescope rescue mission suffers a major setback NASA’s Link mission to save the Swift Space Telescope has suffered a few problems with a sudden loss of attitude control putting the spacecraft into an uncontrollable spin. The Science Report Former Biden administration chief health advisor Anthony Fauci pleads the fifth on everything. Antimicrobial resistance in children on the rise globally. The footprints of an ancient civilisation discovered in the Amazon. Discovery of fossils of a giant mosasaur eating an ichthyosaur that ate a pterosaur. Skeptics guide to the 2026 Bent Spoon Awards. T

Sponsor Link:This episode of SpaceTime is brought to you with the support of NordVPN. Now more than ever, you need a reliable VPN service to protect you online. Governments, bad actors and who knows are all trying to access your details online. Get protected by the best - NordVPN. Check out our special deal by visiting nordvpn.com/stuartgary and help support the show at the same time. Win/win!SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 91 The near-Earth asteroid that’s actually a comet Astronomers have confirmed that the near Earth Asteroid 1998 SH2 is actually a comet further blurring the lines between the two types of celestial bodies. Psyche’s gravity assist Mars Flyby NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has undertaken a successful gravity assist flyby of the red planet Mars to help slingshot the probe to its ultimate target – the strange metallic asteroid 16-Psyche. China expanding its space station As NASA looks at winding down and de-orbiting the International Space Station in 2030, Beijing has announced new plans to double the

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 90 Discovery of an atmosphere on a planet orbiting a red dwarf Astronomers think they may have detected an atmosphere on a super-Earth exo-planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a nearby red dwarf star. How mega-dust storms and the Sun affect Martian weather A new study has found that solar storms hitting Mars at the same time as planetary wide dust storms could cause major changes in Martian weather. Approval granted for the world’s first orbital space reflector array America’s Federal Communications Commission has approved plans for the first demonstration flight of Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 satellite which will test the idea of reflecting sunlight back to Earth on demand. The Science Report Family socioeconomic status more important than parent smoking or drinking for kid’s future health. Ancient 3000-year-old wooden beams dating to the first Jewish temple discovered in Jerusalem. How Rottnest Island Salt Lake bacteria could make biodegradable plastic. The artery-on-a-chi