Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 14
July 13, 2022
Good News, Everyone! Stories from Space is Now Available Through Apple, Amazon, and Spotify Podcasts!
What more can I say? The title pretty much covers all the bases. But here are some links that should prove helpful. And stay tuned for Episode III – Indigenous Astronomy, coming this Saturday!
Good News Everyone! Stories from Space is Now Available Through Apple, Amazon, and Spotify Podcasts!
What more can I say? The title pretty much covers all the bases. But here are some links that should prove helpful. And stay tuned for Episode III – Indigenous Astronomy, coming this Saturday!
July 2, 2022
Episode two of Stories from Space has Just Aired!
The topic for the second episode of my new podcast is (drumroll!) the Fermi Paradox! In 1950, famed physicist and Manhattan Project scientist Enrico Fermi asked the question that launched a thousand possible resolutions – “Where is Everybody?” Given that the Universe is immensely vast, incredibly old, and filled with the ingredients for life, it stands to reason that intelligent life and advanced civilizations have evolved many times in our galaxy alone. So why haven’t we heard from any of them?
This is the essence of the Fermi Paradox, which is still going strong 70+ plus years later. And the range of proposed resolutions is wide and varied. Are they ignoring us? Are they all dead? Are they so advanced that we can’t recognize them? Are we not looking in the right places and/or for the right things? Addressing this question forces us to think big, dig deep, and confront how little we know about life, intelligence, and our place in the Universe. And this episode is just the tip of the iceberg!
Check out the episode below!
July 1, 2022
Latest Interview with Audio Signals! We talk Exoplanets, and Introduce my new Podcast!
Gee, that title kind of says it all, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, I am happy to announce that my latest chat with Marco Ciapelli and Sean Martin at ITSP Magazine was not only a good time, talking about exoplanet studies and science. It was also a chance to introduce Stories from Space, my new podcast at ITSP Magazine, which is all about the history, future, and people that make human spaceflight a reality.
The episode is part of Ciapelli and Martin’s series, Audio Signals, where we talked about the various methods astronomers use to detect, confirm, and study planets beyond our Solar System. We also got into how all of that is about to change thanks to next-generation telescopes like the James Webb, which will be releasing its first images on July 12th (one of which is of an exoplanet’s atmosphere)!
Check out the interview here and stay tuned for more!
June 16, 2022
Stories from Space is now Live!
It’s officially Launch Day! My podcast series, Stories from Space, just released its first episode. The topic, “We’re Going Back to the Moon!” talks about Artemis and related programs that will send astronauts back to the lunar surface with the long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. Mostly, the episode addresses the question: why did it take us over fifty years to go back?
Answering a question like that takes about half an hour (or the length of a podcast episode). You can check it out at the Stories from Space homepage (https://www.itspmagazine.com/stories-from-space), or just click on the play button below. The episode is also available for streaming on Spotify and Apple
June 1, 2022
Good News: Teaching a Summer Course at the Kepler Space Institute!
The course consists of six lessons (2 hours each) that explore humanity’s fascination and understanding of the Red Planet, culminating with two questions: One, how has our knowledge and understanding evolved over time? Two, can human beings thrive (not just survive) there someday? Considering that humans Mars have been exploring Mars for more than sixty years, and been looking up at the Red Planet since time immemorial, there’s a fair bit to unpack there.
https://ksiedu.com/the-exploration-and-potential-settlement-of-mars/#
Here is the course outline I’ve developed, which will include some multimedia presentations, recommended reading, and a bunch of slideshows:
Episode One: Popular Perceptions and Portrayals:
Mars in ancient astronomical/astrological traditions (fire and strife)Galileo and the first telescopic observationsGiovanni Schiaparelli and the first detailed map of Mars (“Martian Canals”)Speculation about life (seasonal changes, polar ice caps)Robotic exploration, Soviet probes (1960 to 1969), Mariner probes, Viking orbiters/landersRenewed interest, more robots, and crewed missions by the 2030sEpisode Two: A History of Proposed Crewed Missions to Mars:
Von Braun’s “The Mars Project”Cold War Era proposals (NASA Orion, EMPIRE; Soviet MPK, TMK)Mars Direct (Robert Zubrin)The Constellation Program (Ares rockets and CEV)The Moon to Mars and Artemis (SLS and Orion)Gateway, Deep Space Transport, Mars Base Camp (2030s)Episode Three: Mars in Popular Culture and Science Fiction
Early speculations about life in fictionWar of the Worlds (1897), a Princess of Mars (1912), Last and First Men (1930)Popular trope of Martian civilization hostile to Earth1950s-1960’s “Golden Age of Sci-Fi,” (Bradbury, Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Dick)1970s, scientific discoveries (Mars is lifeless), humans will be future “Martians”Modern-day renewed interest and search for life (looks at adaptation, possibilities, ethics)New stories of exploration, settlement, and terraforming (The Martian, Robinson’s Mars series, etc.)Episode Four: Getting There (Transportation)
A review of the challenges and solutions for the first step in getting to MarsProposed missions to Mars by the 2030s, NASA and ChinaLaunch windows every 26 months (Mars Opposition)Space radiation, waste, microgravity, 6 to 9-month transitNuclear thermal/nuclear electric propulsion (90 days or less)Direct or indirect missions (space stations at both ends)NASA plans (SLS, Orion, Gateway, DST, Mars Base Camp)Space X and Space Settlements (Starship, regular trips, first Martian City)Episode Five: Staying There (Habitation)
A review of the challenges and solutions for living in a hostile environmentSurface radiation, extreme cold, dust storms, and lower gravityHabitation modules, surface, subsurface, ice palaces, citiesPower, solar, wind, sterling, and kilowatt nuclear reactors, fusion reactorsIn-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), regolith, and ice (air, water, food, building materials)Location dependent, Valles Marineris, Hellas Basin, Argyle Basin, Northern Lowlands (Mars City Design)Economy built on local industries (manufacturing, metals, deuterium)Episode Six: Living There (Economics, Adaptation, Terraforming)
From basecamps, subterranean, surface habs to living on the surfaceMultiple examples in fiction and scientific studies The Greening of Mars (1968), Mars Trilogy (1992-1996), “Islands in Space,” Carla Sagan, and NASA “ecosynthesis”Three main steps to long-term change (all complimentary):Warm up the planetMelt the ice capsThicken the atmosphereOrbital mirrors, impacts, super greenhouse gases (SGGs), nuclear detonatorsIntroduce plant life, create water and carbon cycle, convert the atmosphereTo Terraform or to Aeroform (adapt the planet or ourselves?)Concepts for genetic/cybernetic modification, all fictionalSeedling Stars (1942-1956), Man Plus (1976), The Titan (2020)Long term human habitation, still be challenging, but feasibleSpace Elevator to facilitate imports/exports, human migration A Martian Civilization!May 30, 2022
Good News! Stories from Space Picked up by ITSP Magazine!
This news has been a few months in the making, but with the final preparations underway, I feel like it’s time to announce it! In a few weeks, I will be launching my podcast series – Stories from Space – with the Intersection Of Technology, Cybersecurity, And Society Podcast (ITSP), a highly-respected channel that hosts multiple shows. Each of these is dedicated to exploring the past, the present, and the future of humanity’s relationship with technology and the profound effects it can have on our society.
Not too long ago, I was approached by ITSP Magazine to come on and talk about the future of education. Apparently, they caught wind of my article over at Interesting Engineering, “Life in 2050: A Glimpse at Education in the Future,” and wanted to talk about the possibilities. We got on like a house on fire, and the next thing I knew, they were having me back to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and all the amazing things it will allow us to see.
By the way, if you want to check out either of those episodes, they can be accessed here:
Redefining Society, Episode 905: The Future of Education
Audio Signals, Episode 32: The Future of Space Exploration
During our second chat, they noted that I was making podcasts at the time (mainly for fun) and asked if I would like to do so in a professional capacity. While they had many shows on their channel, they said, they did not have a dedicated show that was all about space. I agreed and asked if I could continue the series I had already created, which was all about exploring the history, concepts, goals, programs, and issues related to human spaceflight and space exploration. I also encouraged to bring on featured guests, and began going through my contact list to enlist the help of some truly heavy hitters!
To date, I have recorded (or am scheduled to record) episodes with the following luminaries:
Robin Hanson, the man who proposed the Great Filter HypothesisDr. Harold “Sonny” White, the famed researcher who worked on a warp drive for NASALes Johnson, NASA Principal Investigator and SF authorFrank White, Mr. Overview Effect himselfDr. Sian Proctor, famed science communicator and pilot of the SpaceX Inspiration4 missionVera Mulyani, space architect and founder of Mars City DesignDr. Morgan Irons (Deep Space Industries) who sent the “soil health in space” experiments to the ISSJoan Marie, a NASA engineer who worked on the DART mission and is a big-time advocate for women in the STEM fieldsNancy Atkinson, author and veteran of the space industry (and fellow writer for Universe Today)Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society and author of The Case for MarsI got a LOT of other people in mind, but they have yet to RSVP. What can you do? People are busy! Suffice it to say, I’m pretty excited!
April 11, 2022
Episode Seven: Von Neumann Probes!
In 1948, famed astrophysicist John von Neumann spoke of machines that could consume normal matter and replicate themselves endlessly. Years later, the idea became the basis of “Von Neumann Probes,” self-replicating machines that explore the Universe for other life forms. Could our Universe be teeming with extraterrestrial versions of these probes right now?
Stories from Space is Now Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Good news! My podcast series, Stories from Space, is now available on iTunes and Spotify! These are the audio podcasts, not to be confused with the video series (of the same name) that is available on Youtube.
You can access all these episodes via Apple Podcasts, or click on the bar below to listen on Spotify:
March 11, 2022
Episode Six: The Berserker Hypothesis
Could it be that the reason we are confronted by the “Great Silence” is that advanced civilizations are being wiped out? This is the essence of the Berserker Hypothesis, inspired by science fiction, but rooted in scientific theory. It combines the concept of von Neuman Probes, nanotechnology, and the idea that the greatest threat to advanced life is itself!
