Sample Return Missions - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

More from The Supermassive Podcast All episodes →

1. 

   13 May 2025 · 16 min

   BONUS - Mole People on Mars

   Should astronauts live underground on the Moon or Mars? Black hole jets, rogue planets, the big crunch (or freeze) and the Ontario question. Dr Becky, Izzie and Dr Robert Massey tackle your correspondence from the Supermassive mailbox and producer Richard makes a pronunciation intervention. The book Becky mentions is Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Keep sending in your wonderful ponderings. Email them to [email protected] or via Instagram @Supermassivepod The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See…

2. 

   E64 · 24 Apr 2025 · 54 min

   What is Gravity?

   This episode is a weighty one. Some might say massive. It’s all about gravity. What is it? Why does it matter? Izzie and Dr Becky explore Einstein and Newton’s different ideas on the subject, plus Izzie visits the Royal Society to see Isaac Newton's original manuscript for his works on gravity and the laws of motion. Special thank you to listener Hanna_m_e for suggesting this episode topic and to Professor Tessa Baker, at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth, and to Keith Moore, head of collections at the Royal Society for appearing on the show. See THAT…

3. 

   E63 · 11 Apr 2025 · 15 min

   BONUS - Can we gravitationally "hitch hike" out of the Solar System?

   What the bloomin’ hell is a Gravastar? Are fast radio bursts like solar flares on steroids? Plus an interesting question on multiverses that can't be summed up in a short sentence. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey dive into The Supermassive Mailbox and take on your questions. Keep sending in your wonderful ponderings. Email them to [email protected] or via Instagram @Supermassivepod The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4. 

   E63 · 31 Mar 2025 · 52 min

   Returning to the Moon - with ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer

   Climb aboard The Supermassive Rocket, Izzie and Becky are (talking about) sending humans back to the moon. Joining them on their trip is European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer and Jacki Mahaffey, the Chief Training Officer for NASA’s Artemis II mission. Plus, Dr Robert Massey, the Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, is there as well to answer your questions and share his top stargazing tips. For more supermassive astronaut episodes, here's our episode with Samantha Cristoforetti and another with Gene Cernan. Keep sending your questions to The Supermassive Podcast at…

5. 

   E62 · 12 Mar 2025 · 12 min

   BONUS - Can A Star Orbit Another Star?

   If black holes are so dense, how can gamma rays jet shoot out from it? At what point in space does our sun become invisible to the naked eye? And a question about CubeSats, black holes and detecting alien civilisations... It time for Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey to take on your questions! Got a question to add to The Supermassive Mailbox? Email it to [email protected] or message us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod . There's no such thing as a silly question. In fact, the sillier, the better! The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie…

6. 

   E61 · 19 Feb 2025 · 13 min

   EMERGENCY BONUS - Asteroid 2024 YR4

   Scientists have detected an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth. Resident expert Dr Robert Massey tells Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham why we shouldn't be worried. Want to suggest a topic to the team? Contact [email protected] or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod . The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7. 

   E61 · 12 Feb 2025 · 17 min

   BONUS - Could we capture a primordial black hole?

   What are the implications on space exploration with a change of president? Did cosmic inflation come before the Big Bang? Are there sonic booms in space? Izzie, Becky and Robert take on your questions! Keep sending your questions to [email protected] or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8. 

   E61 · 29 Jan 2025 · 55 min

   The Search for Space Aliens

   Hosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life: Where are scientists looking? How do they search for potential signals? And what the heck is the plan if they find one?! The Supermassive team hears from Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about the search for life beyond Earth, and Dr John Elliot from the University of St Andrews explains what would happen if we were to detect them. Thanks for all of your brilliant questions - keep them coming! You can email [email protected] or find us on instagram,…

9. 

   E60 · 21 Dec 2024 · 54 min

   Q&A - Space Potatoes and Christmas Stars

   Our final episode of 2024 is a SUPERMASSIVE Q&A. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey make their way through your questions. What’s the farthest star we can see with the naked eye? Why do black holes expand and shrink? And what would happen if we accelerated an uncompressed medium sized potato to 99% the speed of light? And remember, do not confuse the ISS with Santa's Sleigh in the run up to Christmas. To avoid any confusion, find out when the ISS is flying over your home using https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfm If you have any questions for a future episode, email…

10. 

    E59 · 13 Dec 2024 · 14 min

    BONUS - Why can't anything go faster than the speed of light?

    From planetary alignment through the galaxy to spacetime expansion, The Supermassive Team answer your questions. Keep sending us your questions, email us on [email protected] or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.