August 17, 2026: Super earth, aliens, and weed

We’ve now had legal cannabis in Massachusetts for a decade, but what changes has that had on the Bay State and other states who’ve changed their stance on marijuana. This is the subject of a new study by the Parabola Center which asked folx in places that have legalized weed for at least 5 years, the results are very interesting, and we chat with one of the authors and researchers of "I Like Not Having to Go Behind the Dumpster at Taco Bell", Dr. Faith English, about what they found. In Chester, the 2026 season for the town’s theater company is coming to a close, and inviting questions about our own interactions in it’s final production. Dear Alien starts with the author of an advice column, but delves into a number of other topics, and we’ll speak with playwright Liz Duffy Adams and director  (And co-artistic director at Chester Theater itself) Michelle Ong Hendrick about this new work and the way it makes us look at connections we make with each other and the world. And speaking of this world, Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Consortium Astronomer Salman Hameed, is extra excited about a new super earth that’s been found to have an atmosphere. We’ll learn why this is an important detail amongst the many other super earths that have been found, and how it relates to the idea that we may not be alone out here in the cosmos.