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PODCAST · science

Blue Dot

Blue Dot, named after Carl Sagan's famous speech about our place in the universe, features interviews with guests from all over the regional, national and worldwide scientific communities. Host Dave Schlom leads discussions about the issues science is helping us address with experts who shed light on climate change, space exploration, astronomy, technology and much more. Dave asks us to remember: from deep space, we all live on a pale, blue dot.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Sep 19, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 20

    Best of Blue Dot: Understanding the basic science of spaceflight with Trisha Muro

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by science educator and author Trisha Muro to discuss her book, It's (Just) Rocket Science: Exploring Physics Through Spaceflight Missions.

  2. 19

    Blue Dot: A new look at Freud and neuroscience with Dr. Mark Solms

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by world renowned neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst Mark Solms. Dr. Solms is the author of the new book, The Only Cure: Freud and the Science of Mental Healing.

  3. 18

    Blue Dot: All things El Niño with NASA's Josh Willis

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by a longtime friend of Blue Dot, Josh Willis from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Josh is an oceanographer who uses NASA's armada of Earth monitoring satellites to study ocean heights, temperatures and currents.

  4. 17

    Best of Blue Dot: All that glitters: a conversation with Dominic Frisby author of The Secret History of Gold

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by British humorist and financial writer Dominic Frisby.

  5. 16

    Blue Dot: The Big One times two? The link between Cascadia and the San Andreas Fault with Chris Goldfinger

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by Oregon State marine geologist Chris Goldfinger to take an in-depth look at the West Coast's two most dangerous faults, the San Andreas and Cascadia.

  6. 15

    Blue Dot: The great heat wave of 1936 with author Geoff Williams

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by Geoff Williams, author of the new book, The Summer of Death: The Great Heat Wave of 1936 and the Making of Modern America.

  7. 14

    Blue Dot: How animals influence human thought: A conversation with author Michael Bond

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by British author Michael Bond, author of the new book, Animate: How Animals Shape the Human Mind. Bond specializes in writing about psychology and human behavior and in this masterful work, he goes back to the very beginnings of humanity's relationship with the animal world.

  8. 13

    Blue Dot: An innovative solution to removing and storing carbon: biochar and bio-oil with Charm Industrial

    Host Dave Schlom explores the world of biochar and ways to remove carbon from the landscape with Pyrolysis engineer Joe Polin and policy expert Nora Cohen Brown from Charm Industrial.

  9. 12

    Blue Dot: Hot Creek in peril: a proposed gold mine threatens one of California's natural wonders

    Host Dave Schlom examines an environmental issue exploding in eastern California.

  10. 11

    Blue Dot: The "earthquake gate" in Southern California between the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by Liliane Burkhard, a geophysicist and planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, to discuss a recent study linking earthquakes on two of Southern California's major faults.

  11. 10

    Blue Dot: California 1776: what was it like? With pyrogeographer Don Hankins

    To mark the nation's 250th birthday, host Dave Schlom is joined by California State University Chico geography professor Don Hankins to discuss what California would have been like in 1776.

  12. 9

    Best of Blue Dot: The art and science of fly fishing with Hall of Famer Mike Mercer

    Host Dave Schlom gets to delve into his favorite pastime, fly fishing, with two of his heroes -- Mike Mercer and Bryan Quick from The Fly Shop in Redding, California.

  13. 8

    Best of Blue Dot: Sky ghosts of the cosmos: Comets

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by two scientists from the SETI Institute in Mt. View, California, to talk about one of hisfavorite celestial phenomena -- comets.

  14. 7

    Blue Dot: Animal intelligence with Lori Marino

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by neuroscientist and animal intelligence advocate Dr. Lori Marino, who was recently named the 2026 winner of the Frank Drake Award by the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.

  15. 6

    Best of Blue Dot: Wildlife photography with Yellowstone's Tom Murphy

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by nature and wildlife photographer Tom Murphy for an in-depth conversation about his life and career.

  16. 5

    Blue Dot: All that glitters: a conversation with Dominic Frisby author of The Secret History of Gold

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by British humorist and financial writer Dominic Frisby.

  17. 4

    Blue Dot: Understanding the basic science of spaceflight with Trisha Muro

    Host Dave Schlom is joined by science educator and author Trisha Muro to discuss her new book, It's (Just) Rocket Science: Exploring Physics Through Spaceflight Missions.

  18. 3

    Best of Blue Dot: Exploring the Salish Sea and coast with the SeaDoc Society

    Host Dave Schlom is joined once again by Joe Gaydos and Bob Friel from the SeaDoc Society based on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest.

  19. 2

    Blue Dot: Studying penguins for a season in Antarctica with Louise K. Blight

    Blue Dot's host Dave Schlom is joined by Canadian conservation biologist and marine bird expert Louise K. Blight to talk about her new book, Where The Earth Meets The Sky: A Story of Penguins, People, and Place in Antarctica.

  20. 1

    Blue Dot: Rivers from space and on the ground: the US/French SWOT mission and restoration of Battle Creek

    Blue Dot host Dave Schlom takes a look at rivers from space and on the ground in this fluvial episode.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Blue Dot, named after Carl Sagan's famous speech about our place in the universe, features interviews with guests from all over the regional, national and worldwide scientific communities. Host Dave Schlom leads discussions about the issues science is helping us address with experts who shed light on climate change, space exploration, astronomy, technology and much more. Dave asks us to remember: from deep space, we all live on a pale, blue dot.

HOSTED BY

Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler

Produced by NSPR

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Blue Dot have?

Blue Dot currently has 20 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Blue Dot about?

Blue Dot, named after Carl Sagan's famous speech about our place in the universe, features interviews with guests from all over the regional, national and worldwide scientific communities. Host Dave Schlom leads discussions about the issues science is helping us address with experts who shed light...

How often does Blue Dot release new episodes?

Blue Dot has 20 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Blue Dot?

You can listen to Blue Dot on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Blue Dot?

Blue Dot is created and hosted by Dave Schlom, Matt Fidler.
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