Episodes
-
Fusion of Ideas
Things have been busy lately! JWST has launched and is making its way to L2 and I successfully presented and defended my qualifying exam to become a PhD candidate officially! Also, new records have been set in terms of amount of extractable energy from a fusion reaction. Let's talk about the...
-
James Webb Space Telescope
Let's face it, Hubble won't be around forever. There needs to be another space observatory launched soon so that it can replace Hubble. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be just the candidate. As it will mostly operate in the infrared region of light, JWST is set to look at extremely old...
-
Home Stretch to the Playoffs
The New York Yankees mission statement every year. And that is to win the World Series. But to do that, you have to make the playoffs. It wasn't looking good back in July. But let's talk about what happened and how the Yankees clinched that second wild card spot. Plus. let's talk about the Wild...
-
Inspiration 4 Mission
Are you a civilian? Would you like a chance to go to space? That might just be a reality for you in the not too distant future. The Inspiration 4 mission just completed and it was crewed by all civilians. The first all-civilian orbital spaceflight! No governmentally trained astronauts on this...
-
Your Drinking Water Could be Contaminated with PFAS
Are you concerned about contamination in your drinking water? I think everyone feels that their water should be clean and free of pollutants. One of the common pollutants is a class of compounds that simply do not break down. These are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS...
-
A Promising Climate Change Solution
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report this month outlining how bad climate change is, how bad it will be, and what will happen if we don't make drastic changes in the way we address the crisis. But that doesn't mean we will not be able to come up with clever solutions...
-
Marsquakes, Yes They're Real
We have sent so many rovers, landers, and orbiters to Mars over the past few decades, including the Perseverance rover. So surely we know just about everything we need to know about the red planet, right? Absolutely not! We don't even really know what underneath the surface of the crust or how…
more -
Hubble in Trouble?
Is the planet's most famous and arguably most successful telescope on the brink of total failure? Luckily, no. The Hubble Space Telescope is still working just fine and producing all kinds of stunning images and valuable data. But the latest problem with the telescope over the past month was not...
-
Are the Yankees an Average Team?
It's been tough to be a Yankees fan in 2021. The team was billed as being reloaded for another run at the World Series as recent failures against the Astros and Rays occurred. But things seem to not be going according to plan. Is it the hitting, the defense, the pitching, the manager, or the…
more -
The Amazing Material Graphene
Why is carbon such an interesting element? It can take so many forms such as diamonds, coal, graphite, carbon black, carbon nanotubes, and buckyballs, just to name a few. But today, let's talk about graphene and why it could lead a revolution into the next technological age. Plus, let's discuss...
-
Missions to Venus
Do you enjoy visiting your nearest neighbors? For us, we haven't since 1994. That seems like a long time. So NASA has decided to change that by selecting 2 standalone Venus missions for development. DAVINCI+ and VERITAS have been chosen from NASA's Discovery Program and will be sent to Venus to...
-
Celebrating a Year with Some Astrochemistry
Happy birthday to the show! Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to listen to this show. I truly appreciate all of you! It's been about a year since the show was launched so why not take a look back at what we have talked about over the past year. It's been quite an exciting year…
more -
2021 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft is a time when teams can fill the needs that become apparent during the season. It's also a time where teams like the Jets get their next franchise player and hope that he leads them to a Superbowl. And that means the Zach Wilson era has officially begun for the Jets! Let's talk…
more -
Ingenuity Helicopter Takes Flight
History has been made! The first controlled, powered flight on another planet! And this was all done by the Ingenuity helicopter that hitched a ride on the Perseverance rover. A real Wright Brothers moment! Let's talk about what Ingenuity is attempting to demonstrate flying in the thin atmosphere...
-
Genetic Testing
Do you watch courtroom dramas on TV? Have you tried one of those family genealogy tests? Have you ever been tested for COVID? If you answered yes to at least one of these, then you have been exposed to a PCR test. This is used to test for DNA or RNA in a sample acquired from the field. Whether...
-
Unexpected Chemistry
Chemistry is one of those subjects where getting your hands dirty and doing the research with the necessary chemicals and materials in the lab drives some of the biggest advances. And when you get in there, sometimes you find some unexpected. Something that can change commonly taught concepts,...
-
Women In STEM
Throughout history, women have contributed significantly in every facet of life. And STEM fields are no different. On this episode, let's talk about some very important women, past and present, that have impacted space science as well as chemistry. Highlighting these women will, hopefully…
more -
One Wild Offseason
Will your favorite team have the same starting quarterback next season? Now that the Superbowl is over, this triggers the offseason for the NFL. And it seems like there was a memo going around requiring teams to change their starting quarterbacks. Lots of player movement had already taken place…
more -
Reaching Mars with Hope and Perseverance (and Tianwen-1 too)!
We did it! Absolutely incredible and awe inspiring! Teams around the world have successfully guided three completely different probes to Mars and they all arrived within the last week and a half. Hope from the United Arab Emirates, Tianwen-1 from China, and Perseverance from NASA are all set to...
-
New COVID Vaccines
This pandemic is still ongoing, but that doesn't mean we should sit on our laurels with the two vaccines that are approved. We need more safe and effective vaccines so that more people can get vaccinated quicker. Luckily we are getting closer to more vaccines being approved. But they utilize...
-
COVID Vaccine Myths
We have two very safe and effective vaccines available to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the data currently shows this. Yet there is plenty of misinformation circulating around out there about the vaccines. What's the truth and what's a myth? Let's break it all down so we all have the most...
-
Catalysis and Sustainability
How do chemical reactions proceed so efficiently? The majority of products are not produced just by adding reactants together. Most processes require a catalyst to get things started. Let's talk about what catalysts are and how they change the reaction conditions to make it possible to complete....
-
NFL Playoffs
The NFL playoffs are underway and started with the Wild Card weekend. A new playoff format with expanded teams is just one of the changes that these teams are dealing with. COIVD protocols with little to no fans. Injuries to key players. And one game being broadcast on Nickelodeon. Yes that's...
-
Renewable Energy - Solar Power
It's the first episode of 2021! New year, new topics to shed some light on. Coincidentally, we're talking about solar power in this episode. Why is solar power worth trying to harness and how does it compare with fossil fuels? Not surprisingly, it stacks up very favorably there. But it does have...
-
Sample Returns from Space
How can we defend ourselves from a potential asteroid impact? We want to know answers to this plus more about how our solar system formed and how life got started on Earth. And the way to do this is to send probes out there to do some solid science. But what would be better is if we can get some...
-
COVID Vaccines
2020 has been quite a challenging year for us all. But there may be some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. Let's discuss two of the major vaccine candidates that are awaiting Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for use in the United States. Both of these are mRNA-based vaccines so...
-
Winless and Witless
The 2020 New York Jets are lined up to be one of the worst teams of all time. Everything about them is terrible. The offense, defense, special teams, coaching, management, ownership. Literally everything. Just how bad is it for a Jets fan like myself? Well listen in and let's discuss how Adam…
more -
Renewable Energy - Wind Power
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Not only is that a famous lyric to Hotel California, but it could be a way to get reliable, renewable, and sustainable energy. Let's take a quick look at wind power. What does it entail, how will climate change impact wind forecasts, and what are…
more -
Water on the Moon and FRBs
Is the moon made of cheese? No definitely not, but there could be more water on the lunar surface than what we think. Let's talk about the discovery of water on the sunlit surface of the moon and why and how it stays there. Also, what's a fast radio burst? Sounds kind of dangerous, especially…
more -
Nobel Prizes and Superconductivity
Great strides have been taken by some pretty incredible people and they have been greatly acknowledged for their achievements with a Nobel Prize. Who are these people and why did they win a Nobel Prize? Let's talk about the history of the prize and what great accomplishments are being recognized....
-
Failure of a Season
The Yankees failed to win the World Series this year. They didn't even get back to the same point they were knocked out last year. How did this unique abbreviated season go when the roster was improved with the addition of Gerrit Cole? What went so terribly wrong in the playoffs when they…
more -
Lakes on Mars and Dark Matter
Liquid water lakes on Mars have been postulated to be buried underneath the south polar ice cap. The data from the Mars Express orbiter strongly suggest it. So does this mean that we can go swimming when we visit Mars on a vacation? Not exactly. Let's talk about how these lakes are discovered and...
-
Possible Life on Another Planet? Phosphine Observed on Venus
Huge news coming from the journal Nature Astronomy. A group from Cardiff University have announced that they have detected phosphine gas in the temperate zone of the atmosphere of Venus. The only way that this gas is produced on terrestrial worlds is from processes related to life. So does that...
-
Carbon Capture and Recovery and How it Can Help with Climate Change
Climate change is a big problem. We all know that. But it's not too big where we can't come up with innovative solutions that can help mitigate the effects. In this episode, let's talk about some of the basic data that shows how urgent the climate crisis is and some of the newest innovations that...
-
Champions of Europe and More Football
Bayern Munich have been crowned champions of Europe! The Champions League Final was a pretty entertaining game between Bayern and PSG so let's talk about how it all happened. Plus, Messi wants out of Barcelona so let's keep an eye on any breaking developments to see where he ends up playing next...
-
NASA News
NASA always has something to announce or some interesting topic to learn about. Today, let's discuss an eco-friendly and sustainable new propellant, the announcement of the first official commercial crewed mission, the discovery of 95 new brown dwarfs by citizen scientists, an evolving dent in…
more -
ICP-AES and Its Role in Sustainability
Sustainability is a goal that needs to be a priority. Several different industries would stand to benefit from pursuing sustainability goals. We all know that the pervasiveness of plastic is everywhere and plastic will not go away on its own if left to degrade in the environment. Let's talk about...
-
Bonus Sports Episode! Questions About Baseball
The 2020 MLB season is only 3 weeks old and already we have issues. The lack of enforcement of protocols early on by commissioner Rob Manfred has led multiple teams to have COVID related problems which leads to weeks where teams are not playing. Clearly, the way MLB has handled this season pales…
more -
EPL, Serie A, and Champions League
The European soccer season has resumed and completed their league schedules. How have these teams finished and what have they qualified for next year? But really, what does it matter? We are right in the middle of the Champions League! Let's talk predictions about who will be lifting the trophy...
-
Comet NEOWISE and Mars Mission Launches
In case you missed it, we had a new visitor discovered in our solar system! Comet NEOWISE dazzled the night sky as it was visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Sadly, it is traveling away from Earth and won't be seen again for quite some time. But as NEOWISE flies away, 3 missions are on their way…
more -
Raman Spectroscopy
Versatility is key in many aspects of life and Raman spectroscopy is no exception. From medicine, to art, to energy, to conservation and sustainability, Raman contributes in all these areas and many more. Let's talk about how. Including the really interesting development of solar self charging…
more -
2020 MLB Quick Hits
It's summer and baseball is around the corner! Today some friends of mine join me on a panel discussion of some topics and burning questions that will play themselves out as this unique 60 game MLB season gets underway. Image from ABC7 New York. Follow the show on social media: Facebook or...
-
NASA Perseverance and Exoplanet Hunting
Surely we can't be the only planets out there. There has to be other solar systems with exoplanets orbiting distant stars, right? The answer is a resounding yes and not everything out there is exactly how our quaint little solar system is. Let's talk about some recent exoplanet discoveries...
-
FTIR Spectroscopy
Infrared light is just below the visible light region in the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of wavelength. Low in energy, but not low in applications. IR light has found its way into a number of applications across a wide range of fields. But today, let's discuss a very practical and reliable...
-
English Premier League and Serie A Restart
Sports are beginning to restart their seasons around the world and this means that the English Premier League and Serie A are ready to get underway! Let's discuss how the title races are shaping up and what we can look forward to for the rest of the season. Image from The Wall Street Journal....
-
NASA/SpaceX Launch America
A new era of spaceflight has begun! Public/private partnerships of manned spaceflights look to be the new standard for space travel and the launch of the Crew Dragon on the SpaceX Demo-2 mission shows that it is quite possible. The Launch America event proved to be an exciting and inspiring...
-
How X-rays are Used in Spectroscopy
On this episode, we focus on X-rays, how they are used, and what kind of analysis can be done with them. X-ray crystallography, X-ray absorbance spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are discussed. Research into rechargeable batteries and how they can be monitored for performance are...
-
Reopening Baseball and the 2020 Yankees
How will MLB reopen? What is the plan for the players? In this episode, these issues are discussed along with an outlook on the 2020 season. Follow the show on social media: Facebook or Instagram Want to get in touch with the show? Please email [email protected] for any questions,...
-
An Introduction to SP3
It's a podcast about space, sports, and spectroscopy, SP3. Get it? Uniting science and sports fans! Follow the show on social media: Facebook or Instagram Want to get in touch with the show? Please email [email protected] for any questions, episode ideas, or suggestions! Please...
About this show
This is the show that blends space, sports, and spectroscopy. Talking about the latest space and chemical research and the latest developments in the sports world.
Hosted by
Alfonso Minervino
Categories