Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast

Guest: Erika Carlson In Episode 39, Michael opens a hailing frequency to speak to Erika Carlson—a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Discover magazine—about what it's like to be a science writer and why science communication is important, both in our society and in Star Trek. Erika's bibliography at Discover: http://discovermagazine.com/authors?name=Erika+K.+Carlson Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai Erika: @erikakcarlson

In Episode 38, Michael and Elise cover some recent Star Trek news, tell the story of how they met, watch ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights" and recap their own shore-leave adventures, and watch TNG: "Genesis" to facilitate a discussion of the theory of evolution. The Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgohe_W_0Po "Boldly Go!" Caltech's Star Trek parody musical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdtBArmWHdY&t=1s Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai Elise: @emcuttsy

In this bonus episode of Strange New Worlds, Dr. Peter Gao helps Michael prepare for his PhD thesis defense and reminisces about his own Star Trek–themed dissertation talk. Follow Peter (@PlanetaryGao) on Twitter to watch a live stream of Michael's (@Miquai) thesis defense on Thursday, May 31, at 1:30 pm Pacific.

Guest: Harriet Brettle In Episode 37, Michael asks first-year Caltech planetary science graduate student Harriet Brettle, "Can science fiction predict the future?" We also talk about The Planetary Society—an international nonprofit foundation advocating for space exploration—that Harriet and Star Trek: Voyager's Bob Picardo are heavily involved in. Follow us on Twitter: Harriet: @harriet_brettle The Planetary Society: @exploreplanets Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Jon Wong In Episode 36, Michael brings aboard his brother, Jon Wong, to talk about diet and nutrition and critique the breakfast that Burnham orders for Tilly in DSC: "Lethe." Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Desun Oka In Episode 35, Michael and Desun Oka chat about Star Trek: Discovery's bonus scene featuring Section 31, clandestine organizations in general, and the metaphor behind the Battle of the Binary Stars. Bonus Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGRJ4CvOvhc Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Dr. Pushkar Kopparla In Episode 34, Michael invites Dr. Pushkar Kopparla to speculate on what "polarize the hull plating" means and explain how he uses polarization in real life to characterize the properties of exoplanets. Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Dr. Stuart Bartlett In Episode 33, Michael and Elise continue their discussion about the origin and nature of life by bringing in Dr. Stuart Bartlett to share his "four pillars of life" and how molecular machines drive life's functions in the face of Brownian chaos. Follow us on Twitter! Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

In Episode 32, Michael and Elise watch TNG: "All Good Things..." and discuss different theories for the origin of life. Follow us on Twitter! Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

Guests: Cecilia Sanders, Shreyas Vissapragada, & Dr. James T. Keane In Episode 31, Michael recaps Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 by hosting a roundtable discussion featuring Cecilia Sanders, Shreyas Vissapragada, and Dr. James T. Keane, who are all joined by Elise Cutts via transporter midway through. Follow us on Twitter: James: @jtuttlekeane Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Dr. Morgan Cable In Episode 30, Michael sits down with NASA JPL's Dr. Morgan Cable to talk about the exotic chemistry on Saturn's moon Titan and the possibility of life not as we know it. Follow us on Twitter: Morgan: @starsarecalling Michael: @Miquai

Guests: Dr. James T. Keane & Dr. Peter Gao In Episode 29, Michael and Elise are joined by Dr. James T. Keane & Dr. Peter Gao to talk about James' scientific illustrations from the 38th New Horizons Science Team Meeting, the #SuperBlueBloodMoon, and all of the wildest developments in Star Trek: Discovery. Follow us on Twitter! James: @jtuttlekeane Peter: @PlanetaryGao Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

In Episode 28, Michael and Elise use TOS: "The Devil in the Dark" and "The Tholian Web" to spark a discussion about Earth's subsurface biosphere and silicon-based life. Cosmic Motivations, by Michael and Prof. Katie Mack (@AstroKatie): https://www.redbubble.com/people/astrokatie/collections/835103-cosmic-motivations?asc=u Follow us on Twitter! Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Dr. Peter Gao In Episode 27, Michael opens a subspace channel to Dr. Peter Gao, who recently gave a talk at the 38th New Horizons Science Team Meeting. Follow us on Twitter! Peter: @PlanetaryGao Michael: @Miquai

In Episode 26, Michael and Elise rewatch VOY: "Future's End" and discuss the Drake equation and SETI as they appear in Star Trek and in reality. Mike & Denise Okuda's article: http://1701news.com/node/939/drake-equation-shaped-star-trek-universe.html Follow us on Twitter! Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @miquai

In Episode 25, Michael is rejoined by Elise Cutts to talk about Mars: Astronomy & Culture, an exhibition at ArtCenter College of Design. Did you know that Mars has already made an appearance in Star Trek: Discovery? Visit Mars: Astronomy & Culture: http://www.artcenter.edu/connect/events/mars-astronomy-and-culture.html Follow us on Twitter! Elise: @emcuttsy Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Dr. Peter Gao In Episode 24, Michael catches up with Dr. Peter Gao at the AGU Fall Meeting to recap the conference and the first nine episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. Michael was recently on two trek.fm podcasts: The Edge, Episode 23: http://trek.fm/the-edge/23 Warp Five, Episode 128: http://trek.fm/warp-five/128 Follow us on Twitter! Peter: @PlanetaryGao Michael: @Miquai

Guest: Qicheng Zhang In Episode 23 of Strange New Worlds, Michael chats with Qicheng Zhang about ʻOumuamua, the first interstellar asteroid ever detected. Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai

Guests: Dr. Sarah Brothers & Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman In Episode 20, Michael sits down with Dr. Sarah Brothers & Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman at the Habitable Worlds conference to discuss what makes a planet habitable, what Star Trek's "M-class" designation means, and how to search for life in the cosmos. Follow us on Twitter: Shawn: @shawndgoldman Mike: @Miquai

Guest: Cecilia Leung For Halloween, Cecilia Leung dressed up as Captain Phillipa Georgiou: https://twitter.com/CelestialCess/status/925787276587679744. In Episode 21, Michael asks her about making that costume, her thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery, and her PhD thesis about water in Mars's atmosphere. Follow us on Twitter: Cecilia: @CelestialCess Michael: @Miquai