2006

SUnknownHeavy Industry in Space - A Great Idea or A Pipe Dream? Answers with Joe

Tue, Sep 26, 2017

To the optimists commercial space manufacturing is decades away. To the pessimists - centuries. But that hasn't stopped dreamers from working on it and even making progress. And there are some prospects for high value products in the relatively near term that can only be made in space.

0 /10

SUnknownHow Long Does a Severed Head Remain Conscious? Random Thursday

Mon, May 14, 2018

The guillotine was intended to be a humane form of execution that provides a nice clean slice through the neck compared to the customary forms of beheading that sometimes involved multiple hacks if the executioner is not particularly skilled. But did the guillotine produce the quick death that is generally assumed?

0 /10

SUnknownAre Solid State Batteries About to Change the World? Answers with Joe

Sun, Nov 17, 2019

John B. Goodenough, the Nobel Prize winner for the invention on the Lithium Ion battery, Is at it again. He and colleague Maria Helena Braga have developed a solid state battery with a glass electrolyte. That gives it the likelihood of having more capacity with cheaper safer raw materials.

0 /10

SUnknown5 Good Ideas that Went Horribly Wrong Answers with Joe

Sun, Mar 15, 2020

As Robert Burns wrote "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley." Joe agrees but adds, you've got to try anyway. Here are a few examples. Could you have done better?

0 /10

SUnknownBall Lightning: Weather's Biggest Mystery: Answers With Joe

Sun, Apr 19, 2020

Following a primer on lighting and a catalog of the various types Joe turns his attention to the rare and mysterious ball lightning. While many scientists question if it is real others have put a lot of thought into it. And they have many hypotheses waiting for some actual evidence.

0 /10

SUnknownSo Apparently Skyquakes Are a Thing: Answers with Joe

Sun, Nov 29, 2020

For hundreds of years in various places around the world, usually around coastlines, people have been reporting a booming sound that can be brief or persist for more than a day. The source of the sounds has never been determined but, of course, there are a multitude of theories ranging from conspiracies to the scientific. Joe has collected a bunch of them.

0 /10

SUnknownThe 7 Smartest Animals in the World: Answers with Joe

Sun, Dec 13, 2020

There are some smart animals out there. Some are smart in ways we don't really understand. And it's a good idea to respect that. Beacuse if you're mean to them that won't just remember, they may tell their friends. Then watch out. But if you're nice they'll remember that too.

0 /10

SUnknown7 Ways to Pull Carbon from the Atmosphere: Random Thursday

Wed, Feb 24, 2021

0 /10

SUnknownThe Return of the Space Planes

Sun, Mar 21, 2021

Space planes have been the dream of rocket scientists for decades. They haven't worked out so well with the exception of the Space Shuttle. On the other hand, 40% of the Space Shuttle fleet was lost. But now at least five countries and a few private companies are well on their way to developing new space planes.

0 /10

SUnknownThe Aldrin Cycler: A Conveyor Belt to Mars: Answers with Joe

Sun, May 09, 2021

In the movie 'Stowaway' the crew of a spacecraft traveled to Mars using an orbit known as the Aldrin Cycler developed by renowned astronaut and moon walker Buzz Aldrin. Joe explains how the cycler works in general terms and its pros and cons versus other ways of reaching Mars.

0 /10

SUnknownThe Next-Gen Space Stations that Could Replace the ISS: Answers with Joe

Sun, May 23, 2021

The International Space Station has many good days ahead but it's getting a bit long in the tooth. Happily it will have no shortage of neighbors before it takes a plunge back to the earth. China is planning a new space station and India its first. But there are even more private companies planning space stations of their own.

0 /10

SUnknownSmall Modular Reactors: The Model T of Nuclear Energy

Sun, Jun 06, 2021

After an initial surge in popularity nuclear energy fell out of favor in the United States (and many other countries). Joe presents a laundry list of reasons. But nuclear energy is again gaining popularity, at least with entrepreneurs and apparently governments, as engineers design small reactors that can be mass produced, readily shipped and easily maintained. Joe provides the details. And if you like engineering diagrams, keep you cursor on the pause button as they go by fast.

0 /10

SUnknownNuclear Waste Is Manageable. We Just Have to Do It. Random Thursday

Wed, Jun 09, 2021

Thousands of tons of high level nuclear waste are generated every year and the only place to put it is in temporary storage at the reactor site. 95% of the waste is unburned fuel and the remaining 5% is highly radioactive byproducts. With all that energy still remaining in the nuclear waste you would think there would be folks who would love to get there hands on it to make more electricity. And there are. Joe shares a bunch of ideas people are anxious to try if they can get around the problem that it's highly illegal for some incomprehensible reason.

0 /10

SUnknownAll Right. Let's Talk About the UFO Thing: Answers with Joe

Sun, Jun 13, 2021

A former ardent believer Joe is now an insufferable skeptic when it comes to visits form extraterrestrials. He recounts the evidence for the current UFO craze but,alas, in each case feel it cold more easily be normal camera effects. But Joe really wants to believe so he describes the evidence he would like to see.

0 /10

SUnknownWhy Moon Mining Will Definitely Be a Thing: Answers with Joe

Sun, Aug 01, 2021

There's a lot of good stuff on the moon. Maybe you've heard of some of it: oxygen, water, aluminum, silicon, thorium, rare earths and, if you're into nuclear fusion, tons and tons of helium-3. Sure it's kinda tricky to go get it. But it's also expensive to take it there.

0 /10

SUnknownPrisoners of the Ghostland

Sun, Aug 15, 2021

Who doesn't think a paradox doesn't clarify a confusing situation? Practically nobody. So in the interest of confusion Joe presents four classic paradoxes that confuse or clarify or open your mind or at least make you think and probably make you wonder why you got out of bed this morning.

0 /10

SUnknownThe Future of War: Answers with Joe

Sun, Sep 05, 2021

The future of warfare in Joe's opinion isn't really about anything new but the weapons are getting much more sophisticated. In particular they are becoming autonomous thanks to artificial intelligence and miniaturized thanks to microchips and better batteries. And technologies that are generally considered benign are being militarized.

0 /10

SUnknown6 Historical Figures that may not have Existed: Answers with Joe

Sun, Sep 19, 2021

Joe summarizes what is know about several prominent historical figures. It isn't much. Which raises the question; did they really exist?

0 /10

SUnknownWho Owns Space? | Answers with Joe

Sun, Nov 07, 2021

In general technology, in this case space technology, is ahead of the rules, in this case space law. So will legislatures write the rules or the courts?

0 /10

SUnknownHow Scientists Accidentally Created the World's Worst Smell: Random Thursday

Wed, Dec 15, 2021

Thioacetone is produced by cracking the candy additive trithioacetone. The smell of it is so unpleasant that if causes vomiting and fainting in the tiniest amounts as was discovered in the rare releases over the past century and a half. Hence, chemists tend to leave it alone.

0 /10

SUnknownJust How Screwed Are We if Thwaites Glacier Collapses? Lightning Round

Sun, Jan 30, 2022

Joe responds to viewer questions about daylight savings time, expansion of the universe, right to privacy, quantum-classical behavior transitions, hardware versus software and the Thwaites glacier all of which he's unqualified to answer but gives it the old college try.

0 /10

SUnknownIs Seattle Doomed? (And Other Questions) Lightning Round

Wed, Mar 30, 2022

Joe responds to viewer questions about hobbies and cataclysms.

0 /10

SUnknownAutonomous Trucking - Where Exactly Are We? (And Other Questions) Answers with Joe

Sun, Apr 24, 2022

Joe laments his earlier prediction that self driving tractor trailers are just around the corner but stands by their inevitability. Other topics of discussion include improvisation classes, stand up comedy, the NERVA engine, Russian poisonings, and underwater flatulence.

0 /10

SUnknownThe Full Plan for Artemis Part 1: The Robotic Missions: Answers with Joe

Sun, Jul 17, 2022

In this first of three parts Joe dives into NASA preparation for inhabiting the moon under project Artemis. These initial preparations will be robotic missions and include a lunar space station known as Gateway the will gradually be expanded for short term human habitation.

0 /10

SUnknownIs Monkeypox A Real Problem Or Just Clickbait?

Sun, Jul 31, 2022

Monkeypox was first documented in the Statens Serum Institute of Demoark though until recently most cases have been in rural central Africa. Now (2022) it all over the world. And while the global strain is generally mild it is mutating quickly as the number of cases grows, which is how the more lethal strains in Africa originated.

0 /10

SUnknownThe Full Plan for Artemis Part II: Back to The Moon: Answers with Joe

Sun, Aug 14, 2022

Folloup up on the robotic missions that are paving the way for manned moon landings Joe reports on plans for the first five Artiemis missions of which four will be manned and three will be landings.

0 /10

SUnknownAnd Then 1700 People Died.

Sun, Sep 04, 2022

The carbon dioxide release from soda spiked with Methos is dramatic and exciting. But exchange the soda for a volcanic lake and it's silent but deadly.

0 /10

SUnknownSomebody Is Fianally Doing Something About Space Junk

Sun, Dec 18, 2022

Pravateer is a company providing software to help companies to navigate the constellation of orbital debris so their satellites aren't destroyed.

0 /10

SUnknownIf "the Universe isn't Real..." Then what is it?

Sun, Jan 15, 2023

Joe explains the cryptic explanation of the work of John Clauser, Alain Aspect and Anton Zeilinger who explained quantum mechanics is real even if the universe isn't. Or something like that.

0 /10

SUnknownWhat Would Happen if the Earth had Rings?

Sun, Oct 29, 2023

The collision of the hypothetical planet Theia and the proto-earth left a huge amount of debris orbiting the Earth. Much of it formed the Moon but the debris close to the earth would have formed rings. So what happened to them and what were they like?

0 /10

SUnknownThis Disease Turned 5 Million People into Statues, and then Vanished

Sun, Mar 31, 2024

The story of encephalitis lethargica, a a global sleeping sickness pandemic that arose around the time of the Spanish Flu. It induced catatonia, briefly for most, for decades or until death for many.

0 /10

SUnknownDiseases You Don't Know You Have Until It's Too Late

Sun, Nov 10, 2024

The sword of Damaclese isn't limited to kings. You may have a metaphorical sword waiting in your body to strike. Joe describes the more common of these diseases and offers some prevention tips.

0 /10