The Curious Cosmos with Derrick Pitts The Franklin Institute

In this episode of The Curious Cosmos, join Derrick Pitts for an interview with real-life aerospace engineer Brandon Burroughs! Get the inside scoop on the building of the Space Launch System, learn how the rocket industry works, and discover what it's like to research, design, and build the tech that will bring humans deeper into space than ever before.
Links for this episode:
Learn more about Brandon Burroughs and his work!Learn more about the NASA's Space Launch System, which Brandon spent 5 years working on.Explore NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building further, and get a sense of just how large a building they assemble rocket ships has to be!

Join Derrick Pitts and his long time friends and colleagues, Sam Storch and Steve Russo, as they bring you behind the scenes of the planetarium! Learn all about the history of planetariums, the many people and experiences they encountered over the course of their careers, and what makes planetariums such a special place for learning about the universe.
Links for today's episode:
Learn more about the East Kentucky Science Center, where Steve fished his career and still volunteersLearn more about the Hubble Planetarium, which Sam built and ran for many years at Murrow High SchoolAnd of course, check out the current offerings of the Fels Planetarium at The Franklin Institute, where Derrick spent his career.

Join Derrick Pitts for a conversation with Carter Emmert, head of astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural History, to learn all about how data visualization can help us to see our universe in whole new ways!
Links for today's episode:
Learn more about Carter Emmart and his work at the American Museum of Natural HistoryExplore the data visualization work being done by Carter's colleagues at Linköping University in SwedenLearn more about OpenSpace, the open source data visualization of space Carter is working onDig around in Google Earth equipped with your new understanding of data visualization technology!

Join Derrick Pitts for a conversation with John Blackwell, high school astronomy teacher and director of the Grainger Observatory at Philips Exeter Academy. Listen in as the two discuss the importance of teaching scientific citizenship, what John's students are currently working on, and what it's like teaching high schoolers about astronomy in the digital age.
Links for today's episode:
Learn more about John Blackwell and his work in Exeter Academy's Grainger ObservatoryLearn more about spectroscopy in astronomy, and the science behind how rainbow glasses work!To be prepped for the next time you read sensational headlines about a super special comet, check out this guide to comet observations

For years, the possibility of a manned mission to Mars has filled our newsfeeds and imaginations, but what actually needs to be done to make that dream a reality? In this episode of The Curious Cosmos, Derrick Pitts is joined by science writer Mary Roach discuss her book, Packing for Mars, and all the important (and often off-kilter) work being done to prepare for that mission here on Earth!
Check out Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, and Mary's other booksExplore the Antarctic Search for Meteorites furtherCheck out the Mars500 project from the European Space Agency, where participants simulated a tip to Mars in Moscow.Learn more about Peggy Whitson, the American record holder for most time in space!Learn more about the failed Mars One project, which promised to colonize Mars via a reality TV show

In this episode of The Curious Cosmos, Derrick is joined by astophysist, inventor, and media personality Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, to discuss everything from cutting edge physics, the future of human spaceflight, and Hakeem's unique and inspiring path to science.
Learn more about Dr. Oluseyi, and check out his memoir, A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the StarsExplore the advancements physicist have made on gravitational wave astronomy and the cosmic microwave backgroundLearn more about 'Oumuamua, the first confirmed object from another star to visit our solar systemDiscover more about the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Derrick and Hakeem discussLearn more about the life and work of Hakeem's mentor, Dr. Arthur Walker