A new dark matter signal from the early universe, massive family trees, and how we might respond to alien contact

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2018

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For some time after the big bang there were no stars. Researchers are now looking at cosmic dawn—the time when stars first popped into being—and are seeing hints of dark matter’s influence on supercold hydrogen clouds. News Writer Adrian Cho talks with Sarah Crespi about how this observation was made and what it means for our understanding of dark matter. Sarah also interviews Joanna Kaplanis of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton, U.K., about constructing enormous family trees based on an online social genealogy platform. What can we learn from the biggest family tree ever built—with 13 million members spanning 11 generations? In a bonus segment recording during a live podcasting event at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Sarah talks with Michael Varnum of Arizona State University in Tempe about what people think they will do if humanity comes into contact with aliens that just happen to be microbes. Live recordings sessions at the AAAS meeting were supported by funds from the European Commission. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts. [Image: Kilo-Degree Survey Collaboration/H. Hildebrandt & B. Giblin/ESO; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
0:04.0	the academic arm of the Mount Sinai health system in New York City,
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0:10.7	What are scientists and clinicians working on to improve medical care and health for women?
0:15.5	Find out in a special supplement to Science magazine prepared by the Icon School of Medicine
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0:27.0	of Medical Research-Dash-Womeness Health. The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
0:33.3	Morgan State University, a Baltimore, Maryland-Karnege R2 doctoral research institution,
0:39.2	offers more than 100 academic programs and awards degrees at the baccalaureate,
0:44.0	master's, and doctoral levels, is furthering their mission of growing the future, leading
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1:07.4	To learn more about Morgan and their ascension to R1, visit morgan.edu slash research.
1:17.6	Welcome to the science podcast for March 3, 2018.
1:23.6	I'm Sarah Crespi.
1:25.6	In this week's show, science writer Adrian Cho talks about new insights into
1:30.3	dark matter based on temperature readings from the dawn of the cosmos. Joanna Keplanis
1:36.3	discusses what we can learn from the biggest family tree ever built with 13 million members. And we have a bonus segment from the AAAS annual meeting.
1:47.5	I interview Michael Varnum on what people say will happen if we make contact with aliens,
1:53.1	and those aliens are microbes.
	...

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