Hot to Cold

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There are benefits to chilling out. When we cool superconductors to 460℉ degrees below zero, they acquire extraordinary properties that help run quantum computers. Can artificially cooling human bodies also provide profound benefit? Some cryonics startup companies say yes, promising “life after death” through cryogenic freezing. While it’s one thing to freeze all the cells in a body, it is another to revive them. What happens, for instance, to memories when brains thaw? While we gauge how low human body temperatures can go, new research suggests another form of life could find home in the cooler temperatures of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Find out how NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will investigate whether that moon could support alien microbes. Guests: Steve Austad – Distinguished Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Scientific Director of the American Federation for Aging Research Olivia Lanes – Global Lead for Quantum Content and Education at IBM Quantum Austin Green – Post doctoral research associate at Virginia Tech University, and former JPL postdoctoral fellow and affiliate scientist on Europa Clipper Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Correction: An editing error caused a mistake in describing how cold affects inflammation. Contrary to popular belief, at least one study found that cold increases inflammation, at least in the short term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:05.6	The world moves fast. Your workday, even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports,
0:11.9	analyzing data. Microsoft 365 copilot is your AI assistant for work, built into Word, Excel,
0:19.1	PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you
0:23.5	quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear a path
0:29.2	to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash M365 copilot. Life's full of big money decisions,
0:36.9	dividend versus growth stocks.
0:38.3	Tapping home equity, even navigating tariffs.
0:41.3	And for every smart tip out there, there's another one that sounds smart but isn't.
0:45.3	That's where NerdWallet's Smart Money podcast comes in.
0:48.3	I'm Sean Piles, a certified financial planner professional.
0:51.3	And I'm Elizabeth Ayola.
0:52.3	On NerdWallet Smart Money podcast,
0:58.5	our finance journalists do the homework so you can make confident wealth building moves.
1:02.8	Whether you're building your portfolio or protecting it, we've got the facts and a little fun along the way. Follow NerdWallet Smart Money podcast on your favorite podcast app.
1:07.7	Hi everyone, Molly here with an exciting update. In December, we launched a fundraising campaign
1:12.8	for Big Picture Science, and thanks to the generosity of our listeners, we were able to reach
1:17.6	70% of our goal in just one month. Because we're so close to our goal, we're extending our
1:24.0	campaign through February 15th. And with your help, we can reach it.
1:28.9	Making a tax deductible donation is easy. Just go to givebutter.com slash buy pie sci.
1:34.8	That's give butter.com slash B-I-P-I-S-C-I. And thank you for supporting us and for listening.
1:46.0	We're starting with a cold open.
	...

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