meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Short Wave

Planetary Scientists Are Excited About Uranus

Short Wave

NPR

Science, Life Sciences, News, Nature, Daily News, Astronomy

4.76.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2022

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Probes to Uranus and to one of Jupiter's moons where conditions might support life; a better plan high-quality science on the moon--those are some of the recommendations in a new 700 page report to NASA. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce has looked at that report and talked to the experts. Today, she sifts through all the juicy details of where NASA is headed the next few decades.

Read the decadal survey.

Probe the Short Wave minds by emailing shortwave@npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

0:05.8

Back in grade school, when we learned about the solar system and made those models of

0:10.0

all the planets going around the sun, there was one planet that always got the class

0:15.1

snickering.

0:16.4

You know what I'm talking about.

0:18.0

It's Uranus.

0:19.0

Even grown-ups make fun of Uranus.

0:21.5

That's MPR science correspondent Nell Greenfield-Boys.

0:24.3

Hey, Aaron.

0:25.3

This is the first time I've been with you on Shortwave.

0:28.0

I'm so glad to talk to you.

0:29.9

It is totally a pleasure.

0:31.7

Thank you for coming and joining us.

0:33.9

So now some people call Uranus Uranus.

0:38.3

Both are acceptable, but really, is Uranus any better?

0:41.8

No.

0:42.8

I mean, to me, it's a cop-out and a futile attempt at some kind of dignity here.

0:46.8

We just have to get used to saying Uranus Uranus.

0:50.5

We have to embrace it because we are going to be saying Uranus a lot in the coming years.

0:56.1

Or at least you are, right, since you're covering science and NASA.

1:01.3

It's my understanding that Uranus will be the target of a major flagship mission for

1:05.2

NASA.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.