From the first-ever image of a black hole to growing concern over climate change, we review some of the year’s top science stories with three of our regular science contributors.
Astronomy
Dec 11, 2019 |
An update on the mission and findings of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, named after pioneering University of Chicago astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who first proposed the existence of the solar wind in 1958.
Nov 25, 2019 |
Dan Hooper spends his time contemplating the biggest mystery of all: how the universe came to be. He joins us to discuss his book, “At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of our Universe’s First Seconds.”
Oct 28, 2019 |
A 4-pound chunk of a rare type of meteorite that crashed into a Costa Rican village this spring has found its way to Chicago, and experts say the rock likely contains clues to the origins of life on Earth.
Oct 15, 2019 |
How did researchers reconstruct the face of an ancient human ancestor using a fossilized bone? This story and more from the world of science with Neil Shubin.
Oct 1, 2019 |
The SpaceX founder aims to create a fleet of reusable rockets that will make space travel dramatically cheaper and more accessible. But can he turn what has long been science fiction into science fact?
Sep 10, 2019 |
Adler Planetarium astronomer Mark Hammergren explains how a space-based sentry can help detect asteroids that will pass near Earth.
Aug 29, 2019 |
As society becomes increasingly dependent on space-based systems, there’s a growing need for protection from potential adversaries. But is the U.S. Space Command – and eventually a Space Force – the answer?
Jul 23, 2019 |
Could Jeff Bezos’ vision of giant rotating habitats one day support millions of people in space? We speak with two experts about humankind’s future in space.
Jul 22, 2019 |
A moonstruck nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s “giant leap” by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin at parties, races, ball games and concerts Saturday, toasting with Tang and gobbling MoonPies.
Jul 15, 2019 |
Fifty years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, some people insist it never happened and was all a big hoax by the U.S. government. Here’s a look at some of the most common claims and how they're explained away.
May 9, 2019 |
If the discovery is confirmed, it would be the first evidence that black holes and neutron stars can pair up to form binary systems.
Apr 26, 2019 |
In research released on Friday, Nobel winning astronomer Adam Riess calculates the cosmos is between 12.5 and 13.0 billion years old - about 1 billion years younger than previous estimates.
Apr 10, 2019 |
Ever since Einstein’s theory of relativity first predicted them, black holes have captured the imagination of the public and scientists alike. We speak with two local astrophysicists about this scientific breakthrough.
Jan 2, 2019 |
Ultima Thule, the relatively tiny object in the outer solar system, is now the farthest cosmic body to be reached by humans. We hear from the lead scientist behind the farthest flyby ever.
Dec 13, 2018 |
From amazing new vistas of Mars to a little rover bouncing on a distant asteroid, an exploration of recent achievements in outer space with Adler Planetarium astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz.
