Season 2015

1. What Planet is Super Mario World?

February 11, 2015 · 7m

We've run, jumped, and stomped all over the world of Super Mario, but, where in the universe is Super Mario EXACTLY? It's virtual so it obviously DOESN'T exist, but if it did, could Super Mario world be in our solar system? And what do the planet's dynamics reveal about Mario's crazy jumping ability? Join Gabe as he takes us on a rick-roaring tour of our known universe as we search for the answer in this week's SpaceTime!

2. Is It Irrational to Believe in Aliens?

February 18, 2015 · 8m

Aliens! Could humans really be alone in this expansive universe? And if we're not, how come we've never made contact with other intelligent life? Everyone's thought about it; especially members of the scientific community. Join Gabe as he presents some of the most popular theories that scientists use to rationalize their support or skepticism of the existence of aliens. We may never know the answer to this age old question, but a little scientific thinking never hurt anybody!

3. How Do You Measure the Size of the Universe?

February 25, 2015 · 7m

The universe is HUGE. But, there is only so much of the universe we can ACTUALLY see, and if we wanted to measure that FINITE space, how would we do it? A gigantic ruler? One really long car ride? Or maybe it's something even more spectacular, something that involves not only the observable universe as it is NOW, but how it was when it was first BORN?

4. Should We Colonize Venus Instead of Mars?

March 4, 2015 · 8m

Mars One. The Mars Rover. Bruno Mars. Mars Bars. It's pretty clear we're OBSESSED with the idea of Mars, especially in regard to it being a potential colony for earthlings. But is that really the best option? Is there a better place for us to colonize in our solar system? Well, how about Venus? Sure the surface temperature is over 450 degrees Celsius, with crazy pressure, but there might be a smart way around that, making Venus a better option for long term colonization than Mars!

5. What Will Destroy Planet Earth?

March 11, 2015 · 9m

Killing all the life on Earth is easy. But what about destroying the planet itself? That is DEFINITELY going to happen!! But HOW? Could it be Nukes? A Giant Asteroid? A Collision with another planet? And what’s more, will anyone be around to actually watch the world reach its ultimate demise?

6. Can A Starfox Barrel Roll Work In Space?

March 18, 2015 · 10m

DO A BARREL ROLL! Or at least, try…? The iconic move from Star Fox seems so easy, just press a button and BOOM. The ship rolls. But HOW? Barrel rolls in atmosphere are easy to execute with the use of ailerons, but in space, it's a different issue altogether. With no atmosphere (and no thrusters), how does one Barrel Roll like Star Fox in space?

7. Cosmic Microwave Background Explained

March 25, 2015 · 8m

HAS SPACE ALWAYS BEEN BLACK? As long as we've been around, YES. But the universe gets much more exciting, AND much BRIGHTER, as we start winding our clocks back to the early days of the universe. Near the beginning of the universe, when space was rapidly expanding, that dark night sky we know so well as actually…ORANGE! But why? Did the lights just go out, or did something more spectacular happen?

8. Is the Moon in Majora’s Mask a Black Hole?

April 1, 2015 · 10m

Is Link in Majora's Mask actually being overseen by a Black Hole (with teeth)? It's easy to take things at face value in video games. But when we take a deeper dive into the physics in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, it seems that the "MOON" might be one of those things that isn't quite what it seems. Given its size and the way it affects Termina, it actually appears that the moon is really a BLACK HOLE! Is that seriously the only possibility? What is the evidence that supports this theory?

9. Could You Fart Your Way to the Moon?

April 8, 2015 · 9m

Listen, we know you've thought about it, and we're here to give you THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER to one of the greatest science questions of all time. How long would it take to get to the MOON by farting?

10. How to Weigh a Fart

April 9, 2015 · 2m

EVER WANTED TO WEIGH A FART? Well, it isn't easy, but walk through the math, physics, and science behind farts and how to measure them!

11. Could NASA Start the Zombie Apocalypse?

April 15, 2015 · 7m

12. Are Space and Time An Illusion?

April 22, 2015 · 9m

13. What's the Most Realistic Artificial Gravity in Sci-Fi?

April 29, 2015 · 12m

14. Should the First Mars Mission Be All Women?

May 6, 2015 · 11m

15. 9 NASA Technologies Shaping YOUR Future

May 13, 2015 · 10m

16. The Real Meaning of E=mc²

May 20, 2015 · 11m

17. Habitable Exoplanets Debunked!

May 27, 2015 · 11m

18. Is Gravity An Illusion?

June 3, 2015 · 13m

19. Challenge: What Happens to a Helium Balloon in Freefall?

June 10, 2015 · 2m

20. How to Signal Aliens

June 17, 2015 · 12m

21. The Calendar, Australia & White Christmas

June 24, 2015 · 8m

22. Can a Circle Be a Straight Line?

July 2, 2015 · 11m

23. Curvature Demonstrated + Comments

July 8, 2015 · 7m

24. The Leap Second Explained

July 8, 2015 · 3m

25. Can You Trust Your Eyes in Spacetime?

July 15, 2015 · 10m

Last time we talked about what curvature means, looked at geodesics, great circles on spheres, and tried to understand the notion of "straightness". This week on Spacetime, we take a detour into how geometry works in spacetime. Get excited, because this episode is even more mind-bending than the last!

26. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT + Flat Spacetime Geometry Comments

July 22, 2015 · 7m

27. General Relativity & Curved Spacetime Explained!

July 29, 2015 · 9m

28. What Physics Teachers Get Wrong About Tides!

August 5, 2015 · 16m

We all know tides have something to do with gravity from the Moon and Sun, but if gravity affects the motion of all objects equally, then how come oceans have large tides while other bodies of water don't? It's because your mental picture of the tides is probably WRONG!!! Join Gabe on this week’s episode of PBS Space Time as he sets the record straight on tidal force, gravitational differential and what role the moon actually plays in tides. Why don't lakes have tides? Watch the episode to find out!

29. Challenge: Which Particle Wins This Race?

August 12, 2015 · 7m

30. Do Events Inside Black Holes Happen?

August 19, 2015 · 15m

31. Watch THIS! (New Host + Challenge Winners)

August 27, 2015 · 6m

32. Does Dark Matter BREAK Physics?

September 23, 2015 · 11m

33. What Happens At The Edge Of The Universe?

September 30, 2015 · 10m

Lots of people believe the Universe is infinite, but there's a good possibility that might not be the case. Which means that there would be an actual edge of the Universe. What happens at that edge? Is there a restaurant? Join Matt on this week’s episode of Space Time as he explores the greatest expanses of our Universe. So what do you find when you reach the edge? More Universe? Bubble Universes? Back where you started?! Check out this episode of Space Time to find out!

34. The Speed of Light is NOT About Light

October 7, 2015 · 13m

35. 5 REAL Possibilities for Interstellar Travel

October 15, 2015 · 14m

36. Have Gravitational Waves Been Discovered?!?

October 22, 2015 · 12m

37. Is The Alcubierre Warp Drive Possible?

October 28, 2015 · 10m

38. Why Haven't We Found Alien Life?

November 5, 2015 · 13m

39. Challenge: Can you save Earth from a Killer Asteroid?

November 11, 2015 · 4m

40. 5 Ways to Stop a Killer Asteroid

November 18, 2015 · 12m

41. 100 Years of Relativity + Challenge Winners!

November 25, 2015 · 9m

42. How to Build a Black Hole

December 9, 2015 · 14m

43. The Higgs Mechanism Explained

December 16, 2015 · 10m