Earth Science in Space #495

October 12, 2018

Image from Futurilla

Some worlds are made of sand. Some are made of water. Some are even made of salt. In science fiction and fantasy, planet can be made of whatever you want. But what does that mean for how the planets themselves work? When in doubt, throw an asteroid at it. This is a live show recorded at the 2018 Dragon Con in Atlanta Georgia. Featuring Travor Valle, Mika McKinnon, David Moscato, Scott Harris, and moderated by our own Bethany Brookshire.

Note: The sound isn't as good as we'd hoped but we love the guests and the conversation and we wanted to give you all the option to hear it anyway!

Related links:

Guests:

  • Travor Valle
  • Mika McKinnon
  • David Moscato
  • Scott Harris

Guest Bios

Travor Valle

Travor Valle is the former assistant Lab Supervisor of the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

Mika McKinnon

Mika McKinnon is a Master in Disaster and scientist for fiction with irrepressible curiosity about our wonderfully weird universe. She has given science advice to Star Trek: Discovery, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: Universe, No Tomorrow, Madam Secretary, and more. She's a physicist and geophysicist specializing in disasters -- tsunami, earthquakes, asteroid impacts -- pretty much all the fun, heart-pounding science. As a science communicator, she sticks to the coolest beats -- planets, rockets, and the end of the universe.

David Moscato

David Moscato is a paleontologist and science educator at the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. He is also the co-host of the Common Descent Podcast.

Scott Harris

Scott Harris is a planetary geologist at the Fernbank Science Center.