An archive of my conversations about science and technology, recorded in 2020 and 2021.
Episode 13 · · 51 min
Kamran interviews Dr. Benjamin Villalonga about the core ideas of quantum computing, his educational path, and how high school and undergraduate students can get involved in the field.
Episode 12 · · 49 min
Kamran and Kaleb compare the phones, tablets, and watches released in summer 2020, with a focus on Samsung’s Galaxy announcements.
Episode 11 · · 41 min
Kamran and Miles explain how particle accelerators work, what they have discovered, and how accelerator technology has changed over time.
Episode 10 · · 52 min
Cosmologist Dr. Mehmet Alpaslan discusses what cosmology studies, how galaxies are observed and measured, and how students can get involved in research.
Episode 9 · · 22 min
Dr. Ken Farley, project scientist for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, describes the Perseverance rover’s instruments, its search for signs of ancient life, and challenges during development. Recorded before the July 2020 launch.
Episode 8 · · 34 min
Kamran and Kaleb discuss how source code becomes machine instructions, how popular programming languages differ, and how the Xbox Series X compared with the PlayStation 5.
Episode 7 · · 32 min
Kamran and Kaleb explain SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system: its orbits, hardware, and potential uses.
Episode 6 · · 30 min
Kamran and Dhruv walk through NASA’s Artemis program, including SLS, Orion, the Gateway, the human landing system, and new spacesuits.
Episode 5 · · 59 min
Kamran, Dhruv, and Kaleb break down Apple’s WWDC 2020 announcements, including the transition to Apple silicon.
Episode 4 · · 25 min
Kamran interviews Roberto Carlino, an aerospace engineer at NASA Ames Research Center, about Astrobee, the free-flying robot system aboard the International Space Station.
Episode 3 · · 31 min
Kamran and Kaleb look at the hardware inside the PlayStation 5 and whether it was likely to be worth the price.
Episode 2 · · 26 min
Kamran and Dhruv discuss NASA’s commercial crew and cargo programs, how commercial partners differ from government agencies, and the outlook for commercial spaceflight.
Episode 1 · · 53 min
Kamran and Dhruv recap the May 2020 SpaceX Demo-2 launch, the first crewed flight of Crew Dragon, and the technology in Falcon 9 and the new crew suits.