Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast

Guests: Kayla Smith & Prof. Patrick Anderson

Astrobiology Kayla Smith and philosopher Patrick Anderson beam aboard to celebrate the diversity of scientific thought that goes into astrobiology, and how astrobiology can continue to grow by pulling on threads from outside of science too. They co-authored a paper called "Epistemic Pluralism & Astrobiology" with host Mike Wong.

Kayla, Patrick, and Mike's paper "Epistemic Pluralism & Astrobiology": https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10838-025-09760-6

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Guest: Dr. Katie Mack

Cosmologist Katie Mack beams aboard to discuss how the universe will end. Using the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Chrysalis" as a launchpad, Katie and Mike go through various scenarios for the fate of everything: Will there be a "big crunch," a "big rip," or will it all simmer away into "heat death"? And is there anything we can do about it?

"The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)" by Katie Mack: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-End-of-Everything/Katie-Mack/9781982103552

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Guests: Joe Praska & Nicole Praska

The hosts of Deep Space Love podcast, Joe & Nicole Praska, beam aboard to tell us about their "Antifascist Star Trek Watch List," a compilation of at least one episode from every major Star Trek series that contains themes of resistance to authoritarianism.

"15 Episodes for Your Antifascist Star Trek Watch List" by Joe Praska: https://twincitiesgeek.com/2026/01/15-episodes-for-your-antifascist-star-trek-watch-list/

Join Mike & colleagues on April 13 for a free virtual event called "Envisioning Joint Futures in Art & Astronomy": https://forms.gle/k8Y5xd3NyAcNLqxN9

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Guest: Dr. Bob Hazen

Mike is joined by his Carnegie Science colleague Dr. Bob Hazen. Together, they have written a new popular science book titled "Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature," which launches on February 10, 2026. This book describes how the marvelously complex constituents of our universe came to be. Evolution, they boldly propose, is a universal phenomenon—not only in biology, but in the entire atomic, chemical, mineral, and physical universe. Showing how a natural process of selection for increasing function has shaped the universe since its inception, they explore how a new law of nature could possibly help us identify life on other planets and—perhaps—even understand the purpose and meaning of life on Earth in a new way.

"Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature" by Robert M. Hazen & Michael L. Wong: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324105480

Bob & Mike's scientific papers that "Time's Second Arrow" is based on:
1. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2310223120
2. https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/advance-article/doi/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae248/7698354
3. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article/15/6/20250009/366157/Selective-funnelling-and-state-space-expansion-a

Guest: Dr. Caleb Scharf

Becoming a spacefaring civilization is a major transition in the story of life on Earth. Senior scientist for astrobiology at NASA Ames Dr. Caleb Scharf beams aboard to discuss the themes in his latest book, "The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life," and what it all means for achieving a Star Trek future.

"The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life" by Caleb Scharf: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/caleb-scharf/the-giant-leap/9781541604186/?lens=basic-books

"Teaching A.I. to Detect Life: Carnegie Scientist Co-Leads NASA-Funded Effort": https://carnegiescience.edu/news/teaching-ai-detect-life-carnegie-scientist-co-leads-nasa-funded-effort

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