Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Do you ever feel dizzy when you think about the incomprehensible scale of space? We call that feeling Cosmic Vertigo. Welcome to a head-spinning conversation between two friends about the sparkly -- and not so sparkly -- stuff in the sky.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Astronomy and space exploration • Space sounds/sonification and signals • Apollo 11 Moon landing narrative • Telescopes, observatories, black holes • Space junk and space agencies • Indigenous sky stories • STEMM pathways and barriers • Cosmic extremes, cosmology, alien searchThis podcast is a conversational astronomy show built around the feeling of “cosmic vertigo”—the mental dizziness that can come from contemplating the scale and strangeness of the Universe. Across its episodes, the hosts mix accessible explanations of astrophysics with storytelling, humour, and reflections on how space science is done in practice.
A major thread is helping listeners grasp extremes: enormous distances and sizes, mind-bending timeframes, and physical limits involving temperature, density, emptiness, and speed. The podcast often uses vivid comparisons and everyday analogies to make abstract concepts like black holes, the Big Bang, vacuum energy, and unusual cosmic events easier to picture. Some episodes follow unfolding mysteries in astronomy, including puzzling signals and fleeting bursts that scientists can detect but still struggle to explain.
The show also spends time on the tools and infrastructure behind discoveries, such as telescopes and networks of observatories, and what can go wrong when building and operating them. Related to this is attention to the human and social side of space: debates and tensions around where telescopes are placed, and what communities gain or lose when major facilities are built.
Another recurring focus is space activity closer to Earth, including the work of the Australian Space Agency and the growing problem of orbital debris (“space junk”). The podcast also incorporates cultural perspectives on the sky, including the way constellations like the Pleiades appear in long-standing Indigenous Australian storytelling, and how such knowledge can intersect with modern astronomy.
Interspersed among longer discussions are short “guess the sound” segments that play with NASA recordings and sonifications, turning space data and mission audio into a recurring interactive game. The feed also includes a structured narrative series recounting the Apollo 11 Moon landing from launch through the astronauts’ return.
