(Featured image above is of the Very Large Array telescopes. Image from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.)
In this show Brian and I discuss what’s called “Big Science.” What we mean when we use that descriptor, and some of the amazing examples across the science fields including satellites to undersea observatories to particle colliders and fusion reactors. We also discuss some of the overwhelming obstacles to big science — from funding to choosing a project a whole field agrees on to getting thousands of scientists across the world to collaborate smoothly. There are positive and less so examples of these, and we mention several. Additionally, we dig a little bit in to how we got here. How big science projects became necessary, when they weren’t just decades prior.
And interweaved with all of that is, as always, music.
Discussion begins at about 3 minutes in.
(Cover image of the recording is from the ALICE experiment (one of the four detectors at interaction points in the Large Hadron Collider) at CERN.)
Some mentions during the show:
- Popular Science article on the top 10 biggest of the big science projects.
- Wired article with high-res Pluto images from the New Horizons space craft.
- The Neptune Project (“the world’s largest undersea observatory”) to study our ocean floor.
- Update: The Rosetta Mission (where we landed a probe on a comment) was mentioned a few times during the show. It was/is pretty baller. Learn more here.
Playlist below:
| Artist | Song | Album | Label |
| The Tuts | Christmas is in the air | Have Faith with Kate Nash This Christmas | 10p Records |
| Intro (3:00) | |||
| Mourn | Otitis | Mourn | Captured tracks |
| Sally ford and the sound outside | They told me | Untamed Beast | Partisan Records |
| Courtney Barnett | Shivers | Blue Series | Third man records |
| Dark Dark Dark | In your dreams | Wild go | Supply and Demand |
| Mic break 1 | Big science | ||
| Chastity Belt | Seattle Party | No Regrets | Help yourself |
| Shopping | No show | Why Choose | fat cat |
| Grimes | SCREAM (feat. Aristophanes) | Art Angels | 4AD records |
| Skating Polly | Ugly | Fuzz Steilacoom | Chap Stereo |
| Mic break 2 | Big science | ||
| Dan Aurebach | The Prowl | Keep it hid | V2 Records |
| MOTO | Gagging on the Edge of Love | Ampeg Stud / Motoerectus | Motopac |
| Beat Happening | Indian Summer | Indian Summer 7″ | Domino |
| Wreckless Eric | Whole Wide World | Greatest Stiffs | Stiff Records |
| Mic break 3 | Big science | ||
| Wolf Eyes | T.O.D.D. | I am a problem: mind in pieces | Third man records |
These Vibes Are Too Cosmic 