Episodes

  • Trappist-1 is Not Like Our Sun (with Dr. Néstor Espinoza)

    Trappist-1 is Not Like Our Sun (with Dr. Néstor Espinoza)
    Jan 16 2026
    The universe is enormous and time to observe it is limited. This means planet-hunters have to be extra picky in their search for habitable worlds. Dean chats with Dr. Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute who has his eye on one specific star system, Trappist-1. We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
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    19 mins
  • The Martian Craze of the Gilded Age (with David Baron)

    The Martian Craze of the Gilded Age (with David Baron)
    Jan 2 2026
    Mars and Martians. They go together in the public's mind. The Earthling fascination with "alien invaders" goes back a long time. But why? And what does it say about all of us here on Earth? Dean explores this cultural phenomenon with David Baron, author of "The Martians." Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
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    17 mins
  • FROM THE ARCHIVE: Space 2 Inspire (with Dr. Sian Proctor)

    FROM THE ARCHIVE: Space 2 Inspire (with Dr. Sian Proctor)
    Dec 19 2025
    Revisiting a favorite episode from 2025: Dean chats with Inspiration4 astronaut and artist, Dr. Sian Proctor about seeing Earth from outer space, and her book, "Earthlight, The Power of Earthlight and the Human Perspective."
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    19 mins
  • FROM THE ARCHIVE: How will the universe end? (with Dr. Katie Mack)

    FROM THE ARCHIVE: How will the universe end? (with Dr. Katie Mack)
    Dec 5 2025
    Dean chats with Dr. Katie Mack, astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author of the book, "The End of Everything." They discuss how all of this might end, could it be a crunch, a freeze or a rip? Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up, More from Dean: www.astrodean.com
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    13 mins
  • The Forgotten Water on Venus (with Dr. Rakesh Mogul)

    The Forgotten Water on Venus (with Dr. Rakesh Mogul)
    Nov 21 2025
    Venus is close-by and similar in size to Earth, but until recently, we couldn’t tell much about it. Dr. Rakesh Mogul, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at Cal Poly Pomona took another look at old Venus data to potentially change what we know about our sister planet. Dean chats with Dr. Mogul to unravel the mystery.
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    16 mins
  • On Top of the World (with Peter Hillary and Mark Armstrong)

    On Top of the World (with Peter Hillary and Mark Armstrong)
    Nov 7 2025
    Peter Hillary's father, Sir Edmund Hillary, was the first person to climb Mt. Everest. Mark Armstrong's father, Neil Armstrong, was the first person to walk on the moon. Now, the two sons of iconic explorers are going on an adventure together to the North Pole. This journey, and a parallel journey their fathers took in 1985, are the subject of a new documentary, 'North Pole ’85'. Music in this episode was composed by Blue Dot Sessions. Tracks include “Plate Synthesis,” “Just Below the Surface,” and “Lechuza.” Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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    17 mins
  • Over 6000 New Worlds; Do Any of them Contain Life? (with Dr. Malena Rice)

    Over 6000 New Worlds; Do Any of them Contain Life? (with Dr. Malena Rice)
    Oct 27 2025
    After NASA's recent milestone of over 6000 exoplanets tracked, Dean Regas has one big question. Is anyone living on them? On this episode, Dean chats with Dr. Malena Rice, a planetary astrophysicist and assistant professor in the Yale Department of Astronomy, to find out. Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up More from Dean: www.astrodean.com
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    20 mins
  • What Happens if You Fall Into a Black Hole? (With Dr. Janna Levin)

    What Happens if You Fall Into a Black Hole? (With Dr. Janna Levin)
    Oct 10 2025
    What happens if you fall into a black hole? What would it sound like? What would you see? Dean Regas chats with Dr. Janna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University, to find out the answers to these questions and more. Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up More from Dean: www.astrodean.com
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    16 mins