On this quantum episode of The Nerd and The Scientist, your quatum hosts Kovi and Benjamin have a great quantum conversation with quantum guest, quatum physicist Chris Ferrie. From his humble quantum journey from a small town in Canada to being a professor of quantum physics in Australia, Chris also tell us how he got into writing quantum physics books for babies, and why people put 'quantum' in front of everything just because it sounds cool. Quantum.

Kovi and Benjamin finally get a moment to themselves without having to entertain yet ANOTHER amazing guest. "What should we talk about, Kovi," Benjamin asked. "Bugs," Kovi snapped back. He wasn't serious, but Benjamin was. So now we have an episode about bugs in space - both living critters brought up for experiments, or software bugs that either almost, or did, bring on an early end to many a mission.

Benjamin was crushed when he learned that 'starquakes' weren't actual ground-shaking events on a star's surface that shook little star buildings and cracked little star roads. Kovi's colleague, astroseismologist Courtney Crawford, explains how asteroseismology is the study of stellar oscillations - rhythmic pulsations in a star’s brightness - that help astronomers understand a star's internal structure, composition and rotation. Courtney wanted to be a butterfly until she watched MythBusters - and that set her down the path to talking to us about starquakes.

We like big shuttles and we cannot lie... Kovi and Benjamin double up their guest payload this episode, as they speak with space historians and authors Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III. Emily and Bruce just released their new book 'Star Bound' about the evolution of the space program - from the very first person to build a little rocket all the way to astronauts today. They share how their experience brought them together, what inspired their book, and the awesome things we've done - and will soon do - in space.

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Kovi laughed as Benjamin's mind was blown when hearing this knowledge nugget from this week's guest, researcher for the SETI Institute, Dr. Chenoa Tremblay. Who, you asked? Let's put it this way - if there are alien civilizations out there, Chenoa is the person who's going to find it. Seriously. Name a radio telescope - chances are she's used it to look for life, or signs of life, out there in the cosmos. Join us as we discuss biosignatures, technosignatures, and strong opinions on pizza.

Before we could even press record, astrobiologist Dr. Graham Lau was already explaining to Kovi and Benjamin how advanced alien civilizations have already discovered, and been taken over by, their own version of AI - and they're coming to get us. If that's not a reason to give this episode a listen we don't know what is. Tune in to our milestone 50th episode as the gang discusses possible life on other worlds, what they need to evolve, how we can detect them, is there possible extraterrestrial life in our own Solar System, and more.

Kovi got an astrophysics degree because he wanted to do astrophysics and then just kind of fell into this SciComm game. Benjamin got a film degree because he wanted to do film and then just kind of fell into this SciComm game. This week's guest, Rayner the Explainer, got both science AND arts degrees (at the same time!) specifically for SciComm, and has dazzled and sparkled her way across the scicommverse with no signs of slowing down. Join the boys as they talk to Rachel about her science comedy shows, science poetry, and her unique disco-ball-eqsue style of science communication.

From record-breaking rockets to stranded astronauts, 2024 was one hell of a year for space exploration. In this episode, Kovi and Benjamin take a look back at the most exciting, bizarre, and groundbreaking moments in space science and technology. They break down SpaceX's relentless launch streak and Starship's ambitious test flights, Boeing's Starliner drama, two astronauts' unexpected extended stay in orbit, new missions to explore our universe, a solar eclipse, deep space discoveries, private space milestones, and more!