16: Out There Author Michael Wall
Michael Wall joined Space.com in 2010 as a senior writer reporting on Mars exploration, exoplanet discoveries, astrophysics and space technology. For Space.com, Mike has wandered through California's Mojave Desert with scientists on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity mission and helped launch balloon missions through Earth's auroras in Alaska. He's based in San Francisco, where he chronicles the space tech revolution in Silicon Valley.
Prior to joining Space.com, Mike was a science writer for the Idaho National Laboratory and interned with Wired.com, The Salinas Californian newspaper and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Mike has also worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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In this episode, Beth and Michael discuss:
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0New discoveries, the Fermi Paradox, and his new book, \u201cOut There\u201d
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0What METI is and what it is means for scientists
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0Space books and movies that inspired Michael
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0Digging deep and learning new things to write for Space.com
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Key Takeaways:
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0We don\u2019t know about alien life, but we do have informed speculation
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0We can only explore space with the technologies that we know. Because of this, what we may find in the future are unlimited
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0There is so much happening with space and space exploration right now it\u2019s exciting!
- \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0Time is a precious commodity and effects how we do things on earth and in space
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\u201cIt\u2019s just starting. What we are seeing is a ramp up to some really exciting stuff. There is definitely going to be a lot of cool stuff happening in 2019.\u201d \u2014 Michael Wall
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Connect with Michael Wall:
Twitter: @MichaelDWall
Website: Space.com
Book Recommendation: Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist\u2019s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak
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About Beth Mund:
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Beth\u2019s love for space started as a Space Camp attendee at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where she would return years later as an instructor. \xa0After grad school, Beth worked as a journalist, a technical writer for Motorola, and then went on to serve as a Public Affairs Officer for the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In addition, Beth worked to support the International Space Station program as a communication specialist. In Chicago, Beth worked as a corporate communication advisor to Fortune 50 companies including Allstate and United Airlines. She\u2019s worked as a college instructor, a political advisor, and public relations manager for her hometown city. Beth recently founded Stellar Communications, LLC and travels the country as a keynote speaker- inspiring audiences with her lessons learned from our nation\u2019s space program. \xa0She\u2019s the host of the Casual Space Podcast, and a self-proclaimed space geek.
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Connect with Beth Mund:
Email: askbeth@casualspacepodcast.com
Website: bethmund.com/casualspace
Facebook: @Casual Space Podcast
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Show notes by show producer/podcastologist: Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie