Which species are the greatest survivors? We talk about surviving extinction with Kathryn Williams, editor of Weird but True! Sharks! from National Geographic — Welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. I’m James Maynard. This week, we look at Surviving Extinction, talking with Nat Geo’s Kathryn Williams, editor of Weird but True! Sharks! Earth has, so far, seen five major extinction events, with the sixth happening now, thanks to global climate change.

Here’s looking at some of the weirdest things we know about throughout the Universe! — [[Step right up! Step right up! It’s the Crazy Cosmos Carnival! Come see a diamond the size of a planet! Lay your eyes on an egg with its own Moons! You’ll see planets where it rains shards of glass and molten iron! …

Was life on Earth sparked by cosmic impacts from space? We talk with Brian Selznick, author of Big Tree NARRATOR: There are those who suggest that life on Earth began out there… Among the stars. Well, not the stars. Too bloody hot. Among the planets and asteroids, scattered throughout the…

Water, water everywhere? Not quite. We talk with Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project — In the second part of our two-part Earth Day episode, Water is More Important!?, we’re exploring the vital role that water plays in sustaining life on Earth and beyond. Our special guest is none other than Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project. …

For Earth Day week, we bring you a look at ways young people can help save the planet! We’ll be talking with Cliff Lewis, author of We the Future! — Welcome back! This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at ways young people can help make Earth a better place to live. Later in the show, we’re going to be talking with Cliff Lewis, author of We the Future! [<<< This episode is aimed toward young people, but there…

This week, we will explore the possibilities of alien life as seen through the eyes of science and science-fiction. We welcome creators of Life Beyond Us from the European Astrobiology Institute — For Easter week, as most people share fables of giant anthropomorphic rabbits distributing chocolate eggs, we are Exploring Extraterrestrial Life through Science and Science Fiction. Later in the show, we will welcome Julie Nováková, Giovanni Poggiali, and Eric Choi to the show, talking about their new anthology, Life Beyond Us.

What Moon rocks can teach us about the past — and the future. With Nicolle Zellner from Albion College — Hello and welcome back to The Cosmic Companion. I’m James Maynard. This April Fool’s Day, we are bringing you The Stone-Cold Truth About Moon Rocks. No kidding! …

What is Life? That’s not an easy question to answer. We’re going to do our best, talking with Robert Temple, author of A New Science of Heaven. — Hey there, and welcome back to The Cosmic Companion! This week, we’re delving into one of the most profound questions in the Universe: What is Life? Later in the show, we will be talking with Robert Temple, author of A New Science of Heaven. So — What is life? That’s…

Making space exploration sustainable and more environmentally friendly as we migrate into the Cosmos. — This week on The Cosmic Companion, we look at Making Space Sustainable, talking with Daniel Bock from Morpheus Space. We’ll be looking at how we can move into the inner solar system while protecting the environments of Earth, the Moon, and Mars, as well as the future of space travel. …