The Night Kitchen Podcast: Compliments from the Chef

The Night Kitchen PodCast: 

Contributed by Josh Urban, Host

Hey there, folks!  Josh Urban here, host of The Night Kitchen Podcast.  I hope you enjoyed Season One as much as I did!  (In case you missed it, check it out here.)  Nothing winds me up like presenting the entire universe!  For most of us, though, space is easy to overlook.  If we’re reasonable, we’re asleep when the stars are shining bright, and if you’re like many in the audience, perhaps you’re blind.  I wanted to talk to you about that for a minute.  

 I went for a walk to the river today.  The leaves blew in a warm November breeze, and a clear blue sky smiled down.  It was beautiful...and absolutely useless for visual astronomy.  No stars could be seen, no planets to study, and the distant galaxies we talk about on the show would have to wait many hours till dark to appear (if the clouds cooperate.)  Yet there I was, thinking about Space, imagining faraway worlds, mysterious planets still undiscovered, glittering starfields, and strange places where clocks tick so slowly, time itself seems to have stopped.  

 When I tell people about our show and the fun we have thinking about Space, they seem puzzled at first.  “Blind astronomy?” they ask.  Then I tell them stories about radio astronomy, sonification, and most importantly, how we use our minds.  Plus, much of the stuff studied can’t be seen anyway.  (The same goes for electricity, right?)  So, this beautiful autumn day when I can’t see any stars is an excellent example of how anyone can let their imaginations travel to the most distant corners of the cosmos.  All that’s left for us to do is...use it!  (But, I suspect you already knew that.  Right on.)  

I hope this show's season has not only been fun to listen to but has made you want to learn more about space.  There are entire worlds out there and some of the most puzzling mysteries to unravel.  We could use your help.  Not only can you be part of this, but your unique perspective is also welcomed and valued.  Put on that thinking cap, and let’s go exploring!  

Until next time,

• Josh  

Say hello!  Write Josh at JoshUrban@ProtonMail.com, and listen in at The Night Kitchen show page.