Season 1

(Episodes 1 - 13)

Here you can find anything and everything from Season 1 (episodes 1 through 13) of Curiosities of the Cosmos.

Check out the full episodes, a specific selected clip (though there are more available on YouTube and other platforms), and a brief description of each episode.

Season 1

Airing February - May 2024

Comprising episodes 1 through 13

Get an in depth look at each episode!

The Archive

Episode 1

Featuring Meghan Luby

Discussing STEM in Early Childhood & Childhood Education

Why do kids hate math in school? What is Productive Struggle? What is Scaffold Teaching? Why are kids falling behind in math and STEM? Join me and my guest Meghan Luby, an elementary educator, in a conversation about STEM in school!

Episode 2

Featuring Joseph Scully

Discussing Sociology & Human Services in STEM

Do you wear a helmet? What can I do for you today? Is Sociology a science? Is it better or worse to consider it a science? Advancements and setbacks from the pandemic and more. Join me and my guest Joseph Scully, a sociology and human services student, in a conversation about Sociology and STEM!

Episode 3

Featuring Thyra Eysselinck

Discussing High energy particles in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Can you be an extrovert in STEM? Can you be an introvert in STEM? What is the largest organism on Earth? Are Dark Skies important? What is light pollution? What are high-energy particles, and why should we care? Join me and my guest Thyra Eysselinck, an astronomy and physics student, in a conversation about Astrophysics and STEM!

Episode 4

Featuring Stoker Stoker

Discussing Supernovae and Black Holes

Should we be afraid of Black Holes? What jobs can you get with an Astronomy degree? Why are tardigrades so special? How do you research supernovae? How do you know so much? Join me and my guest Stoker Stoker, an astronomy student, in a conversation about Observational Astronomy and Science Communication!

Episode 5

Featuring Phoebe Heretz

Discussing the scale of the universe and music in science

How big is the universe? How do you become an astrophysicist? How will the universe end? Lightning that's hotter than the Sun? Is a person just one organism? Join me and my guest Phoebe Heretz, an astronomy and physics student, in a conversation about astrophysics & the universe!

Episode 6

Featuring Joe Cartolano

Discussing art in science, wavelengths, and light & color

Why should teachers do theater? Are art and science complementary? What is healthy skepticism? How do eyes work? What is color? Join me and my guest Joe Cartolano, an art education student, in a conversation about art & science!

Episode 7

Featuring Em

Discussing history in science and who is remembered by history

Ants are taking over the world? Who wins Nobel Prizes? Should we revive extinct species? We're made of starstuff? Who is remembered? Join me and my guest Em, a history student, in a conversation about history & science!

Episode 8

Featuring Joe Rizzi

Discussing technology in classrooms and science experiments you can do at home

What do you want to be when you grow up? What clouds can you see? What phase is the moon? Should technology be in elementary classes? Join me and my guest Joe Rizzi, an early childhood education and earth science student, in a conversation about science education & experiments!

Episode 9

Featuring Grace Sotillo

A daily dose of gratitude!

Episode 10

Featuring Meghan Luby

Queer stories in STEM

Episode 11

Featuring Joseph Scully

AI and radioactive bananas!

Episode 12

Featuring Jacob Beadle

Lasers and particle physics!

Episode 13

Featuring Allyson Sheneman

Astrobiology and Graduation

Season Finale!

Behind the Scenes of Season 1:

Creating Curiosities of the Cosmos has been a dream come true, and allowed me to explore my ambition and passion for communicating science more fully. Expanding upon my previous experience in science communication, in collaboration with my campus radio station, WFNP 88.7 The Edge, I embarked on what has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I am grateful for all of the people who helped me learn the ropes, all of the guests who carve time out of their busy schedules to share their passion with anyone who will listen, and to each person who tunes into the episodes.

I hope to spread the joy science brings me to others through grounding conversations in truth and discovery across various disciplines because science belongs to everyone and science is for everyone.

On Air! (Behind the Scenes - Radio)

Bringing "Curiosities of the Cosmos" to life was no small feat, and it took a blend of creativity, passion, and a lot of late nights to create a show that’s as educational as it is entertaining. Behind the scenes, I wore many hats—host, producer, editor, sound designer, and more—most of which I had no prior experience with!

From brainstorming episode ideas to cutting sound bites just right, every moment was an opportunity to merge my love for science with creativity and storytelling. There were plenty of moments when things didn’t go as planned, but that’s part of the magic of podcasting.

I wanted every episode to spark curiosity and leave listeners with a sense of wonder about the cosmos—much like I felt after every planetarium show I ran. For me, the planetarium was a place where both the audience and I could leave our everyday concerns behind, temporarily transported to the vastness of space. My hope was that listeners would leave each episode with that same feeling of awe and inspiration. Whether it was the excitement of a new discovery, learning how vast the variety of scientific disciplines are, or the sense of smallness in the face of a never-ending universe, I wanted every show to ignite that curiosity, the same spark that fueled the lively discussions I used to have after every planetarium show.

The show’s heartbeat is its unique mix of interviews, soundscapes, and deep dives into science, which I carefully curated to strike a balance between accuracy and accessibility - and always leaving room for a little humor!

The behind-the-scenes work may have been intense, but seeing the final product come together was all worth it—because nothing beats sharing the universe with others.

Radio Requirements

Each episode has a general outline agreed upon by myself and the guest. These outlines are not strict and only very specific portions must be read. For the radio, these portions are especially important! The broadcast requires PSAs to be read out every hour as well as other required breaks to provide the radio station call (a reminder for the listeners as to what broadcast they're tuning into). For this show, that aired at noon on Tuesdays, there was a break around the 20 minute mark and around the 50 minute mark for these to take place. That is why, if you tune in on any other platform, there's a nearly nonexistent break at those times where I announce the name of the station and provide space to cut away to PSAs.

Besides these requirements, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes at the station! There are some strict rules that we must be abide by to keep the show and station family-friendly and accessible to all.

Additionally, a lot of the production happens real time! The studio only allows for one camera to feed into the software at a time. Therefore, I alternate and control the cameras as we film. I am also monitoring for microphone levels at the input and output. A lot of the production happens real time!

And, of course, before the show ends, I turn it back over to the radio station playlist until the next show airs!

To Season 2!

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