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Starts With A Bang podcast

Ethan Siegel
James Webb Space Telescope
Brown Dwarfs
Dark Matter
Variable Stars
Supermassive Black Holes
Active Galactic Nuclei
Multi-Wavelength Astronomy
Milky Way
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Black Holes
Astrobiology
Atmospheric Chemistry
Quantum Computing
Galaxy Mergers
Kuiper Belt
Planet Nine
Cepheid Variables
Stellar Evolution
Galaxies

The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it. There’s a cosmic story uniting us. We’re determined to bring it to everyone.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes122Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Science

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Artwork for Starts With A Bang podcast

Latest Episodes

It's no secret that the Universe and the objects present within it, as we see them all today, have changed over time as the Universe has grown up over the past 13.8 billion years. Galaxies are larger, more massive, more evolved, and are richer in sta... more

It's hard to believe, but it was only back in the early 1990s that we discovered the very first planet orbiting a star other than our own Sun. Fast forward to the present day, here in 2025, and we're closing in on 6000 confirmed exoplanets, found and... more

Out there in the Universe, somewhere, a second example of an inhabit world or planet likely awaits us. It could be some other planet or moon within our own Solar System; it could be a spacefaring, interstellar civilization, or it could be an exoplane... more

Perhaps the strongest evidence we've ever acquired in support of the Big Bang has been the discovery of the leftover radiation from its early, hot, dense state: today's cosmic microwave background, or CMB. While there were many competing ideas for ou... more

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Recent Guests

Dr. Kielan Hoch
PhD astronomer specializing in young exoplanetary systems, postdoctoral research associate at the Space Telescope Science Institute
Space Telescope Science Institute
Episode: Starts With A Bang #121 - Direct exoplanet imaging
Dr. Patricio Gallardo
Research associate at the University of Pennsylvania, who has done significant work on the study of the Cosmic Microwave Background.
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Starts With a Bang #119 - The CMB
Alia Wofford
PhD candidate studying climate dynamics
George Mason University
Episode: Starts With A Bang #118 - Snowball Earth
Shaniya Jarrett
Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
Episode: Starts With A Bang #117 - Gravitational waves and the Universe
Nick Tusay
PhD candidate at Penn State University, exoplanet scientist
Penn State University
Episode: Starts With A Bang #116 - Disintegrating exoplanets
Dr. Catherine Fielder
Postdoctoral research associate at Stuart Observatory, University of Arizona
University of Arizona
Episode: Starts With A Bang #115 - Dwarf galaxies in isolation
Dr. Adeene Denton
NASA postdoctoral program fellow specializing in planetary collisions
NASA
Episode: Starts With A Bang #114 - Pluto and Charon
Catherine Slaughter
PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota focusing on variable stars
University of Minnesota
Episode: Starts With A Bang podcast #113 - Weird stars
Dr. Elaina Hyde
Director of the Allen-Carswell Observatory and Associate Professor at York University
York University
Episode: Starts With A Bang #112 - Galactic Archaeology

Host

Ethan Siegel
Host of the podcast, an astrophysicist proficient in explaining complex scientific concepts in an accessible manner.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 141 ratings
  • Excellent

    Very informative for a beginner and just blows my mind almost every episode!Great show!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    daddyoroks
    United States10 months ago
  • Interesting podcasts with reliably terrible guest audio.

    I love the content but the guest's audio is almost always unlistenable.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    TomOwen7
    United States2 years ago
  • Just enough over my head that I can still reach if I stretch a bit. Perfect for the interested amateur.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Sagebrush24
    2 years ago
  • Professional podcast

    Scientist explains science in an accessible and entertaining way

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MSUcatz1
    United States3 years ago
  • I want so badly to like this podcast. The topics are fascinating, and the audio quality is great. However, the interviewing style drives me nuts, to the point that I sometimes stop listening in the middle of an episode. Siegel is great at explaining science concepts but often doesn't let his guests shine. He asks them questions that are prefaced by basically the entire high level summary of everything he knows on the topic, or will summarize their work for them and then ask what they're working ... more

    Podchaser
    3
    ndjeannio
    4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host's presentation style is admired for its enthusiasm and clarity, although some find it can overshadow guest contributions.
There are mixed reviews on audio quality, particularly concerning guest recordings, which some listeners find problematic.
Listeners praise the podcast's ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible and engage curiosity about the universe.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#223
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#225
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#146
India/Science
Apple Podcasts
#181
New Zealand/Science
Apple Podcasts
#222
Ireland/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Starts With A Bang #121 - Direct exoplanet imaging
Q: How does direct imaging spectroscopy differ from transit spectroscopy?
Direct imaging captures planets directly and offers higher resolution spectra, while transit spectroscopy relies on measuring dips in starlight when planets pass in front of their stars, making it less reliable for detailed atmospheric analysis.
Starts With A Bang #121 - Direct exoplanet imaging
Q: How can we use spectroscopy to get more information about a world located a thousand light years away?
Using instruments like the Nearspec allows for detailed spectral analysis across multiple wavelengths, providing insights into atmospheric composition and conditions.
Starts With A Bang #121 - Direct exoplanet imaging
Q: Is this a fair way to think about planet formation, or am I just glossing over a ton of details that are actually very important to be considering?
There are many theories of planet formation, and we don't exactly know how planets in our own solar system formed, making it complicated to generalize.
Starts With A Bang #118 - Snowball Earth
Q: What would you like people to think about when they think about Earth, not just as it is right now, but as it's looked for the past four billion years or so?
You have to think about Earth, where the only planet that we know of that has had life for a sustained amount of time, and why we want to look at Earth's history is that it's been through so many different phases, that it's almost like looking at different planets over Earth's history.
Starts With A Bang #116 - Disintegrating exoplanets
Q: Is there a possibility of capturing a planet's interior materials?
Yes, through spectroscopy we hope to discern between the layers of materials in the exoplanets.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Starts With A Bang podcast

What is Starts With A Bang podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast tackles complex topics from the realms of astronomy and astrophysics, exploring phenomena such as exoplanets, the Cosmic Microwave Background, gravitational waves, and the evolutionary history of galaxies. Conversations typically feature distinguished guests from academia and research institutes, providing deep insights into cutting-edge scientific studies, the implications of technological advancements like the James Webb Space Telescope, and the fascinating narrative of the universe's formation and evolution. Especially notable is the engaging manner in which intricate scientific concepts are presented, making them accessible to a broader audience, thus catering to both enthusiasts and curious minds alike.

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How many listeners does Starts With A Bang podcast get?

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How many subscribers and views does Starts With A Bang podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Starts With A Bang podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Starts With A Bang podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Starts With A Bang podcast:

1. Ask a Spaceman!
2. Why This Universe?
3. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
4. The Quanta Podcast
5. The Supermassive Podcast

How many episodes of Starts With A Bang podcast are there?

Starts With A Bang podcast launched 10 years ago and published 122 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Starts With A Bang podcast?

Recent guests on Starts With A Bang podcast include:

1. Dr. Kielan Hoch
2. Dr. Patricio Gallardo
3. Alia Wofford
4. Shaniya Jarrett
5. Nick Tusay
6. Dr. Catherine Fielder
7. Dr. Adeene Denton
8. Catherine Slaughter

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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