Cosmos Coming

Cosmos Coming

I’m not a Seth McFarlane fan. I don’t watch any of his animated shows, detested the one episode I watched of his live-action sitcom “Dads,” and thought he did a horrible job as host of the Oscars last year. But I am glad that he used his influence at Fox to convince the network to air […]

An Unvaccinated Life Backfires

Amy Parker grew up in the 70’s with health-nut parents who didn’t vaccinate her. The result: she contracted measles, mumps, rubella, a type of viral meningitis, scarlatina, whooping cough, yearly tonsillitis, and chickenpox. As an parent herself, she didn’t hesitate to have her children vaccinated, and while she understands that her own experience is merely […]

Space Reality

Space Reality

Watching TV coverage of the astronauts working outside the International Space Station yesterday, I wondered if some news executives were secretly hoping something would go wrong, and it would turn into a disaster a la the movie “Gravity.” No one — even the most jaded journalist — really wants tragedies to occur, but covering them […]

Astronaut Chris Hadfield on “60 Minutes”

I can’t embed the video as Picture Of The Day, but I enjoyed this piece on astronaut Chris Hadfield from the Australian version of “60 Minutes.” Hadfield is the one who became world-famous for his videos in space, including his version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” He’s both a great teacher and spokesman for human […]

Kevin Grazier, Science Adviser for “Gravity”

Kevin Grazier, Science Adviser for “Gravity”

As I wrote earlier this month, the movie “Gravity” it is an astounding achievement that has dominated the box office for three straight weeks (earning nearly a quarter-billion dollars thus far), and will likely do the same during awards season early next year. But how did director Alfonso Cuaron make sure the science was right? […]

Kellie Gerardi Wants To Go To Mars

Kellie Gerardi Wants To Go To Mars

In May, I talked to Bas Lansdorp, the man behind a mission to send four people on a one-way trip to Mars in 2023. Today on my America Weekend show, I talked with one of the 200,000 people who have applied for a seat on that flight. Her name is Kellie Gerardi, a 24-year-old who […]