Science Magazine Podcast Shielding astronauts from cosmic rays, and planning the end of fossil fuels
16 snips
Jan 29, 2026 
Ailey Dolgan, freelance science reporter on space radiation, explains shielding strategies, biological countermeasures, and experimental astronaut‑health tech. Joshua Lappin, historian-engineer, and Emily Grubert, civil engineer and environmental sociologist, unpack how shrinking fossil networks can fail, the concept of minimum viable scale, and why planned retirements matter. Short, sharp conversations on protecting people in space and managing energy decline.
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Torpor Could Reduce Radiation Damage
- Inducing torpor or lowering metabolism could reduce radiation damage by lowering inflammation and DNA damage processes.
- Early human trials show modest metabolic slowdown but true suspended animation remains distant.
Avatar Chips Test Personalized Space Biology
- Artemis II will fly personalized organ-on-chip bone marrow avatars seeded with each astronaut's blood.
- Researchers will compare chips flown in space to Earth twins to tailor medical countermeasures.
Space Yeast Produced A Surprising Wine
- Ailey tasted wine made with yeast that flew around the moon and found the space-fermented sample surprisingly better.
- The trial was informal but suggested space exposures altered yeast fermentation traits.
