A little while back I did an interview with Stephen Goss at WABE in Atlanta about my book, Death from the Skies!, and they have posted a podcast of it. We talk about why people are fascinated by scary disaster scenarios, how this all started, alien bugs and asteroids.
-
About Bad Astronomy
If you went to BadAstronomy.com and found yourself here, never fear: the BA Blog has moved to its new home at Discover Blogs. The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking and all that) is still online, too.
Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Bad Astronomy was chosen as one of Time.com's Best Blogs of 2009. 
Open Lab 2008 is a collection of the best blog posts of the year, all in one place. Are you a science junkie? Yeah, you want it. -
-
Subscribe to BA using an RSS Feed
-
Death from the Skies!
Order a copy of Death from the Skies! from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Borders.
"If things worked the way I wanted them to, any reporter about to do another 'sensational' story on deadly meteors would consult this volume, and bang! common sense would find its way into the news. How strange would that world be?"
-- Adam Savage, Mythbusters"Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, but oddly exhilarating."
-- Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising -
Social/Networking/Cool Stuff
-
DISCOVERmagazine.com: Latest Articles on Space - DISCOVER Blogs: The Loom
November 16th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Since no one has commented yet, I thought that I should do so to let you know that there is somebody out there reading this.
You mentioned in your radio interview that aliens could take over Earth with self-replicating robots. Were you thinking of “von Neumann machines” or the Berserker?
A think a more simpler way for aliens to take over the Earth would be to place concave mirrors, angled at 45 degrees to the Sun, in polar orbit around the Earth, which would then focus the Sun’s energy in a ‘ring of fire’ as the Earth rotates, and fry our collective asses.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Does anybody have an .mp3 of this interview? I couldn’t see one on the site…
Dennis
November 16th, 2008 at 11:31 am
ERRATUM:
The third paragraph in my post above should read: I think that a more simpler way for aliens to…
November 16th, 2008 at 11:52 am
You sure that shouldn’t be: “I think that a more simple way for aliens to…
SF Reader, I haven’t heard an MP3, but I don’t mind reading it, although Dr. Plait has a great vocal presence!
November 16th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I read a science fiction novel that had an invasion by von Neumann probes as its central theme. It was The Forge of God by Greg Bear
November 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Phil! I’m sure you mentioned this, but I probably missed it - imagine my pleasure and surprise to open the latest Scientific American book club mailer and see your book featured on the back cover page, with a checkbox on the member reply card!
Sure, I bought my copy, retail, on day-one (actually day-one-minus-two), but wow! That’s some good marketing coverage!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
@ Larian LeQuella
Yes, you’re right, that’s what I meant to say.
*Slaps forehead*
Note to self: First, drink strong coffee; second, proofread comment; then, finally, post the bloody comment!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
SF Reader: You should be able to bipass their ugly little featureless flash player and get the mp3 directly with this link.
November 16th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Cloan/album/Fomalhaut+b
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Cloan/album/Today+Mars%2C+Tomorrow+The+Stars
Both of these rock’n’roll albums, “Today Mars, Tomorrow The Stars,” and the EP “Fomalhaut b” (the entirety of which can be downloaded at the previous link in mp3 form)(for now…) are hereby dedicated by their creator to the Kalas et al. team, and to Champions Of Science Phil Plait and Allyson Beatrice.
Thank you ALL for your hard work and creativity.
But most especially, for giving the rest of US a reason to go on.
Please forward to relevant parties.
Thank you.
–Adam Etheredge (Cloan)
(correspondance and lyrics upon request at: cloan1@gmail.com)
November 16th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
@ SFReader
Or you can download realplayer and use the automatic (and surprisingly useful) little feature that lets you pull almost anything from flash.
November 16th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
But… being on WABE, did you talk about vorpal swords?
November 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
CCP: good on ya. I almost made a momraths outgrabe comment on the post, but got snicker-snacked.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Well, as long as you don’t go galumphing back too hard. Beware those bandersnatchi!