Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA #74: The Big Questions

Hosted by Steve Nerlich. Dear Cheap Astronomy – How long did the Universe take to complete the periodic table?  So, this is really a question about nucleosynthesis, which began with the Big Bang and continues today in stars – and on a small scale in human-built laboratories. Dear Cheap Astronomy – Is Interstellar travel really out of the question?  Our current understanding of physics suggests that traveling to the nearest star within a human life time is pretty much out of the question. Regardless of what type of engine you use – even approaching, let alone passing the speed of light puts you at risk of destroying your spaceship through collisions with just specks of cosmic dust.    We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].