Superheroes of Science Purdue College of Science

In this informative episode, Brandon Pearson, the Director of NearSpace Education, explains the myriad uses of weather balloons and how they contribute to our understanding of the world around us. Join us on a journey of scientific exploration as we uncover the invaluable data these balloons provide. Once airborne, weather balloons become invaluable tools for gathering crucial data. They carry a variety of instruments and sensors that measure temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed at different altitudes. These measurements help us study atmospheric patterns, climate changes, and weather forecasting with greater accuracy.

Dr. Rafael Lang from Purdue University Physics and Astronomy explains to us that “ a particle solar eclipse is something you see, a total solar eclipse is something that you experience”. Through a discussion, we learn what to expect before, during, and after a total solar eclipse. Professor Lang explains why we have solar eclipses and the importance of them.

What was once considered background seismic white noise or ambient waves is now a valuable learning tool about the environment. Elita Li is investigating everything from traffic patterns to falling windmills by looking into these waves. Dr. Yunyue Elita Li is the Mary J. Elmore New Frontiers Associate Professor in Data Science in EAPS and (by courtesy) Mathematics at Purdue University. 

In the past, only large, well-funded organizations could afford to build and launch satellites. But CubeSats are making it possible for anyone with a good idea and some basic engineering skills to put a satellite in space. Brandon Pearson is the Director of NearSpace Education sits with us to explain further CubeSats. CubeSats are small, cube-shaped satellites that are increasingly being used for a variety of space exploration missions. They are relatively inexpensive to build and launch, and they can be used to study the Earth's atmosphere, monitor the environment, and even test new technologies.

Dr. Paul Mathewson, Science Program Director for Clean Wisconsin, joined us to discuss some current initiatives related to solar energy and address several misconceptions about this alternative energy source. We also learned about agrivoltaics, where several crops can be farmed together while utilizing land space for solar farms.

Discover the wonders of Titan, the second-largest moon in our Solar System! Start your outer space journey and explore an alien world like no other. Titan is unique – its atmosphere, clouds, and vast oceans are made of methane instead of water.