On this episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast we are joined by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher Varoujan Gorjian and New York Times columnist and science author Carl Zimmer. We discuss black holes, the value of science, the importance of good teachers, the work of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the nuclear age, duck and cover drills, the Castle Bravo nuclear bomb test and its aftermath, the world of viruses, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carl Zimmer tapeworm, and much more!

Episode Music and Audio Clips:

• “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar (creative commons)
• “Make Your Dreams Reality” by Scott Holmes Music (creative commons)
• “By Grace” by Podington Bear (creative commons)
• “Duck and Cover” clip produced by the U.S. FCDA (publicly available on YouTube)
• “Happy Trails (To You)” by the Riders in the Sky (used with artist’s permission)