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Tiny MattersAuthor: Multitude
Science shapes every facet of our lives, but so much of its influence is overlooked or buried in the past. Tiny Matters is an award-winning science podcast from the American Chemical Society about tiny things from molecules to microbes that have a big and often surprising impact on society. Every Wednesday, hosts and former scientists Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti cover topics from infectious disease to the search for extraterrestrial life, embracing the awe and messiness of science today and throughout history, asking questions like, "how was IVF invented?," "what do glaciers tell us about Earths ancient past?," and "why is smallpox the only human infectious disease weve eradicated?" New episodes every Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts. Language: en Genres: Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Challenger disaster: How a NASA tragedy led to a safer Artemis II
Episode 111
Tuesday, 9 June, 2026
When Artemis II lifted off this past April, marking humanity’s return to the Moon, people across the world were captivated. It was a triumph decades in the making, but also shaped by painful loss. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we trace the legacy of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on its 40th anniversary, unpacking what went wrong both scientifically and organizationally, and how the event necessarily helped reshape NASA’s safety culture. We hear firsthand from astronaut Terry Hart, who flew on Challenger less than two years before the accident, and from NASA’s acting Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, Nathan Vassberg, about how Challenger — and later, Columbia — reshaped the way NASA thinks about risk, and how those lessons were applied to Artemis II. We also hear from Vanessa Bentley, professor of applied ethics who teaches a course dissecting the conflict between managers and engineers that led to the tragedy.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
