The secrets in the stars — what we can learn about habitable planets, alien life and ourselves

Dr Laura Driessen takes you 26,000 light-years away, into the centre of our galaxy and beyond in the search for radio stars, supermassive black holes and supernova remnants.

Dr Laura Driessen is a radio astronomer who is fascinated with the scale of the universe and the wealth of information it holds, especially in its stars.

Her obsession began as a child, looking through her mini telescope on family camping trips at the planets and at comets.

But it wasn't until Laura was an undergraduate science student — poring over data from a giant radio telescope to create images of what the centre of our Milky Way looks like — that she got truly hooked into radio waves.

Laura now specialises in radio stars at the University of Sydney's Institute for Astronomy.

What she is discovering about these flaring beasts could be pivotal in the search for other habitable plants, and possibly alien life. 

This episode of Conversations discusses space exploration, physics, astrophysics, astronauts, rocket ships, space shuttles, telescopes, radio telescopes, aliens, NASA, Elon Musk, Space X, galaxies, constellations, astronomy.