Lee Billings

Lee Billings, a senior editor at Scientific American who covers space and physics, joins to discuss catastrophic proposed budget cuts to NASA’s science funding. He highlights how these cuts could cripple essential climate research and space exploration, drawing concern from former NASA leaders. With historical funding at risk, Billings emphasizes the urgency of restoring support for missions critical to scientific integrity and U.S. leadership. The conversation underscores the broad implications of NASA's work on everyday life and global competitiveness.

Join Dan Vergano, Tanya Lewis, Andrea Thompson, and Lee Billings as they dissect the tumultuous shifts in science during 2025. Vergano reveals how political upheaval impacted trust in federal science policies. Lewis discusses alarming vaccine rollbacks, leading to potential measles outbreaks. Thompson critiques the rollback of climate policies, contrasting it with global trends. Meanwhile, Billings shares mind-blowing dark energy findings and upcoming space missions, suggesting a future filled with cosmic mysteries.

Lee Billings, a senior editor at Scientific American and expert in planetary science, discusses the NASA Perseverance rover's mission to uncover ancient life on Mars. He explains the significance of returning samples to Earth from the intriguing Jezero Crater. The conversation delves into the challenges facing the sample-return effort, including technical issues and funding. Billings also highlights promising findings, such as organic-rich mudstone that hints at past microbial activity and explores commercial alternatives that could reduce costs for future missions.

Lee Billings, Senior Space and Physics Editor for Scientific American and expert on the Gaia mission, reflects on the groundbreaking achievements of the Gaia spacecraft. They delve into its pivotal role in mapping the Milky Way, revealing discoveries like tidal streams and black holes. Billings discusses the mission's transition to a graveyard orbit and the significance of the collected data for future research. The conversation also touches on what lies ahead for astronomical missions aiming to continue Gaia's legacy.

Lee Billings, Senior space and physics editor at Scientific American, discusses the alarming news about asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. He outlines how astronomers monitor such celestial bodies and the technological strategies needed for risk mitigation, including kinetic impactors and nuclear methods. Billings emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in addressing this cosmic threat and describes both best and worst-case scenarios in the event of an impact.