

Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast
Michael L. Wong
Hosted by planetary scientist and astrobiologist Dr. Michael L. Wong, Strange New Worlds examines science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 4, 2025 • 33min
Episode 188: What Searching For Aliens Reveals About Ourselves
Mike reads his Noema Magazine essay "What Searching For Aliens Reveals About Ourselves."
Read the essay: https://www.noemamag.com/what-searching-for-aliens-reveals-about-ourselves/
Watch Mike's Royal Astronomical Society of Canada talk that inspired the essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bewJxOCdM5I

Sep 27, 2025 • 1h 19min
Episode 187: Love in a Jefferies Tube
Mike beams aboard Deep Space Love—a podcast that explores love, in all its forms, throughout the final frontier—to discuss the relationship between D'Vanna Tendi and Samanthan Rutherford on Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Check out more Deep Space Love: https://www.podpage.com/deep-space-love/
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Deep Space Love: https://bsky.app/profile/dslovepod.bsky.social

Aug 5, 2025 • 50min
Episode 186: The Habitable Worlds Observatory
Guest: Emilie Lafleche
Astrobiologist Emilie Lafleche beams aboard to introduce us to the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a next-generation space-based telescope that will be designed specifically to seek out new life in the cosmos. Then, she and Mike discuss two collaborations at the intersection of science and society: principles of astrobioethics and the PortAL Linking Artists and Scientists (PALLAS).
Learn more about the Habitable Worlds Observatory: https://habitableworldsobservatory.org/home
Emilie & Mike's paper "How to chart a moral future for space exploration": https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02070-3
Join the PALLAS mailing list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScocUP4sZ9S4CF3BUnC85Tm2QPKLe39qE6cN5hFp5q7kep0rg/viewform

Jul 23, 2025 • 38min
Episode 185: An Astrobiology Op-Ed
Guest: Dr. Shi En Kim
Science journalist Dr. Shi En Kim joins Mike to unpack his op-ed about how impending cuts to federal science funding will impact astrobiology—the search for life in the universe.
"Federal Budget Cuts Would Sabotage NASA’s Plans to Find Alien Life" by Mike Wong: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-budget-cuts-would-sabotage-nasas-plans-to-find-alien-life/
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Kim: https://bsky.app/profile/goesbykim.bsky.social

Jun 28, 2025 • 57min
Episode 184: Hope in the Face of Grief
Guest: Dr. Una McCormack
New York Times bestselling Star Trek author Dr. Una McCormack beams aboard to discuss the development of and themes within her latest Trek novel, "Strange New Worlds: Asylum."
"Asylum" by Una McCormack: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Star-Trek-Strange-New-Worlds-Asylum/Una-McCormack/Star-Trek-Strange-New-Worlds/9781668051368
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Una: https://bsky.app/profile/unamccormack.bsky.social

May 12, 2025 • 54min
Episode 183: Alien Earths
Guest: Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger
Professor Lisa Kaltenegger, Director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, beams aboard to talk about her book, Alien Earths, the search for life in the cosmos, what exoplanets teach us about our home world, and her love for Star Trek.
Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos, by Lisa Kaltenegger: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250283641/alienearths/

May 5, 2025 • 49min
Episode 182: A Rocket Scientist Goes to Washington
Guest: Thomas White
Mike speaks to propulsion engineer Thomas White about their experience participating in The Planetary Society's 2025 Day of Action, where they met with six Congressional offices to lobby in support of space science at a critical time.
Inspired to take action? Visit The Planetary Society's Action Center: https://www.planetary.org/action-center
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Apr 6, 2025 • 38min
Episode 181: Fungi Everywhere
Guest: Dr. Shi En Kim
Fungi are everywhere—from forests to deserts to cities to Star Trek! Science journalist Dr. Shi En Kim beams back aboard to talk about some of the latest developments in fungal research.
"Can Fungi Save This Endangered Hawaiian Tree?" by Shi En Kim for Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-fungi-save-this-endangered-hawaiian-tree-180985171/
"Why scientists are enlisting fungi to save endangered plants" by Shi En Kim for Knowable Magazine: https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/food-environment/2025/mycorrhizal-fungi-help-save-endangered-plants-ecosystems
"Biocrusts: The secret world living at the surface of drylands" by Shi En Kim for BioScience: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biae119/7927803
"The Netherlands’ Surprising Bus Stop Bounty" by Shi En Kim for bioGraphic: https://www.biographic.com/the-netherlands-surprising-bus-stop-bounty/
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Mar 29, 2025 • 14min
Episode 180: Preparing for Alien Earths
In a few weeks, Professor Lisa Kaltenegger—the Director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University—will be a guest on Strange New Worlds to talk about the search for life in the universe.
To prime us for that discussion, on this episode, Mike shares his review of Professor Kaltenegger's new book, "Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos."
Want to read Mike's review instead? Just click here: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/earth-2.0-could-be-just-around-the-corner

Mar 9, 2025 • 45min
Episode 179: The Quantum Mechanics of Lower Decks
Guest: Dr. Erin Macdonald
Star Trek science consultant Dr. Erin Macdonald returns to unpack the quantum mechanical themes in the mind-bending and universe-hopping fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Crowdfunding for Erin's short film "Long Away": https://seedandspark.com/fund/long-away?token=c03b8b5fafc2effbb976d3c5566c1bddbb1154cb4a8b856e4ccde26c259585c4#story
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Erin: https://bsky.app/profile/drerinmac.bsky.social