Top 50 Online Videos for Space Geeks
Few things pique and nurture human imagination quite like outer space. The compelling desire to make known the unknown inspires propels extraordinary men and women to push the boundaries of science, physics, engineering, and technology to unlock the secrets of the universe and gain a broader understanding of the role mankind plays within it. Though “top” is, of course, a subjective term, these videos have plenty to offer those who look to the skies for philosophical and scientific inspiration. They pull from a very broad spectrum of subjects relating to the exploration and discovering the nuances of outer space as a means of showcasing the true diversity of ideas and theories and personalities involved.
TED TALKS
1. George Dyson on Project Orion
Had Project Orion – General Atomic’s AARPA-funded, “deeply classified,” nuclear-powered space ship – come to pass, it would have opened up the possibility of human travel to Jupiter and Saturn.
2. Bill Stone explores the world’s deepest caves
Pulling from his experience spelunking on Earth, Bill Stone discusses how the technology needed to dive into the world’s most dangerous caves can be utilized for use on Jupiter’s moon Europa.
3. Burt Rutan sees the future of space
This lecture from 2006 chides the Bush administration for forcing NASA to lay fallow instead of continuing to lead the world in aeronautic innovation. He posits that the true future of space exploration lay more in private industry instead of a government-sponsored organization.
4. Carolyn Porco Flies Us to Saturn
Watch and marvel over stunningly beautiful images from the Cassini mission showing off the cosmic majesty of Saturn and two of its moons – Titan and Enceladus.
5. Tom Shannon’s anti-gravity sculpture
Outer space and its inner workings inspire more than just technicians and scientists. As this lovely demonstration shows, artists can create aesthetic representations and celebrations of these principles as well.
6. Steve Truglia: A leap from the edge of space
Steve Truglia holds the bold and admirable goal of pushing human technology to its very limits, and he hopes to accomplish this by parachute jumping from the border of the atmosphere where Earth finally becomes space
7. Steve Jurvetson on model rocketry
Space-faring technology has plenty of applications here on Earth, and Hotmail founder and venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson shares his passion for model rockets and how they use experimental technology that pulls from and open doors to future developments.
8. Stephen Petranek counts down to Armageddon
One of the thousands of doomsday prophecies floating about involve some sort of extraterrestrial source – some living (maybe), most not. Stephen Petranek’s lecture involves a few of these different theories and discusses humanity’s imperative to someday leave Earth behind.
9. Peter Diamandis on Stephen Hawking in zero g
This compelling lecture relates a story of how world-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking came to achieve his dream of floating in a zero gravity environment.
10. Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe
In this stimulating lecture, the astronomy giant dives into the broadest speculations mankind has to make about the lonely, infinite universe it inhabits. Many of these have no tangible solutions yet, but there are still possible routes of figuring it all out.
11. Jill Tarter’s call to join the SETI search
Since 1984, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute has been using radio telescopes to scan the cosmos for evidence of life beyond Earth, and Jill Tarter outlines and defends the organization’s research.
12. George Smoot on the design of the universe
Explore the furthest reaches of the universe and learn about how everything holds itself together with this insightful lecture illustrated with breathtaking imagery.
13. David Hoffman shares his Sputnik mania
The Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik kicked off humanity’s presence in outer space. Documentarian David Hoffman gives a brief overview of how it came to completely change the face of technology forever.
14. Andrea Ghez: The hunt for a supermassive black hole
Amateur and professional astronomers alike have plenty to appreciate and enjoy about this insightful lecture on the creation, structure, physics, and possible future of black holes – including the one that may sit in the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
15. Charles Elachi on the Mars Rovers
Charles Elachi at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers an insightful, intelligent lecture on the Mars Rover project, focusing on how it came together and what it ultimately found.
16. Carolyn Porco: Could a Saturn moon harbor life?
Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus contains geysers and a possible subterranean ocean that may potentially harbor small life forms or allow humans to begin colonizing the solar system.
17. Peter Diamandis on our next giant leap
X Prize founder Peter Diamandis explains how his foundation intends to use incentives to help scientists, technicians, and engineers bring about all the innovations necessary to keep humanity’s space exploration propelling ever forward.
18. Brian Greene on string theory
Quantum physics and astronomy both explore and build upon Theodor Kaluza’s bizarre but highly intriguing string theory, which posits that energy bolting along on 11 different dimensional levels stand as the originators of all matter in the universe
19. Brian Cox on CERNS’s supercollider
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider will be an integral resource in learning about and understanding how Earth and the universe it inhabits both operate.
20. Freeman Dyson says: let’s look for life in the outer solar system
Most organizations peruse deep space for signs of extraterrestrial life, but Freeman Dyson makes an argument for trying something a little closer to home. The outer expanses of the solar system – such as Jupiter’s moons, Neptune, the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud – may harbor microbes or more sophisticated life forms.
21. Patricia Burchat sheds light on dark matter
Some astronomers and physicists theorize that around 96% to 98% of the universe is comprised of dark matter and dark energy, and Patricia Burchat lectures on its place in the cosmos and how humanity can come to understand it.
22. Garik Israelian: How spectroscopy could reveal alien life
The somewhat obscure discipline of spectroscopy may actually hold the key to both finding extraterrestrial life forms and a possible future home for earthlings.
23. Penelope Boston says there might be life on Mars
The Mars Rovers did not discover any evidence of life on the surface of the planet, but Penelope Boston theorizes that there is a 25%-50% chance of findinging it inside of the caves and crevices left unexplored.
24. Roy Gould and Curtis Wong preview the WorldWide Telescope
Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope tackles the task of visually and interactively mapping the known universe by piecing together pictures from satellites and telescopes.
25. Tom Wujec demos the 13th-century astrolabe
Ancient astrolabes paved the way to today’s space shuttles and other explorations. Anyone interested in the technology that allows mankind to explore the universe ought to listen intently about its lush history.
YouTube
Presented by the Skeptics Society, Michael Shermer, William Poundstone, and Keay Davidson pay tribute to the famed astronomer Carl Sagan, who made his inquiries into the cosmos accessible to non-professionals and professionals alike.
27. Carl Sagan The Planets 1977 RI Christmas Lectures (Part 1 1/6)
The 1977 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures played host to Carl Sagan, who brings his celebrated brand of engaging simplicity to a discussion on the planets. This is the first portion of the series, which has been cut into 6 smaller videos.
28. Bill Nye the Science Guy – 19: Outer Space 1/3
No list with “geek” in the title would be complete without the venerable Bill Nye the Science Guy. Here, he entertains and informs viewers of all ages and education levels on the science of outer space.
29. Bill Nye the Science Guy – 82: Space Exploration 1/3
Another delightful Bill Nye feature, this time focusing on mankind’s exploration of the world outside of Earth.
30. Origin of the Universe – Stephen Hawking (1 of 5)
In this first section of a 5-part series, Stephen Hawking speaks about the Hawking-Hartle No Boundary Universe theory and its potential to unlock the secrets behind how the universe may have been formed.
31. JAXA Astronaut Discusses Life in Space
Most Americans think of NASA when the subject of space travel pops up, but the organization also posts the occasional video of other space programs on 1 of its 2 official YouTube channels. Here, a Japanese astronaut involved with JAXA talks to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama about his experiences in an orbiting laboratory.
32. WISE Launch
Marvel at the Wide-Field Survey Explorer as it launches and listen in on route towards orbiting around Earth, where it will spend 9 months searching for new stars, planets, and other universal structures.
Follow the Atlantis shuttle on its slow, steady descent towards the Kennedy Space Center from within and from without.
34. Sentinels of the Heliosphere
NASA’s Heliophysics Observatory records data that sheds light on the sun and its relationship to the planets that revolve around it.
Geoff Bryden at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory presents a wonderfully detailed animation on the collision of two planets and the different results.
Watch the Endeavour space shuttle orbit around Earth and the International Space Station in this 20 minutes’ worth of video footage.
37. Apollo 40th Anniversary Documentary
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, NASA compiled this fantastic documentary looking back on one of the most influential moments in human history.
38. LRO Webcast
Enjoy highlights of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter webcast, which will orbit around Earth and the moon to scout out the best way to execute return visits.
39. International Space Station Tour (Part 1)
NASA’s television YouTube station offers up the first video in a series offering viewers a fantastic inside look into the International Space Station.
40. Walter Cronkite and the Lunar Landing (CBS News)
40 years after the Apollo mission made its hallmark landing on the moon, Walter Cronkite looks back on how it felt to broadcast such a major moment in human history.
41. Hubble Space Telescope – Chapter 1
Part 1 of ESA’s series on the Hubble Space Telescope showcases its development and launch into space.
42. Blast into Space, Spectacular Fall to Earth
One of the most beautiful videos of a space shuttle ever recorded, viewers are treated with the footage from cameras onboard the Atlantis and the boosters floating through the sky before making a dramatic splash in the ocean.
43. Mars Exploration Rover 2003
This NASA/JPL animation for Cornell University illustrates in detail how the Mars Rover made it to its destination and how it hoped to find life elsewhere in the solar system.
Few things stoke the imagination more than the possibility of time travel, and this informative and entertaining video from National Geographic looks into the physics of how such a concept could go from theory to reality.
45. The Exotic World of Neutron Stars
Neutron stars occur when massive stars eventually burn up and collapse in upon themselves. With this extremely intriguing series of animations, maps, and images, viewers can learn about these fascinating cosmic structures.
46. How the Earth was formed – The Power of the Planet – BBC Two
BBC Two presents an amazing video theorizing one possible way Earth came into being, illustrated by thorough animations and scientific evidence.
47. Who lives in the eleventh dimension?
String theory and the scientific ideas regarding parallel universes raise numerous questions with the BBC, who inquires about what forms may exist on the eleventh dimension.
48. Neil Armstrong – First Television Interview (Part-1)
Neil Armstrong’s first interview following the 1969 was with Michael Collins of 60 Minutes, and this video starts off the series immortalizing their exchange.
49. Mythbusters Moon Landing Hoax 1 HQ
Conspiracy theorists rage on about how NASA and the American government faked the moon landing in a soundstage in order to fulfill John F. Kennedy’s promise. Here, the feisty Mythbusters team tear apart their claims and reveal that the major event never could have happened anywhere but in space.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 mission paved the way for many of the other videos on this list. Without their voyage into the unknown, a goodly proportion of these discoveries and technologies never would have occurred and gone on to inspire and mold and shape mankind’s understanding of its place in the universe.
Anyone harboring a fascination with outer space and the universe as a whole will find something to enjoy with this wide variety of excellent videos reflecting upon the subject. Numerous other informative resources are available online as well, allowing amateur and professional astronomers alike free access to all of the various perspectives available regarding humanity’s past, present, and future beyond the boundaries of Earth.
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