Sarah and Luke return for the final episode of the series, as we search for a home beyond Earth.

Life on other planets has been a staple of science fiction lore for decades, but overcoming the astronomical barriers involved might prevent it ever becoming science fact. So, what does the future of our species look like?

Thanks to MIT's Ariel Ekblaw, space scientist Bill Borucki and New Horizons’ Dr. Alan Stern for joining us, and thanks to everyone who’s listened across this series!

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Today, we tackle the definitive science fiction question of our time: are we alone?

Sarah and Luke set out to discover who - or what - might be observing us from afar. We find that, while the chance of eventually meeting extraterrestrials is quite high, we've not yet found a way to surpass the unfathomable distances involved.

Joining us today are scientist and broadcast Seth Shostak and Bill Diamond, CEO of the SETI Institute.

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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It seems to be the doomed plot of every disaster movie in space, but it's so much more than that: today, we're off searching for the fuel of the future.

Sarah and Luke discover that space mining represents a real opportunity to not only improve but potentially even save life on Earth. Joining us on our search this week is former NASA astronaut Ed Lu and Dr Timi Aganaba, an expert in the politics of space.

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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Decades of retrofuturustic dreaming, now Elon Musk and NASA: visiting Mars has always seemed just of our reach. But how far away is humans' first visit?

Sarah and Luke answer one of science's longstanding questions on today's episode, as we look into the financial and psychological cost of reaching the Red Planet. Decades of expertise is provided by Dr Andy Aldrin, Dr Tanya Harrison and Dr Robert Zubrin.

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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Sometimes, scientific discovery can just be for the sheer fun of it. Other times, it may well define the future of our species: today's episode focuses on the latter.

Sarah and Luke look into why we've not developed rocket technology since the 1960s and reduced the cost of access to space, and how private individuals like Elon Musk are looking to fill the void. We're joined by Nicole Stott and Livingston Holder, two former astronauts who know just how significant reusable rocket technology could prove to be!

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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Pack your bags and strap yourselves in. It's time to decide whether a trip into the cosmos remains science fiction or if it might one day become science prediction.

Sarah and Luke look into the practicalities of hotels in orbit as space becomes increasingly accessible and wonder what cultural discoveries we might find. We're joined by Laura Forczyk and Dylan Taylor - two people at the heart of the private sector's launch in the skies - as well as MIT's Ariel Ekblaw and former NASA astronaut Ed Lu.

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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If previous generations could’ve had one single piece of retrofuturistic technology, it’d probably be the flying car.

Luke and Sarah try to make those dreams a reality as we find that, for the first time this series, this engineering endeavour actually came before science fiction dreams. We’re joined by designers and engineers at the cutting edge of the industry: Aeromobil CEO Patrick Hessel, aviation expert Andrew Chadwick and Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero and co-founder of Uber Elevate.

Which inventions should we look into next? Let us know on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

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Someone get Marty McFly, because today's episode is right up his futuristic street!

Join Sarah and Luke as they search for an iconic piece of science fiction, the hoverboard. While the technology is already available in some unusual places, strapping it to your feet and flying off to the shops has proved to be a problem that’s a lot more difficult to solve!

Helping us on our quest this week are Prof. Keith Johnstone, writer Dave Carnie and Greg Henderson, founder of Arx Pax and designer of the world's first true hoverboard!

Which inventions should we look into next? Find us on Twitter @SarahCruddas @lukeaaronmoore @StakPod

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.