The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu
Episodes
Supernovas and Space Gold with Dr. Ashley Villar
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do stars die? And what happens when they do? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ashley Villar, who teaches astronomy a...
Building Worlds with Luke Skywatcher
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do planetary systems form? If you wanted to observe them, where would you look and what would you look for? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-ho...
Chuck GPT: Astrotech
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How can a helicopter fly in space? How does LIGO detect gravitational waves? How do quantum electronic devices like Josephson junctions work? Could AI...
Chuck GPT: Answering Eerie Questions
25 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is universal expansion slowing? What is the Bubble Universe Theory? Will we control AI, or will AI control us? In this special Chuck GPT episode of Th...
Serving Cosmic Brunch with Thresa Kelly
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do supermassive black holes actually form in the early universe? Is the Cosmological Constant not so constant after all? And what would be on the ...
2025 Year-End Special
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What were our joyfully cool cosmic things of 2025? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome three members of The LIUniverse producti...
Venus, Interstellar Visitors, and Auroras with Dr. David Grinspoon
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are Coronal Mass Ejections dangerous to life on Earth? When are we finally going to plunge through the sulfuric acid clouds to measure the atmosphere ...
Rings, Orbits and Space Storms with Dr. Phil Nicholson
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do planetary ring systems rings form, and what keeps them in line? What exactly is the Dragon Cloud of Saturn? And what’s up with quasi moon 202...
Tiny Galaxies and Massive Black Holes with Dr. Matt Taylor
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy have a supermassive black hole at its center? Are there galaxies with supermassive black holes that are offset from ...
Black Holes Colliding with Dr. Charlotte Olsen
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do very small galaxies form? What’s going on inside them? And what happens when black holes collide? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Al...
Measuring the Stars with Astrostatistician Sabrina Berger
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a star form? How does the universe form? And how can we use every bit of astronomical data to answer those questions? To find out, Dr. Charle...
Cosmic Raspberries and Life on Mars with Dr. Kelly Blumenthal
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have we discovered life on Mars? What does the center of our galaxy taste like? To find out, and to kick off Season 5 of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles L...
Chuck GPT Apocalypse, Part 2
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the end of everything! Welcome back to Part 2 of our season finale featuring Dr. Charles Liu, co-host Allen Liu, and our guest archaeology expe...
Chuck GPT Apocalypse, Part 1
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As our fourth season draws to a close, we’ve got an apocalyptic, 2-part ending lined up. That’s right, we’re talking Armageddon, and we don’t ...
Finding Your Place in Space with Sadie Coffin
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who are the “Redshift Wranglers” and what can they tell us about the evolution of our universe? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu...
Shredding and Stitching Stars with u/Andromeda321 (Yvette Cendes)
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If a black hole shreds a star and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Profes...
Early Galaxies, Intelligent Plants and the Geometry of D&D Dice With Justin Cole
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so difficult to study the evolution of early galaxies? Are metallic D&D dice better than plastic ones? And can you have too many Pokémo...
Standing on the Edge of Discovery with Dr. Melodie Kao
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to stand at the edge of human knowledge, where we don’t know what leap forward in understanding the next technological innovation w...
Future Fashion: Spacesuits, Exoskeletons & More with Alexia Stylianou
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What will well-dressed astronauts be wearing on the Artemis III mission? Will AI destroy creativity? Can we actually make leather clothing out of mush...
Half-Baked Stars and Handmade Macarons with Dr. Theron Carmichael
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is a transiting brown dwarf, why are they so rare, and how do you find them? Equally important, how do you make a good French macaron? To find ou...
Cold Wars, AI, and Art for Aliens with Rebecca Charbonneau
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What can the history of science tell us about the world we live in today and where we might be headed tomorrow? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-ho...
Megamasers and Magnetic Fields with Dr. Jackie Villadsen
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the difference between a maser and a megamaser? How does uncertainty lead science to its newest discoveries? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and...
A Scintillating Cosmic Conversation with Robert Sparks
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how data from the telescopes that peer into our universe ends up in the hands of the astronomers who interpret it? To find out,...
Comets, Eclipses and Auroras: The LIUniverse Looks Back at 2024
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What were the coolest science and sci-fi events in the LIUniverse in 2024, and what’s in store for us in 2025? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-h...
Space Lasers, Solar Panels and Stochastic Parrots with Leah Voytovich
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How far can following your passions take you in science? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the multi-faceted Leah Voytovich, ...
A Double Dose of Physics with Dr. Betty Jensen and Dr. Mary Lou West
07 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What was it like forging a career in physics as a woman in the 1970s? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome the “Dynamic Duo of...
Into the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 2
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why should people care about fundamental questions of existence or try to understand the principles of our universe? Because we may be the only sentie...
Into the Unknown with Dr. Kelsey Johnson Part 1
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is star formation the workhorse of the universe? What is a flocculent galaxy? Which cosmic cataclysm creates new globular star clusters? And why a...
A HaLIUween Special
26 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd to b...
Chuck GPT 4.0
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 4 of The LIUniverse and thank you for joining us on this journey. We’re kicking off the new season with another Chuck GPT episo...
The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 2
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologis...
The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 1
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologis...
Making Space Accessible with Celene Shimmen
10 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you go from a small town in Colorado to being a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia? And how can you make space accessible for disabled ...
Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 2
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We jump right back in where we left off in Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, t...
Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1
06 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the overview effect? Why is slow fast when you’re spacewalking? And what would happen to Chuck and Allen’s hair in space? To get the an...
Chuck GPT 3.0: Gravity, rocket Propulsion, space Tethers, and more!
15 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does sound travel faster in space? Is the multiverse theory true? Can gravity escape a black hole? In our latest episode of our popular “Chuck GPT”...
Composing the Cosmos – Musical Explorations of Deep Space with Bruce Lazarus
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is there really a music of the spheres? And why is space so inspirational for creativity? To ponder these cosmic questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-hos...
Cosmic Pathways with Dr. Ronald Gamble
18 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do gravitons exist? What are blazars? How did our universe begin? To grapple with questions on a cosmological scale, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen...
Volcanoes on Earth and in Space with Dr. Samantha Tramontano
04 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Volcanoes in space...supervolcanoes here on Earth... and lava lakes everywhere! To get an expert opinion on eruptions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host All...
Neurobionics with Dr. Nicki Driscoll
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does the brain actually work? And is there anything we can do when it doesn’t? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ni...
The Great American Eclipse
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The total solar eclipse is almost here! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu bring you both the basics and...
ChuckGPT 2.0 – Three Body Problem Q&A
30 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the science behind the science fiction in Three Body Problem? In our second episode of “ChuckGPT” Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu we...
Ancient Astronomy with Hannah Liu
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does the study of archeology, the study of the human past, offer to the astronomers of today? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu ...
Lucy and L'SPACE with Freya Holloway
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can college students who would like to work in the space industry and at NASA get their foot in the door? And what is the purpose of the Lucy miss...
Solar Flares and Deep Space Nine with Dr. Jimmy Negus
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Season 3 premiere of The LIUniverse, your happy half-hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In th...
Chuck GPT 1.0 Year End Q&A
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to one sun of a binary pair if the other goes supernova? Can we mitigate the greenhouse effect? How big should a telescope be? For our Se...
Star Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 2
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with father and daughter team Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA astronaut and founder of the Ad Astra Rocket Company™, an...
Star Trucking with Franklin Chang-Diaz and Miranda Chang – Part 1
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When humanity heads out for the stars, what will be powering our spacecraft? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome father and dau...
Black Holes and Space Junk with Vivienne Baldassare
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do we find black holes? And how can we tell whether it’s a small black hole “eating” really fast or a large black hole that’s eating very ...
Final Frontiers with Jeyhan Kartaltepe
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe, an astronomer and professor at the Rochester I...
Star Treks, Star Wars, and Star Domes with Jenny Powers and Elliot Severn
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a science educator and work at a planetarium or science museum? Even better, to run one? To find ou...
Stars vs. Planets with Dr. Tom Rice
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did our solar system get here? How did the Earth form? How commonly does that happen elsewhere, and how often do the conditions necessary for life...
New York Comic Con: The Science of Sci-Fi 2021
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why does Wakanda have no suburbs, and should we destroy them if it did? Is it ethical to become a cyborg, like in the Justice League? Can venom – th...
Boston Fan Expo: The Science of Sci-Fi
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How realistic is the human augmentation depicted in comic, games and movies? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu welcomes the CEO/founder of Neurobionics Dr....
Planet Formation with Dr. Holly Capelo
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do planets form out of dust particles? And what does that have to do with fluid dynamics? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welco...
The Birth of Planets with Aleksandra Kuznetsova
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you go about building a planet? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome computational astrophysicist Dr. Aleksandra Kuznetso...
Brown Dwarfs and Ballet with Johanna Vos
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brown dwarfs are often called failed stars, but today’s guest on the LIUniverse, astrophysicist Dr. Johanna Vos, prefers to think of them as overach...
The Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun Wang Part 2
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu continue our exploration into the poetry of the stars with Part 2 of our episode featuring poet/astronomer/cosmo...
Particle Physics with Dr. Lesya Horyn
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is the universe made of? Will we ever have a complete list of all the particles that make up existence? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host ...
The Poetry of the Stars with Midge Goldberg and Yun Wang
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear about the music of the spheres, but why not the poetry of the stars? In this episode Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome poet/...
Science and the Future with Dr. Andrew Maynard
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does the science of today lead us into the future we’ve imagined? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist, futurist...
Studying Stars with Dr. Isabel Colman
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do we study the spinning of stars? What is astroseismology? And what does data science have in common with “the music of the spheres?” To find...
Hunting Meteorites with Geoff Notkin
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready to meet The Meteorite Man? On this atypical episode of The LIUniverse, rather than our usual working scientist, academic or researcher g...
The LIUniverse: Sailing to Mars with Sarah Al-Ahmed of The Planetary Society
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Was there ever life on Mars? Where can your passion for astronomy and cosplaying take you? And what the heck is a Light Sail? To get the answer to the...
Simulating Galaxies with Paco Holguin
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can we create accurate models of galaxies, both ours and others? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Paco Holguin, a gradua...
The LIUniverse: Weather Satellites with Andy Green
18 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can you turn your passion for science into a career that helps keep millions of people safe from severe weather and includes launching your own satell...
New York Comic Con: The Science of Science Fiction 2
04 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are we all mutants? Can we all be superheroes? Is the multiverse all in our heads? Welcome to Season 2 of The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. We’re...
Searching for Exoplanets with Jackie Villadsen
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can exoplanets teach us about our own solar system? Dr. Charles Liu explores the furthest reaches of our galaxy with the help of Vassar College a...
How Planets Live and Die, with Sam Grunblatt
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What’s going to happen to our planet Earth when our Sun turns into a red giant? Dr. Charles Liu explores planetary evolution and death with exoplane...
Space Telescopes with Dr. Alexandra Greenbaum
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are we living in a golden age of space telescopes? As our minds are being collectively blown by the images of our universe beginning to come from the ...
Adventures in Science with Geoff Notkin, Dr. Andrew Maynard and Dr. Cady Coleman.
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can your passions for science, science fiction, space, fossils and even opera lead you to a life of adventure and maybe a career in science? To f...
Nuclear Fusion with Christina Migliore
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NOTE: This episode was recorded in early 2022, before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and their attack on the Chernobyl nuclear facility, which we d...
Black Holes, Galaxies, and The Expanse with Jimmy Negus
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first ever episode of the LIUniverse, your happy half hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In t...