Growing Worlds – Details, episodes & analysis

Growing Worlds is a podcast where exoplanet science meets human stories, told through conversations with early-career researchers. In this short introduction, hosts Dr Jenifer Millard and Dr Lorenzo Mugnai are joined by assistant producer Carys Townsend to share what each episode has in store.

You will hear a wide range of topics related to our understanding of other worlds, alongside the personal journeys of the researchers behind the work.

Tune in as Growing Worlds celebrates the human side of science.

In this launch of Growing Worlds, hosts Jeni Millard and Lorenzo Mugnai chat with Dr Camilla Pezzotti about the bond between stars and planets.

Listen as Camilla guides us through the intricate journey from the birth of stars from gas clouds to the fully formed celestial bodies, beautifully illustrating how the digital world can be used to unravel their mysteries. 

She draws us in with her admiration for stars and enlightens us about her poetic resonance with Mercury, finding comfort in their shared resilience.

Explore the diversity of rocky planets with Dr Oliver Herbort, an Ariel Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna. Hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Oliver about what makes each planet unique, from atmospheric chemistry to the nature of its surface. 

Oliver reflects on how a lifelong fascination with astronomy led him to study rocky exoplanets, developing models that link atmospheric processes with the composition of planetary surfaces. Prepare to expect the unexpected. From carbon planets to lava worlds, this episode invites you to rethink what a planetary landscape can look like.

Join us for a deep dive inside stars as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr. Gael Buldgen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liège. Gael studies stellar oscillations and probes the internal structure of stars with exquisite precision. He enlightens us about the intricate connection between stars and their exoplanets, capturing the importance of understanding stellar properties for characterising distant worlds. Listen as Gael explains his fascinating view of stars as natural laboratories, with the Sun being ours.

Explore the dark side of stars with Dr Mayuko Mori, a postdoctoral researcher at the Astrobiology Centre in Tokyo. Listen as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Mayuko about star spots and their significance in exoplanet characterisation. These cooler, darker areas on the surface of a star can lead to potentially misleading discoveries, and therefore, expanding our understanding is crucial for enhancing our knowledge of other worlds. However, it is not just for the pros! Dr Mori calls out to amateur astronomers to get involved in star-spot research. Tune in to discover more about these dark areas of stars, what they mean for exoplanet observations and how you can get involved!

Explore the science of one of the trickier components of exoplanet science: clouds, as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Dr Sushuang Ma, a researcher at King’s College London. Sushuang’s work centres on modelling and retrieving exoplanetary atmospheres. She shares the significance of temperature and the role it plays in determining the interesting characteristics of clouds, which are not the fluffy white water vapour clouds we are used to. Listen as the conversation guides you through the intriguing clouds of exoplanets and why we must go beyond the simple ‘opaque cloud’ models for the next generation of observations.

Bring yourself back to Earth through an inspiring chat with Dr Giulia Roccetti, an ESA research fellow at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid. Hosts Jeni and Lorenzo join Giulia for a discussion about the innovative approach of using Earth as a proxy for exoplanet research through the investigation of Earthshine.

Giulia’s journey started from her ever-present passion for environmental science, which led her to research that combines atmospheric physics, climate science and exoplanet research. She now develops advanced radiative transfer models to simulate how planets interact with light, using Earth as the test. Listen as Giulia talks us through the ‘pinball’ path of photons between Sun, Earth and Moon, and the complexities of modelling Earth’s atmosphere.

Dr Raissa Estrela from NASA's JPL explains how exoplanet observations reveal clues to Earth’s past and perfect balance. Your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo, chat with Raissa about exoplanet spectra, through which scientists can decode the fingerprints of distant atmospheres, revealing chemical compositions, evolutionary stages, and even parallels to early Earth. These comparisons act as the perfect ‘textbook’ for understanding how planets form, change, and sustain life. Ultimately, Raissa’s message is clear: by studying other worlds, we learn the value and fragility of our own.

Do you want to get involved in real exoplanet research? Listen as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo are joined with Anastasia Kokori, a PhD candidate in Exoplanetary Science at University College London. Anastasia is the coordinator of ExoClock and ExoClock Unlocked, an international effort that brings together professional astronomers, students, and amateur observers to monitor exoplanet transits and add to the development of exoplanet research. Anastasia tells her story, from a teacher in primary education to the exoplanet expert she is today and shares her incredible passion for science communication. She is an advocate for communicating science in a way that is accessible to all and ensures growth of the scientific community.

Listen to hear more about the exciting work of Anastasia and ExoClock and how you can make significant contributions to exoplanet understanding.  

Discover more about how high-resolution spectroscopy can catch a glimpse of alien worlds amongst exoplanets with Dr Mattia d’Arpa. Join your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo, for an interesting discussion about the mysteries of exoplanet atmospheres and the complexities of ground-based observations.

Beginning his deep curiosity for science in high school, Mattia is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Palermo, where he contributes to several international collaborations using cutting-edge instruments and helps to bridge the gap between the precision of space-based telescopes and the spectral resolution achieved from the ground.