Michael Peres speaks with Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, astrophysicist, author, and science educator, about the scale of the universe, the search for life beyond Earth, and why helping kids stay curious may be one of the most important jobs in science. Drawing on a career that spans bestselling textbooks, award-winning children’s books, NASA work, and public science outreach, Jeff shares how Carl Sagan helped shape his path and why understanding our place in the cosmos matters so much. The uploaded transcript centers on science education, cosmic scale, the Fermi paradox, space exploration, and Jeff’s new book The Scale of the Universe.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How Jeff’s path shifted from biophysics to astrophysics and science education after being inspired by Carl Sagan
• Why people consistently misunderstand the scale of space and time, and why that matters
• What the Fermi paradox, great filters, and the search for extraterrestrial life can teach us about humanity
• Why Jeff believes science curiosity begins naturally in childhood, and how schools too often push it out
• How his books ended up being read aloud by astronauts from the International Space Station
