Did Gravity Wipe Out The Dinosaurs?

Did Gravity Wipe Out The Dinosaurs?

Author: The Royal Astronomical Society May 13, 2026 Duration: 19:24

How do we calculate a black hole's event horizon? Does Mercury's tail impact Earth? Can we name a planet Rupert? And did gravity wipe out the dinosaurs? Izzie Clarke & Dr Becky Smethurst dive into the rather whimsical Supermassive Mailbox to answer your questions.


Want to name an Exoworld? Here's the IAU website to start a campaign: https://nameexoworlds.iau.org/


Send your questions, whimsical messages and your night sky photos to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. Or why not support the show by joining The Supermassive Club? You'll get ad-free listening and access to The Supermassive forum.


The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.


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


Hosted by science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr. Becky Smethurst, The Supermassive Podcast is a journey through the cosmos produced by The Royal Astronomical Society. Each episode blends cutting-edge science with historical context, creating a rich narrative that connects past discoveries to present-day mysteries. You’ll hear conversations with leading researchers breaking down complex ideas, from gravitational slingshots to the nature of time itself, alongside deep dives into archival material that reveals how our understanding of the universe has evolved. The tone is both curious and conversational, making even the most profound concepts in physics and astronomy feel accessible and exciting. Regular contributions from Dr. Robert Massey offer practical guidance for observing the night sky, grounding the theoretical in the tangible. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's an exploration driven by listener questions, which range from the wonderfully weird to the fundamentally profound, ensuring every topic has a direct link to shared human curiosity. Tuning into this podcast feels like having a front-row seat to the latest scientific discussions while being reminded of the long, fascinating history that got us here. It’s where the biggest questions about black holes, multiverses, and our place in the cosmos are met with genuine enthusiasm and expert insight, all delivered with a distinctly engaging energy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Supermassive Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Search for Space Aliens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:21
Hosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life: Where are scientists looking? How do they search for potential signals? And what the heck is the…
Q&A - Space Potatoes and Christmas Stars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:30
Our final episode of 2024 is a SUPERMASSIVE Q&A. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey make their way through your questions. What’s the farthest star we can see with the naked eye? Why do black holes exp…
BONUS - Why can't anything go faster than the speed of light? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:11
From planetary alignment through the galaxy to spacetime expansion, The Supermassive Team answer your questions. Keep sending us your questions, email us on podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod Host…
The Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:41
The Supermassive Team are investigating strange blasts of energy in space called Fast Radio Bursts. What are they and where do they come from? Dr Stuart Ryder from Macquarie University in Australia joins Izzie, Dr Becky…
BONUS - Nuclear Pasta & G-Astronomy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:42
... Potentially the silliest bonus episode we've ever recorded. The Supermassive Team takes on your questions; What are Brown Dwarfs? How can photons have different energies? Do frozen stars exist? And they get extremely…
Strange Stars and Bizarre Binaries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:10
From pulsating stars to those with diamond cores, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring weird and wonderful stars. What are the different types of stars in our universe? And what are the oddballs? Plus Dr Robert Massey is her…
BONUS - A Bumper Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
Auroras, and comets, and launches... Oh my! Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, and Dr Robert Massey run through a MEGA month for the astronomy community. Plus, there's just enough time to squeeze in a few listener questio…
Untangling the Cosmic Web [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:57
Izzie and Dr Becky are untangling the cosmic web - the large scale structure of the universe - with help from Dr Chiara Mingarelli from Yale University. What the heck is it? What do we know about it? And can we use gravi…
BONUS - What distorts time? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:53
What happens when a black hole and gravitational wave collide? How will the moon's gravity impact tides with rising sea levels? And "the Supermassive Wise Ones" discuss Einstein vs Newton in this bonus episode. Send your…
We Made It To Mercury! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:26
Izzie and Dr Becky complete their tour of the solar system with a trip to Mercury, the space spirograph (copyright: Dr Becky). Join them as they explore what we know about the planet so far and what ESA's current mission…