Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Breakthrough Initiative - A Decade On - AstrotalkUK

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Aug 31

The Breakthrough Foundation has taken on the challenge of addressing some of humanity's most pressing questions.
Based on interviews conducted during Breakthrough Discuss in June 2025 in Oxford. First published by (i4is.org) astrotalkuk.org/breakthrough... #BreakthroughPrize #BreakthroughFoundation

What is the Breakthrough Initiative? Who leads it? How is it funded and what are the big questions for humanity it is hoping to address?

Nuclear Race To Moon: Will India Switch Sides In The Lunar Race & Join Russia & China To Challenge U.S.?

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Aug 30

An interesting read. One tidbit: the risk of collisions is space does NOT increase linearly with the number of satellites - "The collision rate is the square of the number of satellites, which means that if you have 10 times as many satellites, then there’s going to be 100 times as many collisions."

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Aug 30

In 2023, India joined the Artemis Accords, led by the USA. China and Russia never joined, offering instead the International Lunar Research Station.

Could India switch sides later this year? An interesting piece from EurAsian Times by Prakash Nanda www.eurasiantimes.com/nuclear-race...

One of the unintended consequences of the U.S. President Donald Trump virtually dumping India out of favor on the ostensible grounds of divergence in trade issues and the Modi government buying Russia...

www.eurasiantimes.com

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 30

Just under two hours for the launch of @isro @nasa #NISAR mission. Over a decade in the making.
Livestream links for NASA and ISRO and much more here www.reddit.com/r/ISRO/comme...

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 25

Not just @esa.int astronauts. #Shubhanshushukla from #ISRO took some gajar halwa (a sweet, carrot-based "pudding") to the #ISS last month. Try it next time you go for an indian meal.

Here is India's PM @narendra-modi.bsky.social‬ talking about it - (in Hindi) www.youtube.com/shorts/wZE5m...

UKSpace Conference 2025 Manchester - AstrotalkUK

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 17

Yesterday was day one of the UK Space Conference here in the heart of Manchester. All three of the UK's selected astronauts, along with the head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, were present.

A bit more here astrotalkuk.org/ukspace-conf...

A few notes from the two-day UKspace conference that started today and ends tomorrow. Located in the heart of Manchester – Manchester Central. Space in UK UK has around 1900 […]

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 8

Apologies @groomb.bsky.social - not your talk at the @manlitphil.bsky.social.

I hope to catch you in Hebden Bridge. Your talk 'Made in Manchester' at Hebden Bridge Local History Society, Weds Sept 24th, 7.30pm, Methodist Church, Market Street. Visitors welcome, £4.

How They Built the Atom Bomb: The Manchester Connection

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 8

Thanks for your note, @writerlytone.bsky.social
BTW, how do you know I didn't meet your dad:) …I don't think I did.  

However, I met many who met Gagarin while researching the book.

BTW Looking forward to @groomb.bsky.social at the @mcrlitphil.bsky.social

www.manlitphil.ac.uk/events/how-t...

With Ed Glinert. What connections does our city have to one of humanity's most transformative scientific developments?

www.manlitphil.ac.uk

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jul 8

Today on Manchester Science on @allfm.bsky.social, Jocelyn Bell-Burnell on her advocacy for women in science & the discovery of Pulsars.

Listen live on allfm.org at 13:00 today or download and listen anytime from astrotalkuk.org/manchesterscience

#radioastronomy
#pulsars
#stem
#Breakthroughprize

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jun 25

Thanks for your time yesterday @manchesterhistory.uk Recording available here astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc....

1 2

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jun 24

Today on Manchester Science, the story of a young German writer with radical ideas - Friedrich Engels and his 1845 book, The Condition of the Working Class, with urban historian, journalist, and author Dr Dean Kerby. Live at 13:00 allfm.org

All FM

allfm.org

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Jun 10

Interested in aviation history? Heard of Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown? If so you may be interested in radio program on @allfm.bsky.social at 1pm today or a longer version coming as a podcast episode soon on astrotalkuk.org. Here is a two-minute clip @theaviationist.com @areonautical.bsky.social @

How one five-year-old girl escaped an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 27

Congratulations @mikelittle.com and @ma.tt . A good time to share this interview from 2010. Neither of you has aged a bit! wordpress.tv/2010/03/09/m...

2

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 27

An image and a story that will echo through the ages..

Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · May 26

How one five-year-old girl escaped an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza

www.channel4.com/news/how-one...

Israel’s onslaught on Gaza shows no sign of abating despite increasing international condemnation and diplomatic pressure.

www.channel4.com

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 27

Here's 1 minute clip

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 27

The Toliman Space Telescope will image the Alpha-Centauri System from Earth orbit in exquisite detail. Dr Karel Valenta, Project Manager describes the current mission status.
Live on @allfm.bsky.social at 1 pm today or download astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc....
#breakthroughdiscuss
#AlphaCentauri

Manchester Science - AstrotalkUK

This page lists all the programs broadcast on Allfm.org in my series under the title Manchester Science. This series explores the science being conducted in and around Manchester right now. […]

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 13

Soaring over the surface of Titan: #NASA #Dragonfly Mission.

Want to know the latest on @nasa’s #Dragonfly mission to hashtag#Saturn’s largest Moon - #Titan?

Listen live at 13:00 today on @allfm.bsky.social or download & listen anytime
astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc...
@astrobiology.bsky.social

Episode 122. Are we alone and the Breakthrough Initiatives - AstrotalkUK

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · May 1

The #Breakthrough Discuss conference, held on 23rd and 24th April 2025 in Oxford, overseen by Dr Pete Worden, Chairman of the #breakthroughPrizeFoundation. A former Brigadier. General and astrophysicist in this interview, he talks about @setiinstitute.bsky.social
astrotalkuk.org/the-breakthr...

A two-day Breakthrough Discuss conference held on 23rd and 24th April 2025 in Oxford England, took stock of the latest developments through three main sessions: "Forms of Non-Terrestrial Life", "The N...

Episode 121 – Failed stars or successful planets? - AstrotalkUK

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Apr 17

A Brown Dwarf, something between planets and stars was discovered at the Mount Tiede Observatory in 1995.
The full story in episode 121 astrotalkuk.org/episode-121-... with Zhang Jerry.
A short audio clip below, where Jerry explains that free-floating brown dwarfs could host primitive life.

The story of Teide-1 (the first brown dwarf to be observed) is the story at the other end of a star's life cycle. That early stage is when stars transition from a huge cloud of dust and gas (billions ...

Scientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Apr 17

The #BBC News piece is an interesting read, but it overeggs the story. There is no smoking gun here - no imminent discovery! Check out reports

BBC Report= www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Press release= www.cam.ac.uk/stories/stro...
The Astrophysical Journal= iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...

Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.

www.bbc.co.uk

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Apr 15

What is the difference b/w a planet and a star? Are there objects that end up somewhere between stars and planets? Yes, they are called Brown dwarfs. The first was discovered in 1995 in the Pleiades cluster.

Listen at 13:00 today online at allfm.org. listen anytime astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc...

All FM

allfm.org

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Apr 8

This was one element of the deal that GOI/ISRO cut with the USA/NASA when signing up to the Artemis Accords in 2023.
www.etvbharat.com/en/!technolo...

Axiom Mission 4 Set To Launch In May 2025 With India's Gaganyaan Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

NASA and Axiom Space announce Ax-4 Mission launch in May 2025, marking historic milestones for India, Poland, and Hungary's national space programs.

www.etvbharat.com

Gurbir Singh @gurbirsingh.bsky.social · Apr 2

Manchester was home to an influential German community until WW1. One of the few who left his mark was Arthur Schuster. Who was he? Why did he end up in Manchester, and what was his scientific and educational legacy? @allfm.bsky.social @uniofmanchester.bsky.social astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc....