“We're In It Together”
Why partnership is the key to understanding the universe and protecting our shared future

Episode Introduction

Ken Stuzin: Back in April, we launched this podcast with a conversation with Jon Meacham, the Pulitzer-prize winning historian. Speaking with Mike Hankin, our CEO, Jon described our current moment as a crucible, one that required citizens to sublimate their personal desires for the common good. He was referring to the pandemic and its economic fallout – this was a month before the additional turbulence from the killing of George Floyd and our national reckoning with racial violence and social injustice. Mike and Jon talked about whether and how we could come together to address our challenges in the midst of what often feels like paralyzing polarization.

And yet, in the realm of science – and specifically – in the arena of space science and space exploration, the focus is entirely on working together for the common good. As space scientists tackle big questions – What does it mean to be human? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? – they collaborate across institutions and across countries…..sometimes with countries which, from a geopolitical standpoint, may be perceived as adversaries.

I’m Ken Stuzin. You’ve heard my voice in the introduction to our podcast – but this week, I have the great pleasure of talking with Jason Kalirai, an astrophysicist and the Mission Area Executive for Civil Space at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Talking with Jason about the immense scale of the universe – and the challenge of exploring its mysteries – was, frankly, inspiring. It was a powerful reminder about how shared inspiration and common purpose can bring us closer together.