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The Buzz is back!

And in our second season we’ll be attempting – with the help of our academic experts – to answer some of the biggest questions in science and engineering.

In this episode we speak to Dr Eamonn Kerins, an astrophysicist at The University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and Department of Physics and Astronomy, who tackles one of the most intriguing questions not only in the world, but the whole Universe: Do aliens exist?

It’s something we’ve all pondered while looking up at the night sky – and Dr Kerins, a leading expert on the use of gravitational lensing to find exoplanets, offers unique insight into some of the fascinating theories and ideas that could, one day, uncover the truth.

His 2019 talk at Bluedot Festival – ‘What does it take to leave our planet?’ – certainly got people talking (and not just because of his emergence in a bright green, full-body Morphsuit!), and here he discusses compelling ideas such as the Fermi paradox, employing game theory in the search for extraterrestrial life, and the ever-mysterious Wow! signal.

So climb aboard, strap yourself in and get ready for takeoff.

The truth, after all, is out there.

Dr Eamonn Kerins

Find out more on some of the topics we discuss at the links below:

• Is there life on Mars? No – but there might be on Venus
• The truth is out there… and we just got closer to it
• The Force is strong in Manchester
• Out of this world – Bluedot marks Moon landings’ 50th in celestial style
• The name behind the telescope: Sir Bernard Lovell
• 3 cheers for Jodrell Bank – the UK’s newest UNESCO site
• We’re flying to the Moon – and it’ll be sooner than you think
• When the stars align – and smash into each other
• Young engineers enter orbit – fired by LEGO®

*This episode of The Buzz was recorded in lockdown and sound quality may be affected.