Exploring James Webb Space Telescope Results with Nobel Laureate John C. Mather

Episode #9

Take a trip to outer space as we discuss early results of the James Webb Space Telescope, what astrophysicists think about astrology and how an expert in space optics suggests you clean your iPhone. In this episode, we speak with Dr. John C. Mather, a Nobel Laureate and senior astrophysicist with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center about the James Webb Space Telescope results and with Tony Hull, a UNM adjunct professor and former JWST Program Manager at Tinsley who led the team that meticulously polished the mirrors in the James Webb Space Telescope.

This special episode of It’s (Probably) Not Rocket Science is also available as a video podcast.

Read more about the James Webb Space Telescope.

Learn more about Dr. John C. Mather, Nobel Laureate and Senior Project Scientist Emeritus for the Webb Telescope. Dr. Mather earned the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics for his role with the COBE Satellite (Cosmic Background Explorer).

Learn more about Tony Hull, UNM adjunct professor of Physics and Astronomy and former JWST Program Director at Tinsley and the role of the mirrors in the James Webb Space Telescope.

Interested in learning more about the space research happening at The University of New Mexico? Visit loboday.unm.edu/2024.

Special thanks to NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope team for the images and videos used in the episode.

About Our Guest(s)

John C. Mather

Dr. John C. Mather is the Senior Project Scientist Emeritus for the James Webb Space Telescope and a Senior Astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He led the JWST science team from 1995 until 2023. Since moving into emeritus status, Dr. Mather has delivered public talks around the country on early findings from the telescope and the importance of projects like Webb. He earned the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the COBE Satellite, which measured the heat radiation of the Big Bang. He visited The University of New Mexico in January 2024.

Tony Hull

Tony Hull is an astronomer and space missions expert serving as an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of New Mexico. He worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 2000s and later served as the JWST Program Manager at Tinsley, where he led the team charged with meticulously polishing and shaping the 18 multi-million dollar mirrors used in the Webb Telescope down to the atomic level.

Hosted by UCAM’s Carly Bowling

Long-time listener, first-time podcaster, Carly Bowling, is a university communication representative in The University of New Mexico’s University Communication and Marketing team (UCAM). She is thrilled to help shed light on the outstanding research work being done at UNM, New Mexico’s only R1 university. In addition to producing IPNRS, she contributes stories and videos to the UNM Newsroom, the University’s official communications platform.

Bowling is a graduate of the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism (’19). Her background includes multimedia journalism, documentary filmmaking, photography and writing. She is passionate about science communication and making academic topics and research accessible and interesting to people from all backgrounds and she hopes you’ll consider subscribing to the show!