Back to Earth w/ Nicole Stott
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by astronaut Nicole Stott to talk about her new book, "Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet--And Our Mission to Protect It." Nicole shares about her time in space and how it continues to influence her work here on Earth, including the inspirational Space Art Foundation. Follow Nicole: @Astro_Nicole.
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00:00.00
talknerdy
Well Nicole. Thank you so much for joining me today I'm so excited to talk to an astronaut. Um, especially I think to be honest I've spoken with Terry Vertz before I've spoken with.
00:03.16
Nicole Stott
My pleasure Cara to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
00:17.34
talknerdy
Couple of astronauts before on the show I don't think I've ever spoken to a freaking a woman astronaut. What's what's that about it's so awesome. Do you know if you had to.
00:21.88
Nicole Stott
Um, there you go there, you go. It's It's awesome.
00:31.35
talknerdy
Um, I mean I don't know if you're still up to up to date on these numbers. But when when you were like in the iss for example, do you know what percentage of astronauts over you know Nasa's history have been women. It must be low.
00:41.23
Nicole Stott
Oh percentage over history. Yeah, it's pretty low I mean I think it's still over history relatively low, but with respect to the numbers now and how.
00:48.62
talknerdy
Mean.
00:55.71
Nicole Stott
And I would say this for Nasa overall we need to figure out what the secret sauce is to how they've done this maybe it was deliberately at first you know like pushing with you know these shall be our numbers but um, whatever they've done has worked and in the astronaut office right now there's roughly what 40 active astronauts.
01:03.92
talknerdy
M.
01:13.73
talknerdy
Okay.
01:15.52
Nicole Stott
And I think we're close to the 40% you know least 30% Mark for women and isn't that huge I mean when um when I look and I know it's different at some universities but I I would say on average that you know this demographic for women in engineering at most.
01:20.20
talknerdy
Oh that's great.
01:35.72
Nicole Stott
Colleges. It's I mean they're struggling to have 20% enrollment of women. Yeah.
01:38.30
talknerdy
Oh for sure I had I had a computer scientist on the show last week and she's like oh them like there's nobody else in my department. You know it's just like it's computer science and engineering and then some some specific types of physics. They seem to be bringing up the rear.
01:45.31
Nicole Stott
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:54.58
Nicole Stott
Um, yeah.
01:56.38
talknerdy
Um, for sure when it comes to gender parody and of course when we think of astronauts there seem to be tell me if I'm wrong here. There seem to be 2 kind of camps that feed in to the pool of astronauts. There's sort of the military or pilot kind of trained astronauts who come from that camp and then there's the more like engineering and like aeronautical engineering kind of like rocket scientists.
02:08.69
Nicole Stott
Um, or that.
02:15.64
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and then I and I would add that you know when I think about the engineering even even the military pilots because they have to have had some other degree. You know they have to have like ah you know one of the qualifying degrees along with their their pilot training as well is.
02:23.74
talknerdy
E e.
02:33.83
Nicole Stott
You know I always use the picture of my astronaut class you know and we're old people now. Although some of them are still there flying and you know class of 2000 and when I think about that it's like so freaky weird that that could be twenty two years ago you know.
02:38.37
talknerdy
Stop? Um, wow.
02:49.52
Nicole Stott
And but I use a picture of our class I mean when we would do our class pictures. You always do the formal sit there in your blue suit you know, straight and proper and everything and then every class does kind of a goofy picture and our class name is the bugs.
03:00.15
talknerdy
Is.
03:05.52
Nicole Stott
Because we were selected in the year two thousand which there was this whole you know idea of when we rolled from 1999 to 2000 that all the computers were going to crash because they wouldn't know what to do with all those Zeros and so remember y two k millennium bug that's what they were calling it. So.
03:16.58
talknerdy
Oh yeah, Y Two K baby. Yeah.
03:24.60
Nicole Stott
And the class before you names you and they always try to be a little bit disparaging with their name and so they thought that they thought that was so funny those those penguins thought that bugs was so funny and um and but we loved it I mean we love the name because most bugs have wings which means they fly.
03:26.35
talknerdy
Ah, funny. Ah.
03:43.00
talknerdy
Yeah.
03:44.52
Nicole Stott
And what does every astronaut want to do fly I'm sorry penguins you don't you know and like yeah you know I know and you're an awesome bird I just saw something in Antarctica but it's like.
03:48.41
talknerdy
Ah, you may be a bird but you don't fly. Ah.
03:56.73
Nicole Stott
You know the names before him been things like maggots and you know flying escar go and things like that and so we love the name the bugs but what I you know there's such a variety of bugs too. You know that just the numbers of bugs is mind boggling. But then I love it because that picture we've got these goofy antenna on and these like sunglasses and we're all in kind of these weird positions and stuff. It's just funny and and I especially like it because we didn't. Really know each other then that was you know we were the eighteenth group of Nasa astronauts. There were 17 of us. It was probably two weeks into our training and so I but we were just being goofy and I look at that picture now I see the personality of every person in that group that I absolutely consider to be family.
04:28.98
talknerdy
E.
04:43.59
talknerdy
4
04:45.35
Nicole Stott
But also I look at it and I'm like you know what there really is no checklist right? And and I'm sure you deal with this too. You talk to young people or you know somebody wanting to come along and you know in in what you've done. They want to know how to do that and they're looking for the checklist like if I do these three things.
04:49.97
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
05:00.76
talknerdy
Right? right? like that like the flow chart of exactly what to do and it's like open go through a door if it gets opened. Try it out. See what life offers you.
05:05.18
Nicole Stott
Yep, absolutely yep! Yep yep, it's so it's so amazing and I think it's such a great picture to use because it's kind of goofy but it really you see the personality of all these people and then I think you can imagine that. Every single one of us got there in a different way. I mean we all ultimately had the same goal. We all understood what Nasa's basic requirements were for education and you know work experience and medical stuff but not 1 person. Got there the same way and I think that's.
05:24.68
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
05:42.35
Nicole Stott
So neat that and as more and more people are having the opportunity to fly as we get more women into the office and more of whatever flavor human you are into into the astronaut office and then as you know these public-private partnerships are growing as the commercial you know on its own is growing. There's going to be.
05:49.45
talknerdy
Here.
06:01.71
Nicole Stott
I mean the opportunities are doingnna just grow and even within Nasa itself. You know who's doing everything they can to make that happen. But it's kind of funny. You know you have a limited number of slots to fill however, many thousands of people now apply because you can do it electronically.
06:13.71
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
06:17.27
Nicole Stott
And there's got to be a way I mean you know and that's where that you know the educational requirements. The career requirements come in because you've got to be able to narrow it down somehow and but what's cool is that as more vehicles come on as we're flying in more places. You know those kind of Criteria are going to continue to open up even more which is I just love thinking about that.
06:36.59
talknerdy
Absolutely I mean that kind of old concept of the right stuff really doesn't apply does it I think that it's a little bit antiquated in the sense that when we think of a classic I don't know like Apollo Era Astronaut We think almost of somebody who like.
06:50.10
Nicole Stott
No.
06:56.40
talknerdy
Never feels and it's like so brave in the face of all sorts of trials and and tribulations. But we don't think of like modern kind of space travel and that the need to be cooperative the need to get along with people in a very tight space.
07:06.28
Nicole Stott
Yeah, ah, that's the big deal you know and I think but what's fun. You know I think back to again with all of the apollo guys that I still you know that are alive that I know and have had the opportunity to meet and get to know. Man. There's so many dimensions to these people as well. It's it's really really cool to discover that you know when you discover that Al Warden was a poet and you know Alan being retired from Nasa became a full-time artist and you know Rusty schweickert I just discovered this Rusty Schweicker took purposely took.
07:30.70
talknerdy
Right.
07:42.50
Nicole Stott
Like 20 different poems from different poets up with him to space because he felt like that was his way of bringing humanity along with him and um and it just continues and I think you know once you get to that interview table. Um, and I've had the opportunity now to sit on the other side of it and do.
07:47.74
talknerdy
Oh wow.
08:00.75
Nicole Stott
Interviews with people coming through to and applying. It's like you know what their resume is that has satisfied the requirements now you want to get to know the person like like you said do I want to be locked up in a relatively confined space with this person for six months or more.
08:04.10
talknerdy
E.
08:14.34
talknerdy
Right.
08:16.63
Nicole Stott
You know are they going to put the torque wrench back to 0 are they going to have you know I mean silly stuff like that but also are they going to have my back when it's hitting the fan are they um am I going to enjoy myself there with them. You know it's this mix of personality and professionalism that has to go along with it too and.
08:24.15
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
08:35.15
Nicole Stott
Think it's just we've gotten to the point where we understand what really what the best kind of teams are you know and that's what a crew is you're a team and um and you've got to know that you're going to enjoy your time and space with these people working on the things that you're all curious about and. You're wanting to help improve life on Earth but at at the same time you need to know that that really because nothing's ever going to go as planned all the time you need to know they'll have your back and you know those same things apply to us down here on Earth I mean I Want to know the people I'm working with are going to have my back as well.
09:02.72
talknerdy
Yeah.
09:11.66
talknerdy
It's true. It's almost like it's up there so far away so in some ways isolated but this sampling of humanity right? because the Iss is an international cooperative um experience experiment really.
09:11.87
Nicole Stott
And have a good time.
09:24.00
Nicole Stott
Oh.
09:27.47
talknerdy
It really is kind of like ah a microcosm of down here but almost you know ratchet it up a bit little bit of a pressure cooker I can imagine.
09:33.66
Nicole Stott
But yeah it it is I think I mean I think you're you're much more aware of the fact that that thin on the other side of that thin metal Hall is the deadly vacuum of space I mean that's just it's just there and yet here you know we're on a planet That's a lot like a spaceship.
09:43.89
talknerdy
Yeah.
09:51.51
Nicole Stott
Um, you know the analog to that thin metal hall is that thin blue line of atmosphere and so all those things that we're doing you know every day on our mechanical life support system in space right? This iss as a crew of 7 every day we wake up and we're like okay.
09:54.27
talknerdy
Right.
10:09.70
Nicole Stott
Who's responsible for knowing how much co 2 is in the atmosphere today who's responsible for knowing how much clean drinking water we have and the integrity of our thin metal hull and the health and well-being of all 7 of us that it's just built in to how you live and work there because you're not going to do any science or spacewalks or. Fly in the robotic arm or any of the work that's going on up there without knowing that you can survive first such an amazing and example.
10:34.20
talknerdy
Ah, and yeah, and the thing is like I think we're so privileged here on Earth to forget because the system is so large but it is still a closed system.
10:42.13
Nicole Stott
No.
10:49.54
talknerdy
Yet because it's so big sometimes we forget that these experiences these interactions this extraction that we do the way that we live is ultimately affecting this fragile system like I'm literally sitting here I didn't even realize this but I'm wearing my t-shirt that says there is no Planet B And of course I feel like.
11:04.74
Nicole Stott
Yeah, yeah.
11:08.43
talknerdy
Like as an astronaut you know better because you have experienced this firsthand but for whatever reason very often I think people on Earth who haven't maybe done the homework or have a more kind of Naive grasp of the situation think oh well if we destroy this Planet. We'll just go and have another one like no no, it is not that easy. Like this planet is Tailor made for us and we still are having a hard time anywhere else we go in the entire universe if we can even get there and survive is going to try to kill us constantly.
11:29.56
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
11:38.89
Nicole Stott
Yeah, it's like every I think about you know, even the moon. But I mean the Mars I mars I think is more like in people's face more often and it's like okay so when we go to Mars.
11:45.77
talknerdy
Me.
11:52.98
Nicole Stott
It's not like opening its park-like arms to us right? It's not saying ohh come come frolic in the grass in the nature and breathe breathe this beautiful. You know this clean air. You absolutely, you're so right we are going to have to treat Mars like a ah spaceship and we're gonna have to and just like.
11:58.71
talknerdy
Yeah, but.
12:08.10
talknerdy
In here.
12:12.69
Nicole Stott
Do now you know with the the space station. We've done everything we can to in a mechanical way mimic. What earth does for us naturally and that's what we're going to have to put in place on Mars or on the moon or you know as we're.
12:19.51
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
12:28.91
Nicole Stott
Venturing out even further I mean I look forward to the Star Trek future. But holy Moly we have to. We are absolutely going to have to be thinking about it all the time like how do I put in place where's the life support system. You know.
12:39.51
talknerdy
Yeah, like like this is an amazing opportunity for Exploration. It shouldn't be the only option we have because we destroyed home base because like you said. Home base is naturally giving us these things like we don't have to try to breathe the air here. We don't have to do any engineering for that. Although I mean we're starting to realize we might need to do some pretty big scale engineering for that. But for most of our history. We haven't had to.
12:52.93
Nicole Stott
Um, yeah, yeah.
13:02.79
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and it's it. It is yeah or and I don't think we went off on this malicious pathway of saying. Okay, we're going to Burn Fossil fuels and we know this is going to devastate our environment and so you know but we're still going to do it. You know I don't there might be a little bit of that now. But I think.
13:14.93
talknerdy
Thrive.
13:18.72
talknerdy
Yeah, now. But yeah, not not at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Yeah, we have no idea. Um.
13:21.58
Nicole Stott
You know, initially no no, it's like there were we were discovering solutions. We were figuring out ways to keep people alive and and but then the lessons learned along with it have to be taken to account too And. Um, and I mean that's happening in space as well as we discover how to keep ourselves alive there for longer you know to where our bodies aren't fallen apart completely as we're in this microgravity environment. All of these things are and what I love about them is they're twofold right? It's helping us live in that space environment. But we're in a space environment as Well. So Everything we do there. We can bring back and help improve life on Earth and I believe that's going to be true even as we're figuring out how to get to Mars survive there as we're you know, talking about how do you terraform a planet that does not have naturally.
14:01.29
talknerdy
Yeah.
14:13.80
Nicole Stott
The ability for us to create the life-sustaining stuff around us those kinds of lessons we're going to learn doing that on Mars we can bring them back I think I think we will bring them back to earth and say okay we can revitalize this system that we've been using now for farming or whatever it might be and tweak it a little bit. And have it just become even more more better. You know what? I mean but.
14:35.34
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure and and so much of it really is about will I You know I feel like a lot of the technology a lot of the Know-how and the ingenuity is is there. You know some things need to be harnessed a little more and refined but a lot of.
14:42.28
Nicole Stott
Ever more.
14:54.50
talknerdy
That exists already and so much of it is sort of this desire this will this interest which of course as an astronaut and aquanaut you need right? You have spent a long time both under sea and up in space and I'm looking at what one hundred and four days
15:01.77
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
15:11.35
talknerdy
In in ah in space or as a crew member. So between the Iss and the shuttle like you have been been there but you've never been there alone. You've always been there with crew and with people with whom you have to cooperate get along.
15:12.62
Nicole Stott
Again.
15:25.45
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and people that aren't from I mean they're from all I mean it's just the best example of international cooperation. You can find and I think in these you know in these recent times we at least I have been reflecting a lot on that partnership in space and how.
15:28.40
talknerdy
Make make it work.
15:45.13
Nicole Stott
You know since the earliest days of spaceflight of human spaceflight. You know those kinds of partnerships that kind of cooperation between countries that you wouldn't necessarily think would get along so well and and a lot of times like now aren't here on the planet. Overcome that somehow like Rise above it, you know, even off the planet and and figure out a way to do that and I think I'm really so hopeful that that that will come into play with what's going on now in a way that tempers like it always has our reaction to each other down here on earth.
16:03.20
talknerdy
Um, yeah, yeah.
16:20.78
Nicole Stott
And um, oh my god you know 16 15 16 countries. It's it's like 1 crew on the space station I get asked a lot. Well do you only get to stay in the modules that the us built. Do you ever get to go down to that russian module I'm like it's 1 space station with one crew representing.
16:33.28
talknerdy
E he.
16:38.84
Nicole Stott
Those 15 countries and 5 international agencies. It's not nikki only gets to go into the US laboratory and coici can only be in the jam and you know a leg is down in the service module. It's not that it's absolutely the opposite and you really really feel it when you're.
16:50.94
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
16:56.88
Nicole Stott
You know, working throughout the day but in the evening when you're floating around the dinner table together and solving the world's problems from your you know, pretty extraordinary vantage point wishing that all those leaders you know, right now I Just really really wish that we could get those people up into space with their little heads. Bouncing off each other in front of one of those windows while they're floating looking at Earth. Yeah yeah.
17:16.70
talknerdy
Right? And just get that instant perspective shift that they are so desperately needing because I can't imagine how much pressure the people who are there right now must be under.
17:28.96
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
17:30.69
talknerdy
Feeling this you know this pressure for as we know as you mentioned science diplomacy is sort of 1 of the start we've seen it at like the Dmz we've seen it like we've seen science diplomacy in some of the most tense geopolitical conflict areas in the world and yet right now there is this sort of ah.
17:34.11
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and z.
17:50.80
talknerdy
Potential breaking point that is is scary. You know when we're hearing yeah and sad that's really it too. It's sad because you know that the that the Cosmonauts um aren't necessarily representative of you know the the party line and I think that's the really sad part is that like when people want to do their science.
17:51.33
Nicole Stott
Um, and sad you know.
18:09.40
Nicole Stott
Now.
18:09.83
talknerdy
And they want to be cooperative but there are other pressures that it's like how do you even carry that. Ah.
18:14.17
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and you know I mean I Just you know I can't speak for the the people that are on board the station right now. But I just have this sense of just knowing that that they are these are conversations they're having you know they're not ignoring it amongst themselves. They're having it. They're looking out the window and like how in the world.
18:26.79
talknerdy
Yeah, they must be Um, yeah.
18:34.10
Nicole Stott
Because I think you know you you experience earth from that vantage point and I honestly I don't think you have to go to space to understand this really, but you know, um, it certainly is in your face when you're looking out the window of a spaceship is like man we we absolutely have the power. You know if we behave like crewmates and not Passengers. You know we have the power to create a future for all life on Earth That's as beautiful as it looks from space and I think that's what every person feels when they're looking out the window. You know they understand the contradiction of what they're looking at is like man this is this glowing colorful.
18:53.33
talknerdy
You yeah.
19:11.77
Nicole Stott
Life giving planet with this thin blue line of atmosphere Only border that matters that thin blue line of atmosphere and you you the reality of that is there for you and then at the same time you're like what the heck.
19:22.41
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
19:25.17
Nicole Stott
But you know knowing that beneath those clouds of that hurricane that you're seeing that looks like this billowy white beautiful thing that it's not so pretty underneath it and that there are places on the planet where people are so so severely struggling and and I think you get it Kara it's like. We live in a time of abundance I mean we really really do and what you said about? oh my gosh you know and and that's that's abundance of resources. But it's also abundance of connectivity and understanding our you know that we are on 1 planet. That's a shared home and um and it's why it makes it.
19:45.00
talknerdy
Yeah, oh more than ever in human history. Yeah, yeah.
20:04.51
Nicole Stott
Just mind-boggling that the choices that are being made are you know the ones we're having to deal with right right? now you know with ah between 2 countries that are absolutely. It's an impact on the entire planet and um and it just.
20:09.94
talknerdy
Yeah.
20:20.25
talknerdy
Of.
20:22.80
Nicole Stott
It seems so strange to me that that can be the kind of choice that's made these days when we understand really really and truly I think everybody at 1 level or another understands that that there's abundance and that the choices could be different for for life on earth.
20:32.93
talknerdy
And I mean and I think it it really emphasizes this this point that's like such a struggle because then on the 1 hand and you know obviously your book kind of focuses on this beautifully. It's a message that you you have been you know. Very kind of loud and proud about that this this experience in space really is like a microcosm of earth and we really can learn these lessons and and bring them back home. But at the same time. It's I don't know me personally I feel like it's unfair. For the people on the iss right now I feel like there's this kind of like you're our only hope and it's like that is too much pressure that is not what they signed up for you know it's like they they they have this obviously real responsibility to do good science and to to carry out these missions and.
21:08.97
Nicole Stott
Um, yeah.
21:14.53
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
21:23.73
talknerdy
You know you you have a directive before you go there but but I don't think anybody is ever like um Nicole so make sure that when you're on the iss that you also um, bring us world peace if you could do that too. But that would be ideal.
21:33.90
Nicole Stott
Yeah, yeah, and I you know but I look at it like Wow if it raises if it raises like ah, a global kind of awareness of the fact that that microcosm exists.
21:47.97
talknerdy
In.
21:53.42
Nicole Stott
And that you know the work going on. There has been done with a continuous human presence representing the planet really you know through that cooperation you know for over 20 years now peacefully successfully on you know the same greater good mission together and nobody's forced to do it.
22:00.50
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
22:10.93
talknerdy
No, they want to? There's like a long line of people who want to? yeah.
22:12.57
Nicole Stott
Right? Nobody's forced to say yeah it's it's like begging to be part of this partnership and and understanding the value in it and you know and I would say longer term you know the science is always going to be part of these kinds of exploratory missions and stuff and these journeys and. And yet the relationships that we have developed because of it I think historically, that's going to be. You know, just the legacy of something like the international space station program where where I really do think we see for the last time you know ever going forward. You know off our planet and I think even on it on these. Explorations as 1 country. You know we're always going to be cooperating in some way with with people from around the world to make these really challenging things happen and um, gosh I hope we don't ever stupidly. You know, go back to thinking. It's um.
23:00.30
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
23:10.96
talknerdy
Write.
23:11.40
Nicole Stott
You know a space race in a you know and and a truly competitive way. I mean there's always competition you know and that actually results in some very interesting solutions to things but that can be healthy. You know that could be a healthy part of the the process not a deliberately. Divisive part of the process and so in a station.
23:30.37
talknerdy
Yeah, there has always been this very american way of sort of view I don't know I was I remember talking about this on the other podcast that I work on on the skeptics guide we were talking about the movie arrival and we were discussing sort of ah the science fiction. Quote trope of you know aliens make contact and the approach is always like a military one and I was like I don't think trope. But I think that's absolutely what would happen and that's the thing that kind of makes me sad is that it's almost like defense first everything else next and if it were more like.
23:56.30
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
24:05.70
Nicole Stott
And here.
24:09.62
talknerdy
Cooperation First like the way that we have long been doing science and had science Diplomacy from Lab to lab to lab around the world because this is one of the things we see all the time we see American and Russian scientists co-publishing we see American and Chinese scientists co-publishing. Um, ah, all the time.
24:20.79
Nicole Stott
Okay.
24:26.14
talknerdy
And and yet and yes of course there are political. Um ah influences there and there are you know it's It's more complicated than than just um, it rises above but really in many ways it does Rise above.
24:37.51
Nicole Stott
Yeah, yeah I mean I know there's purpose in all of all of that. Um and and and with respect to the defenive defensive side of things too. But I think going in guns blairing is not the way to ah approach things.
24:42.93
talknerdy
M.
24:50.85
talknerdy
Right? right.
24:54.10
Nicole Stott
And you know I mean I really am kind of this. Um you know looking at it from the this star Trek future of things and you know there were there were conflicts within that you know that kind of expression of sci-fi futuristic. Um.
25:00.10
talknerdy
Yeah.
25:11.30
Nicole Stott
Fantasy and stuff as well. But oh my gosh you know sci-fi has brought us so much. You know when it when it transforms from sci-fi to sci-fact, you know and we we're experiencing in our daily lives all the time I'm always looking and saying okay that thing about my phone that's Star Trek I'm sorry that came from Star Trek You know.
25:18.49
talknerdy
E.
25:24.26
talknerdy
Right? yeah.
25:28.17
Nicole Stott
Or that you know and even you know now with the the days of the plague here and and Covid you know, walking into these buildings with the where everybody's got the the thermometer that's measuring your temperature and I'm like that tech that is space tech it was used to measure you know distances or temperatures between planets and.
25:45.54
talknerdy
Um, ah so cool. Yeah, yeah, and how quickly we get used to it and like take it for granted.
25:47.31
Nicole Stott
Things in space and you know all kinds of smarter stuff than I know anything about but I know where it came from and but we don't in our daily lives pay attention. It's just this. It's just there you know? And yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's why it really upsets me when I hear. Commentary about? Oh yeah, What am we spending all this money in space those billionaires spending their money in space when we need to be solving the problems here on Earth and I'm like oh my gosh. Thank you billionaires for for looking at space as an answer to this I mean because I think Publicly It's like oh you know they're just taking these little joy rides and stuff and.
26:14.63
talknerdy
Right.
26:21.82
Nicole Stott
And God bless him for getting to take the joy ride but the um because all of us want to do it it.
26:26.91
talknerdy
Yeah I think I'm of 2 minds about it because I do I completely agree like somebody has to do this and fund it and fund it the right way and I want to continue to see this I personally and I know I'm saying this to an astronaut but I am ah if all things being equal I am a.
26:34.40
Nicole Stott
Yeah. Yeah.
26:45.47
talknerdy
Ah, bigger fan I should say of like robotic missions. Um I think that there's only so many things there's only so far that that our our meat sacks can take us um because it's not healthy for you to be in space and.
26:54.51
Nicole Stott
Think.
27:01.40
talknerdy
I Would love to hear a little bit about what your experience was like like is your are you? okay like did you in terms of the amount of time that you spent there did you suffer any consequences. Let's good.
27:06.22
Nicole Stott
Yeah, yeah, no I mean and I think that's because we you know as we're going and learning along the way we're we're employing countermeasures you know things to help us counteract as much as we humanly know about um.
27:19.88
talknerdy
Right.
27:26.60
Nicole Stott
Our experiences there to counteract. Um, you know these implications of being in a microgravity environment where you know as soon as you get get there. Your body's going into like an accelerated osteoporosis kind of thing. It's it's wonderful I mean our brains and our bodies are amazing in how they adapt.
27:36.92
talknerdy
He yeah.
27:42.87
talknerdy
Oh I can't believe you don't like just instantly lose consciousness when you're like blasting off of the surface of our planet like did could you were you awake during all of those G forces. Do you stay awake.
27:44.79
Nicole Stott
To New environments right? Yeah, it's incredible. Yeah yeah, and you know I mean on the on the space shuttle on our our like modern day. Um. Spacecraft I think you know 3 to four G's is the max that you experience it right now it might increase on some of the the future vehicles that were like you know, landing on orion and stuff like that I think there's going to be increased forces but for short periods of time but the um space shuttle.
28:02.53
talknerdy
Mm ok.
28:19.61
Nicole Stott
You know 3 to 4 g's through your chest. It's it's like 3 or 4 of you sitting on your chest while you're going through it. But it's tolerable. It's better than 3 or four g's like pulling that in an airplane where it's coming through your head like through you know your body that way. Um.
28:21.71
talknerdy
That's still a lot though isn't it. Yeah.
28:29.79
talknerdy
Right.
28:34.98
Nicole Stott
But you know it's like we get to this microgravity environment and now you're floating and it's the most liberating feeling and you're Flying. You know I mean I dreamed about that I actually had dreams about running and jumping and trying to fly you know and being frustrated when it wouldn't happen in my dream and and there I was getting to do that and our. Our brains and our bodies figure that out. You know you very quickly start moving gracefully in 3 dimensions and know which little handrail you need to you know, just push gently on to roll and flip and get into that next module. But at the same time kind of on the negative side.
29:09.50
talknerdy
M.
29:11.32
Nicole Stott
Our brains and our bodies figure it out and they're like hey I don't need bones or muscles anymore to survive in this environment I'm not going to waste any energy maintaining those things you know and and I mean it's like we're programmed to respond to the environment we're in so that we can survive and so.
29:16.18
talknerdy
You're right? Yeah yeah, right.
29:30.00
Nicole Stott
We have to counteract that you know we exercise 2 hours a day. You know we try to manage our food in a way that's a countermeasure all of it the the level of you know cotwo in the atmosphere. All of these get the way we clean our air. All of that is about you know, healthy. Wellness kind of when you're in space so that you can come back and live in gravity.
29:50.54
talknerdy
So you can come back? Yeah because if you're just gonna yeah if you were gonna be there indefinitely. It may not matter because you're I mean it probably still would matter. But but you would be adjusting to that micro gavity but coming home then you have to readjust.
30:05.46
Nicole Stott
Yeah, you know and I mean you mentioned it. It's like ah the the fleshy part of us the the meat bar body parts going off to these other places and I agree you know I mean I think there's such a again, It's a partnership right? You know how we employ our robotic missions to go so much further than we.
30:07.38
talknerdy
To being home Right. No.
30:17.98
talknerdy
Right.
30:24.64
Nicole Stott
I mean think if we hadn't set you know I'm like thinking about Voyager I'm going to do ah a symphonic event in New York in a couple weeks and they're focusing on Voyager and it's just to think about that you know and like that was a pretty long time ago that that you know 45 years when that spacecraft ventured forth in the first time and actually.
30:32.59
talknerdy
Oh cool.
30:44.60
Nicole Stott
We hadn't done that forty five years ago and said oh nope we can't do that until we can send people there. It's not. It's it's the pathfiners for us the you know where do we go? What will we learn? You know how you know just getting those pictures back. Ah, you know cassini with those little dots alight under the rings of saturn and like oh my gosh that's us and.
30:46.84
talknerdy
Right? exactly? yeah.
30:56.90
talknerdy
And.
31:03.41
Nicole Stott
Learning more about ourselves or those things but you know when we go to Mars for the first time. Um I don't know if we're going to be spinning that spacecraft yet with artificial gravity I hope we are but that's what you probably know better than me what eight nine months of travel in a mic.
31:14.12
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
31:21.97
Nicole Stott
For the most part, a microgravity environment and yeah, a lot of radiation so figuring out in the missions we're doing now how you manage that for the human and then how do you get to Mars where there is some gravity on Mars you know small but there so how do you get.
31:22.33
talknerdy
With a lot of radiation a lot.
31:30.92
talknerdy
Yeah, ming.
31:41.46
Nicole Stott
To Mars and you know roll off your spaceship and be able to walk and function and build the habitats you're going to need and you know plant the gardens and all of those things that you're going to have to do to create this place that wasn't you know built for you to survive.
31:54.81
talknerdy
Exactly like it. It may be beautiful and there may be awe and there may be wonder but we cannot forget the the beauty and the awe and the wonder of being here with rainbows and waterfalls and lushnet like if we live on Mars we living in lava tubes like let's be honest, you know what? I mean. Like we're not or we're living like in in modules we're not just walking around outside. That's just not a reality.
32:17.37
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and you know and it is and it's going to be the the views that we think about it now in the history of human spaceflight every you know the farthest. You know what are we 250 to three hundred miles up above the planet relatively close. You know, low earth orbit on our space station.
32:30.67
talknerdy
Are.
32:36.00
Nicole Stott
And the farthest those apollo guys went for us was you know 250000 miles to the moon all of us as human beings who've who've flown in space have had that that work of art out our window that.
32:41.56
talknerdy
E.
32:50.32
talknerdy
Right.
32:53.10
Nicole Stott
Colorful glowing view of earth out the window and you know the apollo guys they had the whole planet. You know like seeing this this whole planet out there. You go to Mars at some point earth doesn't look like earth out the window anymore. It's like a star. Yes, and so.
33:05.48
talknerdy
Oh it looks like a star the same way Mars looks like a star to us. Yeah.
33:12.69
Nicole Stott
You know so that reality is going to be very different and how we you know I know as human beings we will be able to manage it. But how do we? How do we psychologically take that into account as we're going to these places and then you know you think about like the O'neian um.
33:14.23
talknerdy
Yeah.
33:29.76
Nicole Stott
Space stations and stuff you know living you know millions of people living in orbit as well. You know you look at the renderings for those things they're like you know they're like that microcosm you mentioned again, it's like trying as much as possible to create the reality of earth within that mechanical life support system.
33:32.87
talknerdy
Oh.
33:45.20
talknerdy
Right? But it's still a mechanical life support system I just I can't get past thinking. It's just like a cruise ship and I don't go on Cruise ships. They freak me out. You know what? I mean and like they there's just something that's what and I have a fear of norvis. Ah.
33:48.17
Nicole Stott
Yeah. Well I have ah somehow have a fear of the Rogue wave but you know what? yeah, there's that on top of it. Yes, there's that too.
34:04.21
talknerdy
Yeah, it's you know? yeah.
34:05.54
Nicole Stott
But you know we try we try to recreate it and I think that's you know that's part of like the humanity of it is wanting to take that with us. It's the it's it's like it's why I took a paint kit with me to space. It's why my friend Karen yeah, it quilted while she was in space or people are writing poetry and taking. Do in photography. It's because there's the you know the human is in the loop there and you want to have that with you and I think the nature that surrounds us here on earth is absolutely something that we consider part of our humanity and want to take with us to other places as well. I can tell you the the science experiment the plant experiments on the space station are.
34:36.40
talknerdy
Yeah I think.
34:43.63
Nicole Stott
You know every crew member's favorite. You know who? yeah yeah.
34:44.44
talknerdy
Yeah, right? green? Yeah yeah, yeah, um I I Just I think about this experience that you just beautifully described of having our you know Pale Blue dot. But of course for you Very very large out the window as this sort of I don't know like coming from a psychology perspective because that's where I'm at in my career I'm I'm training to be a clinical psychologist now. Um, ah I think about grounding exercises for anxiety right? when when people are experiencing acute panic.
35:03.22
Nicole Stott
Oh.
35:09.48
Nicole Stott
Ok.
35:21.51
talknerdy
We often will utilize grounding exercises literally putting your feet on the ground breathing into your belly. Um, ah, noticing the things around you I do something called or a lot of a lot of therapists do something called a 5 4 3 2 1 grounding exercise where you're like listing things that you can see here feel taste touch.
35:24.46
Nicole Stott
A.
35:40.24
Nicole Stott
Yep.
35:40.72
talknerdy
To to bring you back to the ground and of course Earth is kind of ever present when you're on the space station does it serve as sort of a a psychological ground for you.
35:49.63
Nicole Stott
You know, absolutely and I um you just summarized chapter 6 of my book stay grounded and I mean honestly, it's like.
35:56.87
talknerdy
Ah, love it.
36:04.13
Nicole Stott
Um, that that view out the window even though you know it it was. It was so weird. It's like wow'm I Always like to say at whatever point that was a point in time. It's like that's the farthest I am from the planet. You know that I've ever been from the planet because I hold hope of going to the moon one day you know or getting back into space somehow. But.
36:16.21
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
36:22.44
Nicole Stott
To be in that Place. You know, separated that way looking back at Earth and honestly feeling more connected to it to to it to everyone to everything that you know is part of it than I realized I was when I was feet on it. And and I think that's the you know we talk about this how when you can separate from things get a new perspective on it. You reestablish your connection to it or this understanding of your relationship with it and I think that absolutely happens through through the windows of the spaceships and. Um, I think every crew member you know they might not understand it or think about it as grounding but um, you know in that sense. But I think the way they describe it would be that you know that's what you would hear from them and man you know, just in. Um, when I got back to earth.
37:11.16
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
37:21.50
Nicole Stott
The first time it it was like man. How do I how do I recreate that feeling I had that not just what I was seeing but what I was feeling what was getting into me. You know what I had opened my heart my mind to is I was in that place floating looking out the window working with my crew there. And I had never meditated before going to space and that became I ended up just really, really? Coincidentally there was this gentleman and Tom Cronin you should check him out in Australia who's.
37:40.97
talknerdy
Oh interesting. Okay.
37:53.44
talknerdy
Mm.
37:54.23
Nicole Stott
Um, was working on this project called the portal and wanting to get you know millions of people engaged with meditation and understanding this idea of inner space and groundedness and how much that can positively influence your life overall and you know really believing that that that is one of the things that we all need to do to. Solve our most challenging problems here on earth too and ended up having he wanted to have a conversation and so we did and then he ended up like doing like 5 video meditation lessons with me that were just it was so cool and so I got introduced to it that way.
38:12.81
talknerdy
M.
38:25.30
talknerdy
Cool.
38:30.41
Nicole Stott
And then I just kept exploring more things and I mean I tell the story in the book of you know going online to find a yoga mat and discovering what you just described this whole concept of earthing and I mean really and I'm like oh my gosh. That's it you know, staying grounded earthing the planet as our ground and.
38:38.71
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
38:45.50
talknerdy
Ah, okay.
38:49.60
Nicole Stott
And that there is this kind of electrical charge to the earth itself as well and when our feet are connected to it. There's this balance that's going on and but but recognizing that like becoming you know, like viscerally aware of it and so every day every day I am standing in the grass.
39:06.92
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, ah.
39:09.50
Nicole Stott
Now or the dirt or the sand or whatever it might be and I just consciously acknowledge that my feet are on a planet and it's so cool isn't it.
39:15.23
talknerdy
Yeah I can I mean I can imagine that the opposite and um I can only imagine but you can tell me that the opposite of that experience is a groundlessness like did you ever find yourself having kind of an existential moment when you were on the iss.
39:29.18
Nicole Stott
Aha.
39:34.58
talknerdy
Witnessing all these sort of like sunrises and sunsets witnessing this sense of sort of like what is up what is down like did you get a weird groundlessness ever. Mm.
39:42.74
Nicole Stott
Yeah, but I think it was grounding is the thing you know it was. It was so different right? and I think a lot of times we go you know and I just remember it through training and stuff there was this idea that things are going to be more difficult you know because you're floating and you got it, you know and they weren't. More different. They were different right? You had to learn how to move in this this world of 3 dimensions and float versus walking and well I mean we Sleep. You could just.
40:01.70
talknerdy
Um, okay, well don't you have to sleep like strapped into your bed like how does that work.
40:14.90
Nicole Stott
Float in sleep if you wanted but then your hair's going to get caught in velcro or you might you know run in this Bonk your noggin on something. Yeah, that wouldn't feel too good. So we I mean we we just strap our sleeping bags to the wall or ceiling or whatever and in the space station. We each had individual crew compartments about the size of an old phone booth which.
40:16.60
talknerdy
To f right? you know bump into that.
40:33.60
Nicole Stott
Ends up being perfect amount of space and but you just float inside the sleeping bag and kind of you know, strap yourself in whatever way feels most comfortable, but absolutely the best sleep I've ever had Oh my gosh. Yes, it was the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life. The best sleep and.
40:40.20
talknerdy
And you fall asleep. You can fall asleep that way like floating ok all right? Ah so cool.
40:52.58
Nicole Stott
So yeah, but that I mean like you say like it. It's different and and we we do we adapt to it and there's every crew member probably astronaut will tell you something about you know this was uncomfortable to me or if you know going to the bath I mean whatever it is that was so different to them that they. Didn't necessarily like it but still considered it part of the adventure. Um I think it speaks a lot to to who we are and then when you bring that all that experience back to Earth. You want to I don't know I just find myself wanting to have the feelings that I had when I was in space again.
41:12.69
talknerdy
E.
41:29.25
talknerdy
Right.
41:30.83
Nicole Stott
And you know the meditation the the earthing the I kind of think of it from you know Ah, really really blessed to have had that opportunity to be in that very unique environment. Such a special vantage point perspective on our planet. And then to stand on it kid and look up I mean you know that there's equal on wonder at looking up and acknowledging your feet are on a planet and and and letting that sink in like oh my gosh I'm on a planet that's spinning a thousand miles an hour
41:52.51
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:07.62
talknerdy
Ah, yeah, it's true and we just don't even have that sort of realization because we're so adapted to it.
42:10.15
Nicole Stott
Yeah, you know and no, it's just and I think what you said earlier about us just having you know this. It's like we we forget about it. You know we it's it's like we're just in this place where were were able to forget about it because.
42:26.30
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
42:28.87
Nicole Stott
It's just so perfectly designed for us and and yet I think it's we should wake up every morning with being just consciously aware of it like acknowledging it every day like oh my gosh I live on a planet. We're all earthlings.
42:44.10
talknerdy
Ah, yeah.
42:45.76
Nicole Stott
Only border that matters that thin blue line of atmosphere and what am I going to do today. Be able to behave like a crewmate not a passenger I mean those are the things you know I came back to earth with and they are with me every day and I want everybody you know stand in the dirt look up I mean I'm looking out my wetno right now at this.. There's not a cloud in the sky. It's perfect blue and it looks like it goes on forever and yet it's just this veil wrapped around us that's protecting us same way that thin metal hole of my space station did and yet every day down here I'm not.
43:10.70
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:20.39
Nicole Stott
As aware of that deadly vacuum of space as I was on my spaceship and we should be and we should be have. Yeah yeah.
43:22.64
talknerdy
Right? It's just a bigger system. Yeah yeah, absolutely it's still a system still everything depends on everything else is just bigger. Um, which affords us the luxury of not noticing all the time you know I have to ask because you know, especially with this conversation about. Um, perspective and about kind of tapping into these experiences. 1 thing that translates for you between your life in space and your life at home has been your artistic endeavor I mean you are an artist and you brought art.
43:55.50
Nicole Stott
And.
43:58.74
talknerdy
To your work and then of course you brought your work home in your art and I'm curious how you know making something in space or how making something now here on the planet that is reflective of your experience in space or and or under the ocean really? um ah how that keeps you connected.
44:10.79
Nicole Stott
Yeah, wow. It's like it's it's integral to my mission I think now now in so many ways and ah you know to have that painkit on board. The space station was really a. Ah, you know a coincidental thing I'm so thankful to my friend Mary Jane Anderson who was also my flight crew equipment person who was helping me pack all my stuff to go on that first space flight and and her just suggesting hey Nicole you know you're gonna be living there. Not just working there for months you know, take something with you. That you enjoy doing on earth and you know that turned into paint with watercolors in space and then when I retired from Nasa you know trying to find my way. How am I going to uniquely in some way share the experience I had there on so many levels and I just kept coming back to that. That opportunity to paint space. It's like I mean it's one of those ways that we put the human and human spaceflight by bringing those things with us and it's been going on since the earliest days of humans in space. You know whether it's art or music or poetry photography. Um, you know whether.
45:11.41
talknerdy
You know.
45:23.78
Nicole Stott
Astronauts were doing that in space or when they came back. You know my friend Al Warden god bless him you know, not with us anymore. But apollo 15 guy who the way he like to summarized and like cathartically for himself as well. Ah. His whole spaceflight experience was through a book of poetry called hello earth and you would never have known it and and I just think it speaks so so beautifully to how even those you know those apollo guys that you would think of as just the you know the right stuff kind of thing.
45:55.37
talknerdy
E.
45:58.24
Nicole Stott
They all had some other kind of creative human side to them that they wanted to bring to space with them as Well. And yeah, and now you know back here on Earth Um, art has become both like my personal way of trying to share the experience but also. Um, using it through the work we're doing with the space for art foundation and just like we like to say uniting a planetary community of children through the on wonder of space exploration and the healing power of art and you know I guess in short space the and art therapy stuff. But just.
46:30.13
talknerdy
Um, yeah I Love that.
46:33.82
Nicole Stott
Yeah, and I mean I think I um I don't think I know that it it was probably the second art session we did with these kids in pediatric cancer centers where I'm like man this is my next mission in life I got to go to space so I could do these projects with these kids around the world.
46:44.18
talknerdy
Ah.
46:51.27
Nicole Stott
You know kids that are going through. The worst thing you hope they ever have to deal with in their lives and they come into these sessions and space as the inspiration is allowing them to kind of transcend that experience they're having there and you know and they're talking. They're sitting up straighter and stronger and they're talking to me about.
47:02.56
talknerdy
We are.
47:10.39
Nicole Stott
Their future. Um, because of of space exploration and then they're creating something beautiful. That's going to be put into a you know a community art project with other kids and they'll see that as part of something bigger and yeah so much about it that just. You know, resonated so wonderfully with me and I never would have thought I mean if you to asked me before I'm flu in space. Okay is art. Nicole is art going to be the way that you I would have said no I would I was said I'm going to do art. But I you know as I always have but I wouldn't have thought that it would be just the. Kind of the focus of what I'd be using to share the experience and move on to that next that next mission.
47:53.38
talknerdy
Yeah, and I mean it does that So beautifully like you said through through the foundation seeing something that you know it has face validity. It's it's obvious that when a child engages with art and especially art like otherworldly art right? that that it it ignites something in them.
48:07.70
Nicole Stott
Yeah.
48:12.87
talknerdy
But we also it's there's also a science here and I mean apropos of our conversation last night when I was looking online I literally stumbled on an article that was published in nature like three days ago called beauty and wonder of science boosts researchers. Well-being and it's literally and ah.
48:15.49
Nicole Stott
1 on.
48:28.62
Nicole Stott
Um, has.
48:32.87
talknerdy
And experimental or actually this is more survey driven. But um, but an investigation into how biologists and physicists associate things like aesthetics with their work and they found these researchers that those people were more resilient during Covid that they had higher levels of wellbeing.
48:48.37
Nicole Stott
And her.
48:52.74
talknerdy
Those who appreciated the awe and the wonder and the beauty in their work. How cool is that.
48:53.39
Nicole Stott
Um, yeah, and so you know if they're doing that then they're appreciating it in the world around them just in general. Ah yeah, you'll have to send me the link because I'd I'd love to share that too and and and learn more from it I just.
49:00.77
talknerdy
Absolutely yeah.
49:11.87
Nicole Stott
I Don't know I Love the the psychology of it too since that's that's your thing as well. I mean I've I'd love to hear as well because I I Just think there's so much to this and and these kids you know that we work with and it's like there's this beyond their ears wisdom that comes out of them. It's just incredible and.
49:26.17
talknerdy
Yeah.
49:30.00
Nicole Stott
And I mean ah I think the moment where I discovered this was my next mission was talking to this one young girl I mean she was like seven years old she's in there for cancer treatment. She's got this cute little hat on because she's got no hair you know and she's. Um, working on space art with me and I she might have been paint her dog I don't know we never tell him you have to space paint something spacey and but what you know and but or just putting blobs on the paper on the kyot canvas I don't know but.
49:49.70
talknerdy
Ah dog with the helmet. Why not? yeah away.
49:59.35
Nicole Stott
Um, she just started talking to me and I think it's so relevant in what what we were talking about earlier in terms of humans going farther off the planet as well and especially to where earth won't look like earth anymore. It's like she's you know Miss Nicole what you do as an astronaut and flying in space that must be a lot like what I go through in the hospital here. And I'm like you know you got to keep the smile on your face right? and I'm thinking I'm I'm just kind of shocked by this statement. She just kind of matter of factly made and then she just keeps painting and talking and she's you know she goes on. She's like yeah you know you don't. You're flying in space. You don't get to see your family and friends the same way you can't just go outside anytime you want they're doing all kinds of tests on you. Your body's changing. You have to eat different kinds of food I think you've got the radiation to and I was floored by this.
50:39.21
talknerdy
Um, yeah.
50:50.94
talknerdy
Ah, the insight.
50:52.72
Nicole Stott
I mean I've got not just goosebumps on my arms but like down my legs every time I think about it because that was I mean talk about beyond your year's wisdom and just the philosophy in that the psychology of it all of it. The awareness and and that. Conversation she was having with me I'm like man. Yeah, it made me know we are especially with the work we're doing with the foundation. We will never stop doing if we don't do anything else. We will always be doing these these projects with these kids and and yet there's so much more to it. You know we think about astronauts. On those journeys in a relatively small spacecraft. It's not going to be that martian movie 1 right? off the bat and how how will we deliver these kinds of things for them. Yeah I mean I'm hopeful. It'll be like the star trek holodeck but you know how do we? How do we provide an outlet for that.
51:33.88
talknerdy
Yeah.
51:42.78
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
51:48.93
Nicole Stott
Creativity for that. Um, kind of human need for that. All that wonder you know in the work to to come to them in those places and it's the same kind of thing as what we were doing with these kids in the hospitals and stuff and. We just got to make sure that we are purposefully thoughtfully incorporating that into the missions not just thinking about the spacecraft design but thinking about how the humans the the the meaty ones as you say will will be participating in this and will stay healthy and well.
52:15.35
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah. Absolutely well gosh I've already kept you longer than I said I would Nicole, but you know what I always close every episode by asking my 2 guests the same questions. They're big picture pretty profound questions. Although you don't have to answer that way. Um, and.
52:21.72
Nicole Stott
As part of it.
52:35.98
Nicole Stott
That.
52:39.80
talknerdy
Course I think that goes along well with the work that you've done So I'm curious I'm curious how you will answer these questions, especially given your your perspective and your experiences So are you ready for them all right? Yeah, ah we'll just edit out the really long pause where we have to think about it. Um.
52:51.80
Nicole Stott
I'm ready. We'll so what we'll see won't we yeah.
52:58.62
talknerdy
So when you think about the future in whatever context is relevant to you. It could be informed by your work. It could be personal familial. Um, ah communal. It could be global or I often jokingly say cosmic. But in your case that may apply um, number 1
53:12.26
Nicole Stott
Death.
53:17.89
talknerdy
What is the thing that keeps you up the most at night the thing you're most concerned about ah maybe there's ah a borderline kind of ah pessimism or a cynicism there. You know you really are quite quite um, concerned but then on the flip side of that to to leave on a more positive note. Where are you finding your hope your optimism your excitement.
53:38.37
Nicole Stott
Wow! Well I think I think the answer to both of those um, kind of falls on the same thing and we've talked about it a little bit already is I Really really worry that you know that people.
53:45.93
talknerdy
E.
53:56.66
Nicole Stott
Struggle to find their way to acknowledge their role as a crewmate and um so that that scares me Gosh Gosh How do we open? people's hearts and minds to the awe and wonder that's around us every day you know even in the harshest conditions I think we need to have our our hearts and minds open to that.
53:59.50
talknerdy
Yeah, yeah.
54:16.39
Nicole Stott
So I worry about how do I help help people you know, become more aware of that I'm I'm hopeful that the book will help do that. But I I think there's there's just more to it. You know than that and I want people to to acknowledge that awareness to to bring it into their lives and then I'm hopeful because.
54:17.42
talknerdy
Yeah.
54:35.45
Nicole Stott
There is awe and wonder around us everywhere and um and we can find a way to open ourselves up to that and when we do you know, just good things come from it. Ah I Personally believe you know a material example of it is the work that we've done. Together as an international community on the international space station and that if we you know if we pay more attention to how we've done that in that little microcosm I Love that you know, um and how it is yes orders of magnitude when we look at on a planetary scale but it's.
55:11.67
talknerdy
Yeah.
55:11.73
Nicole Stott
We've done more complex things I think it's totally doable and and we have wonderful examples out there of of people really really working hard to make that happen.
55:21.00
talknerdy
Here here. Everybody the book is back to earth what life in space taught me about our home planet and our mission to protect it by Nicole Stott Nicole thank you so much for being here. It was such a thrill.
55:33.18
Nicole Stott
Thank you Carl my pleasure.
55:37.34
talknerdy
Ah, and everybody listening. Thank you for coming back week after week I'm really looking forward to the next time we all get together to talk nerdy.
