Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Rev. Richard A. D'Souza - the incoming Director of the Vatican Observatory! He takes the reins from Br. Guy on September 19, 2025.Co-Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Rev. Richard A. D'Souza, Sj was born in 1978 in Pune, India and hails from Goa, India. His initial school years were spent in Kuwait. From 1990, he moved back to his home state of Goa, India and joined a Jesuit school.After finishing his schooling, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1996, and finished his two years novitiate in Belgaum, India. This was followed by a year of study of the humanities (Juniorate) in Pune. In 2002, he completed his graduation in Physics at St.Xaviers' college in Mumbai and proceeded for his Masters in Physics to the University of Heidelberg, where he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy for his thesis work.He returned to Pune in 2005 to complete a Bachelors degree in Philosophy. In 2007, he founded and ran the St. Paul's Community College in Belgaum to help school dropouts find gainful employment. After finishing his Bachelors in Theology in 2011 in Pune, he retuned to Goa and ran a popular theology programme for the laity called "Deepen Your Faith".In 2012, he started his doctoral studies in Astronomy at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, in Garching, Munich, graduating in 2016. In 2016, he formally joined the staff of the Vatican Observatory as well started at the same time a postdoc at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In 2019, he moved to the headquarters of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. Since 2022, he has been serving as the Superior of the Jesuit community attached to the Vatican Observatory.Vatican Observatory website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/Follow Rev. D'Souza on Bluesky.Intro music: Irreducible by ComaStudioFinale music: Cinematic Documentary by Lexin_Music
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An Anthropologist at the Vatican Observatory
Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Dr. Deana L. Weibel - a cultural anthropologist whose work focuses primarily on religion, especially the topics of pilgrimage, sacred space, the mutual influence of scientific and religious ideas on each other, and religion and space exploration. She spoke to us on those topics… and science fiction movies, as well!Co-Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Dr. Deana L. Weibel: A Space Anthropologist and Anthropologist of Religion.She spent a month in 2019 at the Vatican Observatory, studying "the Pope's Astronomers;" from mid-March to mid-April 2019, where she conducted ethnographic research including interviews, attended daily activities and events, and got to know the astronomers and staff. Vatican Observatory website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/ Follow Deana on: Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and Bluesky. Intro music: Irreducible by ComaStudioFinale music: Cinematic Documentary by Lexin_Music
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Steeped in Science
Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Dr. Michelle Francl about her book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, which explores the chemistry behind different styles of tea. The book caused quite a stir with various international news agencies - and a virtual firestorm in Britain.Dr. Francl was also a guest for the Vatican Observatory podcast in Dec. of 2021 with an episode named: A Taste for Heavy Water. Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Dr. Michelle Francl: The Frank B. Mallory Professor of Chemistry at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, and an Adjunct Scholar for the Vatican Observatory.Vatican Observatory website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/Michelle's Blog: https://quantumtheology.blogspot.com/Intro music: Irreducible by ComaStudioFinale music: Cinematic Documentary by Lexin_Music
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Man on a Mission (or two)
Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Br. Bob Macke about being a team member of two asteroid missions: the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, and the Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids. Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Br. Bob Macke, SJ: Curator of meteorites at the Vatican ObservatoryVatican Observatory website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/Macke Makerspace: https://www.youtube.com/@MackeMakerSpaceGaliLEGO Stop-Motion video: [Link] Intro music: Irreducible by ComaStudioFinale music: Cinematic Documentary by Lexin_Music
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From Humble Beginnings
Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Charles F. Bolden Jr. during the 30th anniversary celebration of 'first light' into the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope.Hosts:Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation.Guest:Charles F. Bolden Jr.: Marine Corps Major General (retired), space shuttle astronaut and former NASA Administrator, Vatican Observatory website: https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/Intro music: Irreducible by ComaStudioFinale music: Cinematic Documentary by Lexin_Music
The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest and most accomplished observatories in the world… which surprises people who have limited understanding of Church and science. In this podcast, you’ll hear from Vatican astronomers and their accomplished special guests as they explore the wonder of God’s surprising universe.
South Africa