geekosystem

Today at 12:00 PM EDT J.J. Abrams and the cast of Star Trek Into Darkness will have a Google Hangout with astronauts, including Chris Cassidy, one of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station who recently went on a space walk to fix an ammonia leak on the station. You can watch the whole thing right here, and we even have the details on how you can try to get a question in.

In what is quickly turning into a verifiable "thing," the astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will be answering another round of your questions in a Google Hangout in just one hour. The Hangout, which will see Chris Hadfield, Kevin Ford, and Tom Marshburn field your inquiries about their life and work on the ISS, will run from 10:30 to 11:30 EST, because seriously, you didn't expect them to spend all day fielding questions, did you? These guys have jobs, you know. Like keeping the space station in orbit, just as a for example. If you think you could do that, too, though, by all means, watch with us this morning and find out if you've got what it takes to be an astronaut.

Was the State of the Union earlier this week fun, but just not enough President for you? Well, good news -- Obama is doing a Google Hangout, and we'll have the live stream right here. This isn't Obama's first "Fireside Hangout" -- he did one about a year ago -- but it's the first one of his second term, and hopefully a sign that these will be a habit going forward. Yes, it's going to be at least a little canned and PR-ish, but hey, it's the damn President, nothing's not at least sort of planned. Still, it's a fun way to be interactive that doesn't make anyone leave the office, and that works for us. Plus, you might get an answer for why the hell we still make pennies, and wouldn't that be nice?

Yesterday, we listened to William Shatner talk about life on the International Space Station (ISS) with astronaut Chris Hadfield, and it was pretty great. Why should Kirk have all the fun, though? Chances are you've got some things you'd like to know about what it's like to be an astronaut, too. Well, now is your chance to pick the brains of people whose lives are more awesome than yours, because they live in space, because later this month, NASA will be hosting a Google Hangout live from the ISS, and they'll be answering your questions while they do. So if you've ever wanted to know what flavor of astronaut ice cream is always left over after a mission or who the worst snorer in Earth orbit is, this is your time.

Sunday saw the first Large Hadron Collider physics beams of the year. Hooray! The scientists at CERN smashed together lead ions and protons in an attempt to study quark-gluon plasma, believed to be the primordial state of matter in the moments after the Big Bang. If that all sounds very complicated and you'd like someone to explain it you who really knows what they're talking about, now's your chance! Rather, Thursday is your chance. The folks at CERN will be hosting another Google Hangout to talk about the new beams, why they're using lead ions, and who would win in a fight between a mouse and a mammoth.