The Neighborhood by Olivia

The Neighborhood by Olivia - August 2018 Scholarship Essay

Ever moved into a new subdivision, apartment complex, or other living space, and realized after some time that you don't know your neighbors at all? So, you break out your baking skills and invite the sweet couple next door over so you can to get to know each other. Now, let me tell you this: you've been living on our planet earth for quite a while now, so it's about time to get to know your stellar neighborhood.
"The Neighborhood" is a popular, educational podcast aimed towards the stars and beyond. Every week, another out-of-this-world episode is released, going into depth on a known star, planet, or galaxy per listener request. Each episode focuses solely on one of these celestial bodies. As it follows, every episode is vastly different from all the others. The podcast delves into the strange new properties, ideas, and facts unique to whatever astronomical place or thing is chosen for the week. Travel with us to the deepest reaches of space as we know it, and finally get acquainted with your galactic neighborhood.
From studying Kepler-16b, the planet where your shadow always has company, to gawking at the idea of diamonds raining on Jupiter, "The Neighborhood" covers it all. Learn about possibly inhabitable planets and their solar systems one week, and travel to the Andromeda galaxy the next. The universe is a bizarre, curious space, and too many people know too little about what looms over our heads every single day.
Because these episodes are describing many different astronomical phenomena, basic information regarding fundamental properties of physics and biology is included at the beginning of each week so that the episode is more enjoyable and easier to understand. For instance, Einstein's theory of relativity or Newton's principles are necessary to know to grasp some understanding of how some of these stars and galaxies exist. Of course, the podcast explains these fairly simply, as it is aimed at giving a basic foundation for the ventures it takes into deep space, and because its audience is a wide array of people: It ranges from the individual looking for some brain-twisting, educational content, to the full-on astronomy geek.
So, take a stroll next-door by subscribing to "The Neighborhood", and dive head first into the anomalies of the universe.