Guest: Dr. Michael Brooks, author of "13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries Of Our Time," was the guest for this Space Show program. We started our discussion with Dr. Brooks regarding the things he talks about in his book, focusing in on dark matter, the placebo effect, the WOW signal, cold fusion, Pioneer 1 & 2, Viking, homeopathy, and free will. Listeners asked many questions about these issues and we explored each of them in some detail. We also talked about other issues such as chemical rockets, science agendas and funding, general public expectations of science, science education, politics and science, and political and journalistic knowledge about science. You will want to hear this discussion and remember Dr. Brooks, who is a quantum physicist in the UK, brings to the table unique perceptions that we do not get to hear all that frequently on The Space Show. We did cover the space topics in his book in detail and talked about the value of space development and exploration and what it can mean for us all. We talked about space funding and programs in the UK and the United States. I asked Dr. Brooks what issues almost made the book but did not. One was ultra high energy cosmic rays. Listen to what he says about this item. Another was gravity and he is contemplating a sequel that may address gravity but that would be several years down the road. A good portion of our discussion centered on science and the place science should have in our world. We also related it to the social sciences and other disciplines. Towards the end of the program, we talked about how little science understands about life and death and the work being done by serious people to see if one can live indefinitely. Contrast the end of the show with this topic versus the start of the show with time travel. Please visit his website, www.michaelbrooks.org. The website for his book is www.13thingsthatdontmakesense.com/. To contact Dr. Brooks with a question or comment or inquiries about his book, please use info@michaelbrooks.org or the forms on either of his websites under the Contact link.