A recent podcast featuring Cosmic Encounter designer Peter Olotka is making the rounds, and it is well worth a listen. The Little Metal Dog Show caught up with Peter and had him share about 50 minutes' worth of insights into Cosmic Encounter, its history, and the current state of the game.
It's also worth noting that there's quite a bit of juicy news concerning the Dune boardgame, including the first public mention that I've ever heard that the new version of the game — Fantasy Flight Games' Twilight: Dune or Dune: Imperium or whatever — will actually be produced.
There's also some fascinating stuff about the somewhat troubled history of the Dune game, including Peter talking directly with Frank Herbert himself at one point. Look for the Dune content at roughly the 32-minute mark.
The podcast is available as a direct download from the Little Metal Dog site or as a free podcast at the iTunes Store.