Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
Also pulls from https://www.youtube.com/@StarTalkPlus
From StarTalk. In this interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson and theoretical physicist Kip Thorne discuss a key scene from Interstellar where the protagonist, Cooper, enters a black hole and finds himself inside a tesseract—a four-dimensional construct created by an advanced civilization. This allows Cooper to experience time as a physical dimension and communicate with his daughter…
From StarTalk. What do you see when you look up? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice run through some of Neil’s favorite skywatching tips and other cool things you can see in the sky. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: How to Look Up 00:25 – How to Delay Sunset 01:40 – Is it Darkest Before Dawn?…
From StarTalk. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Anil Seth discuss the future of consciousness and artificial intelligence. The conversation explores whether consciousness can be uploaded or recreated in non-biological systems like silicon chips. While Tyson leans on physics and engineering optimism, the guest emphasizes biological complexity and argues that replicating consciousness may require the same biological…
From StarTalk. Why can’t you divide by zero? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss higher dimensions, dividing by zero, and math’s unsolved questions with math YouTuber Grant Sanderson (3blue1brown). We explore the Clay Millennium Problems: seven unsolved puzzles in mathematics, with a 1 million dollar prize. Grant shares his early fascination with the Twin…
From StarTalk. The conversation explores the critical distinction between intelligence and consciousness, particularly in humans, animals, and AI. While intelligence can exist without consciousness (as in AI), and consciousness can exist without high intelligence (as in animals experiencing pain or pleasure), the two are often wrongly conflated. The discussion critiques the adequacy of the Turing…
From StarTalk. Is medical misinformation just noise on the internet or a life-threatening epidemic? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly team up with pharmaceutical scientist and social media “medfluencer” Morgan McSweeny (aka Dr. Noc) to break down common internet medical myths from Big Pharma to raw milk to vaccine hesitancy. Plus a discussion…
From StarTalk. The interview explores how human consciousness is often framed as something uniquely special, a concept challenged historically by scientific discoveries like heliocentrism and evolution. The speakers delve into the “hard problem” of consciousness—how physical matter gives rise to subjective experience—discussing philosophical perspectives like dualism, materialism, and functionalism. They question the anthropocentric bias in…
From StarTalk. Where is the best place to put a satellite? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down LEO, MEO, and GEO, how they work, and what’s going on up there. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Earth Orbits 1:06 – Isaac Newton Discovering Orbits 2:25 – Low Earth Orbit 4:37 – Geosynchronous Orbit 7:23 –…
From StarTalk. The discussion highlights how exploring other planets, like Venus, helps us better understand Earth’s climate and conditions through comparative planetology, stressing the scientific and societal value of space missions. The conversation also underscores how physics underlies these discoveries, from atmospheric studies to heat transfer. From ‘Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye Catch Up’:…
From StarTalk. In this interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Professor Ebrahimi discuss the future of plasma energy and propulsion technologies. They estimate fusion energy centers could emerge within 5 to 10 years and explore how plasma propulsion could enable sustainable space travel, particularly to the Moon and eventually Mars. They touch on neutron-free fusion, helium-3…
From StarTalk. What happens to gravity when matter converts to energy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio dive into fan questions about the speed of light, time machine mistakes, and what Neil would do if he were an alien. Could a time machine land you in empty space because the solar system wasn’t “there”…
From StarTalk. 🚀 The conversation revolves around plasma rocket propulsion as a revolutionary alternative to traditional chemical rockets. The speakers explain how plasma rockets function using magnetic energy to generate high-velocity exhaust, which allows for efficient, long-term acceleration in the vacuum of space. Although unsuitable for launch from Earth, plasma propulsion is ideal for deep-space…
From StarTalk. The discussion centers around plasma, described as the fourth state of matter and the most abundant form in the observable universe. The conversation explains plasma as a soup of freely moving charged particles and explores its connection to fusion energy, such as that generated in the sun. The speakers clarify that while plasma…
From StarTalk. The conversation focuses on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, its purpose, technological improvements over its predecessor (Compton Gamma Ray Observatory), and its role in detecting high-energy gamma rays from space. The discussion dives deep into how it helps locate gamma-ray sources like pulsars, especially those previously undetectable, by stacking signals to improve signal-to-noise…
From StarTalk. Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. Could the Higgs field vary across space and time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions on cosmic inflation, quantum…
From StarTalk. The interview discusses the interplay between theoretical physics and experimental validation, referencing George Gamow’s imaginative way of simplifying complex physics concepts through storytelling. It transitions into how concepts like the Big Bang, quantum field theory, and entanglement—once theoretical—have gained credibility through data. They delve into the plausibility and challenges of quantum entanglement, particularly…
From StarTalk. How do you recreate a brain circuit in a dish, and what can it unlock about our minds? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore the frontier of neuroscience with Stanford neuroscientist Sergiu Pașca, to break down stem cells, how the brain forms itself, and assembloids: self-organizing brain circuits. What exactly…
From StarTalk. In this interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Richard Dawkins explore themes from Dawkins’ upcoming book “The Genetic Book of the Dead”, where Dawkins explains how organisms are living archives of evolutionary history—each trait a reflection of ancestral environments. They also reflect on natural selection’s precision versus human judgment, and discuss the challenges of…
From StarTalk. Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. What do we lose with the proposed budget cuts to NASA? Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down the US government’s history of funding the sciences…
From StarTalk. Neil, Chuck, and astrophysicist Tim Paglione discuss the fascinating nature of muons—subatomic particles that paradoxically reach Earth’s surface despite their extremely short lifespans. The explanation lies in Einstein’s theory of relativity, specifically time dilation. The conversation then broadens to explore cosmic phenomena such as supernovae and hypernovae, highlighting their staggering energy scales and…
From StarTalk. Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. How did Einstein’s work influence the world we know today? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Harrison Greenbaum team up with astrophysicist Janna Levin, PhD, to…
From StarTalk. In this conversation, host Neil deGrasse Tyson and guest Richard Dawkins reflect on philosopher Daniel Dennett’s view that Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is the greatest idea ever conceived. They explore why this insight took so long to arise in human history, despite centuries of philosophical reasoning. Dawkins points to cultural…
From StarTalk. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Greene discuss why string theory demands more than four dimensions, based on a mathematical constraint requiring ten dimensions for internal consistency. Brian Greene explains that our inability to perceive these extra dimensions is due to the limitations of our senses. The conversation explores the idea of parallel universes—or…
From StarTalk. How did galaxies form in the early universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and astrophysicist Charles Liu sit down to discuss the evolution of our timeline of the universe and how JWST findings are upending our understanding of galaxies. Will we have to rethink what a galaxy is? Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: The Most Distant…
From StarTalk. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Terry Crews discuss the evolutionary significance of muscles, touching on their social and biological roles. They explore how muscular strength once symbolized survival and attractiveness in tribal societies, but today may serve more symbolic or specialized purposes. They also contrast different types of physical builds for different survival tasks,…
From StarTalk. What can gamma rays reveal about supernovae and galaxy formation? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with astrophysicist Tim Paglione to explore the universe’s most extreme events. Discover how gamma rays, born from powerful explosions and shockwaves, help scientists unlock the secrets of high-energy physics and the cosmic forces shaping galaxies.…
From StarTalk. What are chemical reactions like in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with Kate the Chemist to explore how cesium helps us tell time, the elusive quest for the periodic table’s “island of stability,” how AI is revolutionizing chemistry, and more! We kick things off with a bang as we…
From StarTalk. Could we create an atmospheric sun shield to halt the effects of global warming? Should we? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly are joined by climate scientist Daniele Visioni and sociologist Holly Jean Buck to explore the science and ethics of deliberately altering Earth’s climate. Is geoengineering science fiction, or the…
From StarTalk. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Kip Thorne discuss the theoretical physics behind wormholes and time travel, exploring whether such a concept could allow someone to meet their younger self. Their conversation traces the origins of these ideas—from a pivotal phone call with Carl Sagan that sparked Thorne’s work on wormhole time machines, to the…
From StarTalk. Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. Did we find life on a distant exoplanet? Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronomer David Kipping discuss the discovery of biosignatures found on K2-18b, how…
From StarTalk. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Greene delve into dark energy and the cosmological constant from Einstein’s equations and how the failure of quantum theory to accurately predict dark energy reveals a profound gap in our understanding of gravity, suggesting that gravity and quantum mechanics may require a fundamentally new, unified approach. This challenge…
From StarTalk. What happens when two black holes’ event horizons overlap? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions about the north side of the magnet, the internal structure of other planets, dark matter, and more. Kicking things off with a question about mapping the universe using gravitational waves, Neil explains how LIGO…
From StarTalk. Sean Carroll and Neil deGrasse Tyson dive deep into the nature of reality through the lens of quantum field theory, exploring whether particles like electrons actually “exist” or are just vibrations in invisible fields. They trace the evolution of the idea of fields from Newton and Faraday to modern quantum physics, ultimately questioning…
From StarTalk. What makes photons fall? In this mind-bending exchange, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Terry Crews dive deep into how gravity interacts with light itself — and whether higher-energy photons like gamma rays “fall” differently than lower-energy ones like radio waves. They explore the mass-energy equivalence of photons, Einstein’s equivalence principle, and why even massless…
From StarTalk. Is there a limit to how small life can be? Or how big? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down scaling in physics, explain why small animals are so strong relative to their size, and why you can’t have a being the size of a galaxy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Size Matters…
From StarTalk. In this mind-bending conversation, Neil deGrasse Tyson and theoretical physicist Sean Carroll unpack the strange reality of quantum mechanics — from entangled particles and wavefunctions to Schrödinger’s legendary cat. What does it really mean for a cat to be both awake and asleep? And how does that tie into the idea that the…
From StarTalk. A big thanks to FUTURE of SPACE and their talented team of cinematographers for the additional footage from this voyage! Cinematographers: – Brendan Hall – Gabriella Canal – Tyler Brower Follow or Subscribe to FUTURE of SPACE @FUTUREofSPACE_official Website: https://futureofspace.io/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureofspace.io/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566710741346 About FUTURE of SPACE: FoS is a media company…
From StarTalk. Why do particles have mass? What’s the real story behind the Higgs boson and the mysterious Higgs field? In this mind-blowing conversation, theoretical physicist Brian Greene breaks it down with Neil deGrasse Tyson, using vivid analogies and explosive insights into particle physics. From the moment particles gain mass by “burrowing through” the Higgs…
From StarTalk. Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to space farming, we dig deep into the secret world of plants. We start by looking at plant awareness—do plants know they’re…
From StarTalk. What does it take to truly thrive on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Terry Crews tackle grab bag questions about Mars colonization and magnetic fields. They explore whether we could develop technology to generate an artificial magnetic field to shield future Martians from deadly radiation. Would living underground defeat the dream of life…
From StarTalk. 🔬 Is the universe stitched together by wormholes? New theories suggest that the fabric of space-time might not be a smooth field but a web of quantum-entangled wormholes connecting virtual particles. In this mind-bending discussion, we explore the Casimir Effect, how quantum entanglement could equal wormholes and why cutting these "threads" could unravel…
From StarTalk. How do we detect ripples in spacetime? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum explore black hole collisions, quantum tricks, and how gravitational waves can help us uncover the early universe with MIT physicist and LIGO researcher Nergis Mavalvala. What are gravitational waves, and how do they stretch and squeeze spacetime? We break…
From StarTalk. Terry Crews and Neil deGrasse Tyson open up about their wild and painful experience on Hot Ones. From hallucinations to explosive aftereffects, they reveal the brutal experience of surviving the show’s hottest wings. Which sauce made Terry and Neil scream for mercy? How did the final fiery sauce push them to their limits?…
From StarTalk. Did the Big Bang explode like a bomb, or is that just a misconception? Neil deGrasse Tyson, co-host Paul Mecurio, and astrophysicist Charles Liu dive into one of the biggest questions in cosmology: what actually happened at the start of the universe? We explore the origins of the term “Big Bang” and how…
From StarTalk. What is the advice that most shaped you? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with friend & astrophysicist Charles Liu to compare notes on the advice they got as young people that helped influence who they are today. Were they always on the path to become astrophysicists? Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Comparing Advice 00:50…
From StarTalk. Kip explains how science, not fiction, shaped the film’s narrative—from the colossal waves on Miller’s planet to the physics behind black hole time dilation. Discover the recipe for how to create a wormhole and how turning on a time machine could cause it to self-destruct. Plus, learn about the Casimir effect, exotic particles,…
From StarTalk. How likely is an asteroid to impact Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice sit down with planetary scientist Rick Binzel, the creator of the Torino Scale, to discuss asteroid hazards, the results of the asteroid sample return, and the search for Planet 9. Rick, a former MIT professor and OSIRIS-REx investigator, has…
From StarTalk. Is your gut controlling your brain? Neil deGrasse Tyson, co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice, dive into the gut-brain connection, GLP-1, and how this connection plays a role in conditions like anxiety, IBS, and even neurodegenerative diseases with Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist. What exactly is happening inside your digestive system? Emeran,…
From StarTalk. Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. Could we accidentally destroy all our satellites? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore Kessler Syndrome and the risks of space debris. What would…
From StarTalk. Huge thanks to KiwiCo for sponsoring today’s video! Go to https://www.kiwico.com/startalk and use code STARTALK for 50% off your first monthly club crate! What happens when you put Captain Kirk, a NASA astronaut, and Neil deGrasse Tyson on a ship to Antarctica? Find out in this special episode recorded on board with William…
From StarTalk. Discover the origin story of the movie Interstellar on its 10th anniversary. Kip explains how science, not fiction, shaped the film’s narrative—from the colossal waves on Miller’s planet to the physics behind black hole time dilation. From ‘The Science of Interstellar with Science Advisor, Kip Thorne’: https://youtu.be/4f9V-8BHONo Get the StarTalk book, ‘To Infinity…
From StarTalk. What is harmonic motion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down the physics behind the movement of pendulums, rubber bands, and springs. Plus, Chuck takes a stab at calculus! Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Harmonic Motion 00:36 – Forces That Get Weaker with Distance 01:33 – Forces that Get Stronger with Distance 03:27…
From StarTalk. Why don’t quantum physics and the theory of relativity mix? We discuss the mysteries of quantum gravity, the paradox of black hole information loss, and Kip’s legendary bet with Stephen Hawking and John Preskell. From ‘The Science of Interstellar with Science Advisor, Kip Thorne’: https://youtu.be/4f9V-8BHONo Get the StarTalk book, ‘To Infinity and Beyond:…
From StarTalk. What does it really mean for us to be made of stardust? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio answer fan questions about particle colliders, time travel, and what existed before the Big Bang. The discussion begins with the Superconducting Super Collider – the massive Texas project that could have revolutionized particle physics…
From StarTalk. Could we create warp drive someday? In this Star Trek-themed episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice team up with astrophysicist Charles Liu to dive into the science, technology, and legacy of one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time: Star Trek. From ‘The Science of Star Trek with Dr.…
From StarTalk. What does the future hold? Neil deGrasse Tyson teams up with comic co-host Chuck Nice, Gary O’Reilly, and astrophysicist Charles Liu to break down our visions of the future – and take Neil to task on his own predictions. The conversation kicks off with the accuracy of science fiction predictions. Are we living…
From StarTalk. We take a look at NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will perform flybys just 25 kilometers above the moon’s surface, the hosts marvel at the engineering feat of sending a spacecraft so far from Earth. Discover how The Clipper’s onboard instruments will give us an unprecedented glimpse into the chemistry of Europa’s hidden…
From StarTalk. Is “now” just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio answer questions on the Higgs Field, dark energy, and the feasibility of Dyson spheres with astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi. We discuss Hakeem’s role as CEO of the Astronomical Society, and his work on NASA’s IMAP satellite, designed to study the boundary…
From StarTalk. What can we learn from gravitational waves beyond just detecting them? We explore the structure of spacetime and the speed of gravity. How do gravitational waves offer a deeper understanding of the universe’s invisible framework? From ‘Answering Questions About Why the Big Bang Happened, The Shape of the Universe & More’: https://youtu.be/QEoL0PNaIK4 Get…
From StarTalk. Do particles ever collide or do they just get really really close? What forces govern these interactions, and how do fields and forces influence the behavior of matter? Charles reveals the almost magical dynamics of gravitational and electromagnetic forces, while Neil ties it back to Newton and Einstein. From ‘Answering Questions About Why…