From StarTalk.
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How much energy would it take to make a warp drive? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedians Pete Holmes and Sasheer Zamata explore the science in TV shows from antimatter annihilation to tachyons to warp bubbles speeding outside of spacetime with astrophysicist & science advisor for Star Trek, Erin Macdonald, and particle physicist & advisor for The Big Bang Theory and Oppenheimer, David Saltzberg. Recorded live in Los Angeles at The Novo Theater.
We begin with the unseen universe, tracing the history of light from William Herschel’s discovery of infrared to the modern detection of neutrinos. How common are neutrinos? You’ll learn about the sound of the cosmos as we discuss gravitational waves and how LIGO uses Einstein’s theories to measure ripples in spacetime smaller than an atom. Could we use gravitational waves to detect dark matter?
As we warp into the world of Star Trek, we examine how the franchise tracks real-world scientific milestones, from genome sequencing to the legacy of Vera Rubin. We break down the 100% efficiency of matter-antimatter annihilation, the theoretical math behind the Alcubierre warp drive, and why tachyons are a "get out of jail free" card for writers breaking causality. Could spacetime itself violate the speed of light? Plus, Sasheer shares what it’s like growing up with Trekkie parents and being named after a piece of Federation lore.
Finally, we dive into the "Superasymmetry" of The Big Bang Theory and the storytelling trade-offs you have to make in science fiction. Is everything symmetrical in physics? From 3D printers bringing us closer to replicators to the societal impact of Nichelle Nichols, we look at how science fiction provides a cosmic perspective on the future we are currently building.
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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!
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