StarTalk Radio

Can MDMA make you a better person? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the neuroscience of empathy, psychopathy, and MDMA in the brain with neuroscientist Ben Rein, PhD.

Is gravity fundamental to the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore quantum physics, the fourth dimension, whether H2O is water, and the many-worlds interpretation with theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin, PhD.

What would aliens think of our inventions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions on Maxwell’s Equations, the symmetry of the universe, and the physics around us all the time.

Could we find life around low-mass stars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice find out why life might be more likely around low-mass stars, what makes brown dwarfs, galactic archeology, and more with astronomer Emily Rice.

How certain are we about aliens? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer science questions from celebrities like Kevin Hart, Jack White, Nikki Glaser, and more!

Will Neil take back what he said about Pluto? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore planets, dwarf planets, and the Kuiper belt with planetary scientist and principal investigator for the New Horizons Mission, Alan Stern.

How is new tech helping protect the rainforest? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn how space technology is helping uncover illegal gold mines and protecting the Amazon, with illegal mining expert Larissa Rodrigues and Earth researcher Jennifer Holm.

Are black holes places or objects? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab-bag questions about distorting spacetime, Olbers’ Paradox, singularities, the shape of the universe, and more with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

What is the Sun’s ecliptic? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the things you thought you knew about spheres in the universe, navigating the sky, and taking spacecraft out of orbit.

What can we learn from eclipses? Janna Levin joined by comedian Matt Kirshen and professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Columbia University, Joe Patterson, discuss the 2017 eclipse, binary star systems, supernovae and more. What is an eclipse on Jupiter like?

Is space infinitely stretchable? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore fan grab bag questions about supermassive black holes, Planck lengths, and the gravitational wave background with extragalactic astrophysicist and host of PBS Space Time, Matt O’Dowd.

What is the value of curiosity? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with William Shatner to explore the nature of spacetime, Star Trek, human curiosity, loneliness, and more. How would warp drive work?

Is aging a disease that can be cured? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly discover the field of epigenetics, the Information Theory of Aging, and curing blindness for mice with Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, David Sinclair.

What happens to quarks during spaghettification? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions about positrons, how we got the speed of light, where the Big Bang took place, and more!

Neil deGrasse Tyson, co-host Harrison Greenbaum, and astrophysicist Janna Levin answer questions on the far away and the far out, including Andromeda's impending collision with the Milky Way, white holes, a holographic universe, and more. Prepare to get trippy!

Is there a quantum reason we could have free will? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the concept of free will and predetermination with neuroscientist, biologist, and author of Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will, Robert Sapolsky.

What happens after death? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer science questions from celebrities like Kelly Clarkson, Dax Shepard, Sway Calloway, and more!

What do two physicists think about the movie Oppenheimer? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with theoretical physicist Brian Greene to discuss Robert J. Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project, the science in Christopher Nolan’s film, and the dawn of quantum physics.

How do you make some things stay hot and others stay cool? Neil deGrasse Tyson, with the help of comedian Chuck Nice, explains the physics of heat transfer, insulation, and why your Stanley cup can keep your drink cold during a fire.

What is depression? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the neuroscience behind major depression, its treatments, and the factors that contribute to this pervasive condition with neuroscientist Heather Berlin, PhD.

How do science competitions further innovation? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Peter Diamandis, Founder of the XPRIZE Foundation, to discuss science innovation, incentive competitions, and the future of space, longevity, AI, and more.

How do particles get entangled? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice, answer grab-bag questions about harnessing Hawking Radiation, bad places to construct wormholes, and whether running or walking in the rain makes you wetter.

What is one of the greatest displays of terrestrial physics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the physics of “The Tush Push” and the science in American football.

Why are some mushrooms delicious, some make you high, and some kill you? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover the weird world of mushrooms, psilocybin, and mycelia with mycologist Bryn Dentinger.

How do you stop the spread of anti-science rhetoric? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio break down disease prevention and the rise of anti-science with physician and global health expert, Peter Hotez.

What if time had multiple dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab-bag questions about Hawking Radiation, the speed of light, and how rare black holes are with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

Are rare diseases themselves rare? Neil deGrasse Tysonand comedian Chuck Nice learn about the science of gene therapy and how it can treat and potentially cure rare diseases with Gaurav Shah, CEO, Rocket Pharma.

What technology can we look forward to in commercial spaceflight? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover SpaceX, other space startups, and what is going on in the commercial space industry with engineer and executive Lauren Lyons.

Is industrial farming bad for us? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the future of food production, regenerative agriculture, and greenwashing with herdsman, land steward, and author Will Harris.

What is consciousness? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about the study of consciousness and how psychedelics could uncover the inner mechanisms of the brain with anesthesiologist and founder of the Michigan Psychedelic Center, George Mashour.

What would a wormhole actually look like? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down a grab bag of questions about nothingness, the nature of miracles, the role of AI in scientific discovery and more!

What is the greatest scientific breakthrough? Neil deGrasse Tyson answers co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly’s burning questions they have been saving all year about the age of the universe, the double slit experiment, and the nature of time. Is time even real?

How can we achieve interstellar space travel? We take a look back at when Neil deGrasse Tyson sat down with former astronaut and Principal of 100 Year Starship, Dr. Mae Jemison, to talk about our future living and traveling in space.

Can we grow food on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio learn about a new NASA project "Plant Trek" and the challenges of surviving on other planets with astrobiologist Kennda Lynch.

Can the grid handle a 100% electric world? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the carbon impacts of electric vehicles and achieving zero emissions with chemical engineer David Reichmuth.

Do psychedelics reveal a different objective reality? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about psychedelic drugs, treating PTSD, and other mind-bending research with President of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Rick Doblin.

Why have we not found the cure for cancer yet? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore paradigm shifts in cancer treatment, molecular biology, and a promising new cancer drug AOH1996 with City of Hope cancer researcher Dr. Linda Malkas.

What does JWST tell us about galaxy formation? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice answer questions about galaxies, measuring the distance of far away objects, dark matter, primordial galaxies, and more!

How would flying on Mars be different? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore aeronautics, aerodynamics, airplanes and more with NASA aerospace engineer and author Wendy Okolo, PhD.

Can a physics background help you win gold? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice discover how to use science to win with Dr. Edwin Moses, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the greatest hurdler of all time.

What would Isaac Newton think of today’s science? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer a cosmic cauldron of Cosmic Queries. From dark matter, to what aliens look like, the size of the universe, we answer a multiverse of questions.

How did movies change the Cold War? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about how apocalyptic films influenced us and began the first cybersecurity measures with Future of Life Award recipients and filmmakers Lawrence Lasker, Walter Parkes, and Nicholas Meyer.

Could we eliminate the number one cause of death? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly go to medical school to learn about heart health, the impacts of COVID, and the cardiovascular disease epidemic with physician Dr. Lipi Roy.

Is the universe infinite? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio go to infinity and beyond as we explore the origins of relativity, time travel, and the discovery of expansion with astrophysicist Janna Levin, PhD live from Pioneer Works in Brooklyn.

How do you take an incredible photo of the cosmos? In this extended conversation, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about how to start taking photos of space with astrophotographer and National Geographic Explorer, Babak Tafreshi. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: <> Thanks to our Patrons Sass Hoory, Paul Kemp, Tor Emanuelsen, Gavin M Benedict, Norman Pestsaina, David Wiester, and Brady Smith for supporting us this week.

What happens when we go to sleep? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the mystery of why we sleep, time dilation in dreams, circadian rhythms, and sleeping in space with neuroscientist Matt Walker.

Is Earth going to evaporate? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about exoplanet discovery, planetary evaporation, biosignatures and technosignatures with astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi.

A year isn’t what you think it is… Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore things you thought you knew about the length of a year, the dark side of the moon, and the physics of a moving system.

Where are the darkest skies in the US? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about dark sky efforts, light pollution, and cool places to stargaze with guests astrophysicist Matt O’Dowd, photographer Babak Tafreshi, and national park ranger Bradley Mills.

What is going on with eclipses? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about some upcoming eclipses and famous eclipses of the past with meteorologist and eclipse chaser, Joe Rao.

What are dark energy and dark matter? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about the Euclid Mission and our latest efforts to uncover the secrets of The Dark Universe with JPL Researcher, Jason Rhodes.

Are we thinking about the fundamentals of the universe wrong? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab bag questions about aliens, gravitons, and the big unknowns with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

Will an asteroid hit Earth in 2182? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about asteroid mining, OSIRIS-REx sample-return, and the origins of life with cosmochemist Natalie Starkey.

Are humans smart enough to uncover the secrets of the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the singularity, string theory, free will and more with theoretical physicist Brian Greene.

Is there such a thing as a quick fix? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn about the science behind a wave of new weight loss drugs, the ethics of Ozempic use, and off-label prescriptions with exercise scientist, Dr. Nick Tiller.

Would aliens think we are smart? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer grab bag questions on Chandrayaan-3, entangled particles in black holes, the shape of the galaxy, and more.

Hey StarTalk fans! This is a special presentation of Real Good, a podcast from US Bank. It's a show all about people helping other people. In their fifth season, you'll hear from incredible people – like Joelle Martinez, who you'll meet in this episode. If you like what you hear, head on over to their feed and subscribe today.

If someone else led the Manhattan Project, would it have gone differently? Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s film, and the creation of the atomic bomb with biographer Kai Bird.

Can you get addicted to anything? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of addiction, dopamine pathways, and what social media is doing to our brains with psychiatrist, Anna Lembke.

Why is the past different from the future? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore the universe’s deepest questions like why is there anything, what is the present, and if there could be a unified theory of physics with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll.

Does an evaporated black hole leave a trace? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian co-host Chuck Nice answer questions about the fabric of spacetime, black holes, cosmic evolution and more.

Is our experience of time a result of our perpetual movement? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore spacetime, metaphysics, the Brachistochrone problem and more with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

What is nothing? Does nothing exist? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore cosmological curiosities about the end of the universe, dark matter, and more!

Are the UAP sightings aliens here on Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian co-host Paul Mecurio discuss the congressional hearings on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) with astrophysicist and chair of NASA’s UAP independent study team, David Spergel.

How does food impact your brain health? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the gut-brain connection with Genius Foods author and science journalist, Max Lugavere.

How is energy different from matter? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down what energy is and where it comes from, ancient theories about sight, and how wheels keep us moving. Explore physics, thermodynamics, and more!

Does being in space mean there is no gravity? What does noon have to do with the Artemis Mission? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down weightlessness, planetary alignments, and what is going on on the south pole of the moon.

Is artificial intelligence taking over? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly discuss deepfakes, AI hallucinations, and whether AI really is intelligent with software engineer at X, the moonshot factory, Matt Ginsberg.

How much has space imaging furthered our understanding of the Universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn the story of cameras on space probes like Voyager and Cassini and the exciting science of Saturn with planetary scientist Carolyn Porco.

If scientists discovered that we are not alone, what would they do with that information? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about the search for life, habitability around M stars and more with astrophysics professor and author Aomawa Shields.

What is the biggest wave in the solar system? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of big waves with professional big wave surfer Kai Lenny.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Chuck Nice, and theoretical physicist and author Brian Greene answer questions from our fans about string theory, the fabric of spacetime, interstellar travel, free will, and the meaning of life.

Are entangled particles connected by wormholes? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer a grab bag of questions about the Fermi Paradox, Dinosaurs v. Aliens, our cosmological horizon, and more!

How do bikes and motorcycles stay up? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explain escape velocity, what’s going on with cricket, and the physics of bicycles.

How do we discover more exoplanets? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore telescopes, exoplanets, and more with professor of astrophysics and Principal Investigator of HATNet Exoplanet Survey, Gáspár Bakos.

Can we use gravitational lensing to view distant planets? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore black holes, quasars, entropy, and more with astrophysicist and host of PBS Space Time, Matt O’Dowd.

Can science help you survive in the Arctic? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about what happens to the body during starvation and harsh conditions with survival doctor and contestant on S9 of Alone, Dr. Teimojin Tan.

Is it time to rethink string theory? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore a mix of questions about the fundamental properties of the universe, particles, the speed of light and more!

Is your compass actually wrong? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore magnetic fields, why clocks go clockwise, and how phone numbers got their area codes.

What are the top myths in the health and fitness industry? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore pseudoscience, “quick fix” fads like Ozempic, and how to navigate wellness with exercise scientist, Dr. Nick Tiller.

How do supermassive black holes form? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice come to you live to learn about the history of black holes, what’s inside them, and new discoveries with cosmologist Janna Levin and astrophysicist Jenny Greene.

How will quantum computing change the world? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about the development of quantum computing and what it means for humanity with theoretical physicist Michio Kaku.

How can we use AI to explore the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab-bag questions about simulations, black holes, warp drive and more with astrophysicist and “Geek-in Chief” Charles Liu.

What is the weirdest planet ever discovered? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover bizarre exoplanets like Erebus, the impacts of living on a habitable moon, hot Jupiters, and more with astronomy professor David Kipping.

Have we disproven the idea of a “goldilocks zone”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio learn about space geology, magnetic fields, volcanoes, and the origins of life with cosmochemist Natalie Starkey, PhD.

What difference does the driver make? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the science of NASCAR in Neil’s interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the help of physicist Diandra Leslie-Pelecky.

Can you make something invisible? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Negin Farsad discover the science behind invisibility with professor of physics and optical science, Greg Gbur. What would real-life invisibility look like?

When will we create a livable habitat in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt Kirshen explore the possibilities of tessellated space structures, artificial gravity, and other challenges with Founder of MIT Space Exploration Initiative, Ariel Ekblaw.

What’s the maximum human lifespan? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore how to extend your longevity, the history of medicine, and how we can live better with author of Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity, Dr. Peter Attia.

What is infinity? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Negin Farsad explore whether we are in a finite universe, the issues with infinity, string theory, and more with theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander.

What does space sound like? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt Kirshen explore space sonification projects and Chandra x-ray data with astronomy visualization expert Kimberly Arcand. Hear what the supermassive black hole at the center of The Milky Way sounds like…

Can you predict your future health using genetics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore advances in genetic testing, polygenic risk scores, and the future of genetics with geneticist Dr. Stuart Kim.

Is it possible to make something invisible? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore transparency, how we measure time on Earth, and how airplanes have changed.

What do the early galaxies discovered by JWST tell us about the early universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore the expansion of space, dark energy, and the age of the universe with astronomer, Wendy Freedman.

What's the maximum a car can accelerate? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn how fast cars can really go, how tires work, and the differences between combustion and electric cars with host of Engineering Explained, Jason Fenske.

Can we go to warp speed? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer a grab bag of fan questions about the expansion of space, higher dimensions, and more!

How is chemistry different in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore cosmic chemistry, the periodic table, and more with Kate Biberdorf aka Kate the Chemist. Is the periodic table complete?

Can machine learning predict the outcome of basketball games? On this episode of StarTalk: Sports Edition, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Chuck Nice talk machine learning with computer scientist and author of The Factor Man, Matt Ginsberg.

What if the solar system had two suns? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice give a sneak peek into our patron-only Q&As with questions about the three body problem, galaxy formation, the alpha centauri system, and more.