StarTalk Radio

Could humankind outlive the Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are ready to get spooky. We’ve gathered your fan-submitted Cosmic Queries that explore all things death, from the death of humanity to the death of the universe.

What is fire? How do gravitational waves ripple through space-time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum answer grab bag questions about why supernovae form black holes, photons, the singularity, and more!

Are we all living in a simulation inside our brains? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the root of perception, if AI really is intelligent, and The Free Energy Principle with theoretical neuroscientist Karl Friston.

What is life? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice tackle assembly theory, artificial life, and the origin of lifeforms in the universe as we revise the definition of life with astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker.

What does a black hole sound like? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Chuck Nice explore the sounds of the universe using JWST and Chandra X-Ray Observatory data with astrophysicist and data sonification expert Kimberly Arcand, Live at Guild Hall.

Did early humans sing before they could talk? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discover how music helps us recall memories, the Singing Neanderthal Theory, the default mode network, and how music can be used as medicine with neuroscientist and author, Daniel Levitin.

Why did Oumuamua, the first discovered interstellar object, accelerate faster than it should? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore the mysteries of the newest objects in the solar system: “dark comets” and interstellar objects with astrophysicist Darryl Seligman.

Can time itself die? Astrophysicist Charles Liu is back in the hosting hot seat alongside comic co-host Chuck Nice to explore black holes, big bangs, our understanding of time and how it relates to the universe.

Is math discovered or invented? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Chuck Nice explore information theory, talking to aliens with prime numbers, Mandelbrot sets, and why math is often called the "language of the universe" with Grant Sanderson, the math educator behind YouTube channel 3Blue1Brown.

How close are we to enabling astronauts to go into deep sleep for long space journeys? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly team up with Ryan Sprenger, Senior Research Scientist at Fauna Bio, to explore whether humans can hibernate like animals do.

Will alien life look like anything on Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice deep dive into questions about astrobiology, revisiting the Drake Equation, and life beyond Earth with NASA astrobiology strategist, David Grinspoon a.k.a Dr. Funkyspoon.

What would life be like for astronauts on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice dive into the world of simulated Mars missions with Commander Kelly Haston, who recently completed a NASA analog mission in a simulated Mars habitat.

Was Lamarckian evolution actually right? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly learn about the new field of epigenetics and how the lived experiences of past generations can get passed down genetically with neuroscientist & epigeneticist Bianca Jones Marlin.

Can nuclear fusion become the ultimate renewable energy source? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions about transporters, the smallest unit of time, expansion, and other ideas that push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.

What do you wish you had learned in school? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice go back to school to answer questions about simulation theory, time dilation, white holes, the sound of space, and more!

How do we uncover distant planets’ secrets? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the recent discoveries in exoplanet study, exo-moons, and finding the stars from our sun’s stellar nursery with astronomer and head of Cool Worlds Lab, David Kipping.

Could we use robots to explore the oceans of Enceladus? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Harrison Greenbaum dive deep into the EELS Project, sending a snake-like robot to Enceladus with Matthew Travers, a roboticist at the Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

What happens to the human body in deep space? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore tissue engineering, Wolverine & Deadpool’s healing style, and the science to help humans adapt to long-term space travel with biomedical engineer Ronke Olabisi.

What’s happening just outside a black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly travel to Oxford University to explore the mysterious universe of black holes, their accretion disks, and the impact they have on the world around them with astrophysicist Steve Balbus and theoretical physicist Andy Mummery.

What would we do if a life-destroying asteroid was coming our way? Bill Nye and comedian Chuck Nice answer questions about planetary defense, asteroids in space, and sci-fi technology.

What is the three body problem? How will the universe end? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the case of Planet X, why the three body problem is unsolvable, and prevailing theories on how the universe will come to an end.

What could we do to hide from the aliens? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions about human radio wave signals, strange matter, universes inside black holes, and other physics questions!

Would you want to live forever? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and author, inventor, and futurist Ray Kurzweil discuss immortality, longevity escape velocity, the singularity, and the future of technology. What will life be like in 10 years?

Who really built the pyramids? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about space archaeology, LIDAR, and discovering tombs, pyramids, and new Nazca lines with space archaeologist Sarah Parcak.

What are the physics present at the Olympics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly with the help of Charles Liu, explore the science in some of the newest additions to the Games with pro-breakdancer RoxRite and freestyle BMX rider Nikita Ducarroz.

What is the nature of quantum physics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice get quantum, exploring Schrodinger’s Cat, electrons, Hilbert Space, and the biggest ideas in the universe (in the smallest particles) with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll.

What is flavor? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of what makes some foods tastier than others, what is “umami,” and how flavor changed in the 20th century with food scientist Arielle Johnson.

Did JWST discover dark stars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the dark universe and how learning about dark matter could help uncover the mystery of JWST’s primordial objects with theoretical physicist Katherine Freese.

Has JWST found potential alien worlds? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen learn about exoplanet discovery on the frontier, how higher oxygen gave us dinosaurs, and what type of life could be out there with astrophysicist and astrobiologist Lisa Kaltenegger.

What awaits us beyond our solar system? Janna Levin and comedian Matt Kirshen answer questions on interstellar travel, black holes, and the furthest reaches of our universe. What mysteries can we uncover once we venture further beyond our home star?

How do particles get mass? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover squarks, sneutrinos, the Higgs boson, and whether dark matter has a particle with theoretical physicist Brian Greene.

Can you make a computer chip out of neurons? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly explore organoid intelligence, teaching neurons to play Pong, and how biology can enhance technology with neuroscientist and Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs, Brett Kagan.

Is there anything in the universe that is not moving? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions about stillness, humans on Mars, and what songs they would add to the Voyager Golden Record.

Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with evolutionary biologist and author of The Genetic Book of the Dead Richard Dawkins to talk about evolution, whether we were “designed,” how we are living reflections of our ancestors, and much much more.

Could the universe be composed of a single electron? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab-bag questions about the multidimensionality of time, quantum chromodynamics, gluons, tachyons, and more with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

Could a coronal mass ejection wipe out all electronics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen learn about The Carrington Event, eclipses, and how the Parker Solar Probe doesn’t melt with heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta.

Who better to answer questions about science fiction in TV and movies than Bill Nye? Bill and Chuck Nice flip channels between “StarTrek,” “Star Wars,” “Lost in Space,” “Back to the Future” and more!

You ever feel like just makin’ stuff? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice sit down with the master of making stuff – Adam Savage. They answer fan-submitted questions about creativity, MythBusters, engineering, and a whole lot more.

What does science say about alternative medicines and health fads? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the science behind alternative medicine with director of National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Helene Langevin, M.D.

Could quantum computing solve the three-body problem? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedians Jordan Klepper and Tiffany Haddish discuss how quantum computing will change the world with theoretical physicist Michio Kaku live at the Beacon Theater.

What is chemistry? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice take fan questions on exothermic reactions, PFAS, ice cream, sugar, fire, and more with Kate Biberdorf, aka Kate the Chemist.

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.