October 19, 2019 9:00 am

Big Changes at StarTalk!

As we prepare for the 11th season of the StarTalk podcast, we’ve got a few important changes and surprises that we’re very excited about.

First up, when the new season of the StarTalk podcast premieres this January, we are moving our publishing night from Friday evening at 7pm to 3pm ET Monday afternoon. Why such a big move, from the end of the week to the beginning? It turns out, many of you like to listen to StarTalk in your cars, or on your phones, on your way home from work or school each day. Well, we listened to you, so we’re moving our show to Monday afternoon, giving you more chances to listen to StarTalk when it’s convenient for you.

Second, we are officially saying goodbye to new episodes of StarTalk All-Stars and StarTalk Playing with Science. We’ll be keeping the existing episodes on our website and on YouTube, so you can still listen to and watch the science and sports you’ve come to enjoy. (Keep an eye out for more on our new YouTube channels in future posts, but until then, you can find StarTalk All-Stars here and Playing with Science here.)

Our first two spinoffs represented bold steps into new programming, but they were just that… first steps. The desire is still there: to look at science through different lenses, delivered by a diverse set of scientists and science communicators, and it is leading us to new and exciting podcasts and shows.

Starting this January, we are expanding the StarTalk podcast network footprint to include StarTalk Sports Edition, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Playing with Science experience has been more fun than anyone expected, and it turns out that Neil, who is a lifelong sports fan, has decided to take a more prominent role in our efforts to explore the seldom-considered marriage of science and sport.

Just as StarTalk uses pop culture’s ubiquitous appeal as the launch pad for science discussion and education, Sports Edition uses the rabid excitement of sports fandom to do the same. Gary O’Reilly (sports analyst, broadcaster, and former Premier League soccer player) and Chuck Nice (comedian, TV personality and StarTalk fan favorite co-host), who have done such an awesome job with Playing with Science, are staying on as Neil’s co-hosts. StarTalk Sports Edition will publish new episodes every other Friday afternoon at 3pm ET, just in time for the weekend’s big sporting events.

So, to summarize, in January, StarTalk will begin its 11th season in a new time slot, Monday afternoon at 3pm ET. We’re no longer producing new episodes of StarTalk All-Stars and StarTalk Playing with Science, but you can still revisit your old favorites on YouTube or on our website. And, most importantly, starting in January Neil deGrasse Tyson will be hosting a new night of StarTalk, StarTalk Sports Edition, twice a month at 3pm on Fridays, co-hosted by Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice.

We’ll keep you posted as we find out more about our new podcast, new schedule, and a couple of other, very exciting projects we’re not ready discuss just yet on but we’re sure you’re going to love.

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
– Jeffrey Simons