StarTalk

Science, pop culture, and comedy collide on StarTalk! Astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, celebrity guests, and scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! Click here for more information.

Aug 15, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 49

Cosmic Queries – Cosmological Curiosities

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!

This false-color mosaic of the central region of the Coma cluster combines infrared and visible-light images to reveal thousands of faint objects (green). Follow-up observations showed that many of these objects, which appear here as faint green smudges, are dwarf galaxies belonging to the cluster. Two large elliptical galaxies, NGC 4889 and NGC 4874, dominate the cluster's center. The mosaic combines visible-light data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (color coded blue) with long- and short-wavelength infrared views (red and green, respectively) from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescop

Aug 8, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 48

Are They Here? with NASA UAP Chair, David Spergel

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.

Aug 1, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 46

Things You Thought You Knew – What is Energy?

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!

The CLIMAX Event was a 61-kiloton device detonated on 4 June 1953, at the Nevada Proving Ground (NPG).

Jul 25, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 45

Things You Thought You Knew – Where the Sun Don’t Shine

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.

This oblique view featuring International Astronomical Union (IAU) Crater 302 on the Moon surface was photographed by the Apollo 10 astronauts in May of 1969. Note the terraced walls of the crater and central cone. Center point coordinates are located at 162 degrees, 2 minutes east longitude and 10 degrees, 1 minute south latitude. One of the Apollo 10 astronauts aimed a handheld 70mm camera at the surface from lunar orbit for a series of pictures in this area. The large crater at right is Keeler (used to be called 302), and to its left is Heaviside. This is on the far side, not on the limb as viewed from Earth. The official designation of this photo is AS10-32-4823.

Jul 18, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 43

The Story of Space Imaging with Carolyn “Madam Saturn” Porco

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.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft photographs Earth from Saturn, 900 million miles away. Earth is pointed out by an arrow.

Jul 11, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 42

Cosmic Queries – Life on Other Planets with Aomawa Shields

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.

This artist’s impression shows the first interstellar asteroid: `Oumuamua. This unique object was discovered on 19 October 2017 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawai`i. Subsequent observations from ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile and other observatories around the world show that it was travelling through space for millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system. `Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 metres long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Jul 4, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 40

Cosmic Queries: Until the End of Time, with Brian Greene (Re-Release)

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.

Galaxies NGC 1531 and 1532. Image Credit: ESO/IDA/Danish 1.5 m/R.Gendler and J.- E. Ovaldsen.

Jun 27, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 39

Cosmic Queries – Mirror, Mirror

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!

Composite image showing the visible and near infrared light spectrum This is a composite image showing the visible and near infrared light spectrum collected from Hubble's ACS and WFC3 instruments over a nine-year period.

Jun 20, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 37

Cosmic Queries – Discovering Exoplanets with Gáspár Bakos

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.

Panorama of the Milky Way galactic plane stretching over Bontecou Lake in Dutchess County, New York.

Jun 13, 2023 – Season 14 Episode 36

Cosmic Queries – Black Hole Paradox with Matt O’Dowd

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.