Where the unexpected is expected, Special Edition is StarTalk’s place for a medley of general interest science subjects including human performance, health, technology, and more! Special Edition covers more human and lifestyle aspects of science to help illuminate the world around us.
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Is the whole universe actually a “jinn particle”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly hang out with astrophysicist Charles Liu to answer questions about the nature of gravity, dark matter, and why we don’t actually know how the solar corona gets hot.
Can AI help us model biology down to the molecular level? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn about Nobel-prize-winning Alphafold, the protein folding problem, and how solving it could end disease with AI researcher, Max Jaderberg.
Can you trust medical information on the internet? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly team up with pharmaceutical scientist and social media “medfluencer” Morgan McSweeny (aka Dr. Noc) to break down common internet medical myths from Big Pharma to raw milk to vaccine hesitancy. Plus a discussion with filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy from Shot in the Arm.
How do you recreate a brain circuit in a dish, and what can it unlock about our minds? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore the frontier of neuroscience with Sergiu Pașca, to break down stem cells, how the brain forms itself, and assembloids: self-organizing brain circuits.
Could we create an atmospheric sun shield to halt the effects of global warming? Should we? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly are joined by climate scientist Daniele Visioni and sociologist Holly Jean Buck to explore the science and ethics of deliberately altering Earth’s climate.
Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to space farming, we dig deep into the secret world of plants.
Is your gut controlling your brain? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, & Chuck Nice dive into the gut-brain connection, GLP-1, and how this connection plays a role in conditions like anxiety, IBS, and even neurodegenerative diseases with gastroenterologist Emeran Mayer.
What does the future hold? Neil deGrasse Tyson teams up with comic co-host Chuck Nice, Gary O’Reilly, and astrophysicist Charles Liu to break down our visions of the future – and take Neil to task on his own predictions.
Is nuclear power the key to sustainability? With data centers consuming massive amounts of energy, can we keep up? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly & Paul Mecurio discuss the physics, safety, and future of nuclear reactors in a world of increasing power demands with nuclear engineer Kathryn Huff.
Why does magic fool us so easily? Is our perception of reality just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly explore the neuroscience behind magic with magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) and neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde.
