November 8, 2018 10:00 pm

Friday, Go Backward, Forward, and Sideways in Time with Neil deGrasse Tyson at NY Comic Con

Time is of the essence. Or is it? Will the laws of physics allow us to move backwards and forwards in time? On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson explores wormholes, black holes, time travel, and more alongside comic co-host Chuck Nice, Impractical Joker James “Murr” Murray, and theoretical physicist Brian Greene.

This episode was recorded live at the 2018 NY Comic Con and, as usual at NY Comic Con, the show did not disappoint. If you haven’t listened to our episode from 2017 NY Comic Con, it featured a wonderful and energetic conversation on human augmentation with former Mythbuster Adam Savage. You can find it right here.

However, let us not dwell on the past, let’s instead try and figure out if we can change it. To start our show, we venture into the world of the longest running science fiction show on television: Doctor Who.

Join us as we discuss whether time travel is theoretically possible. Find out why time travel to the future is different that time travel to the past. Brian guides us through the concept of using wormholes to get places quicker. Investigate the “chronology protection conjecture” which was first introduced by Steven Hawking. Explore the logic paradox that comes with traveling to the past. We also ponder whether humans are the only ones who perceive time.

Next up, dive into the quantum mechanics of Ant Man and the Wasp. Explore what physics says about shrinking things. Discover more about the empty space inside atoms. You’ll learn about “molecular disequilibrium, quantum entanglement, and the Many-Worlds interpretation. You’ll also hear about what Einstein called “spooky action.”

Lastly, we flip our world and investigate the Upside Down and parallel universes in the context of Stranger Things. Brian tells us a bit about string theory and the “brane” idea of multiple universes. As Brian says, “We could just be one slice of bread in a big cosmic loaf.” All that, plus Neil has a very special happy birthday wish for his wonderful, long-time birthday buddy, NASA.

Please join us tomorrow night for StarTalk @ NY Comic Con: It’s About Time! at 7pm ET right here on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you’re an All-Access subscriber, you can watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too.

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
–Ian Mullen