August 16, 2018 8:46 pm

Friday, Neil deGrasse Tyson Explores Our Blue Planet with Legendary Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau and More

On this week’s new episode of StarTalk Radio, we dive deep into Earth’s oceans. Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with comic co-host Scott Adsit and marine biologist and ocean conservationist Laure Katz to help discuss his main interviews – usually we only have one main interview, however this week we have two! You’ll hear Neil chat with legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle and you’ll also hear him chat with aquanaut Fabien Cousteau.

Join us as we investigate how our oceans serve as functioning, living systems, as well as how human activity is impacting those systems. Learn about Sylvia’s influential career and how she serves as inspiration for many others. Sylvia explains what she was doing during the early days of human space exploration (Hint: it was as close as you can get to space exploration without leaving the Earth). And of course we ponder exploring other oceans found throughout our solar system, like the ones under the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa. One of my favorite parts of this episode is when Neil goes toe-to-toe with Sylvia and Laure about which is better: the deep blue sea or the starry night sky.

You’ll hear about Fabien’s shark-shaped submarine and Sylvia’s plan to create a national parks system in our oceans. Actor Adrian Grenier skypes in to talk about how he went from leading man to leading the charge to rid the world of plastics. Then, we get to meet submarine pilot Erika Bergman as she gives us a tour of her submarine and tells us her favorite place she’s ever taken it. I have a terrible fear of being trapped underwater but after hearing where she’s taken her submarine I just might join her on her next journey. (Maybe it’ll be on a Hunt for something Red during the month of October.)

As you’ll discover, Sylvia and Laure both had defining moments in their childhood that first sparked their love for the ocean. When I heard that, I realized I had my own similar experience two years ago when I visited the Great Barrier Reef. When you come in contact with something so breathtaking and unbelievably full of life it changes your outlook on the planet. As our two brilliant scientists say, in the upcoming years we can change the course of history in order to save our most vital resource – we just have to decide to do it.

Please join us tomorrow night for Exploring Earth’s Oceans, with Sylvia Earle and Fabien Cousteau 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 listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too.

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