September 12, 2019 9:00 pm

Friday, Neil deGrasse Tyson Explores the Broadcast World with Larry King

He’s a broadcast icon, he’s deeply engrained in the zeitgeist, and he’s on this week’s episode of StarTalk Radio. Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Larry King to explore the ins and outs of his career, his approach to interviews, and a lot more. In-studio, Neil is joined by comic co-host Chuck Nice, neuroscientist Dr. Heather Berlin, PhD, and media scholar Robert Thompson, PhD.

We’re all familiar with Larry King. And if you aren’t, one picture of him will spark something deep inside your pop culture rolodex that says, “I know that guy…”. Some people might not know that Larry is still doing interviews. Some of my recent favorites are with comedian Nick Kroll and comedian John Mulaney.

On this show, you’ll learn why Larry always prefers not to talk when he can. Find out why Larry has had such longevity in a business full of rapid changeover. We discuss his “lack of preparation” and why it might actually be a better way of approaching interviews than preparing with extensive research.

Media scholar Robert Thompson, PhD, drops into the studio to help us understand why Larry has turned into an icon over the last couple decades and what makes him such a great host. Larry discusses his relationship with technology and why he’s always ready to push against it. We explore the changing media landscape and why most talk shows are now host-focused.

You’ll hear Larry’s thoughts on his own success and why translating success into his personal life has often failed. Heather weighs in on how different personality types handle control. We also explore why knowledge works like a drug to someone who is constantly intellectually curious. Discover what sparks Larry’s curiosity, and Heather tells us why curiosity can sometimes function as a vortex.

Lastly, you’ll learn who Larry, Neil, Chuck, and Heather would want to interview, alive or dead. All that, plus, find out what each of them would ask God in an interview.

Please join us tomorrow night for The Pursuit of Knowledge, with Larry King at 7pm ET right here on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you’re a StarTalk+ Patron or 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