June 28, 2020 9:00 pm

Monday, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice Answer a Grab Bag of Cosmic Queries

One of the great things about soliciting Cosmic Queries from our fanbase is that we always end up with a lot of questions. That sad part being, we can never get to all of them. However, on this week’s episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice are diving back into the pile of unanswered questions to bring you a grab bag edition of Cosmic Queries!

What better way to start than by exploring black holes? You’ll learn if there’s anything that can survive a black hole. Neil tells us why it’s all fun and games until the tidal forces get hold of you. Find out more about the general theory of relativity, string theory, hawking radiation, and whether particles can reach the speed of light while falling into a black hole.

What would be more groundbreaking: discovering dark matter or discovering alien life? What do you think? Neil shares why he thinks it depends on what we discover about dark matter. We explore the possibilities of DNA-based life existing outside of our planet. Neil and Chuck debate about colonizing other planets and discuss why Antarctica is a prime example of why getting to Mars might take longer than we think.

Then, we investigate how budgets factor into the amount advancements we can make in STEM fields. We compare the annual government science budget to the annual military budget. Neil tells us why we’re probably a few centuries behind in human advancements.

Discover more about the horizon problem. Neil explains how astronomers came to the conclusion that the edge of the observable universe is about 43 billion light years away. We discuss Sir Isaac Newton and how he was able to immerse himself in his work even though a plague was happening – sound familiar? Lastly, Neil gives his thoughts on simulation theory. All that, plus, we ponder how to make science more prominent in the world.

Please join us tomorrow for Cosmic Queries – Get Some Space 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 watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too.

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