Cosmic Queries – A Ripple in Spacetime with Charles Liu

About This Episode

What if time had multiple dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab-bag questions about Hawking Radiation, the speed of light, and how rare black holes are with astrophysicist Charles Liu.

We break down the time dimension and how multiple time dimensions would change our concept of the past. Learn about the ripples in spacetime and if the universe was a 1950s Jell-O mold. Where does Hawking Radiation come from? Could it be that a black hole does not have an edge? We explain quantum mechanical tunneling and explore the mystery of what creates Hawking Radiation.

How many black holes are in our galaxy compared to stars? Neil and Charles break down the rations of stellar objects for us. Is the residual effect of the Big Bang fueling dark energy? We also discuss why consciousness is likely not a cosmic energy that can be quantified.

Learn about the speed of light traveling through different media. We explore the possibilities of combining artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Can someday a computer solve its own problems? What are the ethics of combining these powerful tools? Plus, discover who Charles Liu calls when he doesn’t have an answer.

Thanks to our Patrons Mapplicable, Sam J, Karen Goodger, Bean Mon, Brittany Mencotti, Jeremy Davidson, and Brian Giordano for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.