Cosmic Queries – A Stellar New Year

About This Episode

What will first contact with aliens be like? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice say “Happy New Year!” by answering a grab bag of fan questions about aliens, string theory, moon landing skeptics, and more!

Will our first contact with aliens mean doom for us all? We explore why that might not be the case. Is it all just a projection of ourselves? Are we all just worms on a street? Is it true that string theory requires ten dimensions? Are particles points or strings? Learn about electrons, electricity, and matter in higher dimensions. What is a positron? 

If we wanted to create a second moon how would we do it? We explore how much stuff it would take and the impact of gravity. Is it possible to make anything other than a sphere? We ask: Why is there so much skepticism about the moon landing? Is there any believable way it could’ve been faked? We break down moon landing deniers and why they’re right– just kidding, they’re completely wrong. 

We explore plans to return to the moon and the commercialization of space travel. Are there any resources on the moon that we could use? Could we make Disneyland on the moon? Could people live there? At 1% of Earth’s mass, it’s a small world, after all. Discover NASA’s history with commercial industries and how exploration and research often pave the way for industry. All that, plus, hear Neil’s reflections on the past year, and hopes for the new one. 

Thanks to our Patrons Mahina Knuckles, Robert Slosser, Brandon Herbst, Joshua DeNoyer, Chazz Gencarelli, christopher manley, Michelle Foster, Lunavyx, Kenneth Freeman, and Andrew Staupe for supporting us this week.

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