Cosmic Queries – The Big Stretch

About This Episode

What is fire? How do gravitational waves ripple through space-time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum answer grab bag questions about why supernovae form black holes, photons, the singularity, and more!

First up, where do photons come from? What are they? Neil gives us a crash course on photons, potential energy, and why falling out of a window is bad news. He explains how energy can be stored in atoms and how photons are born when electrons move between energy levels. Neil even shares some candle-making tips from his personal experiences.

We explore gravitational waves, the groundbreaking discovery in 2015 that confirmed Einstein’s century-old prediction. Neil breaks down how space and time are like a stretchy fabric, and what happens when two black holes collide, sending ripples across the cosmos. We discuss the “Big Rip,” black holes, and the very fabric of space itself.

Why does a star going supernova form a black hole? We explore dark matter, tidal energy from the moon, and whether osmium is really heavier than gold. They even touch on the ultimate nuclear furnace—our Sun—and how energy from it powers almost everything on Earth, from fossil fuels to fish in the ocean.

Thanks to our Patrons Tina Bartenfelder, scott white, Camelia Prodan, Wendy Tilles, Hank Hill, Cody White, Richard Vermillion, Lawrence Wolfe, darina spasova, Pablo Montufar, Alia Druid, Karthik, Jelmer van der Wijk, Anne ROBERTZ, Quentin, Sebastian Mueller, Marta Polo, Chelsea Mcclelland, Ross Hardie, Micheal, and Kevin Danielson for supporting us this week.

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