Stars Talk to Neil – Reversing Earth’s Rotation

About This Episode

What happens after death? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer science questions from celebrities like Kelly Clarkson, Dax Shepard, Sway Calloway, and more!

Sway Calloway asks whether humankind is a virus to planet Earth and we discuss if we would be an effective virus. Rob Reiner asks: where will we go when we pass away? Learn about where photons go after cremation, trying to x-ray the soul, and the illegal thing Chuck wants to do with his ashes.

Next, Kelly Clarkson wonders whether rainbows can exist on other planets. What would a methane rainbow look like? Could rainbows on other planets have different colors? Neil explains how double rainbows work and how rainbows aren’t technically a bow at all. Neil answers Dax Shepard’s question about how lift works, explaining the Bernoulli Effect and how planes can fly upside down.

J.B. Smoove asks about the iconic Superman scene where he reverses the rotation of the Earth to travel back in time. What would happen if you reversed the direction of Earth’s rotation? Plus, Neil tells us about the time he met the real Superman and helped him view the destruction of Krypton.

Thanks to our Patrons JEFF MARTINKA, Lacey Jane, Scott Bringloe, Jehan Hariramani, Julien Genest, Melissa Rittenhouse, an Jared Cone for supporting us this week.

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