What’s The Deal With These Heat Waves?

About This Episode

What is a heat wave? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore the massive heat waves that have been sweeping the world with Director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Gavin Schmidt. 

Learn what qualifies something as a heat wave. We break down the extreme heat happening globally and the pressure it’s been putting on current infrastructure. Why exactly are we seeing more of the extreme heat? We get into the jet stream and wave patterns in the Earth’s atmosphere. Why do we pay attention to extreme heat in some regions but not others? Will some places become unlivable? Finally, learn about the last ice age and what sorts of changes our climate is facing. What’s our heat limit?

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

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:
“Black Swan” & “White Swan” limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver.