Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down the Science in Marvel Movies

Avengers, assemble! We revisit our episode on Avengers: Endgame where Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice answer fan questions about the science of the Marvel Universe. What would happen if half of the life on Earth suddenly disappeared?
Rae Wynn-Grant, Ph.D., conservation scientist and National Geographic Society fellow, joins us to talk about the ecological impact of Thanos’ snap. Learn about resource loads, Earth’s carrying capacity, and the periodic table of fictional elements. Is the vibranium in Black Panther anything like a real element? Why is Neil such a fan of Captain Marvel? We explore quantum tunneling, entanglement, the EPR paradox, and the significance of a Mobius strip. Break down the science and the fiction of the Marvel Universe with us!
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #neildegrassetyson
0:00 - Introduction
0:32 - Scientific Backgrounds of Marvel Characters
1:54 - Periodic Table of Fictional Elements
2:30 - Vibranium
3:58 - What Happens if Half of All Life Disappears?
7:51 - Captain Marvel
8:40 - Quantum Tunneling
11:07 - Mobius Strip
14:01 - Biggest Scientific Inaccuracy
14:28 - Captain America’s Shield
15:23 - Antman & Thanos
15:36 - EPR Paradox
16:41 - Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
17:41 - Groot
18:04 - Closing Notes

[@Ted2of25]

There's science with Hawkeye. If he needs to shoot a far target, he has to shoot upwards to compensate for gravity.

[@thabisomatsena6195]

Haha

[@r.l.watkins1976]

Right on, he's using physics, trigonometry and atmospheric awareness, not to mention how to apply it all within his range of motion (kinesiology ), in real time and under life and death pressure.

[@JohnDoe-qz1ql]

@@r.l.watkins1976 Was about to say the Same!!

[@deeez00]

He's very very accurate. Kinda OP in my opinion.

[@kirillzakharov7336]

@@r.l.watkins1976 with infallible speed, accuracy and efficiency

[@crob18]

In Endgame, when Hulk snapped his finger one of the first indicators that it worked was the appearance of birds outside the window so my opinion is that it's safe to say the other half of animal life returned. Not factual but just a thought.

[@west3Dgaming]

That seems to be the most logical conclusion. the forest in wakanda also became eerily quiet after thanos snapped - but note none of the trees surrounding them disappeared. I think that is as close to definitive as we can be on animals vs plants vs "intelligent beings" being snapped away

[@cedfam9826]

Yep, agreed. The return of the birds as a sign shows that the animals were included. So what about carnivores plants? What happened to them?

[@CarlosRen1776]

What I would say is cap came in saying whales were in the Hudson. Is that because of lack of food in open ocean or lack of ships or whatever causes them to not be there.

[@vinaybandi4470]

imagine a bunch of crocodiles appear when zebras are crossing river

[@dachamp6909]

Definitely agree ✅

[@Dannosuke25]

13:35 This isn't true, in the first Guardians movie Rocket turned off the artificial gravity system in the prison as part of his escape plan. So it is just understood that all of the ships also have similar systems.

[@jeremiahbachmann3901]

wordup

[@dylanbellrose8090]

Quill uses it in his ship at the start as well

[@changsangma1915]

The problem is movies like these uses the sci fi jargon trope that gravity is an energy like electricity that can be stored & utilised when necessary. Plus the problem of how the gravity is being isolated to operate within the confines of the ship & not radiate outwards causing things to get pulled towards the ship. Fantasy movies only apply sciencey stuff & converts it into hi-tech magic show.

[@courtney5796]

@@changsangma1915 NOICE!

[@hectorguzman5005]

Yup

[@georgemyers6508]

The problem with Captain America's shield is that vibranium is supposed to absorb all vibrations. That's why when Agent Carter fired those rounds at him in the first movie, they drop straight down and he wasn't hit with any recoil. Because of this, his shield should not bounce off of anything. It should simply hit something and fall.

[@mecurseyoumimikyu4701]

its because it hit the shield face on that it deflects/stops the bullets making the shield absorb the hits due to the shield not moving but if he chucks it sideways and hits something with a single edge it bounces back before the edge can absorb the hit due to the shields size and speed it is chucked at. Its would work in real life if you could chuck it fast enough and hit the right type of angle.

[@FirehawkTT]

That's just another plot hole. In other cases, Cap is able to use the shield to deflect machine gun bullets back at the shooter.

[@kyunbataun5191]

@@FirehawkTT depends on the angle of the trajectory

[@FirehawkTT]

@@kyunbataun5191 This is not about angles. Either the bullets should bounce off or the bullets should just drop after hitting the shield. That's a plot hole.

[@kyunbataun5191]

@@FirehawkTT if the angle is straight on ..... The bullets with just drop .... If the angle is anything but straight on the bullets will deflect

[@morpheuslordofoneiroi3293]

Neil is one of the few that actually connects the MCU with DCEU.

[@reinforcedpenisstem]

Neil is officially IN the DCEU.

[@keepgoing1973]

Apart from the millions of fans worldwide

[@BaithNa]

The writers have also connected the two universes. In one of their first crossover comics, Teen Titans/X-Men established that the Marvel Universe is on the other side of DC's source wall. They've also shown that both exist in each others multiverse as well as having several shared Earths that have hosted other crossover comics.

[@morpheuslordofoneiroi3293]

@@BaithNa I do like that one better. The connection I saw more specifically was: Stan Lee/Kevin Smith (Captain Marvel/Mallrats), Stan/Kevin/Neil (TBBT), Neil (Batman v. Superman).

[@BeamMonsterZeus]

The M-She-U you mean

[@josejose2100]

Neil always seems to be in a hurry and has no time. Love this guy

[@Stereostupid]

I've always felt that too!like he's always in a rushed state of mind and eyeing the clock!but he's a good dude

[@kurtgodel6075]

Maybe because he’s afraid of people finding out he’s actually a fraud unable to do solid philosophy - an armchair sophist.

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@kurtgodel6075 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@losrajvosa0078]

Why ? Guy is a patological lier.

[@Ramonnnn]

​@@kurtgodel6075 and this is based on your youtube and google knowledge?

[@kamecw5801]

For Caps shield throw he does some very quick environmental physics to determine the best ricochet trajectory to have the shield return to him. Would love to here Neil talk about that one. The same with Spiderman's web swinging. The mentioned the same in the comics and the game.

[@6stringvillain]

The thing is, for me, that Caps shield is made of Vibranium, known for its ability to absorb impacts (ie Avengers when Thor “puts the hammer down”). How then would it be able to “bounce” back if it should in theory just absorb the hit and simply fall to the ground?

[@cashtraprecords5469]

@@6stringvillain they are to different types of metals that come out of stars i guess thors hammers forged in the heart of a dying star and vibranium came from a meteorite

[@serious.business]

He doesn't actually "do" physics in his head. He's a super human, so he has super intuition. He just intuits with perfect accuracy where he needs to throw the shield to get the result he wants. Do you think a snake is doing physics in its head to strike a target perfectly? Do you do physics in your head to throw a ball at a target?

[@6stringvillain]

@@serious.business That’s kind of beyond the point of the statement I was trying to make lol. Cap for sure makes impeccable and instinctive throws, but I was curious as to why it didn’t just fall to the ground as soon as it hit an object.

[@georgemyers6508]

The problem with cap Shield being made of vibranium is that vibranium is supposed to absorb vibrations. That's why the bullets that Hayley Atwells character fired at him dropped in the original Captain America movie. Because of this, his shield should not bounce off of anything. It should simply hit something and then drop.

[@sarcophage]

Good lord this was entertaining and informative. These guys are a perfect match. I am always astounded at how quickly Chuck comes up with his own analogies for the concepts they are discussing, which show not only that he's perfectly understanding Neil's explanations, but also extrapolating to another concept, AND makes it funny. (see: "Captain America is good at pool".)

[@CalebG84]

They do reference artificial gravity in the first Guardians movie. When they are escaping the prison they turn off the gravity so all the guards float

[@nggyunglyd2374]

Which would therefore imply that all ships are built with artificial gravity systems

[@Logan-hw7mn]

@@nggyunglyd2374 well it would imply that ship has artificial gravity

[@stephanchill2391]

Yeah and it was the very first movie! :)

[@MuffinMan87]

Also, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. they go to the future and The Earth has been destroyed but was being held together by the metal gravatonium and they do turn off the gravity in that as well.

[@4ricz813]

on Civil War when fighting Spidey, he threw the shield without bouncing back to him but still came back to him to which Spidey commented "that doesn't obey the law of physics at all" I wished Neil could talk about that

[@JFLEEC]

Probably because the earth is round (

[@4ricz813]

@@JFLEEC NO WAYY😱

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​​@@JFLEEC i thought it was tetrahedron tetrahedron - best terra

[@coolieplum5393]

Exactly it doesn't make sense that his shield returned after throwing it to cut spidey's web swing but when Spidey went for his legs and drops his shield he has to run to it to pick it up.

[@daves6554]

Not sure if comments already addresses this since Neil mentions not knowing how comics handled I believe the reasoning behind Thanos' actions - it was very different in the "Infinity Gauntlet" comic where basically Thanos is insanely in love at the time with the manifestation of the entity "Mistress Death" and culled the life of half the universe as a tribute to her (she wasn't particularly impressed).

[@taikoonce8080]

That's the canon.. they changed a lot to translate to the screen and younger audience

[@LightSpirit24]

That wasn't interesting enough for the movie. Making Thanos a mentally insane environmental extremist had more character and love sick wacko that wants to impress Mistress Death by killing half the population of the universe. Thanos being an environmentalist at least has us thinking about our behavior and exploitation of our world. Maybe there is a Thanos out there watching and ready to "balance" things if we let things get out of balance.

[@drethegiant6176]

she's never been impressed by Thanos.. but is always intrigued by DeadPool because he escapes death with his 4th wall breakdown

[@Dannosuke25]

Yeah because she was hot for Deadpool

[@simplyrowen]

So basically the equivalent to Van Gogh gifting his ear to the lady he was courting.

[@TinDK]

I want to point out that the fictional element unobtanium was first used in The Core (2003) six years before Avatar (2009). Though the idea of unobtanium was actually "invented" by professor, lexicographer and editor Woodford Agee Heflin in 1958.

[@willcousin4549]

And you’re correct in that movie fact!!!💯💯💯

[@purvue]

I was literally about to say that. And i think maybe they just never seen thay movie or just forgot about it. But that movie would be a better reference for their talk because in the movie they talk about thay material more in depth

[@mrbrazilliant]

(Inserts fictional award for fictional element discovery)

[@TinDK]

@@purvue Totally agree

[@LetsPatchItUp]

Thank you, that's amazing! I'm sure the writers knew this, but I sure didn't

[@onlocationkat]

Unobtanium was first mentioned in The Core (2003) movie long before Avatar (2009).

[@55Ramius]

That was my first thought when they mentioned Avatar. Loved The Core even though it got low ratings from critics. I don't listen to them anyway. We all have different likes and opinions .

[@Brit0martis]

The term dates back to the 1950s.

[@zronkskhanal3086]

I enjoy core movie

[@brandonwaller4328]

I actually just watched the core last night and was thinking the same thing

[@amanhaf]

No wayy I had no idea, great movie though

[@sapelesteve]

Obviously an older video. Interesting and I like it because Neil & Chuck are together in the room rather than on separate screens. 👍👍

[@brucepreston3927]

I know right! I miss the old episodes where they were in the same room! I doubt they will go back to that though...It makes it much harder for them to get guests on the show

[@IanForsythWestCoast]

This video was just released today, and I’m no expert, but the discussion about the Avengers seems to be about a recent movie. Or is that he movie they’re talking about one that came out a few years ago? I’m pretty Avenger illiterate, so be kind. Lol

[@terratrox7180]

@@IanForsythWestCoast Endgame is like... 2 or 3 years old at this point? Yeah 3 years old at this point.

[@MemphiStig]

@@IanForsythWestCoast The description says "We revisit our episode on Avengers: Endgame" and that movie came out in 2019.

[@brucepreston3927]

@@IanForsythWestCoast This is just clips from an old episode...I actually watched this episode when it first aired, you should go back and find the full episode because it was a really good one!

[@vv2354]

This was an awesome discuss!! 🤯 Please do a bigger podcast type version where you deep dive into the Marvel universe... Wud love to hear more!!

[@duncanct]

Neil is the only person that can make sounding like a nerd sound so cool that you want to be a nerd. Neil makes the word “nerd” a positive one

[@zero11010]

14:45 I think it was in Age of Ultron they followed the comic plot point where Stark modified the shield so it was magnetic and there was a device on Steve’s wrist to recall it. MOST of the time what you see is the shield bouncing though. That’s still weird because a property they give it is kinetic absorption which I imagine means it can’t bounce. This property is how Steve can block massive attacks and strikes from Mjolnir and stuff.

[@zero11010]

@@Zolgeist I don’t think that makes sense. The same shield exhibits entirely opposite properties. We aren’t just comparing one material to another. Thor, who can go toe to toe with the Hulk slammed down on a non superhuman and with the shield he was totally fine. If it was super bouncy both the shield and the hammer would have pushed off each other with tremendous force. For the sake of the story the shield does whatever is needed in a given scene.

[@tonuahmed4227]

Maybe the shield was made in a way that all stored vibrations and kinetic energy that are absorbed in the middle side of the shield is realised from the round edge sides of the shield...you know,that shield side which cap mostly use as a offensive weapon and for bouncing it...

[@zero11010]

@@tonuahmed4227 that’s creative. I like the way you think. I’m not sure that would work. Imagine the outside behaves like a bouncy ball. Imagine the inside absorbs kinetic energy. The outside would be touching the inside. The inside would be draining the kinetic energy from the outside. I think (I don’t know) that would work like if the outside was super hot and the inside was super cold. They would each make the other less effective. From what I’ve read about the shield it’s all the same material. Not effectively different materials in different places. I do like your idea though. Maybe a layer of super bouncy crap. A layer of kinetic insulation. And then mostly a shield design for kinetic absorption. I don’t know enough about physics to have any idea how that middle layer would work.

[@TheEmperius]

​@@zero11010 In the comics they justify that properties by explaining the shield has vibranium core with an adamantium border. So that makes it bounce/cut when hit on borders and absorb energy on the center.

[@grandmaster8316]

I love that no other metal objects are affected when he turns on the magnet 🤣, and that things got to be pretty powerful too! Also I hope cap keeps that thing away from his credit cards In falcon and winter soldier they don't have the magnet so I guess it's all trigonometry...

[@WtfYouMeanDude]

It's still amazing to me how you can change the number of protons in the nucleus to get a different element and how crazy it all gets when you go down that road. And even more how you can make the same element or reaction several ways (for example acetylene gas can be made with calcium carbide and water or methane and oxygen, ect. ect..)

[@chetjump5744]

That is super interesting!! NERD!!!!!!!

[@tracytoltien]

The Cap shield throwing. It has been explained that his mind (altered with the super serum) calculates the bounce (high level math) so that it comes back to where he is, or where he plans to be.

[@jefferymcdaniels9199]

The new season explains it When the falcon was learning how to fit the spot for it to bounce back

[@joeykaz32]

So, in the 1st GOTG movie they did address local gravity generators on a ship when the team escaped from the prison ship. It's not explained in the movies, but the super soldier serum also sharpened Steve Rogers' cognitive abilities to the point where he could instantly figure out where to throw his shield to make it ricochet back to him, even off of multiple objects.

[@TheMaker88]

FACTS 👍!

[@parzival013]

To be fair, there’s good reason to believe (at least within the comics) that Black Widow had been given small amounts of the super soldier serum when she was very young. This would be the same serum that was used with Steve Rogers, giving us Captain America.

[@Dannosuke25]

Black widows did get a version of a super soldier serum it just want any way near as potent as caps. But it let's you know why she survived that fall. She is better than peak human

[@liberationstun5513]

What about captain universe?

[@alexroberts2421]

She also has unlimited stamina.

[@pranaydoshi6145]

Neil is really one of the most intellectual and fun guy...always love him to watch...and chuck is at his best as always...love this pair...

[@Matt-rj1xe]

After watching this, I feel like writing a physics paper - Curious about Quantum Physics😅👍

[@akirafoxtrot2815]

I’d argue the gravity generator is implied through showing weightlessness in space till they are pulled in by ravagers or quill landing on the ship in the first one. That’s what I thought at least or remember 🤷 now I got to go back and watch all the guardians again lol

[@arturogarcia9946]

I can do it 🌬️🌎⛅🛡️

[@peacemaker313]

Loved that last question that chuck threw at the end, "I am Groot?". Amazing show as always, with a lot of effects this time!

[@robomonkey6219]

It would only be polite to answer the question "I am Groot?" in the same language that it was asked. Therefore the answer would of course be "I am Groot!"

[@simulationl279]

Groot: "I am Thanos."

[@ZarliWin]

A couple nerd things: 1) Banner isn't an MD, he's a physicist 2) that periodic table of fictional elements lists Adamantium as an element when it's an alloy

[@bigolomofe415]

Just wow 🙌🏾

[@michaelmorningstar8645]

Banner has multiple doctorates including an MD.

[@WildlifeWarrior-cr1kk]

Dork

[@darkuser9992]

Seven phds 😂

[@thomasmacdonald4335]

In the scene after hulk clicks his fingers, it focuses on the signing of birds and animal life. ( I guess that symbolises that thanos wiped out half animal life as well ). Sorry if some one beat me to this.

[@CurtisRamer]

Thank you as always. Very cool to listen to and think about. I hope you end up watching the Expanse TV series. I would love to hear your thoughts on how they portray the science behind a lot of what's going on in the series. Thank you

[@Dlo2018]

5:17 well after hulks snaps life back, suddenly there are more nature sounds outside the facility. so it perhaps did affect animal life, but we don't know to which degree.

[@jedislap8726]

It was stated several times in the movies that Thanos would destroy half of ALL life in the Universe. The problem was that it was only specified as being random and so it isn't clear whether it's exactly half of each species of life or just half of life in general. This would matter greatly as it could mean that only 20% of Human life was blipped but 95% of all cows were too which would of course leave a huge food shortage for the 5 Billion Humans that remained.

[@alanhehe4508]

This was the most entertaining episode I've ever watched!! I loved all the clips, memes, humor, etc. Great job and thank you for brightening my evening!! I love intelligent people.

[@Odd_Ras]

Very insightful and mind provoking. How about another episode explaining the concepts around multi-verse, parallel timelines etc including the exciting concepts around movies/series like THE INCEPTION, INTERSTELLER, THE FLASH (there is so much science to explain in the Flash)

[@DragonSageKaimus]

I like this new style of video editing...good work video editor.

[@NoHandsJames]

the cap question got me thinking, could he technically create enough rotational velocity to reverse direction of the force and have it come back to him? kind of like adding enough spin on a ball or hula-hoop for it to spin back to you at a point.

[@saucenado4844]

That is essentially boomerangs some of them use general shape of objects and aerodynamics to rotate the boomerang to a point where it comes back to you

[@brianng8350]

Even for a ball, it reverses course only after hitting the ground or some surface, which isn’t very different from what he said.

[@CultureIsKey]

5:45 - Neil & Chuck: “THATS WHAT HE SAID! THATS WHAT THANOS SAID!!!” Love it 😂😂

[@salemtayengwa9110]

if Thanos watched this, he would smile.

[@theperfectbotsteve4916]

I love how Neil's description of Einstein is "and Einstein is Einstein" 15:25

[@tcolina3241]

This was so much fun! tip of the cap to you both 🙂

[@arturogarcia9946]

😉

[@shuvendudebnath2616]

Loved it. Do more often this face to face interview/podcast.

[@pradyumnsoni4322]

the whole vibe of this was so fun and wholesome! loved it!

[@ItsTheLegendOfZelda]

I would like to point out that in Guardians of the Galaxy in the prison escape scene they referenced turning the gravity on and off

[@MaxWelton]

7:38 because on that impressive list of powers Captain Marvel has, none of them is being everywhere at once.

[@thefrenchguard6999]

Its stated that Caps shield absorbs all the energy of things that hit it so bullets should be dropping at his feet (without any sound, just heating it up) and so should his shield if it hits something after being thrown.

[@prixswrld]

Caps shield is TYPICALLY an alloy

[@amardeep46]

It can’t be “boingy”.

[@michaelmorningstar8645]

Sound is what Vibranium converts kinetic energy into and that has to be on the right part of the shape.

[@Betterworld786]

Please could you do part 2? A continuum from this video.

[@MaxWelton]

4:23 They made it abundantly clear that plant life is not dusted (except Groot). The Snap happened in a forest in Wakanda, and we didn't see any blades of grass dusting. Wakanda's army would've choked to death otherwise.

[@louisfrancisco2171]

It's not animals vs plants. It's half of sentient life. Groot's species is sentient.

[@bikramjitlahiri8274]

Wow ... Loved this video so much ... It is amazing... 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@arieffyusoff66]

Hi Neil & Chuck, good insight on the MCU! I initially become attracted in astronomy and astrophysics after watching The Expanse series. Hopefully you can cover about them too in the future. Cheers

[@MemphiStig]

I'd like to see that too. I know Dr. Becky's covered it, but I'd love to hear Neil's ideas on it.

[@NopaleaWorks]

I always enjoy your content!! I watched Star Trek yesterday and I could almost hear Dr Tyson commenting on accuracies of silence in space. Keep up the great work guys!! And thank you for the laughter and knowledge!

[@robertmartinjr.4537]

Neil I'd a big Trekkie he really likes Star Trek TOS.

[@thenotsurechannel7630]

13:50 At this point in Sci-Fi, if characters are not weightless while in a star ship of some sort, it's an automatic GIVEN, that there is some form of artificial deck plating or generator of sorts.

[@thomoswald712]

In the first guardians film, there is a scene in the prison where they shut off the gravity...and everyone floats... So they do mention artificial gravity in the mcu

[@mikeaninger7388]

It’s so refreshing to see Chuck back in the same room as Neil

[@vanrozay8871]

While I like learning things, I click for Chuck's wit and your banter. Wanted to give him due credit for enhancing the experience; well-chosen sidekick (tho a philosopher might ask who's the sidekick here).

[@cleverusername9369]

Neil generally refers to Chuck as his co-host rather than a sidekick, which I think is fair because Chuck is just as participatory as Neil, he doesn't necessarily _answer_ as many questions, but he asks great questions from a layman's POV so whatever subject they're discussing is made even more digestible and accessible to those of us without such an extensive background in science.

[@Hollowdude15]

Great job breaking down the science in marvel movies and awesome video man :]

[@virgometal13]

Fantastic show! Side note: Unobtanium was also in The Core

[@ErdingerLi]

The Cap shield coming back actually was explained in comics i think, he has extraordinary spacial awareness. Which means he knows how to angle the throw to bounce off of things so that it will always fly back to where he wants it to. The shield being vibranium helps as it looses no energy while flying or bouncing so it can bounce on forever, which, by right iinw, shouldn't be damaging at all towards anything it bounces off of as no energy was transferred. Being hit by a vibranium freesbee should have felt even less than having a cotton ball land on you

[@evaniakbar]

If no energy being transferred, then how did those villain get hurt or knock out from the hit?

[@ErdingerLi]

@@evaniakbar read the part where I mentioned it. I find that strange as well.

[@briancruz2192]

This was absolutely enjoyable! We appreciate the superior video editing, large carnivore guest speaker was cool, great humor between you and chuck, and lastly… even though I may need to go back a couple times to understand the gems y’all give out, it never fails y’all always manage to keep my fleeting attention span. So thank you 🙏🏽 😅

[@sineaterdred1]

The quantum entanglement movement of Marvel's cosmic characters makes so much sense. If I'm not mistaken most of those characters also have cosmic awareness and you've just explained that for me. Thanks 🖖😎👍

[@TorQueMoD]

God I love this man! I wish all science teachers were like Niel, then everyone would love science!

[@GingyDaCorgi]

Yes😂

[@StarTalk]

Marvel or DC?

[@sgettys]

Movies - Marvel. Comics - DC

[@aadeshahi382]

Marvel movies

[@damianmlamb]

Marvel

[@abhilash_p]

MCU 💪

[@martingonzalez1438]

Marvel

[@clemente3]

I miss watching them sitting together side by side 🥹

[@300beatz]

Actually Hawkeye does use science. He creates the unique arrowheads that he uses on his arrows.🤔

[@kellyconklin3257]

They reference artificial gravity twice actually. Once in Guardians 1 during the prison escape, and the second is in Captain Marvel when Maria is flying into space and for a few seconds they are all weightless (including Goose that Fury reaches out for)

[@3Rayfire]

Funny enough teleportation is the one ability that Carol should have that she hasn't displayed. She's gone to warp speed, but not actually teleported...which is what the Space Stone usually does. Maybe it's a factor in how the energy for the light speed engine was made or configured.

[@Elamado97]

She will have that by the third installment

[@StdDev99]

Ah yes the good old days when people met in person before everything became remote and virtual

[@paulolacost1611]

13:45 Actually, in the first guardians of the galaxy movie, there is artificial gravity in the Kyln prison and Rocket deactivates it, so we can assume that the same tech is available for the starships.

[@jeromehoyle4945]

I think it's already assumed that Thanos meant sentient life and has for Cap's shield, Cap can lift in my estimation from what I've seen in the movies at least a ton as oppose to the shield that weighs at it's most 12 pounds...

[@starwarslegends8583]

I have a question for you Mr. Tyson. In Endgame, was Banner's explanation about time travel, correct? The way I understood it, when they traveled back in time, they either altered history of certain events in their own timestream, thereby causing unforeseen consequences or traveled back in time but in a different universe. My understanding of time travel is that ANY tampering with established events in the past could and seemingly would alter the future you came from, basically not being the same as when you left.

[@michaeldecock3952]

Your guess is as good as anyone's tbh, since time travel doesn't exist, nobody knows how it would work I'd think

[@aspirer47]

Its a movie Chill out

[@starwarslegends8583]

@@aspirer47 Well duh! I know it's a movie. What's your point? I asked a question, nothing more, nothing less. Seems to me, I'm not the one who needs to "Chill out".

[@izzanirfan2534]

Its correct if there's multiverse, its not if there's only 1 universe . There's many paradox if there's only 1 universe thats why they went with multiverse.

[@kwrzesien17]

Your answer is to subscribe to Disney+ and watch the excellent show Loki

[@georgetasie192]

Great video. Thank you. As an aside, I've always been of the opinion myself, that if there was any avenger who made the others pointless, then it was Iron Man. Because he could just design an assembly line for his suits, and have one of his many AI operate them 24/7. Captain Marvel, on the other hand, is, while very powerful, still just one person.

[@kwrzesien17]

I still wonder how Captain Marvel is so powerful after exposure to one Infinity Stone, how does that stand up to being in possession of multiple stones?

[@zclee7325]

@@kwrzesien17 She's a hack simple as that, and she glows

[@jefferymcdaniels9199]

@George Tasie Yes he would make them pointless but in battle the ai will lose esp with a battle like that of thanks Let me explain No matter how advanced an ai is they still have a pattern (reference start trek discovery season 2 final episode) and thanos is an advanced war lord so to say. He has seen all and will find a loophole to exploit My take on that

[@zaheerrahiman3352]

Is it possible to work out what the Deutsh Proposition is by using The EPR paradox and the Planck scale? Can't help but be curious about that.

[@VictoriaElizabeth-gk8tg]

Thanks for sending me a review. So far so good. Thanks for your reminders!

[@Unknown-br1uf]

I clicked this without question 👁

[@tiffanyannhowe1712]

One must!

[@tjasademsar5942]

You shall not pass Neil talking about superhero movies

[@joelgreasley9437]

Neil laughing at his own joke (16:50) made the joke even better. 🤣

[@ejikennodi9767]

Really like the way he explains science.. very easy examples for people at any level to grasp at least the concepts.

[@technosworld2]

11:08 - It's Mobin' Time!

[@geekexmachina]

The problem is in the MCU not all of the Species are Animal based life forms (for example Groot), so removing half of them must include non animals also. The comic version of Infinity wars is very different ( the story is infinity Gauntlet and a sequel story the infinity war) and includes many more Higher beings in the marvel universe

[@montanamaxxamillion]

Sentience is key. Plant life like Groot got snapped because it is a sentient humanoid with a soul Lower life forms (like grass, SOME insects, and other lower life that is used as resources) are not sentient (mind) nor do they have a soul

[@minaplamadeala7334]

We all know why Neil enjoys watching Black Widow 😉(1:28)

[@samm552]

This was Awesome, luv this Nerdy Science vs Fiction stuff❤

[@voctavio]

There have been some clips in the movie where Captain America does throw his shield and doesn't come back to him. Because as you said He didn't angle the throw correctly and went a different direction, or just fell to the ground.

[@stephenlouden480]

you need the other heroes because Captain Marvel protects other galaxies and their planets too so she's only around v during cosmic level events happening like Thanos plot

[@IGetMoney08FreeKo]

He means when she is around why would you need any other Avengers. Discussing her physiology he’s right why would you need the others.

[@IGetMoney08FreeKo]

Its just how the guardians of the galaxies use Thor as a last resort. Nobody can beat him during their adventures if they need help they call Thor who then kills the enemy by himself effortlessly.

[@toshtao1]

@@IGetMoney08FreeKo She can still be injured from magic, such as Thanos's power stone.

[@IGetMoney08FreeKo]

@@toshtao1 she wasn’t injured tho lol

[@IGetMoney08FreeKo]

@@toshtao1 in real science the other avengers are useless

[@tyeasebryant4828]

You need more than one hero because they can’t be everywhere at once and not all threats are on the same level.

[@dansonfinklesheetz]

13:44 In the guardians' movies, they talk about artificial gravity in the prison escape scene

[@Billy01113]

Deutsch has proposed the use of entangled states and Bell’s theorem for quantum key distribution and is a proponent of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

[@Paintballdude336]

With the Thanos snap and ecology- wouldn’t that affect plant life because pollinators like bees and butterflies would also be cut in half. And depending on how picky you want to be when defining life, would bacteria be affected? I can’t imagine humans or other mammals would be doing well if half of our gut bacteria disappeared instantly.

[@fatboysergio737]

I believe the directors said it was only intelligent life

[@mpolster24]

concerning gut bacteria....if half of humans disappeared then half of human gut bacteria disappear with them, therefore 100% of surviving humans gut bacteria would remain intact

[@StarTalk]

Taken from an episode we did on Avengers: Endgame. Watch the full podcast! kzbin.info/www/bejne/raioiGNui6mGirc

[@prajananandaraj5847]

thanks Neil

[@flip856cmd2]

So in the movie captain marvel explained why the world needs the avengers when she said it’s a lot of people in the universe but unfortunately they don’t have you guys

[@Eric-cj8sb]

Pretty sure Captain Marvel's outfit is the space suit she got from the Cree.

[@WildlifeWarrior-cr1kk]

Yo

[@willburgos4902]

2:15 never thought that I would be correct in the great Neil deGrasse Tyson, but the element unobtainium was actually from the movie, the core way before avatar

[@davidjonathanchan4706]

They metioned and showed some kind of gravity tech in guardian of the galaxy 1. In the prison escape scene in zandar.

[@netgnostic1627]

I keep wondering whether Adamantium or Vibranium would make a better sword.

[@Mewtwo349]

depends on what sword you would want because adamantium can cut through virtually anything but vibranium can't, it is also much more durable than vibranium and is denser whilst vibranium isn't , but vibranium is very much lighter than adamantium and also has less wind resistance so it would be able to be swung faster than a adamantium sword. there are also different types of vibrainium and adamantium as well.

[@Nintendofan91]

@@Mewtwo349vibranium can also be infused with technology to make for a pretty sweet weapon.

[@markermarque9843]

What about the species like the Fernandina Galapagos Tortoise which has only one of the species left, does thanos round up or round down??? or does the tortoise get cut in half???

[@jiibay3308]

captains sheild has another component to it that's only really discussed in the show series The falcon & the winter soldier, when the new captain America was training with the shield. it basically has a magnet on it that pulls it back to the user.

[@hdvsmith]

Neil should absolutely consult on all things Marvel!

[@michaelclark2357]

Neil De Grasse Tyson as a Theoretical Physicist not an astrophysicist good job at the Hayden Planetarium mathematics was essential when I did my thesis on the Unified Field Theory especially the Reiman manifold or differential geometry and Ricci tensor and Maxwells Equations and lets not forget Gauss Laws what comics really teach the children of today about thought experiments Prof. M.J. Clark graduated from your high school class of 1968

[@punk_floyd_8123]

i first heard unobtainium in the film deep core. it's what the vehicle was made out of that they used to drive through the core of the earth. the film was also out before avatar :)

[@jalehoward910]

14:40. In Falcon and the Winter Solider, you see Falcon practicing with Cap's shield. Trying to perfect that technique

[@isaiahboamah3084]

He nailed the answer to the last question 🤣

[@kwrzesien17]

Great job Neil that was well done! Lol Groot, he does know who he is! While we don’t know what Thanos was really thinking, reducing the population by half is a direct attack on the Eternals, according to MCU lore. That’s also where most people are going to get lost..

[@davidsprague9149]

In the first guardians of the Galaxy movie the prison that they’re in has artificial gravity they mentioned that so I’m guessing that it is just inferred that the spaceships have it also

[@Thorbear923]

Guardians of the galaxy does bring reference to weightlessness in the jail break-out scene in the 1st movie. Rocket disabled the device/system that was controlling the ship's internal gravity

[@ajoboe]

Hey Neil! Just thinking.. If the cap's shield is made of vibranium, and that supposely is a material that absorbs all kinetic energy. Shouldn't the shield just stop when it hits something like a piece of foam? I know it would make a boring movie but in my mind it looks strange to see it ricochet of stuff when it is imposed to be an absobing material.

[@amardeep46]

If you extend that hypothesis, Cap cannot hurt anyone with the shield. The moment he hit someone with the shield, the shield will absorb all the energy. If there is no energy transfer, the other person wouldn’t feel a thing.😅

[@jamesfcarlton6890]

*Hey **#NeildeGrasseTyson**, we like your shows.* ❤ 👏🏼👏🏼

[@jeffdavis5723]

*Hey 👋🏼 **#James** buddy.* 👍🏼👍🏼 ✔️

[@jamesfcarlton6890]

@@jeffdavis5723 *Hi 👋🏼 mate. Lol* 😂🤣🤣🤣

[@ankitlamsal1098]

16:20 Heisenberg* Uncertainty principle

[@jammal63]

1:11 yup that’s completely the reason we like watching black widow 👀

[@cphipps1969]

I’ve always wondered where the Hulk’s extra mass comes from when he transforms? 🤔

[@brucepreston3927]

That is a very interesting thought that never occurred to me! His body would have to perform fission from the molecules in the atmosphere! lol

[@cleverusername9369]

Maybe his rage is so powerful it's able to pull actual matter from the ground and atmosphere around him, which is then converted to extra mass which makes him larger because.... pseudoscience?

[@patrickjordan2233]

There's a "theory"/propositional that nearly/about 85 (ish)% of apparent mass is energy? One branch theory (rabbit hole) is these are quantum derivative effects? Basically, if I understood the articles (likely not... LOL 😂) it would be like varying planes of existence? Not my theory (ain't near smart enough for that..😂) but it does raise interesting considerations. I would have looked up the paper to read the "source", but I've found I usually get lost in the equations...(calculus and above...)..

[@milosstojanovic4623]

Well more simple explanation would be, if you ever trained, how you get larger !? You get 'larger' when new thicker and more fibers form from breaking them down. And because he was already injected with some kind of experimental super soldier serum, radiation triggered that genetic mutation so he is able to reverse genetical engineering where instead for Cortisol (stress hormone) backwards him in progress it makes him stronger. If we are going for more grounded 'realistic' explanation :)

[@SonyStudioPro]

I have a simpler explanation… he’s on heavy steroids 😅…