Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Why Some Info Is Need to Know

When someone says that information is on a “need to know” basis, your mind might automatically think that the information is secretive, dangerous, etc. But, there’s another type of “need to know” information that involves different “levels” of information.
On this StarTalk explainer video, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are exploring these different “levels” of information. We discuss why, in certain circumstances, an idea is better than the details. To understand these levels of information, we explore the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. You’ll learn why you can say the Earth goes in a circle around the Sun and be “correct” even though it’s actually an elliptical orbit. And you can say it’s an elliptical orbit even though it’s actually a loop-de-loop!
Find out how Earth’s tilt influences our seasons. You’ll also find out about the “libration” of the Moon or as Chuck calls it “Moon twerking.” And, we discuss Earth’s precession around the Sun. Lastly, Neil uses the size of the Sun as another example of understanding different levels of information. All that, plus, we explore why the scientific method allows for the possibilities of change.
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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 inuit.com/.
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
2:17 - Earth’s Orbit
5:39 - Earth’s Tilt
6:39 - Orbit of Other Planets
7:13 - Earth-Moon Rotation
8:51 - Precession
9:55 - Libration
10:32 - Levels of Detail
11:29 - Size of the Sun
13:10 - Variable Stars
14:10 - Ideas
16:07 - Closing Notes

[@finalcountdown3210]

I love how Tyson is always like, "So watch!" when he's excited to show something cool

[@krioni86sa]

Hope he win against Roy Jones.

[@benjackson9299]

Look up Elon Musk meets Post Malone It’s hilarious! 👽

[@TheNefastor]

I have Asperger's. In high-school I almost failed because I couldn't memorize things I didn't understand, notably maths. When I got to college and they started going into _why_ the derivative of sine is cosine, suddenly my grades shot way up. With no additional effort on my part. It was like I was sailing against the wind and then suddenly the wind turned 180° and everything came naturally. We don't all process information the same way, and unfortunately they can't afford to sort kids out according to how they work. We have to bear with it and find our own way.

[@stylistsandcreator8339]

That last part is soooooo UNDERRATED… sending love ❤️

[@pip_rake]

And that's sad

[@dustinjames1268]

It's because math isn't about memory, it's about logic Once you understood the underlying mechanics, you instantly understood the greater concepts inside math A lot of teachers make it about memorizing formulae instead of teaching you how those formulae were derived

[@caty863]

@@dustinjames1268 most of them don't know better to start with. You don't expect the brightest kid at college to work a minimum wage job being a school teacher, do you?

[@avargowattecamps6552]

It is frustrating but wonderful that you persevered! I wonder had the right person come along in your younger years and worked with you 1 on 1 would they have understood your thinking more and bridged that gap of knowledge for you, how empowered you would have felt instead of frustration.

[@CoordinatedCarry]

Person 1: “What time is it?” Person 2:”When? Now or when you asked me? This stuff is moving.”

[@MrT------5743]

Or someone says its 12:30, when it really is 12:38, or almost 1 PM. Sometimes that is all you need and sometimes you need to know more precisely.

[@NETkoholik]

-What time is it? +When? -Now +Your now or mine? -What? +Relativity man, frames of reference.

[@simsational...]

The sky clock moves over earth. So cool how the constellations are constant!

[@guytheincognito4186]

@@simsational... The sky Isn't a clock and the constellations aren't a constant. The north star was a completely different star a millenia ago. It's also not an accurate clock as we have leap days for the reason its not a constant, orbital rates change. Days were longer in the deep past compared to today. Etc..

[@simsational...]

@@guytheincognito4186 nice story bro. There is no paralax. The constellations are constant.

[@TheBroccoliFox]

If there's one thing Star Talk has taught me, it's that I wasn't taught jack in school. I'm so grateful for this show, thank you.

[@thecaptainsarse]

Public schools are not in interested in teaching students. They are interested in job security. I have learned more SINCE graduating high school than I ever did in all the time in grades K-12. I had a year and a half of cOmMuNiTy cOlLeGe and realized why I hated school. IMO: less than 10% of the teachers out there are actually concerned with teaching.

[@TheBroccoliFox]

@@thecaptainsarse I hear you. Honestly, I don't feel like I was taught anything valuable that would be useful in even obtaining a career. It's awful and the entire system needs a huge overhaul.

[@BondiAV]

I agree that an overhaul would be in order and it is sad indeed that kids walk out of school without much useful knowledge. I consider myself fortunate for actually having learned many of these things in school; but, nevertheless, the way Mr. Tyson presents them makes me want to listen; sometimes for the sake of learning more, sometimes... just for the fun of it. He is really gifted when it comes to bringing complicated things down to Earth. I wish more teachers were like him; the school system would be much better. And the dialogue between him and Chuck is the icing on the cake.

[@TheBroccoliFox]

@@BondiAV Oh absolutely. StarTalk is wonderful. I have a child in 8th grade and it makes me sad when I share what I feel should be knowledge that should've been taught to them already, like things about our solar system for example, is met with shock and awe. On the one hand, I love seeing that amazed response, but on the other, I don't understand why they haven't learned it yet. I'm just glad my own curiosity allows me to pass on knowledge to my child.

[@guytheincognito4186]

Still, it's the general basis of concepts that the schools taught that gave younthe basis on understanding and learning better from these people. Education goes in stages and yes modern Education needs an overhaul, especially in the US.

[@cascadianpuget]

I've been a high school teacher for over four decades. Thank you both for making being smart cool.

[@Kevinskcirdneh]

Thank you for making your students smarter! You sir are a real hero!

[@vincentbormann7191]

Im going to college right now to be a high school math teacher and hearing teaching put as circles and each time around you go around you go a bit deeper blows my mind

[@akmalimdad6366]

Being smart was always cool. Just dont be a geek if u r smart

[@Eren-da-Jaeger]

5th Sep was Teachers Day. Belated Teachers Day to you. Thank you for making better.

[@lachlanoneil8938]

It's not being smart and it's not cool either it's basically just useless knowledge but is interesting to me aswell as you, one step up from cat vids. Tbh

[@notlessgrossman163]

"Ideas are more important than the details" love that quote

[@serenityriver2701]

Same

[@msmith53]

NotLess Grossman .....depends?? Is that gun loaded? , ...is detail not to ignore!

[@notlessgrossman163]

@@msmith53 that's not a detail, that's a bad idea.

[@adityamishra7711]

What if the idea itself was wrong, which has happened many times before in history, like newton's gravity, classical theory of energy, etc. etc..... ???? The kind of learning ," russian doll learning ", this man refers to here and is appeared to be praising is just another , but rather a sweet synonym, of the concept of ROTE LEARNING, just think about it

[@adityamishra7711]

And this needs to br stopped, the education industry Across the ENTIRE WORLD NEEDS A PARADIGM SHIFT

[@thomassmith7717]

This is a great video. I had a teacher once tell me that ‘education is a series of decreasing lies.’ This is a perfect example of that. The orbit of the Earth is a circle. Well actually, Earth’s orbit is not a circle but an ellipse. Well actually, the Earth’s orbit is not entirely an ellipse, but a wobbling, processing ellipse.....

[@1radkill420]

and actually its a circle with 3% variance in diameter. So the original visuals of the orbits are more correct then current visuals. whats real anymore? no wonder people believe flat earth is possible.

[@MunyuShizumi]

@@1radkill420 "Circle with 3% variance in diameter" is literally an ellipse by definition, how is that another "ackchyually"? Visualizations are intentionally exaggerated so it would be clear that it's _not_ a circle, otherwise we wouldn't be able to perceive the 3% variance. Also, it would only appear as an almost-circle when viewed from the orbital/ecliptic pole. When viewed from any lower angle, it'll look more and more like the seemingly exaggerated ellipse seen in most illustrations, i.e. a lot of those can be 100% realistic proportionally and only have apparently higher eccentricity due to perspective causing a bit of an optical illusion.

[@stevemotocrayz2892]

Thomas...it is actually, correctly called "precession" , (not PRO-cession), and has a complicated definition...and giving you that definition here would probably put you off a bit...which is the point of the whole vidéo..!! A simple definition is: A complex motion executed by a rotating body subjected to outside torquing force(s).

[@stevenbrucci]

​@@1radkill420 Reading your post, i imagine that what puts people off science is that the universe--and every little part OF it--is almost infinitely complex. That includes the realm of human economics. Since the elite have had better access to computing power ever since WWII, the great populace have gradually lost economic power. So, it's understandable that there is this growing desire for simplicity and accompanying distrust of those who better understand complex systems. But to refrain from facing that common human challenge of learning about and better-understanding the world simply plays into the hands of those elite who are becoming more and more used to the availability of serfs and slaves who now don't even WANT to understand reality or accept that it is-- and always HAS been--complex.

[@chrisleggatt3240]

Possibly the most interesting comment and follow up thread of comments I've seen on KZbin 👍 that's not being sarcastic. These gave perspective of what Degrass Tyson is exactly on about. And I found myself noticing my preffered place in the information given.

[@thecrustyJman]

It’s so weird to see Morgan Freeman teaching Kevin Heart about science

[@martyn5416]

Parallel universe?

[@SS-yr3ij]

It would’ve been weirder if it was the other way around

[@calebjaymes9710]

R u hi

[@emmanuelmwaka2716]

"It's like a black girl telling you off. . . " * head loop dance intensifies *. I haven't laughed this much in a long time! Thanks Neil and Chuck for the education and fun. StarTalk and ElectroBoom are channels to remain alive forever!

[@RottenMuLoT]

Well... As long as he continues pretending being badly electrocuted and not actually being badly electrocuted 😅

[@44yvo]

At 8:24 !

[@jaybajan]

These two! Are such a friendly match for each other . You have to admire their jokes but while also at the sametime, knowing when they're being serious and providing us with such vast knowledge of how the universe works. I pray that this show never stops airing on youtube.

[@eeveegon]

They also have great social skills, I wish I did

[@Tim-K.]

Poppichu The Thunder Child That’s practise, you need to practice it to improve it. You can also educate yourself about it first, but without practicing it you will not get adequate at it.

[@SarcasticData]

I'm actually not that big of a fan of the jokes but I really enjoy Neil.

[@rjampiolo32]

It almost stopped, thankfully he was cleared of the allegations.

[@jaybajan]

@@rjampiolo32 who was?

[@Tyler-th3ll]

This reminds me of learning chemistry in high school and university. Every year you learn that what you were previously taught was slightly wrong.

[@derekrosecrans1361]

If only all the teachers could explain things like Neil then we could actually learn this when we are young. So complex and simply stated.

[@georgesheffield1580]

It helps if they have studied the subject and know what they are talking about. Most don't meet this requirement and are too proud or entitled to admit this .

[@Rhekon]

Wakes up in a cold sweat yelling, "THE LOOPYLOOPS ARE ON AN ELLIPSE!"

[@martinda7446]

Wakes up in a panic yelling, ''There is a black girl telling me off!'

[@jjomoo884]

Wakes up from ah falling dream bawling " the moon is twerking "

[@martinda7446]

@@jjomoo884 Don't worry its been banned from twerking.

[@kenbee1957]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’m not clever enough to contribute here But y’all made my morning

[@gundam00able]

@@jjomoo884 lol!

[@chsmt19]

Challenge: make an episode about the 5 most "need to know" facts/laws/principles , etc. for our species to possess to advance ourselves. Plz & TY!!

[@ilovejettrooper5922]

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power, we have guided missiles and misguided men." -Martin Luther King Jr.

[@BibboSama]

@@ilovejettrooper5922 How.......how have i never heard this quote

[@ilovejettrooper5922]

@@BibboSama To be honest I got it from Sid Meiers Civilization V. Of all places :)

[@aomething]

@@ilovejettrooper5922 And yet, how many people are killed daily in the name of some religion?

[@rogercarter1959]

The explanations are simple enough that I could teach my kids and they would understand. Thank you gentlemen. He was so thrilled when he was told he was correct. 😀👏

[@EnochSarku]

How many people agree that Neil should start another youtube that solely teaches math and physics from Basic Math to Space time math! Let's push this!🔥🔥🔥

[@MartinFoCo94]

I love how Neil can explain these ideas to someone as far away from astrophysics and the science behind that as a comedian. Absolutely incredible to experience the world with this incredible person.

[@PerseusEsq]

The dude isn’t that far away he’s talking about taking calculus in college which is only required for STEM majors

[@MySqueezingArm]

Lesson Learned: The Moon Twerks.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

The Moon and Earth salsa dance together.

[@mrs.morris5506]

More awesomeness from Neil DeGrasse. This videos are ALWAYS on point. It makes me proud as an educated, curious person.

[@hockeyinalabama]

Best math professor I ever had explained the why. I always hated memorizing formulas. I didn't have to after he explained it. I could derive it myself, and I better understood what was being described by the formula. That was great.

[@mikedavis5854]

Always hated that you memorized formulas with no knoledge of why it works, you were lucky to have a great teacher. When i asked the why i wsas always blown off. I assume that they didnt know themself.

[@0xFF48]

@@mikedavis5854a lot of the proofs that explain what you memorize in algebra, geometry and trigonometry rely on some advanced math. For example how do you prove 1+1=2 with out using the idea of addition ? Often it’s the most simplest ideas that are the most difficult to explain and prove

[@xdragon2k]

​@@0xFF48 I think he's talking more about why area of triangle is 1/2 of the base times the height, or why a circle is pi r squared.

[@kmb_jr]

10:20 Moon twerking... 🤣😂🤣 I've heard it alll

[@davidwhite6581]

Explain the art on your wall Neil!!!

[@merpuffedy]

You guys should check out my vids, im trying to make people happy 😇

[@twonumber22]

@@merpuffedy No.

[@zainabhamid7777]

I've been curious too!!!

[@cmmpictures5499]

looks to me like Haida art, maybe elephants?!

[@RythmGkwd]

Please check the description for details

[@catserver8577]

Oh my word. You guys have just stopped my brain from a thirty year anxiety attack. I can't explain how this has completely calmed my brain, but I thought you should know it has. I have a playlist called "before sleep" where I usually put things like meditation or calming music, soothing frequencies for my tinnitus, etc. This is going on that list and it's going to be my bedtime story for quite a long time. My view of where I am just came together in one video. Holy cow. Thank you!

[@victorpopov3809]

This is such a great show with an amazing formula that makes it fun to watch and listen to. These two are such a great duo, providing serious education material with a little bit of comedy in between.

[@michaelcruz2994]

The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know and understand...

[@TH3MIN3R3000]

Exactly! The more you know, the more you know you don't know. It's a bit of a tongue twister, but it's more fun to say.

[@Reegareth]

This is why the saying Ignorance is bliss was created by someone smart enough to realize how stupidly complicated the world we live in actually is.

[@j.p.2494]

A wise man admits he knows nothing.

[@legomego6943]

That’s when Nihilistic thoughts start kicking in…

[@D.Appeltofft]

That's what curiousity is fore.

[@shayanchamas60]

Chuck's humor is just amazing. Love this duo.

[@Sment1024]

It blows my mind. I've just realised my entire life I was sure that Earth's orbit isn't a circle it's ellipse, so I imagined it as typical ellipse. Now I watched this and realised that the orbit is almost circle, difference is just 3%, moreover Earth, because of Moon, is moving on serpentine along that orbit. It's amazing, you both do great job, thanks. Greetings from Poland

[@KhawChing]

I have known who Neil DeGrasse Tyspn is for a LONG time. But I never really watched or heard more than short snippet's of subjects he expressed. But I saw a video of his show up where he talked about algae on a pond doubling it's size each day. When he got to the question he posed to the person he was talking to, my mind immediately popped to "Tomorrow, the next day.". Yet when I asked other people they did the same thing the other person in the video did by guessing something like "I dunno, a month?". In the end I started watching more videos of his talking about different subjects and am surprised how many he touches on where I find him saying something I often express on the same subject. It's left me with one thought. I'm just 1 person in the almost 8 billion people on Earth but so is Neil. He just happens to be 1 I think would be awesome to have as a friend.

[@SheSweetLikSugarNSavage]

❤👍Big facts.

[@luigicudelato]

Chuck does such a great job with these, makes you gotta love the understanding science brings as much as he and Neil do

[@chrisprescott2389]

I made sure my sons know that they can have sports heroes movie heroes KZbin heroes but there are very few people such as Neil deGrasse Tyson that can explain how amazing the world we live in and how fragile it is in the most hostile environment it exists in to appreciate every sunrise and sunset is a gift and that someone is so passionate about teaching this to anyone who will just take the time to listen. Thank You Neil

[@Tatation1971]

I really enjoyed the humor of this lesson and more so the dynamic between you two. Thanks guys for sharing your knowledge.

[@brunosoares9839]

I've read multiple times from comments on Neil's videos how full of himself he is and how much he likes the sound of his voice and that completely baffles me. For peole who didnt have the opportunity of being engaged in this subject by Sagan, Neil is the guy that made it happen. Every single lecture and panel discussion he arrenged we are awarded with an undeniable passion and loveable approach that had my generation as excited as the previous one on the subject. He made it happen. He inspires. In fact as a Brazilian I started translating his earlier videos for my friends and it changed their lives. His impact is simply inevitable and undeniable.

[@hale608]

My first thought when he said, "I can't fit that explanation into this video . . . what do you want from me?" was Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. 😝

[@TechNextLetsGo]

Stars twinkle because of the Earth's Atmosphere, it moves around. He could have just said that.

[@robertedwards121]

10:20 Moon twerking... 🤣😂🤣 I've heard it alll

[@indorilnerevar3161]

@@TechNextLetsGo Its Neil, 2 mounths later he did a 20 mins video about it lol.

[@Illlium]

@@TechNextLetsGo That's false. Stars twinkle because the light you see from them is the light that they themselves emit - think of it like a giant nuclear reactor pulsating with enormous waves of energy in the form of light. Planets on the other hand (and the Moon) do not twinkle - that's because they are only reflecting the light cast on them by the Sun - that's how you can easily differentiate a star from a planet on the night sky (feel free to use it on a date). If you look at the Sun through sufficient shielding you can even observe this phenomenon without looking at stars - it also "twinkles" pulsating with the emitted energy.

[@TLDR_DesiReactions]

What a brilliant episode and a great explanation!

[@mugensamurai]

We need more Chuck unfiltered.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

If there’s one thing I enjoy watching Star talk to see, it’s to see Neil and Chuck cutting up and having fun as friends. It’s like Neil just sees Chuck and breaks.

[@bryanengland2466]

8:27 I saw you shaking your head and all I thought was "What is love? Oh baby, don't hurt me Don't hurt me No more"

[@quicksilver40]

Love you guys. The chemistry is real and that makes the learning/entertainment better.

[@stevej8388]

nice seeing you guys use the repeating teaching method, when going through information to reconfirm what was said and adding new information to enhance the understanding rather than memorizing it. keep up the fantastic work guys.

[@adityamishra7711]

If i am not wrong, than let me just say that , i saw what you just did there , btw.... Me myself had been really frustrated from this problem since 5 years now, i am 22 btw, and i know, infact i believe, that education industry needs A PARADIGM SHIFT ALL ACROSS THE WORLD . Tell me if i got it right....

[@kategoodman8795]

You two are great together! I wish I would have had teachers like you when I was in school.

[@DeathBringer769]

You should write a new book called "Moon Twerk" lol ;)

[@schoolcraft8807]

ill wait for the movie

[@EdwardHowton]

Shh! Keep it down or you'll be responsible for the next James Blonde film!

[@voltrakkon659]

Man I can only dream of getting even an hour of this great mans time! You are an amazing person Neil and an idol in science and education!

[@miriameileenrodrigueza.9696]

I just love it!🤩 open your mind, explore your ideas, don't let the people stop you and tell you: " oh, that's the way it always have been don't make me more questions about it". Simply just keep asking why, investigate, feed your curiosity. I'm very thankful for these videos🥰 I really enjoy it.

[@michaelmiller846]

Thank you for this. I would’ve told anyone who asked me that it’s colder in the winter because the earth is further from the sun and it was the tilt this whole time. Learn something new everyday.

[@Katanaz]

Best. Podcast. Ever!!!

[@ting280]

I love that Chuck doesn't realize he's a whole genius. Dude been doing these shows with NDT getting educated for years and he's still giddy when he gets answers right.

[@Reni8705]

I have been listening ( StarTalk) podcast for a long time and never seen this videos. It’s so fun to see them I really enjoy it. Exciting, funny, cool an entertaining 😍🤓 Once I fell asleep while I was listening and dreamed that I am sitting at a table together with Neil and some others and discuss about the Universe. The rest of the day I felt like I know him in person. So strange feeling.

[@Quantum369Mechanic]

Thank you for taking the time to make and upload amazing content!

[@TheXxENDERMANxx]

Just bought your book "Astrophysics for people in a hurry". Can't wait to read it

[@lizardxqueen]

I recently just finished it and now I'm on my Second book of his "Welcome to the Universe".

[@felipelopes4325]

I already read it. It was worth every cent. Don't wait anymore, go read it :)

[@TheXxENDERMANxx]

@@felipelopes4325 i would if i could, but it has to be shipped 😩

[@dbg-dabraziliangamer8163]

@@lizardxqueen I'm currently reading "Welcome to the Universe" too! I reached chapter 4 yesterday night: "How Stars Radiate Energy (I)." I finished "Newton's Laws," which was chapter 3. What about you? How far are you into it?

[@brandonoliver5665]

It's a great read

[@oliversmalley7771]

Man, how can science doubters even exist when science teaches us so many awesome things? Science is awesome, full stop.

[@rjpittman4510]

NdGT has redefined both astrophysics and science in general. He is one of the most important scientists of the 21st century because of this. Unlike important scientists who are important for their discoveries or creations, he is important for the way he has explained it ALL. His energy and passion about science (and seeking-knowledge in general) has permeated into pop culture which will bring 1,000s of additional kids into science based fields, which will inevitably create a better 21st century for the world through new scientific discoveries and inventions. I am extremely grateful to NdGT for that. Finally there is a scientist (more so then Sagan) who can be and does belong on posters on children's walls.

[@OldManInternet]

I love how much Chuck is picking up from these videos. This was a great pairing

[@EdwardHowton]

I love how Chuck used his brain to try to figure out seasonal temperature differences. Look at his face through the whole thing! I once wanted to be a teacher, and seeing that look on anyone's face makes me happy. Things that rare are valuable. Well done, man. You knew some bits of data, added them together to try to figure out something more, and you were right.

[@quintinmclellan2671]

Can anybody guess, what is chuck's favorite line??? "I didn't know that!"

[@KeyBoard-io8nl]

Thanks heaps.

[@davidevans3227]

i like watching this and learning stuff thankyou for sharing these great videos 🙂 x

[@josephlawson1796]

This is sooo much better than school. Just a few episodes and better then a month of formal "education".

[@maw9723]

You're a great duo. Gracias for the awesome videos and greetings from Canada!

[@millefune]

That shifting parhelion thing reminds me of those old spirograph toys.

[@JK--24]

Dr. Tyson, thank you for making science so cool! You're the face of the literal "bridge the gap" between elite academia, our youth and everyone in-between!

[@miranmartincic7712]

Dear Dr. Tyson, Thank you for the wonderfully understandable videos. I have a wish: Would you consider making one on Calculus? Videos I find on KZbin are so, so... Thank you and best regards from Norway, Miran

[@jasonplant5432]

I really like this episode. Thanks for this amazing article.

[@alexzandermorgan9356]

Neil is such a great educator because you can literally see and hear how excited he gets about all sciences. I believe this to be a huge issue in schools across the globe, many teachers do not show their excitement about what they teach when that excitement is important to help motivate kids to learn what is being taught. I’m very curious as to why there aren’t more teachers like Neil, I have some hypothesis but I haven’t found a complete answer yet.

[@adityamishra7711]

You consider sharing me those hyposthese ? Dont worry, me myself had been frustrated with this similar kind of problem since 5 years

[@MrKenpokarate]

I think normal educators aren’t excited is the problem. Occasionally you get a fantastic educator who really understands the material and it’s exciting. There are educators out there that believe the earth is really 6000 years old and that the Bible is scientifically accurate, so of course they aren’t excited about the material they disagree with it.

[@theduder2617]

The students themselves have a responsibility which continues to not be addressed. One does NOT need excited educators in their lives in order to educate while understanding the education provided. Many who fail out of school, failed out due to their own laziness and lack of self motivation. And proof exists within their school records. Yes, there are those who do not realize they are bored with the material because it is basically a repeat of the previous year's studies. They never realize that advancing forward a grade or three can make the very difference needed to obtain a previously non-possessed excitement and motivation towards learning. But for the most part, school failures have much more to do with the individual than it does the educator(s). ESPECIALLY TODAY! 97% of school failures and drop-outs failed and/or dropped out because they had no interest in learning. And they learned that laziness from mommy and daddy who were themselves, grade school drop-outs. Continuing to worship a person who on live TV used the words "I can declassify them by thinking about it", was NOT a result of bad educators. That is only the end result of a direct refusal to educate, nothing else. Students, with parents or not, are as responsible for their education as are the educators. They have internet at their fingers NON-STOP 24 hours a day. What do they choose to use the internet for? Surely NOT for the original intended purpose of the internet back when it was first proposed, on through to its design and introduction. They could be excited enough to learn if they desired to learn. But that would fly directly in the face of chosen delusional fantasy for most today under the age of 45. Not to mention their desire for laziness at every turn.

[@jadecoley]

"Just one more thing" is to Columbo as "Wait, theres more" is to Neil Degrasse Tyson.

[@panchorodriguez7246]

Just one more thing, ma'am...

[@ericsullivan145]

Love the conversations.

[@Incandescentiron]

When you do a StarTalk on why stars twinkle it would be great for you to talk about adaptive optics in land-based telescopes. I think I was more amazed we had the technology to correct for atmospheric aberration then why stars twinkle to begin with. Love your show!

[@danditiello4846]

I was waiting for Tyson to add that the sun, earth and moon ( the solar system) are flying through space and the orbits are actually spirals.

[@Troy13]

How to even picture this in your imagination, when you consider that the universe is also expanding

[@daz88888]

Yes! According to the 'theory'. When I saw those speeds and directions, spiralling and chasing, it raises more questions. It's no longer an elipse as it never closes! But he won't go into that....

[@technauseated4208]

It can go the other way, too. I had a boss years ago that attempted to teach a co-worker and I programming in just a couple sessions over Skype. He was always trying to jump way ahead of the current material. He was very impatient, getting mad that neither of us were "getting it" on his timetable. I tried to explain that it was like handing a cave man an etch--a-sketch for a few hours and then saying, "Ok, well here's an iPad, write up an email with merge fields and email these 200 clients".

[@Major_Morgan]

I like when Neil says but there is more, then I prepared for new information. This is the best channel I have ever visit.

[@TheSwiftMagician]

You guys have a great chemistry together! Keep up the good work.

[@danuttall]

When teaching, we want to go from what is known to what is unknown. Start with the circle, but ... then go to the ellipse, but ... throw in the Earth-Moon system motion, but ... get the procession in there. It is just that at each step, there is more that is known and the next step reveals more that was previously unknown.

[@AndreasA.S.]

yeah, i heard the moon twerks. instant visualization.

[@schoolcraft8807]

im in search of a clever harvest moon joke

[@avargowattecamps6552]

I think of "need to know" basis Like a flash light illuminates more as you pull it away. You start close with basic info. You build on that info. to understand a topic more. As you pull the flashlight away more info is illuminated. But 2 flash lights next to each other can show how topics intertwine or overlap. And 1 of those flashlights or topics knowledge can be small, until you bring it away and you suddenly see how the more you know the more topics have to do with one another. I also have this visual when I think of people making choices, and understanding how they affect other people.

[@isabellaandsophia7527]

@Neil - Can you do a video on why the moon doesn’t spin and explain how seasons are astronomically determined for countries near the equator?

[@getthevax8576]

The moon spins, it just rotates at the same speed that it revolves around us

[@kennethnichols4478]

More of this great stuff. Please and thank you. ♥️

[@jerrycampbell5937]

These guys together are so much fun.

[@mrgreensuminaga8752]

Neil : what do you want from me? Me : I want to know everything which is right 💯 Words ain't enough to thank you coach ❤️

[@curtismastalka3475]

I suspect all "rightness" is changing too fast to measure.

[@HUMFREX]

“Okay?” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

[@vasudevraghav2109]

This comment is way too overrated. (posting this chain at 16 likes)

[@waynetokarz174]

Loved how you empowered me with advanced knowledge and then did it again, and again and again......! I’m better for it, thank you

[@spookyactionatadistance1316]

The more information I get to up front the easier it is for me to learn. Just as important to my personal progress, I also found that taking notes, for me, is so much of a distraction that it almost completely interferes in an extreme with my capacity to learn. High school was an educational wasteland for me. Once I figured that out in college, I found learning much easier and effective. I started reading the entire text and other material as early as possible in classes and almost completely stopped taking notes. I went from not being a very good student to being a permanent resident of Dean's and President's lists. Not everyone learns the same way.

[@bk8mom]

earth's "doing" the cabbage patch dance around the Sun

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

And every time it goes around, we can chant, "Go Earth! It's yo' birthday! Go Earth! It's yo' birthday! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

[@scot_smith]

Awesome! Seems as we expand our viewpoints in an orderly, cohesive way, we keep deepening understanding...but now I can’t get the image of a twerking moon out of my head 😅

[@GeminiTwinning]

These two light up my day!!

[@KM-wv5fd]

I'm dead at 8:26 i keep looking up for this segment each day lol (keep looking up)

[@cursedwolf1539]

So earth's orbit is a 97% circle?

[@joshuawoodford7525]

Essentially, but the word circle by definition is perfect, so you wouldn't use an identifier before it. For example you wouldn't ask me how round a circle is, but you may with an ellipse. I always thought it was funny when I would hear someone say perfectly round but I've come to understand it does add value when describing things other than technical shape. Anyway super hilarious 🤣😁😉

[@0LoneTech]

It's more like a ±1.7% inaccurate circle.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

We NEED a "technical term" for "imperfect circle" as opposed to "ellipse"... It would help a lot of students get a better picture for the "graphical solution" in these kinds of problems. The Earth progresses through a 3% imperfect circle... BUT when you say "ellipse" there's the overbearing distraction of an oval or "egg shape" so students don't just get it... We could understand it SO much easier if it was just always taught as "The earth travels around an imperfect circle." instead... Right? I mean, you "get" that a circle is perfectly round... You can also get that "If it's not perfectly round, technically it's not a true circle."... BUT it gets complicated quickly when you use terms like "ellipse" or "elliptical" and "oval". At 3% variation, it's still relatively circular... just not a perfect circle... I'd suggest "imperfect circle" is an improvement upon either just a circle or elliptical path. ;o)

[@cursedwolf1539]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 This makes sense.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@cursedwolf1539 I kinda thought so... It just needed to be said. Thanks! ;o)

[@TheEtAdmirer]

Every time I think I'm starting to understand the universe another door opens.

[@sanchitumbarkar3474]

i just found this channel and this is the most knowlegeable and at the same time funniest channel about space facts 😂

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

I love Chuck so much. He keeps intellectualism real and joyous. Nerds and non-nerds everywhere so need this.

[@tonycmac]

I wish I could give this more than one like.

[@connorcash1033]

Mr. Neil Degrass Tyson, you’re my favorite celebrity of all time hands down

[@connorcash1033]

deGrasse*

[@krioni86sa]

@@connorcash1033 Why?

[@johndenver5029]

I love lamp

[@SriniVaith]

🙏 Thank you Sir for your excellent exposition of the mostly misunderstood topics.

[@SCARDUSTROCKS]

You should have concluded the video with expanding the n-body problem by perhaps adding Jupiter to the mix and how it affects the orbit of Earth. But overall brilliant way of explaining how knowledge rests on prior knowledge.

[@kenbee1957]

“We gotta land this plane” I use this now in conversations And people think I’m so cool If they ever watch StarTalk, I hope they think NDT stole it from me

[@kenbee1957]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SudhirRaja23]

Chuck is badass funny! You guys have great chemistry. It made my day. Learnt some and laughed a lot. Stay safe.

[@samanthanor332]

Ty for spending the morning with me, and a whole lot of my days. I love you guys.

[@crayvun2196]

This episode was fantastic!

[@BuyBBStonk]

"Like a black girl telling you off" LOL

[@ndowroccus4168]

This is true with everything, high school and before just give you the “Cliff Notes”. So you can fake your way through most anything, but the truth is too in depth and complicated to teach in high school, without making school 20 hours a day seven days a week.

[@OmniphonProductions]

When you said, "Earth and the Moon orbit _each other,"_ I visualized the "wobble" created as the Moon goes around the Earth. Then you mentioned the common center of mass, and I felt like an idiot for never realizing it before. Likewise with the loops and the orbital procession...all of which made me imagine the Spirograph toy I had as a kid. Then came the Sun's _layers!_ I absolutely love the way you can take complex concepts (from a K-12 perspective) and explain them in such a way that they suddenly seem _so_ obvious. With that in mind, knowing that the _vast_ majority of Americans have _at most_ a K-12 education, it explains why so many only _think_ we understand complex...and important...issues.

[@jadeswormfarm]

I'm bad at science yet these two make it so easy and enjoyable for me to understand 😊😄👍

[@joaopaulodiasfranca472]

6:41 Neil: "All Planets are in ellipses." 6:44 Also Neil: "Pluto is particularly elliptical." Neil deGrasse Tyson confirms that Pluto is, indeed, a Planet.

[@RevolutionibusOrbiumCoelestium]

It is, it’s been reclassified as a dwarf planet.

[@daniswaraaryasutahariadi5737]

It's a dwarf planet, get over it

[@djolf]

@@daniswaraaryasutahariadi5737 and a dwarf planet IS a planet

[@terrywbreedlove]

LOL 😝

[@summonedv1]

Pluto Rofls every time it is debated. I m gonna keep swinging anyway.

[@NandoFut24]

*How Chuck has so much charisma i Will never know*

[@gordonsmith5589]

He ruins the show for me