StarTalk Podcast: Quirky Cosmic Queries

On this episode of StarTalk Radio, recorded live at KZbin Space NY and premiering here on KZbin, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio ( / paulmecurio ) are back together again to answer fan-submitted Cosmic Queries. This time around, they’ll be answering the quirkiest of questions covering all corners of the universe.
To start, we investigate binary star systems. Would planetary orbits be stable in binary star systems? Neil tells us why orbital allegiances might vary. Then, we ponder if humans would be the most intelligent species in the universe if it turns out there is no other intelligent life. Find out why it’s more likely than unlikely that intelligent life is out there somewhere. Neil breaks down the intelligence gap between chimps and humans and the possible intelligence gap between humans and extraterrestrial life. Could aliens have visited us already and we didn’t know?
We discuss the idea of immortally. You’ll learn why Neil thinks the first person to live forever is already alive. Paul shares why he thinks it’s Beyoncé. We ponder the downsides of living forever and why death gives meaning to life.
Neil tells us what science fiction concept he would like to see become reality. We debate the merit of x-ray vision and warp drives. Discover more about ʻOumuamua, the interstellar object that passed through our solar system in 2017. Could it have been an alien space probe? Was it just another comet? Or could it have been something else?
Lastly, we dive into a passionate debate on the relationship between science and creativity. We explore the counterintuitive nature of the universe. All that, plus, we also investigate the multiverse and why, even in the multiverse, there’s still only one “you.”
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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

[@gloriamitchell3518]

I would love to have Neil at a dinner party of introverts. Non stop entertainment. So much love for him.

[@EloquentTroll]

He would need either an extrovert or a group effort from all of us introverts.

[@AS-xi6lp]

Ohhhh I would love that too. Can I get an invite? 🖐🏼

[@Urfcannon]

we're gonna need only one extrovert to keep this conversation going tho

[@kite4792]

Every Bird he’s the extrovert that’ll keep us afloat 😄

[@blessedveteran]

Just one problem, introverts don't go to dinner parties...😅

[@jerrydeanswanson79]

Hearing "Who's Your Daddy" in an explanation of planetary gravity is too funny!

[@namastewellness]

Who's your gravity daddy 👉👤 lol

[@paulvamos7319]

My daddy is my Sun! XD

[@annhedge-carruthers7726]

@@namastewellness atarttastk

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

“Who’s your Daddy?” is funny, but so true in this context!

[@markselosa1743]

@@namastewellness you

[@UncleTD]

So pleasing that our personal astrophysicist is also a brilliant philosopher.

[@michgingras]

you dont know what is philosophy, and no he is not.

[@UncleTD]

@@michgingras And you do not know how to construct a sentence.

[@saulloweryproductions]

Every time I watch a talk of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, I feel like I unlock a new path of thought.

[@chrislilly1463]

“8 planets” I saw that look Neil! (Me wearing my “Never forget Pluto” shirt.). Just coincidence, but amusing to me.

[@waqasahmed3115]

Ohh thats why he looked i didn't catch that lol.

[@namastewellness]

LOL

[@amirmohammadganji485]

Pluto.is.not.a.planet.

[@alejandrooos1]

@@amirmohammadganji485 HOW. DARE. YOU.

[@OverPoweredLIVE]

If only we all had a professor like NDT, learning physics would've been awesome!

[@theduder2617]

I agree entirely. My high school physics teacher was the epitome of boring. He was very "robotic" as he spoke which killed interest completely. I ended up not getting into physics until college as a result. Betting I would be farther along had the right educator been involved at a younger age.

[@daveb3291]

NTD looks like something you might get if u have unprotected sex...

[@joanhall3718]

Learning physics was amazing!!!!

[@animatedfun1803]

I have a question if we could surpass the speed of light and travel faster than light does that mean we could travel faster than the universe is expansion in reach some end point I'm talking about the entire universe not the observable event Horizon scientist like to talk about?

[@alexc5243]

Luckily for me, my high school physics teacher made everything just as interesting as NDT does. I excelled in that class because he made me love it.

[@Esssentialss]

36:12 Non-existence upon death: Something I already agreed with, but hearing it explained this way is terrifying, yet motivating. Why the hell did I watch this before bed 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@Cepheid_]

I love the dynamic of having comics as co-hosts on a science talk show. I would love to see casual, raw, uncensored conversation between Neil and Bill Burr.

[@skydivekrazy76]

The friendship and chemistry between you two is awesome.

[@TwinsenR]

Just in time to wind down the last hour of my day at work, thank you Neil and Chu...Paul!

[@dr.withoutthedegree3990]

I'm telling your boss

[@TwinsenR]

@@dr.withoutthedegree3990 Go right ahead, I just quit Friday, lol

[@paranoxxxx]

Dr. DeGrass Tyson I thank you. I don't disparage any of the inspirational teachers I've had in my educational life at all but I have to count you as the greatest. I listen or watch you and I take notes on what you teach so that I can get the books and learn even more later. Teachers give their students the ideas that further their own ability to learn on their own after the teacher is done speaking and you do that for me everytime. It is the greatest gift. I can not express how much joy its given me over the years that you've spent your time sharing your vast and brilliant mind with the world. Or how much I've learned in direct response to the things you've made me aware of. There is no real way to thank you for it so I'll tell you a little truth. Ever since I was 12 years old my person motto has been 'Just look up' and it made me smile to find out years later that one of the greatest science educators on out fair planet had one so similar. I look up to you.

[@MrZed_11]

I also want to give Neil his roses while he is here: Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and conveying it in a way that a simpleton, such as myself, can understand. I love your work!

[@paulvamos7319]

Neil, you need to write an Astrophysics for Dummies because you get me to understand what baffled me when others tried to teach me! You are my favorite teacher because you are funny, understandable and you connect with us on so many levels! You get us!

[@amccall88]

But.... He did... It's called astrophysics for people in a hurry

[@GMVTV]

Such a wonderful show. I've just subscribed yesterday, but now got hooked on so hard, been marathoning, and just wish that we will never ran out of this shows. Damn good show

[@ActionJackson669]

Paul Mecurio is an acceptable backup for Chuck. But he definitely a bench player when Chuck is back because he is the G.O.A.T.. Can't start over the G.O.A.T. but thank you to Paul for filling in and doing a swell job we appreciate it

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

This as a deep one. Loved it!

[@nazianafis]

The difference between artistic creativity and scientific creativity was spot on. I second it!

[@abdullahzahrani8513]

Thank you neil for your share of knowledge

[@heraldkris]

We need a show with just Chuck and Paul trying to answer questions!

[@blessedveteran]

😂🎉

[@-8_8-]

I like this cat. He's getting it, and he's putting things accurately into simple phrases.

[@lanatrzczka]

If the Star Talk staff even sees this comment.... This is the best Star Talk episode by far.

[@Raz.C]

If Neil had a son or a brother called Moe, I'd love to be there when it came time to mow the lawn. I can imagine how that would go: "Moe, mow de grass, NOW!" Sounded funnier in my head...

[@geoffreyhhill]

I am 100% committed to the sun. It provides me with everything I need

[@hombreleon]

Paul Mecurio is an excellent guest. 👍🏼

[@wolflordy3193]

39:30 "My physics professor in college". Imagine being able to referto Isidor Rabi with that and not by name.

[@logan317b]

one of my favorite episodes so far

[@a.gazelle9930]

This is the most informative video watched since the beginning of KZbin. Thanks 🙏

[@poetryquotesgoodreads3430]

“My Existence” I exist somewhere in between Yesterday’s sun And tonight’s darkness Standing on the edge of tomorrow Waiting for a shooting star.💫 I discovered this piece of writing in a hauntingly beautiful poetry book, “12:12 Midnight” by Danielle Ever Rose It was a great read.🖤✨

[@adamfederer3937]

Always enjoy hearing some real thought occuring!

[@dragonangel1786]

I'd love for Neil to talk about plasma engines. The last I heard, they were at the working prototype stage. They even planned to test it at the space station.

[@youtube2snoopy820]

@ 28:25 : The comic makes a good point. A star-hopping civilization could certainly master remote real-time interaction, a Bose-Einstein joystick. @30:59 : How much energy would have been required to impel the course change that Oumuamua underwent? Has any comet ever exhibited that much 'jet caused momentum change'? What explanation credibly explains why its' change in course occurred shortly after passing earth? Does any one alternate explanation answer those questions satisfactorily? Great show again. Surprisingly intimate in a slightly brutal way. The comic really warmed up to making good insights later in the show.

[@theduder2617]

48:00 I seriously thought I was all alone in that thought. Soo happy there is at least one more out there.

[@setaitransmedia]

But twins aren't identical- yet there is some evidence they do share experiences- All you are is experience and memory- reproduce that memory and it's the original consciousness-

[@theduder2617]

@@setaitransmedia Actually, I was referring to time travel and a person's identity while also considering the multiverse idea. I simply listed the timestamp where that part of the discussion concluded instead of when it began. lol So much more than memory reproduction would be involved in determining who the person is who traveled back in time. For going back may in fact create a new universe. And there is no logical reason to presume who we are will be the same if we were to travel back as suggested in this video. Brain chemistry would have to be virtually identical, which does not occur in this timeline. Perhaps it would remain the same to the traveler. But it's also equally likely that it will be an entirely different identity all together.

[@jerimiehall]

I love that he said "my favorite MRI joke" implying he knows more than one! Lol

[@Chris-hx3om]

NDT: My favourite MRI joke. Me: He has an MRI joke? Also me: Of course he does.

[@patordie]

Paul is the man

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

This is my last StarTalk video and then I've seen them all. :( I still have 95% of the podcasts to go through (listening to them in order; I love how non-structured and laid back the early eps are and that NDT has to wait for callers to call in lol). So I"ll be starting the All-Stars channel soon. Thank you NDT for all you've told me even if my silly brain can't retain nearly any of it.

[@donr3407]

Please kneel, never use this clown again he is not even the kind of clown that makes you laugh, just the kind that makes you want to cry. Love your work thank you for all you do.

[@samwisegamgie8163]

Love these

[@dizzytitan8481]

Me again, What are some issues with making a gravitational inferometer with lagrange points of say venus or earth?

[@LadyLaVelleFilms]

Best episode I've watched so far. Thank you

[@billymanilli]

Steven Wright is one of my all time favorites! 41:21

[@skybluebeats1175]

Omg this show is teaching me so much thank you

[@DirtyReaper]

I love this episode!

[@dizzytitan8481]

Neil, love you My question is are fields of the standard model and the 10 dimensions the emerge from quantum mechanics related? I realized I've been putting these in the same basket. Please set me straight

[@Dampfaeus]

I got a nice example for creative engineering that doesn't get mentioned all that often. So, you take a few good (or awesome) engineers and tell them to improve on an oven. They can work for decades and make the best oven there is. But it will still be an oven. Then comes a long a (basically failed) application for microwave communication, and the birds fall from the sky. Some engineer looks at it, saw the application for microwaves besides communication, put it in a shielded box and there we got our microwave oven. I think it's a spectacular execution of cross-field engineering and creativity. Not as life-saving as MRI, but still very good.

[@estrellayy]

So helpful! I think I learned a lot XD

[@hououinkyouma5539]

Consciousness: layers of memories that can exchange information between themselves.

[@Erit09]

I like that!

[@pedroaboffa]

Love you neil you are the guy man.. thank you for everything

[@morlin101]

now one of my favs!!

[@CGT2023]

This is the best show ever!

[@dragonshadowstorm]

37:10 yeeeees I said this before I heard Neil say it!

[@erwindobles]

so great!!!

[@kevinr8692]

Great Startalk

[@braunsteinfreres8930]

Loved it thank you. Stephen Wright best comedian that was a good joke.

[@Purrfect_Werecat]

Cosmic Queries is my favorite bit

[@wejsmith5446]

At around 28:30 couldnt you send the signal ahead of time like hours, days or years before so when you warp drive you can meet the signal you sent yourself in the past

[@cristiangdc618]

This one’s an old episode, glad they finally uploaded it.

[@Sinnbad21]

Cristian G. del C. If they’ve just uploaded it, where have you seen it before?

[@cristiangdc618]

@@Sinnbad21 I guess it was a live stream; I know it's old cause on november 8th, I tweeted something Neil said on this Q&A.

[@Sinnbad21]

Cristian G. del C. Ah gotcha

[@janeford1931]

Loved this one, Thank you (uk)

[@romanmaly9906]

the ones with paul are my favourites :)

[@dekard3214]

Neil clearly hasn't seen my Steam backlog, i need to live forever because I'll perpetually be behind on my game completion.

[@capitalh1895]

@35:00: Vagabond Planet; what a name for a rockband!

[@jurisbogdanovs1]

I have a question for Dr Dr Tyson! Is the pattern of Magnetic field correct in textbooks or is it correct in that book on amazon titled as "My Quest to Understand EVERYTHING: Everything is the Mechanics of Reflection"...

[@mstiffany]

Excellent episode Neil

[@sandrahanson7931]

If I had a teacher like you I don’t think I would have had to take the course 2times to get a low B. You are great

[@alexandermouradov9314]

Good one thank you

[@mikee101]

That was a great show

[@pre-javelinaflips-anne1779]

Humans do throw their poop... Just ask Sheriff’s deputies working at county jails. Poop throwing is real 😅💩

[@Zergjerk]

Indeed and also others spicies poo. There is a cow turd throwing championship. 😑

[@dennistafeltennis1190]

Ya'll never hear off bock turd spitting? Goes even further then throwing it just put a bock turd in the mouth and spit it as far as you can. The winner wins a toothbrush.

[@pre-javelinaflips-anne1779]

Dennis Tafeltennis 💩🤮🤣

[@pre-javelinaflips-anne1779]

Zergjerk 😝

[@mjjumps]

Velvet Boily word. I’m an occupational therapist… In a psychiatric ward… I dodge poop constantly

[@juliandavidhoffer2022]

Never thought I would hear Neil argue that the human consciousness is essentially the human soul.

[@corystewart4081]

Talking about living forever, earlier in the video you were talking about not wanting to think that the human mind was incapable of solving a problem. Losing that time limit would make a lot of people lose track and focus, I will definitely give you that. I bet for a lot of people, a large amount of time would be squandered. I could also see a vast swath of people taking a Roddenberry approach and move their focus towards advancing humanity as a whole, making those discoveries themselves, not just "laying the groundwork" for the science to come. I bet if you had the ability to get Einstein back to the future for a few years, let him study the science that his brain spawned, then give him the option to live forever and keep working on stuff, he'd probably take the potion and keep working on it. Not for himself but for what he was doing it for in the first place.

[@Jay-Kaizo]

Lol, I liked the ending. Very funny. And true.

[@hgcduke]

One of the smartest men alive and he forgets patrion asks their questions first almost every video😂😂😋

[@vaivs7903]

Holy!! I never thought of Star Trek's beamer that way. While i am at it, if i had the chance i would like to live forever. But not because of fear of dying, but because i would be able to witness everything. I would be able to say where the universe is headed at the end of all time in the far far future.

[@animatedfun1803]

Star talk I have a question. If faster than light travel was hypothetically possible does that mean that if we were could travel faster than light we would be able to reach the end edge of the observable universe and maybe even traveled the entire universe outside our horizon and all the way back to earth is that what means faster than light travel? U hope you answer this.

[@MW-gs8wz]

This is so awsome

[@diabbluiszegpidelgado1674]

This comedian is great!

[@jeffreyherman9454]

The weekly format of our calendar reflects the fact that Sunday is the first day of the week and that Saturday is the agreed-upon LAST (or seventh) day. In Hebrew, Sunday is even referred to as "Yom Rishon", meaning "the first day". Also, the Hebrew name for Saturday -- "Shabat" (compare "Sabbath") -- is based upon the word for "seven", which is "sheva" in Hebrew, again reflecting that Saturday is the LAST day of the week.

[@jmanj3917]

Around 36:00, How about the fact that all of our known existence is not really "solid", but is instead nothing but energetic vibrations in various fields?

[@bentucker2301]

This was great

[@frankparoots2980]

That last segment just killed me.

[@matjakobs8612]

I love star talk🖖

[@EsotericReality]

Keep up the act, Neil. Humanity needs it.

[@BookmansBlues]

If there is a definition of consciousness that applies here, is that a person's sense of personal perspective. If said person stepped into a StarTrek Transporter, then that specific perspective would vanish, and a new one would be created where the copy was materialized. So for all intents and purposes, the transporter is a murder box.

[@dvyyuhxpertin6540]

He is the best!!!

[@morlin101]

released on my bday!!

[@paranoxxxx]

Doctor, I my son came up a question to which I have no answer and it was amazing. I thought perhaps it may be in your wheelhouse. Are black holes or the space/time around them warmer or cooler than open space? Very cool question coming from a 13 year old. See, you are the best teacher ever.

[@anirbanroy3822]

Hi neil..i'm Anirban Roy.. My question is...So as we know that a moving (or moved by any outer force) object needs to increase his speed (without putting any extra force) its need to have less mass then it was before...how that possible that we throw a piece of rock it goes away more then a cotton ball which is way more liter then the piece of rock...(we are here using the same amount of energy to throw the both object)

[@georgepassmore9431]

Yeah Neil!!!

[@animatedfun1803]

Neil Tyson I have a question if we could surpass the speed of light and travel faster than light does that mean we can reach the end of the observable universe and travel faster than the universe is expansion and reach some end point I'm talking about the actual universe not the observable that scientist like to talk about?

[@nazianafis]

Regarding the idea of consciousness touched upon by NDT in the last question: Where does this consciousness go when a person dies? (we know that the body stays here in front of our eyes, the Egyptians pretty much preserved the bodies via mummification, but the consciousness definitely leaves, isn't it?)

[@pavlekodak2147]

I like when he is throwing sudden little hints like "understanding of Bernoulli's principle" in the sentence with Primate's understanding of flying, and I am "what, Bernoulli's principle, hmmm let me be eduKated" and bam there it is, I am familiar with the idea, but never knew who, what and how... Again and again I conclude that one can fill out whole libraries with staff that I DON'T KNOW d:(

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

Love your questions and responses Neil!! Much thanks to Paul and you!! 🙏🏾🤩🥰😃👍🏾

[@alexanderpeca7080]

Wow, this was recorded when we were about to hit the Covid Crisis. Btw, I like Mercurio as co-host. I hope to see him more during 2024.

[@yovannichavez3324]

The science classes we all wish we had %1000000000000000000000000000

[@leeb8992]

I love startalk! Also .. what does it take to change gravity on a planet.. big or small

[@Zergjerk]

Mass = gravity. So if dump all flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers to the Jupiter it wouldn't do much on Jupiter but in here we would gain extra resources to do some thing useful.

[@leeb8992]

Zergjerk what about without changing mass

[@Zergjerk]

@@leeb8992 well black hole forming near by or a worm hole or rogue "planetoid" that gets stuck on the planets gravity well thus becoming it's moon.

[@JAOResnik]

34:50 I think the answer would be the Big Bang itself. The fact that it's still moving is because there's nothing to stop it, and what makes it appear to curve is spacetime itself literally stretching around it

[@jjbud3124]

Well, I am so interested in what is going to happen next, I want to live forever. How wonderful it would be to see what happens in the future. I'm going to be very disappointed not to see what is to be.

[@LerrinB]

10:15 someone needs to make a movie about this!

[@BloodAcidPro]

Quantum Entanglement Comm-Link, between the probe (asteroid ) and the point of origin. E=mc2 means there is an afterlife, except if the consciousness is just a way how the energy is flowing through our brains.

[@GhostScopePC]

The argument that creativity in science is bound vs. creativity in engineering is not bound really rests on the following, I think: The main argument is that in science you have a finite number of laws (dictating how the universe works) to discover. But you can apply the same to Engineering. For example, if the goal in engineering was to apply science in every possible way, then "eventually someone will figure it out" applies here, too. Of course the goal in engineering is to apply science in useful ways (a subset of every possible way). The difference is that 'what is useful' changes over time*(some things were once useful, but aren't anymore), and because of that time dependency you cannot realistically exhaust all useful applications. *every possible way does not change over time

[@hououinkyouma5539]

48:11 The ship of Theseus paradox

[@heynando]

Ahahahahahah the poop situation loved it