StarTalk Podcast: The Right Stuff with Astronaut Scott Kelly and Dr. Chris Mason

What does it take to be an astronaut? On this episode of StarTalk: Sports Edition, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice break down the physical effects of being in space and the results of the astronaut twins study with guests astronaut Scott Kelly and biophysicist Chris Mason.
We dive into the training and tests astronauts have to go through for the selection process with Scott Kelly. How does your body feel when it's in space? What changes? How does it feel to be up there for a year? We explore the logistics of the astronaut twins study that compared Scott Kelly’s time in space with his twin brother Senator Mark Kelly’s identical time here on Earth. Discover how Scott’s genome changed in comparison to his brother’s and what he has in common with Japanese space worms.
Next, we sit down with Chris Mason, the lead doctor on the study, to talk about what they discovered about how earth life reacts to being in zero gravity. What sort of damage happens to our chromosomes in space, if any? Are there downstream generation effects of trauma? How do you construct a study like this? What specifically were they looking for? Find out how much data was collected, the microbiome of the International Space Station, and how they did gene sequencing space. What were some of the results of the study? Could humans be engineered to be better equipped for long-term space travel?
You’ll learn what COVID-19 patients have in common with astronauts returning to Earth and what effects returning to 1G has on the body. Will space travel ever be comfortable for humans? In 500 years are we going to look back on our discoveries from now as being a bit basic? All that, plus we discuss extinction and our duty as humans to combat it, the ethics of generational spaceships, and the concept of storing fertilized eggs on the moon.
Check out Scott Kelly’s book Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery and Chris Mason’s book The Next 500 Years.
Thanks to our Patrons Jamie Ferns, evan stegall, Payton Hawk, Farid El Nasire, Steve Lindauer, Austin Lawrence, Cory Farnum, Nathan Mills, Trumpet Wom', and Noah for supporting us this week.
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/
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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

[@ThorPalsson]

Chuck was on fire today! Was a really fantastic episode, would be great having Dr. Mason back on the show.

[@humanpudding8643]

My goodness! Chuck has been doing this long enough, & so, has learned so much-that NOW!-he's asking more REAL questions than I ever expected!!! He's almost hosting at several points! GO CHUCK!!!

[@andrewolson5471]

Chuck has been asking great questions for quite a while. He's actually a really intelligent person, he just doesn't have the advanced education of Dr. Degrasse-Tyson.

[@lo0ksik]

The cliche coment for likes

[@fredwilliams420]

​@andrewolson5471 not a hyphenated name... Jussayin

[@SadekMerchant]

I haven't laughed so hard and learned so much at the same time, ever in my life. Amazing episode!

[@paulvamos7319]

They really do complement each other.

[@harrysharp3838]

I did not understand anything that was discussed here, yet was fascinated from start to finish. That's what StarTalk can do! I will keep looking up...

[@doburu4835]

Use google

[@MrN0tim3]

“Mouse Brothel” Chuck is THE MAN! This man deserves his own Netflix show 😂😂

[@BamaPigBows]

I got to meet Scott Kelly when I was in 4th grade back in 1999. He came to our school and gave a talk about being an astronaut and space stuff. It was really cool

[@_Jude-St.-Francis_]

This is one of my favorites!

[@filthghoul5821]

I didn't know this podcast exists. I'm so happy right now!

[@AMikeStein]

Did anyone else think about Enders Game when they discussed sports in low to 0 G? Because I think that would be absolutely brilliant.

[@sherrylennondewitt7557]

This podcast is amazing. Thank you for the smiles today. 😄

[@kimberlyfarber1490]

Wonderful episode. Learned a lot. Amazing people, Dr. Mason and Scott Kelly and of course the incomparable Neil deGrasse Tyson.

[@laurafortier9295]

Chuck Nice is a national treasure y'all. "Do you make a little mouse brothel?". I love science you guys, but this man makes the show most days.

[@laurafortier9295]

Love that movie! Seen it twice! Gatica

[@Tony-bz8mf]

What a fascinating episode. Professor Mason is a treasure trove of information. His last comment about making humans 80% better at resisting radiation from Tartagrade is the stuff of Marvel (DC)! All the hosts were mesmerised. Fascinating. Mind blown.

[@paulinaglz8187]

I saw in the notification "Astronaut Sc..." and my finger clicked out of instinct

[@ohFoou]

I been watching you for years. But this one made me happy thanks guys I love all of you keep on learning

[@mavfan1]

So you’re implying that for years they’ve made you sad.

[@ohFoou]

@@mavfan1 sure

[@phyllismills6367]

Laughing and learning at the same time Excellent!

[@KenM-ic9bj]

The next 500 years is most definitely on my list to buy. I love this show!

[@DanSpotYT]

There are some fascinating animation videos on YT that show epigenetics, DNA, RNA, motor proteins, etc. Seeing what is happening helped me understand it more.

[@Synathidy]

There's a lot more out there than there used to be for learning molecular biology, that's for sure. Cellular visualizations in videos show way more than could be illustrated in the past. I think it's helpful for learning biology whether you're a beginner, or a PhD. Our proteins really are molecular machines with intricate workings.

[@fedeb727]

You need a PART 2 to continue the last conversation, very interesting!

[@kevinm.1565]

Thank you for this show!👏👏 So great to get to laugh and learn.💯

[@clive3490]

So if Scott could acctualy calculate the distance from where he threw the football to the where the other person caught it, and then factored in the distance the ISS travelled, it would set the record for the longest known reception!

[@kilomilo917]

Why doesn't this have a million views?

[@AMikeStein]

Probably because it just came out. :D

[@jaygothejakehernandez8908]

Tell that to Event Horizon

[@sibusisomngadi7538]

Because it is "science"! It scares a lot of people who wanna avoid "THE TRUTH" and would rather just exist.

[@likearockcm]

A astronaut and a brilliant Dr. Great podcast !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@marynewman1227]

Thanks for another great show guy's. I enjoyed you all...

[@bnicolette14]

That Dr looks so incredibly young, I'm blown away

[@davidandadamplaygamesphelp3601]

I saw this guy on The Joe Rogan Experience and it was an amazing podcast. This dude has lived

[@parag263]

I was laughing way more than, I should have, amazing guests

[@hamidalavi5595]

AMAZING EPISODE!!!

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Dr. Chris Mason was a brilliant and entertaining guest. (..."a butterfly that tastes like barbecue sauce") and I hope you'll have him back. Really great!

[@stellybrah]

Who could possibly dislike this?

[@alanpereira6824]

We love your episodes. You're a leader and inspiration. You can run our world, thank you.

[@hamidreza1998]

Dr. Tyson please bring Prof. Mason back. Thank you.

[@hectorramos2490]

This show was awesome

[@Talpham]

Imagine being an astronaut, what a goal

[@David-ne2wx]

Imagine being Gary. Even better

[@jaygothejakehernandez8908]

@@David-ne2wx Ben Shapiro hates Imagine

[@ZzzRoofus]

I imagined being one. I achieved the goal!!!

[@nobueno5454]

I'm a astronaut

[@davisdf3064]

One of the most badass jobs out there... Literally

[@misless8897]

i loved Scott Kelly and Dr Chris Mason amazing

[@k.frescholtz1194]

I adore this show, love learning! And I have the BIGGEST CRUSH on Gary. ❤⭐

[@LexoG33]

Real quick, I just have to correct the use of the word "adapt." Adaptation is an evolutionary change over generations, while acclimation is the proper term for changes in physiology that occur from changing environments in ones lifetime, or "acclimation to a new environment." Root word: climate.

[@ricardo.chaverra]

Awesome episode it would be great if we could have an entire episode on *BIOHACKING*, Dr. Mason kept saying safely and carefully at the end and I might be wrong but could it be it was to prevent anyone from attempting things at home (Maybe?), I still think it would be interesting to go deep into this topic, the ethics around it and it's future, thanks again awesome episode!!!.

[@Krystallen]

Ok, Niel, I been a looooong time fan of yours. Chuck Nice is killing it more then Niel in these shows!

[@therighteous802]

Chris seems like the greatest guy.

[@lloydmus6634]

So Chuck wants to call for help after just listening to Scott Kelly talk about the claustrophobia tests 🤣🤣

[@nqinadlamini]

Having a sample is a million times better than a well described one. It obviously much better to have both. This is with reference to Chucks question and the digital storing of genetic code of species. Information storage has a problem of being not understood or lost.

[@TrickyClaw]

I dream of being an Astronaut, life among the stars... but I will have to settle for the mere title of Pilot.

[@ankithshetty18]

"Also knowns as the US Senate" That had me dying

[@Chemy.]

I'm in Chile trying as much as I can to get to work in any observatory but in anything, even cleaning might work for me, even when I'm electronic engineer with some optics training in Carl Zeiss (Germany), this subjects really are interesting

[@ManaBDew]

Hello Commander Scott Kelly I said hello to you today 😂👍 I kept in touch with you by Twitter the footprints 👣 of my grandson Walter became a like. The 50’th Anniversary commemorative Apollo Lander coin 🪙 Was a success. I shared the concept and I am expressing gratitude Godspeed sincerely From Larry Whittington (AKA) Buddy.

[@ericbielinski4474]

I like the idea that we are the garidans of life on Earth!

[@steve-o6413]

Scott was definitely the right stuff, I admire a guy who competes against himself and maybe with his Identical twin brother, pushing his Mind and Body to the limit. I wish I had his perfect Hair Line lol...

[@ankurdass6885]

Please make one of these explainers on The LHC .......please

[@bigcity2085]

Ender's Game....there's your space sports.edit...just an awesome episode.

[@arkivkonto7044]

Great episode! Amazing guests.

[@mikesmalling2020]

Still getting over the fact double any number is always even...

[@AMikeStein]

I heard that and it messed me up for a minute while I was driving. Like my whole world just stopped for as bit while I thought about that. lol

[@thegreenhornetkato6211]

I second that motion !

[@mattmorris886]

Me too lol until I realised a second later that, of course .... you can’t half an odd number without getting a .5 LOL ‘derrrr :)

[@steve-o6413]

Get over it lol...

been waiting for this after watching sneak peek on Instagram

[@joesimamura223]

#VR GAMES

[@ceottaki]

Tardigrades and enhancing human genome to make us able to withstand space or other planets... It sounds a lot like a great sci fi book (trilogy, actually), Proxima Rising. If you enjoyed this topic and like reading sci fi I highly recommend it.

[@MachWonder]

43:10 BUSTED! Dr. Mason definitely said Scott said his bones felt like they were melting…and now we know they interviewed Dr. Mason before Scott for this episode and edited it the other way around.

[@twidjit]

You should have Dr. Mason again.

[@NeroThacher]

I know who about the time experiment.. Yay!! Im 'in the loop'

[@AngelNearDestruction]

I’ve pondered this question for the last 7 years: Is the double slit experiment fundamentally flawed? Isn’t the detection device used to measure the wave causing the interference? To clarify not the observation, but the function of the detector itself? I had a physics teacher tell me once that they use a laser to detect in the experiment and that because the detector uses a laser that the interference is obviously caused by the collision of the perpendicular waves. I know that the original experiment was considered flawed because of material reflection, but later renditions took this into account, and our modern versions can replicate the results with the sequential release of individual electrons rather than a generic laser and yet still produces the same interference pattern even when we have better materials that prevent reflective interference. But even modern experiments still use detectors that fire particles to measure the experiment. It makes me wonder how accurate the experiment actually is.

[@Nitelifebuzz]

Sooooo the panel just skipped over the fact that @ 7:15 - Gary states that Dr. Mason quoted Scott as saying he felt like his bones were melting & Scott denies ever saying that & also said he doubts Dr. Mason would never say that. Then @ 43:09 - Dr. Mason clearly says Scott said in his book that he felt like his bones were dissolving. Dr. Tyson actually corrected Dr. Mason about there not being a "down" in space over something Scott just denied ever saying a few minutes prior. Edit - Unless the segment with Dr. Mason was recorded before the segment with Scott Kelly, but the order of appearance was changed in the editing room.

[@doburu4835]

You guys are patronizing Chuck a lil bit, I bet he's much smarter than most of us.

[@JakeThomasCreative]

Chuck Nice FTW with Mouse Pimps. OMG I laughed so hard.

[@bbbrewski]

What about ice curling as a sport that you could easily compare on earth compared to the 0G environment on the space station. Would the earth’s gravity’s pull be relevant on the curling stones considering you are pushing them along a surface that is smooth as possible anyways for lateral movement specifically? It would also be possible to include factors like removing wind resistance if it were done in a vacuum chamber on earth?

[@theduder2617]

The only time claustrophobia effects me is if my movements are restricted but I mess up and try to move something. Most times I can control the desire to move that which is restricted. Only not enough to qualify me for a space suit. I'd be fine in a Mercury capsule because my extremities can have movement. But so much as being handcuffed (I used to make dumb choices as a young teen) and all bets are off. No one's business but my birth giver thought that tying me up in the bathroom as a toddler so that she can go bar hopping was the thing to do. An aunt came over, heard my screaming through the door, entered and found me, hands and feet tied together, as well as tied to the drain trap under the bathroom sink. No memories of it, but it seems to have effected me on some level.

[@dhyeypatel5537]

Did you guys forget about enders game 18:00

[@Souchirouu]

Blitzball from Final Fantasy would require very little modification to work. Some leg/arm mounted propulsion and a ball that can be launched at a speed that makes the game interesting. Could totally work. The biggest challenge with many space sports is really the amount of space it would require to be interesting. Maybe we could bring some sort of special net into space that is the size of a football field in all dimensions and put that not in the station but in actual space. That way you could do sports outside of the station in a safety bubble. Don't think that would even require super crazy high tech stuff to make it work.

[@mysticxiiii]

Omfg 6 minutes i keep getting closeeerrrrrr. I love you guys!!! Youre beautiful people! Keep up the amazing work!

[@sheldonthibault6631]

Arm wrestling in space 💪

[@nathanvaughn9115]

I'm wondering if they have the pressure and oxygen levels correct to maintain oxidization levels of the calcium carbonate in bones and egg shells or sea shells even...

[@skyteus]

Yes!

[@theedavierg4581]

Quidditch in space!!!

[@techXed0]

48:44 reminds me of the movie The Island.

[@himanshubartwal2324]

I have a question, Can we make something, if we wear it than we can pass through the gap between the atoms e.g. wall , is this possible

[@himanshubartwal2324]

@@Personal-rc7cy yeah nice theory thanks for replying

[@seanpreston3653]

Would liquid glass also serve as a membrane? Or just water

[@terryfrancis10]

My nephew is working on the Viper rover to the moon now rescheduled to 2025. What are the details of it's goals? thanks.

[@Amari952]

I have so many questions that I would love to ask them

[@joesimamura223]

pls make noise for #VR games for space

[@bit-tuber8126]

About that sports stuff. Dance movements in space open new possibilities. Jeanne Robinson was the earliest Choreographer, along with a dancer, I know of to get into zero-G planes. She is the wife of SF author Spider Robeson, who with massive contributions by Jeanne, wrote _Stardance_. Lots more can be found on "the internet" these days.

[@martin11844]

wait soo did Scott kelly say that catch phrase of the dissolving bones or he didn't

[@mikefire3998]

he didn't

[@vaderlucas5775]

He said, a loss of 1percent/month of bone mass. They kept up with resistance exercises to combat bone mass loss

[@ericbielinski4474]

What if you had someone drink heavy water and replaced most of the water in a person, heavy water is what is used to block radiation in reactors. Would the person be more resistant to radiation?

[@rannarjarvsoo1544]

Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson, I would recommend you to watch a time travel series in netflix or smth. The name of the time travel series, is “Dark” I think it is very accurate, and disproves the Stephen hawking’s concern about the grandfather paradox. I really hope you see this message. 😀😀

[@MoviesAndTvShowsAreSubjective]

I love dark but the show doesnt dissapprove anything

[@rannarjarvsoo1544]

@@MoviesAndTvShowsAreSubjective only not logical thing was the 2 worlds thing, but time travel was as real as ever

[@johnullrich752]

Will the James Webb Telescope Launch in October or will it be delayed again.

[@maxwell4546]

Pleasent to see our educators are getting better. Still not the plot of the story. Don't forget it, this time.

[@ManaBDew]

Have a Great evening Greg 🙂👍

[@Ascensionadventures]

His brother is sitting proudly into that seat.

[@francisjohnson665]

I actually like this episode , don't think I would. Dr Tyson can make anything interesting.

[@ThinIceGroup]

There's an actual astronaut in this episode. Why would you NOT like it?!?!

[@LAKSHAYSHARMAYOGDEEKSHA]

What if space is expanding due to an hourglass. Like the light reflects and forms a small circle if pointed at the centre of hourglass, and at another end it condenses and then expands again

[@briantruck2284]

Great video ✌️💯✔️

[@sherrylennondewitt7557]

It’s getting wild 😂

[@robertnobles8189]

Seems like a point to point race could translate into space. Maybe similar to swimming or rock climbing?

[@phonzy]

Chuck is too Nice

[@Biskawow]

43:12 he just denied ever saying that earlier in this video, what is going on?!

[@Cleareyes88]

When will i marry if at all Who are my friends if at all What are my objectives if any Where is the best place for me to be at any given time Why aren't these questions asked to myself daily, and if answered how can I implement them for the betterment of myself, and others financially, socially, etc.

[@davidl.4888]

Space Beer Pong 😎🤙

[@tristanriabo5483]

Must watch, "Gatic"

[@patrickouellet6263]

I don't agree with chuck at 49:09, yes back then it was kind of the only way to go, but back then they didn't carry all of our knowledge and all our advancement (sociological, political, ethical, moral.. ) those people would. I mean I expect us to educated them about where they were from and history of the earth, so they would learn about slavery and everything, not something the early human would think about... they were hunter gatherers so ethics, morals philosophy wasn't on the board then. Those would have the knowledge that the early human lacked, that makes a HUGE difference in my humble opinion. They would know about everything they are missing out on. How much is "herosim" can save their mind? I love Star Talk, thank you Neil, thank you Chuck and thanks to all the guests. PLEASE continue your amazing work.

[@brookekersten9372]

Amazing

[@hadezues]

He commanded the ISS? Thats basically like saying he was the first Earth Spaceship Captain! What a legend.

[@Suite_annamite]

@26:00: Audrey Hepburn suffered from starvation during WWII, and while she "recovered", she ended up dying decades later from stomach cancer that was the result of that long-lasting physical trauma.

[@zerglilngvet5428]

Hi I have a question :) The universe is expanding according to what scientists say ... But they also say that the Milky Way galaxy and the Enromeda galaxy should collide in the distant future ... There is a contradiction between these two theories no? thanks:)

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

space athletics? um what about ultimate ninja warrior in space?

[@RickySTT]

29:45 I don’t think of them as stowaways; I call them my symbionts.