Alien Heists and Scimitars with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Charles Liu | Cosmic Queries

What if the laws of physics were different? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab bag questions with astrophysicist Charles Liu about alien heists, gravity, and space exploration.
Is there a way to manipulate time? Is time a constant? Learn about time as a dimension, scimitars, and time as a resource. What would happen if advanced aliens could steal the sun? Would we fall into orbit around Jupiter? We consider the possibilities…
Which laws of physics could we change that would have the least effect on everyday? What if the Hubble constant was different? Or if Newton’s laws were slightly tweaked? Plus, learn how one body of mass can have multiple strengths of gravity. When will Earth’s tectonic plates stop moving? We also discuss why we go to space instead of the many unexplored parts of the ocean.
How does weather affect a football match? We explore the impact of weather on sports and how Neil, Chuck, and Gary would do in a survival situation. Is it faster to run or dive to a base in baseball? Find out all about physics and astrophysics in another Grab Bag Cosmic Queries episode!
00:00 - Grab Bag
6:35 - Time as a dimension
12:01 - Could an advanced alien steal the sun before the other side of Earth can notice?
18:05 - Which of laws of physics could you change and have least effect on everyday?
23:46 - Could a body of mass have two different strengths of gravity?
26:35 - How long before techtonic plates stop moving?
29:50 - Why don’t we have a deep sea base?
33:50 - How does the weather affect a football match?
40:20 - How expertise in physics might help with survival?
46:40 - Is diving or running faster?
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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!
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[@StarTalk]

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[@addaname3]

thank you for these videos

[@anony3615]

For a second I thought this video thumbnail on my feed was from HistoryChannel lol, the title fits right in with their ancient aliens cr@p , but this is quite the opposite. nice vid.

[@rezadaneshi]

So in the same token, how can we be sure of the constants today that we base our measurements on being the same as earlier universe if they’re now variable constants?

[@williamckama8470]

Chuck was correct, because the skilled sword maker can adjust, to make up for weight and blade. Thanks Chuck

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

I just need your help with my new years resolution. I figured out how to change the stars by stopping hurricanes.

[@mikotagayuna8494]

Just when you thought Neil is such a know-it-all, you get blown away by Charles. No complaints. The banter is just so awesome to listen to.

[@Brettvaughan56]

Yet at 44:00mins Niel says with a magnifying glass you can make fire at anytime... guess the sun never stops shining on a badass

[@leonidas6134]

But why would they want to throw away not only their food source, but their live specimens (Humans)? 👀

[@hershekissed]

He has one where he’s on stage and there’s like 5 ppl it’s awesome❤

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@Brettvaughan56 😂

[@geoffreyokrongly916]

Agreed.

[@Chemy.]

I love the fact that many people just ask questions no matter how the physics are because the idea is to exercise the mind, i remember making hypothesis and people just saying "no" because they don't understand the question and didn't know physics

[@Chemy.]

@Warlock what if the time we took to evolve wasn't accurately measure and we were around for longer and in fact other near intelligent alien civilization evolved and actually self exterminated? I don't actually remember this video because i watched it like a month ago, but basically creating hypothesis drives to improve your way to think

[@Chemy.]

@Warlock that's a great point actually, so if the right circumstances and conditions happens at the same time evolution of the intelligence would be quicker and therefore no need of centuries to reach and surpass us, also it could means different ways of developing the technology, maybe not focused on external and astronomical studies but local, a specie which doesn't have for example that many natural disasters might improve to live smart within their own planet quicker

[@SimpleDays101]

​@Darkness380we, as humans, don't actually evolve. Humans thousands of years ago think similarly to us. Our brains work basically the same. The only difference is we have more people now, so we can apply more brainpower toward advancing human life (we see this throughout history with ancient civilizations creating things like rudimentary plumbing, tools for divining star positions, medicines, and so on. We don't physically evolve like other animals did because we don't really have to.

[@joelpainchaud4887]

I love seeing chuck’s progression from being the class clown to being the class clown getting complimented by the teacher.

[@soupbonep]

Yes, Chuck is very smart.

[@swobodams]

I wanted to scream at Chuck after this one that IT’S JIM CROCE YOU PHILISTINE!

[@bendavid2320]

I underestimated the importance of Chuck in these videos after watching the first one. After a few videos you really start to appreciate Chuck for his contributions.

[@xtins]

Class clown? Do you even watch this show?

[@loganmiller4919]

@@xtinsdid you even watch the show at the beginning 🤨 Chuck didn’t just start off knowing this stuff, at the beginning Chuck didn’t even know what terminal velocity meant 😑😑 Chuck was 100% the class clown at the beginning, he just learned how to properly apply himself during these recordings.

[@XXIII_89]

Chuck Liu is the Liu Kang of science!! Flawless victory!!!

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

Nice

[@NotAnirban]

Nice

[@jimr9499]

Nice

[@petersage5157]

I can't believe that I'm about to out-geek Charles Liu. "Double-edged sword" simply means that something "cuts both ways"; it has both positive and negative consequences. This phrase is attested to the late 15th century. Charles's story of Richard and Saladin is from Sir Walter Scott's _Tales of the Crusaders_ ca. 1825, but it reminds me of the Japanese story of Muramasa and Masamune. In a challenge to see which swordsmith made the most perfect blades, they both placed their finest swords in a river. Every leaf that floated near Muramasa's sword was drawn toward it and cut; every leaf that floated near Masamune's sword passed by completely unperturbed. Presumably, this was because Masamune's sword was so perfectly honed that it didn't disturb the current of the water flowing past it. Of course these stories are both apocryphal; Richard and Saladin never actually met and Muramasa and Masamune were not contemporaries. They're great stories nonetheless.

[@joseimpact]

these 4 guys are national treasures . great episode

[@TheRealSkeletor]

National?

[@leonidas6134]

But why would they want to throw away not only their food source, but their live specimens (Humans)? 👀

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

No

[@margaretbloomer9001]

..errr, isn't Gary a Brit? 🤣

[@arercee5528]

I’m trying to go to bed right now, you can’t just post videos titled “what if aliens stole the sun”

[@andrewdewar2255]

Underrated comment

[@JulieEtheridgeHappychatstar]

Yes they can, you can still go to bed, I believe in you.

[@tommygibs1381]

I am truly amazed at and how fast mr. Liu wraps his head around them questions

[@lefenyalefenya324]

Charles is such a superb guest. May we please have him back again..

[@dunderwood4444]

I can never get tired of Dr. Charles Liu, If we had him on once or twice a week I wouldn't complain, ENGAGING episode #LordNice #GaryO #Dr.CharlesLiu #DrTyson Big up from Brooklyn Gary O and Lord Nice are the perfect co host, Side note. Dr. Liu recognized Lord Nice's title, I find it interesting that Dr. Tyson chooses to ignore the title of an American Lord Things that make you say hmmmmm

[@erikhendrickson59]

Yea he's great. CLEARLY a man whose career is also his lifelong passion.

[@dunderwood4444]

@@erikhendrickson59 Correct-A-Mundo Mr. Hendrickson

[@aliothspectranet5678]

Good he's starting his own podcast!

[@dunderwood4444]

@@aliothspectranet5678 When????? Inquiring minds want to know??????

[@oscarmosca9509]

Busy guy... I'd be happy with once a month

[@mattevans-koch9353]

The story of the broadsword and the scimitar when I heard it was the iron bar and a silk scarf. Sharp versus brute force. Love these grab bag sessions especially with Charles. Thank you gentlemen.

[@1MarkKeller]

Me too

[@scy1038]

There is a version where the scimitar is used to sheer a sheep too, that's the one I heard as a kid.

[@clomok]

The small detail minutiae injected into every answer is the best part of StarTalk. Chucks comedic commentary comes in a close second.

[@JaymanWuddup]

Following this channel is intoxicating to the brain. Love you guys.

[@nolanmarion4090]

Make the episodes longer :/ I need 2 hrs of this

[@soupbonep]

I love when Charles Liu is on the show! Right off the bat, he captivates us with the physics of the double edge sword. I also uttered and "awe" when Neil announced the end of the show because I could listen to these 4 guys for hours.

[@WildernessGirl21]

He ended the show!? Why!? 😭😭😭

[@sprintingsnail9492]

Words iv never said in my life "it would be really cool to do the math" lol. Glad we have smart scientists out there doing all this stuff and explaining to us in lay terms.

[@DodgeI]

i don't always get chance to watch the longer episodes but this morning i woke up watching this drinking tea, thanks for the great start of the day.

[@robbleeker2109]

This was an extraordinary episode. Really great questions.

[@XavierBetoN]

One of the best StarTalk episodes, where your mind burns in the first grabbag! Thank y'all my dear doctors Neil, Charles, and Lord Nice and Gary!

[@SamusSelf-Destruct]

The movie The Core was terrible, but there was one brilliant line that always stuck with me, when one character asks another how we can go into space and know so much about the universe, but we’ve never been to the center of the Earth, and the response is, in a nutshell, “Space is easy, there’s nothing out there.”

[@johnnelson63]

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Chuck Nice!

[@limppu1337]

Absolute blast of an episode. Can i order more of these?

[@Erit09]

Right?! There is nothing better that we can watch after this.

[@OldManInternet]

When I saw the title here, I assumed that there was an astrophysics thing that they called a scimitar. I didn't actually expect them to lead off with the differences in utility between a scimitar and longsword. Great stuff!

[@joeymorrow3319]

I may contribute to patreon just to see chuck and chuck and gary with neil, Dr. Liu is my favorite and soon i will work with him if I can help it. Love this guy!

[@XXIII_89]

Yes, I love Chuck Liu!!

[@addaname3]

hi Neil I love your videos so much thank you for making these videos

[@meghanaiitb]

Ahhhh, Chuck Liu and the whole squad! Can’t wait to ‘experience’ this one.

[@theunknownunknowns5168]

I've seen first hand, a pacific islander friend and work colleague of mine, sadly now departed, peel a coconut with his teeth. He was a giant god, that the Singaporeans we were working with at the time, held in awe.

[@rezadaneshi]

The cutting wit of an extreme genius. I loved it

[@timpage8383]

Just thank you!

[@cobhc1227]

Best by far best intro ever 🤣🤳

[@woodlandknight85-pv6ww]

Solution to the problem of a double edge, scimitar: make the scimitar broader, and have the extra metal will become the second hedge. That gives more power to the first edge while also having a second edge

[@chasegrantham6043]

My interpretation of the "double edged sword" is that a sword with two sharp sides can also cut the user. If your sword is struck with enough force it can come back and cut you if the backside is sharp, or when your swords are locked and the other person pushes harder. It's beneficial because you can swing it either way, but also, it can come back and hurt you too.

[@chaz921dren8]

I love everytime the geek in chief is on an episode, so thanks charles

[@anonymousV911]

Neil and Chuck are the two coolest guys on KZbin!

[@brianlincecum6992]

You guys are impacting so many people that will impact so many people who will impact even more people In a positive way. Thank you for doing what you do Neil and lord Nice

[@alexfx7500]

You make it sound like a Pyramid scheme lol

[@Stephen-nd1sx]

@@alexfx7500 it is! Pass it on...

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@Stephen-nd1sx no, crush di pymarid

[@tristine217]

So much fun listening in on all you great gentlemen.

[@mistasandman8996]

This was an entertaining episode and very informative

[@sherrymanning1116]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time it is so very helpful.

[@criz6825]

More cosmic queries please! It's the best content imo. Been here since the beginning btw. Ty 4 all the hours of entertainment and knowledge. Changed how I think and view the world. Js

[@josephgillmer10]

Between StarTalk and Cool Worlds, I'm getting my daily dose of the deep.

[@ajhartman8589]

My 7th grade shop teacher (1968) (a time when there was still routine concern about nuclear war and its results) advocated the file as the "one tool to have" in event of survival needs. It can be used as a saw, with the tip deliberately worn down to thinness it can be used as a screwdriver, and - unlike the pocket knife espoused by Chuck, et al - it is has enough mass to be used as a hammer. Oh, and it can be used as a file, too. I admit, as a 66 year old man, to this day I keep a file or two handy, beyond what's in my toolboxes and tool drawers. Hey. Ya never know. : )

[@nomadicagent6311]

Gary's book titled "Cosmic Queries" on the shelf behind him. A perfect placement!

[@Foodforthoght]

This is by far the best show anywhere... This is the best kept secrete....

[@Niclmaki]

lol all I can think of is Q from star trek: "Here's how you fix the problem, change the gravitational constant of the universe!" " You just do it!" @21:30

[@Srfingfreak]

My favorite guests are Drs. Liu and Grinspoon. O'Reilly holding strong, though - great episode!

[@laurafortier9295]

The multi-geek-a-verse!! Love the Charles squared shows!!!

[@edpotter1491]

Brilliant! I love the questions and the comradery guys!

[@Homefreeliving]

Yeah these need to be longer!

[@WildernessGirl21]

I love how Chuck can get Neil to laugh with his whole body.

[@Erit09]

THE best youtube. period. Thank you!

[@jamesgreenler8225]

I'd like to say that recent testimonials from pilots involved innthe Gimbal incident reveals that there were 5 other craft present flying in a V formation at slightly different altitudes. These craft we visually identified at relatively close range as dark grey to black cubes with clear spheres around them and were approximately between 15 and 30 feet in diameter. The corners of the cubes were touching the inside of the clear spheres they were inside of. No discernable means of propulsion moving at 450 knots against the wind . Chris Leto has the goods about this in his youtube channel. Keep up the good work fellas 👏

[@lar1588]

These four guys are so great together. Question, though, on the Sun being stolen... I thought that gravity affects at the speed of light so it would take each planet a different amount of time to go tangentile (my word). So is it possible for smaller planets to begin orbiting nearby bigger planets before the gravity effect stops affecting Neptune.

[@natelewis8259]

I don’t know if that delay would have much of an effect in this regard. While there is a difference between when each planet would lose the effect of the Sun’s gravity, this difference is still determined by the speed of light. So although Mars may begin to move tangential to its original orbit while Jupiter or Neptune are still affected by the Sun’s gravity, Mars is moving so slowly in respect to light that it will have barely moved closer to the larger planets by the time they too start to move tangential to their orbits. It would be interesting to see the time it takes light (and therefore gravity) to propagate through the solar system in relation to the speeds of the planets. But if I had to guess, I would think the planets would seem frozen in place, hardly moving from their original positions by the time light travels from the Sun to Neptune. Edit: I just did a quick search and it only takes about 4 hours for light to reach Neptune from the sun. I don’t think the inner planets would get that much closer in that short of a time.

[@lar1588]

@@natelewis8259 Good point, but I was thinking if like Earth and Jupiter were aligned on the same side of the now absence Sun. Or, Earth loses the Sun's attraction and heads in the direction slightly ahead of where Jupiter currently is. Well, no I guess not. Like you say, Jupiter will lose it's attraction and go tangental long before Earth approaches Jupiter.

[@natelewis8259]

@@lar1588 yeah, I agree it seems like it could happen intuitively, but the massive scale of the distance between the planets is hard to overcome, especially the inner vs outer planets.

[@aymanlahham9033]

I have to search it but say earth and Jupiter tangents are aligned if earth is currently moving faster than Jupiter now. Earth will catch up 100%. If Jupiter is moving faster than earth there is an option the Jupiter will eventually pull earth or Jupiter is at more than. Earth escape velocity and earth won't catch up.

[@subject8776]

I loved the sword conversation at the start. Offtopic but still great.

[@randycook4364]

OMG...I am so stuck on StarTalk...Love this stuff. I really enjoy the thinking, using the brain.

[@joeymorrow3319]

Love Charles Liu ❤

[@lanszoominternet]

I wish they had discussed the physics related to soccer ball panels. Is there an optimum for attacking vs defending, for example?

[@TheUmbroDragon]

If you seen a scimitar, you can see in its design that there is a thick back end opposite of the blades edge . That thick part and the very thin edge of a scimitar gives it an aided weight effect as Charles explained.

[@MissesWitch]

I never watch your podcasts, But this Charles Liu has me hooked! You need him on your show more often! Not only is he super fun, funny and cool, he's extremely intelligent!

[@tanyawade5197]

This was such FUN!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@MorganaRaven29]

❤️ Charles Liu! ❤

[@Charles_Chime]

Chuck is the man 😍. He should be in every classroom in every school, making learning funny and fun

[@68namvet81]

The final discussion on sliding into first base was correct when coming from home and incorrect after reaching first base and leading off toward second. In the latter, diving for first base would be more advantageous if the throw from either the pitcher, catcher, or a fielder catching a fly ball is designed to pick off or double up the runner.

[@jamesreynolds4152]

Survivalists usually use the three "Cs" for survival. Container, Cutting, Cordage. You need containers for fluids and foods. You need a cutting tool to produce other tools. And you need cordage for carrying, constructing, land navigation, and repairs.

[@LPeralta01]

Amazing episodes!

[@A_corofcb]

I was talking with my friends after smoking some 🍃 about this 2 days ago. We were talking about aliens and one of us asked, what if the aliens jacked the sun to troll us. Like a group of teenage aliens found us or something

[@georgesheffield1580]

You smoked your brain out

[@taterted81]

I recommend you check out Spin if you enjoy reading. I really enjoyed it.

[@FerShibli]

That was a very nice talk!

[@janellemedveckyulickey]

I thank you all for helping me to exercise my mush. Where I'm residing now it's rural and I can't seem to find anyone with mush or that want to build muscle in their mush.

[@erictaylor5462]

8:10 In Larry Nevin's Known Space books there is a technology called a stasis pod. Inside the pod time doesn't pass, even as time continues outside the pod. A person inside the pod will not experience any time passing, meaning if you go into the pod, you will come out an instant later for you, even if millions of years have passed around you. The technology is used more than once in a crashing spaceship to protect the passengers and crew. A stasis field is generated inside the pod and then turned off after the crash. The crew experiences an discontinuity, in one instant they are flying along without any problems and the next instant the ship has crashed, bat as the crash is over, no one is hurt.

[@XtianApi]

He said something that may be mistaken by the audience. If the sun is stolen, it will still take 8 minutes for the lack of gravity to travel to the earth. If you remove a gravity source, gravity itself moves at the speed of light. Or speed of causality.

[@_TONY_Az]

Niel the best thing that happened to the field of physics bring personality into it thanks. Man now if I csn get him to talk about the moon disclosure of what nasa hid from us thst would be great

[@ginamcdonald7854]

Another great episode!

[@isaackitone]

Thanks guys.

[@erikhendrickson59]

Gary alwaya nails it a guest/co-host.

[@jamesgreenler8225]

👏👏👏👏 excellent discussion 👏

[@HonaRama24]

Chuck - “Time is On My Side” was the Stones covering an Irma Thomas song. (She was covering the original by a jazz trombone player named Kai Winding - but the Stones imitated her version.)

[@g1ngerbreadman664]

A very cool know-it-all 👍 And btw if aliens use sun's energy to power there home world ships ECT. That means they need to find another sun that's in the right diameter to transport and harness the energy.

[@seanmostert4213]

18:49 you just nailed it. I’ve been saying that for years. For every action there is an opposite reaction …. But wait it gets better, for every THING there is an opposite THING. Like for every word there is an antonym, nuf said.

[@adi-ndr]

the movie was "In Time". a literal manifestation of the saying: "Time is money." Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cylian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, etc. ✌

[@ZenRyoku]

FUKIN GREAT MOVIE !!!

[@aprilfrye2101]

Charles Liu is my new Crush!

[@The.Varangian]

12:55 Why would they know it faster? From what I understand gravitational waves (which are the curvature of space in fact) are moving through the space with a speed of light, which means that earth would still orbit around the missing sun for ~8 minutes, also the radiation of heat and any other effect of the sun is moving at the speed of light at most. So any possible information sent from our sun would reach the earth at min time of ~8 minutes. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

They don't. This guy speek no sense.

[@MikeeCZ]

Doesnt gravity also travel as the speed of light in essence? The gravitational effect of a missing sun would also take 8 minutes to arrive, otherwise you could not have gravitational waves?

[@calebpoemoceah3087]

Does the Casimir effect build up over time ?

[@sumit.entertainment7155]

The name of the movie is In Time

[@compassbow]

Very interesting topic 🤔

[@starroger]

12:28 Speed of information question. 1st Mercury, then Venus, and then Earth would start traveling on paths tangent to their defunct solar orbits in that order. Then Mars, the outer planets and solar system objects would do the same in their turn as the information wave hits them. Since bodies closer to the Sun orbit faster than bodies farther out, these inner bodies could collide with some of the outer bodies given the right initial trajectory when the Sun is suddenly stolen by aliens. The gravitational influence of all the planets would become more significant with the sudden loss of 99.8% of the solar system's total mass. Sounds like a great SF concept.

[@ZenRyoku]

Chuk-Lui.... phenomenonal scientist... brilliant brilliant man...👍💯

[@shaundubai8941]

Best ever episode

[@fxthe1st]

Charles good to see you, GeekInChief

[@theonyxcodex]

2:57 4:02 4:46 5:07 I’m not trying to start anything, but you all need to keep an eye on Chuck.

[@bkimab]

That first question is a question i always have

[@htuah1]

Nice vest Neil. Brilliant.

[@garyrowland3606]

46:37 those Mylar blankets are only able to fit in you pocket until you unfold them, then their a darn mess to get back to that size. You could get it back into a pocket sure but not neatly and risk tearing it.

[@xlostlovex]

Charles really honed his soundbite and the way he speaks to audience.. It was awful before to hear him talk but now he is just so much more interesting.

[@ukdnbmarsh]

would the gravitational pull of the sun release instantly or is that delayed too?

[@ZenRyoku]

well it would reshape spacetime instantly, causing gravity to have an instant effect on everything around the sun, but it would still take a while before any noticeable changes to be observed. kinda like a train startimg to move in motion (or stop) that because of the trains mass it would take a while before it gets up to full speed (or stop)

[@jcbaconator]

Loving the vest

[@Jose_MartinezR]

Not sure if this has been asked and answered already. When discussing the consequences of an alien civilization stealing the Sun, it was established that it will take 8 minutes for the side facing the sun to receive the information that the event was occurring due to the time it takes for light to travel, but at the same time we would feel the gravitational effects instantly. Does this mean that the speed of gravity is faster than the speed of light?

[@stanleylee5358]

That story about the swords... No slashing sword is all that good against an armored opponent. What you want is either blunt damage or piercing damage, in the form of estocs, spears, daggers for piercing and hammers, maces, and the like for bludgeoning.

[@subhamdebnath7664]

Make video on what could be the possible 5th dimension.