StarTalk Radio

Why do we die? Do we have to? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore the paradox of death, the science of aging, and the search for immortality with Nobel Prize-winning structural biologist Venki Ramakrishnan.

How much do we actually know about the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions from plasma propulsion to quantum gravity to black hole escape plans.

Are advanced civilizations doomed to destroy themselves? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore the Cold War, The Drake Equation, and nuclear winter hypothesis with producer of Cosmos and Carl Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan and atmospheric scientist Brian Toon.

When will the last supernova be? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore types of novas, freaky binary star systems, core collapse, standard candles, and the explosive future of Betelgeuse with astrophysicist Michael Shara.

Are we addicted… to revenge? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly break down the neuroscience behind revenge-seeking, what motivates violence, and how science can help stop it with James Kimmel Jr., lawyer, psychiatry lecturer at Yale School of Medicine, and author of “The Science of Revenge.”

What happens when physics meets the big questions of philosophy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice sit down with Elise Crull, philosopher of physics at CUNY and author of The Einstein Paradox, to explore physics, philosophy, and how thought experiments shape real science.

Can we fix the news? On this minisode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly sit down with Harleen Kaur, former space engineer and founder of Ground News, to explore our current media landscape, navigating bias, and fixing the internet.

What is string theory, really? Why does it need extra dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice welcome theoretical physicist and mathematician Lara Anderson to guide us through string theory, higher dimensions, and finding a unifying theory of everything.

Is the whole universe actually a jinn particle? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly hang out with astrophysicist Charles Liu to answer questions about the nature of gravity, dark matter, and why we don’t actually know how the solar corona gets hot.

Can you measure time without something moving? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice tackle your cosmic questions, from the Silurian Hypothesis to singularities to the edge of the known universe.

What will life be like on other planets? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore the origins of life on alien planets and extremophiles right here on Earth with astrobiologist Kennda Lynch. (Originally Aired February 22, 2022)

Why three dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedians Chuck Nice and Hasan Minhaj celebrate 100 years of quantum physics and everywhere it’s taken us, joined by theoretical astrophysicists Brian Greene and Janna Levin.

Can AI help us model biology down to the molecular level? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn about Nobel-prize-winning Alphafold, the protein folding problem, and how solving it could end disease with AI researcher, Max Jaderberg.

How empty is space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down things you thought you knew about asteroid belts, the sun’s highest point in the sky, and what the real danger is in a zombie apocalypse.

Why can’t you divide by zero? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss higher dimensions, dividing by zero, and math’s unsolved questions with math YouTuber Grant Sanderson (3blue1brown).

Can you trust medical information on the internet? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly team up with pharmaceutical scientist and social media “medfluencer” Morgan McSweeny (aka Dr. Noc) to break down common internet medical myths from Big Pharma to raw milk to vaccine hesitancy. Plus a discussion with filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy from Shot in the Arm.

What happens to gravity when matter converts to energy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio dive into fan questions about the speed of light, time machine mistakes, and what Neil would do if he were an alien.

Is there life on other planets? On this episode of StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Matt Kirshen dig into the search for extraterrestrial life with exoplanet expert and author of the memoir, “Smallest Lights in the Universe,” astrophysicist Sara Seager. Originally Aired March 15, 2021

Could the Higgs field vary across space and time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions on cosmic inflation, quantum fluctuations, and the earliest moments after the Big Bang with cosmologist Brian Keating.

How do you recreate a brain circuit in a dish, and what can it unlock about our minds? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore the frontier of neuroscience with Sergiu Pașca, to break down stem cells, how the brain forms itself, and assembloids: self-organizing brain circuits.

How did Einstein’s work influence the world we know today? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Harrison Greenbaum team up with astrophysicist Janna Levin, PhD, to explore Einstein’s physics and its resulting discoveries, from Walmart laser pointers to black holes and wormholes.

What are chemical reactions like in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with Kate the Chemist to explore how cesium helps us tell time, the elusive quest for the periodic table’s “island of stability,” how AI is revolutionizing chemistry, and more!

Could we create an atmospheric sun shield to halt the effects of global warming? Should we? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly are joined by climate scientist Daniele Visioni and sociologist Holly Jean Buck to explore the science and ethics of deliberately altering Earth’s climate.

What happens when two black holes' event horizons overlap? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions about higher dimensions, the north side of the magnet, the internal structure of other planets, and more.

Could it be that another universe’s gravity is bleeding into our universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice answer grab bag questions ranging from dark matter to the end of the universe. (Originally Aired February 8, 2021)

Why are there different types of clouds? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down things you thought you knew about twilight, how clouds are made, and why Earth’s coastlines change.

Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to space farming, we dig deep into the secret world of plants.

How do we detect ripples in spacetime? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum explore black hole collisions, quantum tricks, and how gravitational waves can help us uncover the early universe with MIT physicist and LIGO researcher Nergis Mavalvala.

How likely is an asteroid to impact Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice sit down with planetary scientist Rick Binzel, the creator of the Torino Scale, to discuss asteroid hazards, the results of the asteroid sample return, and the search for Planet 9.

Is your gut controlling your brain? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, & Chuck Nice dive into the gut-brain connection, GLP-1, and how this connection plays a role in conditions like anxiety, IBS, and even neurodegenerative diseases with gastroenterologist Emeran Mayer.

What happens when you put Captain Kirk, a NASA astronaut, and Neil deGrasse Tyson on a ship to Antarctica? Recorded on board with William Shatner and Scott Kelly, this episode explores the thrill of discovery — from rough seas to deep space — and what it means to boldly go.

Do we live in one of many universes? On this episode of StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice investigate the theory of the multiverse with physicist, author, and professor Max Tegmark. (Originally Aired March 22, 2021)

What does it really mean for us to be made of stardust? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio answer fan questions about particle colliders, time travel, and what existed before the Big Bang.

What does the future hold? Neil deGrasse Tyson teams up with comic co-host Chuck Nice, Gary O’Reilly, and astrophysicist Charles Liu to break down our visions of the future – and take Neil to task on his own predictions.

Is “now” just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio answer questions on the Higgs Field, dark energy, and the feasibility of Dyson spheres with astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi.

Is fusion the future of energy and space travel? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio explore the cutting-edge science of plasma physics and fusion energy with Fatima Ebrahimi, a physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.

Is nuclear power the key to sustainability? With data centers consuming massive amounts of energy, can we keep up? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Paul Mecurio discuss the physics, safety, and future of nuclear reactors in a world of increasing power demands with nuclear engineer Kathryn Huff.

What do crime waves, contagious diseases, and social trends have in common? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice welcome best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell to explore the hidden forces that drive human behavior.

Is anything real? Is time just a construct? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen answer your far-out questions about black holes, dark matter, and the universe with astrophysicist Janna Levin. (Originally Aired Tuesday, March 8 2022)

What can gamma rays tell us about supernovae and galaxy formation? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice sit down with astrophysicist Tim Paglione to explore high-energy cosmic phenomena, gamma rays, and the extreme events that create them.

Why does magic fool us so easily? Is our perception of reality just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly explore the neuroscience behind magic with magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) and neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde.

Could slowing time increase mass? Do particles ever collide or do they just get really really close? Did anything go “bang” during the Big Bang? Neil deGrasse Tyson, co-host Paul Mecurio, and astrophysicist Charles Liu tackle these cosmic questions and more!

How much more physics is out there to be discovered? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with physicist, professor, and rockstar Brian Cox, to discuss everything from the Higgs boson, life beyond our planet, and the fundamental forces that guide our universe.

Are we on the brink of merging with machines? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly dive into the mysteries of consciousness versus intelligence, panpsychism, and AI with neuroscientist and author Anil Seth.

Why was there more matter than antimatter left over? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the quantum origins of the universe, charge parity violation, dark matter, and the many quarks that make up our world with CERN particle physicist Harry Cliff.

How did Einstein uncover so many fundamental theories of the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Harrison Greenbaum, and astrophysicist Janna Levin celebrate the life and legacy of Albert Einstein, accompanied by Neil’s interview with director Ron Howard. (Originally Aired March 15, 2019)

How did Marie Curie’s discoveries in radioactivity change our understanding of the natural world? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice sit down with science writer Dava Sobel, author of a new book on Curie, to explore the enduring impact of her work on radioactivity.

Hypnosis—stage act or science? Neil deGrasse Tyson, joined by co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly, dives into the mysterious world of hypnosis with clinical psychiatrist David Spiegel. What is hypnosis? Is it about losing control—or gaining it?

Are we all living in The Matrix? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with actor Laurence Fishburne to explore the science of The Matrix, simulation theory, and who has the better deep voice. Would you take the red pill?

What is time? Is it infinite? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer questions all about time. Does time even exist?

Could we have reached the moon in 1700? Neil deGrasse Tyson answers the burning questions co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly’s have been saving all year about immortality, redshifting photons, altering the laws of physics, and more!

What type of time travel is in “A Christmas Carol”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions on time travel, paradoxes, and wormholes with theoretical physicist, Brian Greene. Did Ebenezer Scrooge get pulled through a wormhole? (Originally Aired December 20, 2022)

What is a gravitational wave? Janna Levin and comedian Matt Kirshen sit down with physicist Rainer Weiss to discuss LIGO, black holes, and the physics of gravitational waves.

Are alien spacecraft here on Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discuss the UAP hearings, unexplained cosmic phenomena, dark matter, and more with astrophysicist and NASA UAP chair David Spergel.

How can we ensure technology evolves ethically in a rapidly advancing world? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice & Gary O’Reilly explore the challenges of designing a future where human values and AI coexist with The Future of Life Award’s 2024 recipients, Batya Friedman & Steve Omohundro.

Could we create warp drive someday? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice team up with astrophysicist Charles Liu to dive into the science, technology, and legacy of one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time: Star Trek.

Could life hitchhike across planets? What color is the sky on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, the current CEO of The Planetary Society, team up to discuss the science and advocacy that goes into space exploration, unraveling the threads of discovery that define humanity's quest to understand the cosmos.

How do food, science, and culture collide? For the first time on podcast, we’re airing Neil deGrasse Tyson’s 2018 interview with author and food expert Anthony Bourdain in its entirety. We reflect back on our differences in taste, what food is like in Antarctica, and the importance and universality of food in our lives. (Clips of this interview originally aired January 4, 2019)

Could you travel back in time through a wormhole? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne to reflect on discovering gravitational waves with LIGO, the science in the movie Interstellar, black holes, and many more mysteries still yet to be answered.

What is the probability of our existence? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the probabilities all around us, the idea of risk, and how they factor into our own security in the digital age with cybersecurity expert Alex Cosoi.

How do we predict our planet's most powerful forces? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about extreme weather, hurricanes, coronal mass ejections, and preparing for space storms hurtling our way with NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad.

What does it take to truly thrive on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Terry Crews answer grab bag questions about Mars, magnetic fields, photons, Hot Ones spicy wings and the entropy of muscles.

Is the sun bigger than we think it is? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down things you thought you knew about the diameter of the sun, how we got leap year, and the days of the week.

Why haven’t we found evidence of alien civilizations? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with astrophysicist J. Richard Gott III to talk chess, tachyons, and what the Fermi Paradox and Copernican Principle say about humanity’s place in the cosmos. Plus, they rank super-genius movies.

What exactly is consciousness, and why is it such a hard problem to solve? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly take you deep into the mysteries of consciousness and objective reality, David Chalmers, a philosopher and cognitive scientist.

Will we find life alive in our very own solar system? Neil deGrasse Tyson dives into the ocean worlds beyond Earth, exploring the Europa Clipper, and the search for life in our own backyard with astrobiologist and planetary scientist Kevin Hand.

Could humankind outlive the Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are ready to get spooky. We’ve gathered your fan-submitted Cosmic Queries that explore all things death, from the death of humanity to the death of the universe.

What is fire? How do gravitational waves ripple through space-time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Harrison Greenbaum answer grab bag questions about why supernovae form black holes, photons, the singularity, and more!

Are we all living in a simulation inside our brains? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the root of perception, if AI really is intelligent, and The Free Energy Principle with theoretical neuroscientist Karl Friston.

What is life? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice tackle assembly theory, artificial life, and the origin of lifeforms in the universe as we revise the definition of life with astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker.

What does a black hole sound like? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Chuck Nice explore the sounds of the universe using JWST and Chandra X-Ray Observatory data with astrophysicist and data sonification expert Kimberly Arcand, Live at Guild Hall.

Did early humans sing before they could talk? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discover how music helps us recall memories, the Singing Neanderthal Theory, the default mode network, and how music can be used as medicine with neuroscientist and author, Daniel Levitin.

Why did Oumuamua, the first discovered interstellar object, accelerate faster than it should? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore the mysteries of the newest objects in the solar system: “dark comets” and interstellar objects with astrophysicist Darryl Seligman.

Can time itself die? Astrophysicist Charles Liu is back in the hosting hot seat alongside comic co-host Chuck Nice to explore black holes, big bangs, our understanding of time and how it relates to the universe.

Is math discovered or invented? Neil deGrasse Tyson & Chuck Nice explore information theory, talking to aliens with prime numbers, Mandelbrot sets, and why math is often called the "language of the universe" with Grant Sanderson, the math educator behind YouTube channel 3Blue1Brown.

How close are we to enabling astronauts to go into deep sleep for long space journeys? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly team up with Ryan Sprenger, Senior Research Scientist at Fauna Bio, to explore whether humans can hibernate like animals do.

Will alien life look like anything on Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice deep dive into questions about astrobiology, revisiting the Drake Equation, and life beyond Earth with NASA astrobiology strategist, David Grinspoon a.k.a Dr. Funkyspoon.

What would life be like for astronauts on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice dive into the world of simulated Mars missions with Commander Kelly Haston, who recently completed a NASA analog mission in a simulated Mars habitat.

Was Lamarckian evolution actually right? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly learn about the new field of epigenetics and how the lived experiences of past generations can get passed down genetically with neuroscientist & epigeneticist Bianca Jones Marlin.

Can nuclear fusion become the ultimate renewable energy source? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions about transporters, the smallest unit of time, expansion, and other ideas that push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.

What do you wish you had learned in school? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice go back to school to answer questions about simulation theory, time dilation, white holes, the sound of space, and more!

How do we uncover distant planets’ secrets? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the recent discoveries in exoplanet study, exo-moons, and finding the stars from our sun’s stellar nursery with astronomer and head of Cool Worlds Lab, David Kipping.

Could we use robots to explore the oceans of Enceladus? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Harrison Greenbaum dive deep into the EELS Project, sending a snake-like robot to Enceladus with Matthew Travers, a roboticist at the Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

What happens to the human body in deep space? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore tissue engineering, Wolverine & Deadpool’s healing style, and the science to help humans adapt to long-term space travel with biomedical engineer Ronke Olabisi.

What’s happening just outside a black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly travel to Oxford University to explore the mysterious universe of black holes, their accretion disks, and the impact they have on the world around them with astrophysicist Steve Balbus and theoretical physicist Andy Mummery.

What would we do if a life-destroying asteroid was coming our way? Bill Nye and comedian Chuck Nice answer questions about planetary defense, asteroids in space, and sci-fi technology.

What is the three body problem? How will the universe end? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the case of Planet X, why the three body problem is unsolvable, and prevailing theories on how the universe will come to an end.

What could we do to hide from the aliens? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions about human radio wave signals, strange matter, universes inside black holes, and other physics questions!

Would you want to live forever? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and author, inventor, and futurist Ray Kurzweil discuss immortality, longevity escape velocity, the singularity, and the future of technology. What will life be like in 10 years?

Who really built the pyramids? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about space archaeology, LIDAR, and discovering tombs, pyramids, and new Nazca lines with space archaeologist Sarah Parcak.

What are the physics present at the Olympics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly with the help of Charles Liu, explore the science in some of the newest additions to the Games with pro-breakdancer RoxRite and freestyle BMX rider Nikita Ducarroz.

What is the nature of quantum physics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice get quantum, exploring Schrodinger’s Cat, electrons, Hilbert Space, and the biggest ideas in the universe (in the smallest particles) with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll.

What is flavor? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of what makes some foods tastier than others, what is “umami,” and how flavor changed in the 20th century with food scientist Arielle Johnson.

Did JWST discover dark stars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the dark universe and how learning about dark matter could help uncover the mystery of JWST’s primordial objects with theoretical physicist Katherine Freese.

Has JWST found potential alien worlds? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen learn about exoplanet discovery on the frontier, how higher oxygen gave us dinosaurs, and what type of life could be out there with astrophysicist and astrobiologist Lisa Kaltenegger.

What awaits us beyond our solar system? Janna Levin and comedian Matt Kirshen answer questions on interstellar travel, black holes, and the furthest reaches of our universe. What mysteries can we uncover once we venture further beyond our home star?

How do particles get mass? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover squarks, sneutrinos, the Higgs boson, and whether dark matter has a particle with theoretical physicist Brian Greene.

Can you make a computer chip out of neurons? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly explore organoid intelligence, teaching neurons to play Pong, and how biology can enhance technology with neuroscientist and Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs, Brett Kagan.

Is there anything in the universe that is not moving? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice answer fan questions about stillness, humans on Mars, and what songs they would add to the Voyager Golden Record.