Cosmic Queries - Proving Einstein Right
Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice speak with theoretical physicist Jim Gates about Albert Einstein's special and general relativity, why general relativity required experimental verification, and the 20th‑century efforts to test it via starlight deflection during a solar eclipse. They then field listener questions on topics including the incompatibility between general relativity and quantum mechanics, gravitons and quantum gravity, string theory signatures in the cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, and the possibility of a cosmic gravitational-wave background. Throughout, Gates also reflects on the "magic" of mathematics in describing reality and the collaborative, human side of doing physics.
Superhero Science: StarTalk Live! With Charles Liu
In this live Special Edition of StarTalk recorded at Guild Hall in East Hampton, Neil deGrasse Tyson, comedian Chuck Nice, former soccer pro Gary O'Reilly, and astrophysicist Charles Liu explore the real physics behind superhero powers. They discuss Superman's physiology, X-ray vision, wormholes and warp drive, invisibility, quantum effects like tunneling, entanglement, and many-worlds, and how these ideas appear in comics and films. The conversation ends with reflections on quantum physics, the limits of human intuition, and why embracing unanswered questions is central to science and culture.
Solving the Crisis in Cosmology with Wendy Freedman
Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Matt Kirshen interview astronomer Wendy Freedman about measurements of the Hubble constant and the so‑called "crisis" in cosmology. Freedman explains the history of debates over the expansion rate of the universe, the current discrepancy between local distance-ladder measurements and values inferred from the cosmic microwave background, and why she does not yet consider it a true crisis. She describes her team's James Webb Space Telescope program using multiple stellar distance indicators, discusses systematic errors and the distinction between precision and accuracy, and answers audience questions on dark energy, the future evolution of the universe, and whether the universe is finite or infinite.