AGI, Immortality, & Visions of the Future with Adam Becker
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O'Reilly, and Chuck Nice talk with physicist and author Adam Becker about how tech billionaires envision the future through ideas like AGI, space colonization, transhumanism, and digital immortality. Becker explains why many of these visions are scientifically dubious or incoherent, how they misread science fiction as literal blueprints rather than cautionary tales, and how extreme wealth concentrates power over humanity's technological trajectory. The episode closes with a reflection on the need for wisdom and ethical guardrails alongside scientific and technological ingenuity.
Sounds of the Cosmos with Kim Arcand
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice host a Cosmic Queries episode with visualization scientist Kim Arcand, who works on the Chandra X-ray Observatory, to explore how data sonification, 3D modeling, and other multimodal techniques reveal the high‑energy universe. They discuss Chandra's role among NASA's "great observatories", how X-ray data are converted into images and sounds, accessibility for blind and low‑vision communities, and specific phenomena such as black holes, pulsars, galaxy clusters, and Eta Carinae. Listener questions prompt conversations about color mapping, engineering tradeoffs in X‑ray telescope design, VR for astronaut training, deep fields, and Kim's book "Why Space Will Freak You Out."
Mamdani's Win, Palantir's Stock Slide, and Tesla's Pay Package
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss recent U.S. election results, including Zoran Mamdani's New York mayoral win and Democratic gains nationwide, and analyze generational and gender divides in voting alongside structural inequality in education and child poverty. They debate income-based affirmative action and tax enforcement, examine the Supreme Court case over Trump's tariffs and the investment implications of possible refunds, and explore the growing privatization of space, Palantir's soaring valuation versus Michael Burry's short, right‑wing flirtations with extremism, and the looming shareholder vote on Elon Musk's massive Tesla pay package.
Cosmic Queries - ALIENS! with Jake Roper
Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck interview YouTube science communicator Jake Roper in a Cosmic Queries episode focused on aliens in movies and TV. They discuss the plausibility of alien diseases, energy weapons, and iconic movie aliens, as well as how humanity might react to first contact, whether governments would hide evidence of intelligent life, and why self-replicating machines are a likely form of extraterrestrial visitors. Throughout, they compare cinematic depictions with basic physics, biology, and astrobiology concepts to assess what could and could not work in reality.
The New Space Race with Jeff Thornburg
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice interview aerospace engineer and Portal Space Systems CEO Jeff Thornburg about the emerging space industry, agile spacecraft propulsion, and the interplay between government and commercial space. Thornburg discusses his work on advanced rocket engines at the Air Force Research Lab and SpaceX, why rapid maneuverability in orbit is now strategically critical, and how his company is pursuing solar-thermal propulsion and modular spacecraft. They also examine the value of failure in engineering, the consequences of cutting U.S. R&D and NASA science budgets, the geopolitical competition in space-especially with China-and speculative future technologies like quantum-enabled warp-like drives.
Cosmic Queries - Get Some Space
Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice field a grab bag of listener questions on topics ranging from black holes and Hawking radiation to dark matter, exoplanet life, and the structure of the observable universe. They also discuss the feasibility of colonizing other planets, the impact of military versus science funding, how solitude enabled figures like Isaac Newton to make breakthroughs, and the role of science literacy in preventing societal self-destruction.
How to Build the Life You Want (Even When You Feel Overloaded, Exhausted, & Uncertain)
Mel Robbins interviews astronaut and bioastronautics researcher Kelly Girardi about how she went from a coat check job at the Explorers Club to flying a science mission to space. Kelly explains her mindset around expanding what you believe is possible, intentionally designing your reputation, and balancing motherhood with a demanding and unconventional career. She also shares, in detail, her ongoing IVF journey, recurrent pregnancy loss, and why she chooses to be transparent about her struggles in real time to reduce stigma and help others feel less alone.