StarTalk

The Biggest El Niño in Recorded History

Oct 9, 2026

What is a super el niño? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice sit down with climate scientist Adam Sobel to break down what to expect from this El Niño and what makes this one historically big. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Adam Sobel 00:39 - What is El Niño? 02:54 - THE SUPER EL NIÑO 04:51 - How it Changes the Weather 08:17 - Why Does It Happen? 10:30 - Does Climate Change Affect El Niño? 12:34 - Modelling Predictions 14:58 - Urgency of Climate Change Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Inside the Search for Extra Dimensions, with Lara Anderson

Oct 6, 2026

Why does string theory need ten dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Jordan Klepper sit down with Lara Anderson, string theorist and associate professor of physics at Virginia Tech, to tackle intersecting dimensions, the nature of gravity, and a unified field theory. What are the physics beyond the Higgs Boson? We discuss the problem of quantum gravity and whether string theory will solve it. Is a unified field theory too hard for our species, or are we just not smart enough yet? What exactly is a string? How can a one-dimensional object vibrate without intersecting other dimensions? Lara walks through world sheets, membranes, closed string loops, and why the math indicates higher dimensions. We discuss how to visualize other dimensions. Could a higher-dimensional object intersecting our spacetime appear as a black hole? Why is gravity forty orders of magnitude weaker than every other force? Could it be leaking into extra dimensions? Could dark matter be ordinary matter spilling out of other dimensions into ours? What are quantum anomalies, and why do they only cancel out when string theory operates in exactly ten dimensions? We discuss celestial holography and whether everything in the universe is encoded on a 2D boundary. We explore the nature of time in a universe if nothing is repeated, whether dimensions are objective features of reality or just organizing constructs, and why you can never get rid of probabilities in quantum physics, even with hidden variables. Keep Looking Up! Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Lara Anderson 04:55 - The Higgs Boson 09:11 - Will String Theory Deliver? 13:31 - What Is a String? 17:30 - Visualizing Higher Dimensions 19:30 - How could a string accomplish anything? 21:15 - Are Black Holes Higher Dimensional Objects Intersecting Spacetime? 24:55 - Finding Small & Large Spatial Dimensions 31:09 - The Consistency Test & The 10 Dimensions 34:00 - Could We Go to Higher Dimensions? 40:13 - Cosmic Holography 42:52 - The Nature of Time 46:34 - What’s the 4th Dimension? 49:18 - Spacetime Geometry 50:37 - Are the Other Dimensions Real or Just Math? 53:16 - Closing Thoughts Thanks to our Patrons Robin Billings, PhD, Christine Sizemore, Aine DeMoss, Crispy Wisp, Branden Rucker, Rowena Smith, Cory Strauss, Aubrey Etheridge, Aldarien, Philip Arno, Daniel, Kendall Rohach, ChiliPepper, Jim Phelan, Lonnie Draper, Ryan Stanley, Ziad Farhat, Idan Cohen Epstein, Marie Lauzon, Eduardo Larranaga, Dr. DJ Kehoe, Mike Greer, Karen Henton, Pixi, Kari, Mandy, That Geezer, Victor T, Susanne Otero, Dingus Fringus, Jean, Barrie Parkman, Nathaniel Naranjo, Agentm0o, Jason Adair, MJ Jamal, Gianna Williams, Philip B Stanley, Sarabjit Singh, Chuck, Antonio Macias, Kevin Sayet, Braden Gibson, Toms Grinbergs, Andrew Brodbeck, Mr. Pinky, Adam Prentice, Rich Wilkinson, Frejya of Fòlkvangr, Eric Spray, Ian Ledington, Ilona Freeman, Tarsha Fewell, and SuperKamiGrayson for supporting us this week. Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Did AI Solve One of Math’s Hardest Problems?

Oct 1, 2026

What’s with AI solving the Navier-Stokes Equation? Neil deGrass Tyson breaks down what the equation is and the controversy surrounding the solution with the help of astrophysicist Mordecai-Mark Mac Low. Timestamps: 00:00 - What is the Navier-Stokes Equation? 02:31 - Turbulent Fluid Dynamics 07:16 - AI Solved The Millenium Problems 10:25 - What the AI Solution is Missing 18:15 - AI in Reasearch Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Why Humans May Never Leave the Solar System, with Charles Liu

Sep 26, 2026

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Do the fractal nature of the universe and the human brain have anything to do with each other? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly welcome back Geek-In-Chief Charles Liu, for a grab bag covering deep space travel, fractal mathematics, multiverse theory, and what we might never know about the universe. Is space exploration just a massive energy problem and would infinite energy even solve it? We discuss the bottlenecks of deep space travel and whether having something like Iron Man’s arc reactor would help. We discuss making generational spaceships, robotic exploration, and a daisy-chain network of probes to send signals back to Earth. We explore the Fermi Paradox and if infinite energy makes interstellar travel possible, why haven't we seen evidence of civilizations that figured it out? Are they hiding their tracks, following something like the Prime Directive, or exploring somewhere we're not looking? The cosmic web and the brain's neural network share similarities but does that mean they are actually connected? Charles explains how both structures are fractal without being the same fractal, and what that says about the universality of mathematics. Is there something fundamental about how complexity emerges from simple rules in nature? Could this fractal commonality offer a bridge between relativity and quantum mechanics? Do fractals being common in nature support simulation theory? Could the multiverse be a product of apophenia, humans seeing patterns where none exist? Charles unpacks the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, why the equations are open-ended rather than pattern-suggestive, and what the Planck length represents as the ultimate perimeter of scientific ignorance. How fast can a pulsar spin before the laws of physics intervene? Could aliens have seeded life across an expanding universe? How do we know galaxies are embedded in stretching spacetime rather than just moving through it? Plus, could civilizations born too late in cosmic history might develop a fundamentally wrong picture of the universe? Thanks to our Patrons Mike Allen, Hailey Thorn, Daniel, Kyle Jones, Halloween Jack, Chris McDermott, AmberDawn, Jesabi Lornkapi, John Olsson, 🔭reality smacks!, Sam Paterson, Calder DeFord, Heerat Singh, Dylan Ledford, Xander Soren, Victoria S, Christoffer R Hansen, Montreaux Rodgers, Chris from VA, Scott Stroud, H, Prince, Samuel, Heidi Jim, Benjamin Ruso, Jason Sturgeon, Lonny Trestrail, Susan Levaque, Willy Croezen, Luke Stancs, Clare Bear, Alan Davis, Anthony Ware, Alejandro Pedraza, Monday Olives, Hal Garland, Ralts, Vaughan Hall, Cynthia, Darrel Wallace, Bryan Marks, Tsveta Bahchevanska, Steven Webber, North.T, Tyler O'Brien, Bob, Larry Prosser, Sean Mueller, LilBopper, Bender, n1ck_knack, Hisui Hyena, and Lou Taylor for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Charles Liu 03:25 - Could We Use Iron Man’s Arch Reactor to Travel the Universe? 09:32 - Robot Space Travel 11:47 - Fractal Patterns in the Universe & the Brain 17:27 - Do Fractals Indicate Simulated Reality? 21:12 - Is The Multiverse The Result of Apophenia? 30:50 - Wavelengths Smaller Than a Planck Length 36:45 - Did Aliens Seed Life Across the Universe? 49:18 - How Do We Know Galaxies Are Moving Due to Expansion? 53:08 - Born Too Late for The Big Bang 58:28 - Closing Thoughts Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Neil Describes Why Some Elements Have Such Weird Names

Sep 25, 2026

Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Is there an island of stability beyond the current unstable elements? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice have more fun with elements, weird names, interesting uses, and all. How did they get their names? Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Fun with the Periodic Table 00:32 - The Ytterby Cave 01:54 - Named After Planets 03:38 - Name for Scientists 04:44 - Sodium 06:23 - Aluminum 09:50 - Titanium 10:43 - Technisium 12:50 - Californium 15:54 - Seaborgium 16:32 - Aliens Have the Same Elements As Us 18:18 - Island of Stability 19:30 - Composition of the Universe Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Why Do We Exist? With Hakeem Oluseyi

Sep 22, 2026

What is fundamental in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice welcome back Hakeem Oluseyi to dive deep into cosmology, plasma physics, the origins of life, and some of the most provocative ideas in modern astrophysics. Get Hakeem's new book, 'Why Do We Exist?: The Nine Realms of the Universe That Make You Possible': https://link.amazon/B0b1gIJYY Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e What is a plasma? We break down what plasma is and how to use magnetism to contain it. We discuss emergence and its connection to life and abiogenesis, from the energy ladder that leads to a brain like ours to the superhorizon and inflation field at the edge of what we can observe. He also introduces the Oluseyi Equation, his own take on the Drake Equation, differently motivated and built around a broader hypothesis he decided to put into the world rather than keep to himself. Could we move the Earth to another star system instead of building ships to carry humanity there? Is there something beneath energy and spacetime something more fundamental than fields and geometry? We discuss how spacetime, energy, and geometry all interact at the fundamental level. What would two astronauts at opposite ends of a rapidly spinning millisecond pulsar actually see when they looked at each other? Could the earliest black holes leave behind a topological remnant, a kind of Cheshire cat smile in spacetime, after they evaporate? And which came first, the supermassive black hole or the galaxy around it? The answer may surprise you. The episode closes on Earth's liquid metal outer core, the little red dots JWST discovered at the edge of the observable universe, and what an indestructible bowling ball on a pulsar would actually do. Keep Looking Up! Thanks to our Patrons Elias Clarke, Alex Carrion, Pwp4853, Terry Emmel, Laura Belter, Daniel Cossette, Bechamel, Enrique Gracia, Troy Plewe, Kyle Knoche, Dr. Tom, Brian Hatwell, Andrew Parziale, Brian O'Brien, Billy Behman, Abhimat Subedi, Sarah, Joseph Gates, Cnidarian, Raja Tadimeti, John Grivas, Francis De Marchena, Wayne Loco, Michael Saunders, Akbar, Jeffrey Dyal, Ryan Inverso, Michael Kloby, Inquiring Mind, David Gerstein, Joyce M, Robert Dodson, Andrii Repula, Barbara, Steven Klein, Jeremiah The Space Guy, Ron, Gordon Beran, Tziporah Rammel, Joanne Adams Boyle, Marcus Morel, Diana Lopez, WiED, Heather Clint, Roger, Justinsailor17, John Doe, Mailo de Zwart, mark solutions, Taylor Kurian, and omari mcknight for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Hakeem Oluseyi 4:22 - What’s A Plasma? 5:30 - Hakeem’s Nine Realms 18:34 - SWAG 21:26 - Could You Move Earth? 23:02 - The Point Where Everything Is Fundamental 29:00 - Astronauts on a Pulsar 32:58 - Could Early Black Holes Leave Something Behind? 36:24 - Most Interesting Discovery 41:29 - What are the Ancient Little Red Dots? 43:35 - Bowling on a Pulsar 47:00 - Closing Thoughts Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Have We Finally Found Dark Matter?

Sep 17, 2026

Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Did we detect a dark matter particle? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with theoretical astrophysicist Katherine Freese to talk about what’s up with dark matter particle experiments, the weak force, WIMPs, and whether what was detected is a Higgsino. Timestamps: 00:00 - What’s Up With Dark Matter Particle Detection? 00:39 - Katherine Freese’s Search for Dark Matter 01:52 - WIMPs 03:12 - Liquid Xenon Experiments 09:17 - The Higgsino Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Do Aliens Speak Whale? Voyager, Schodinger’s Cat, and More!

Sep 15, 2026

Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e How far did Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon? How many monkeys named Albert have been to space? Neil deGrasse Tyson, comedian Paul Mecurio, and Senior StarTalk Producer Lindsey Walker find out the answers on this Game Show Edition of Startalk celebrating the release of our new book, Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe. We play games using facts from the book: from spiral galaxies to whale noises to the Pioneer Golden Record, you won’t quite learn 5,000 facts but it’s a start. Plus, Neil finally reveals his Yoda impression. Thanks to our Patrons havok, David Leeper, Silver Starsoul, Keith Homan, Alexander, Stacey Aldrich, Aral Kubali, Remi van Compernolle, Heel Our Soles, Kevin, Jack Topping, Andrew Schmelzer, Justin, pavan krishna, Mary Thomas, JohnForrest, DigitalDream, ricky zamudio, Josh MacCallum, Joe Widner, Janice Green, Will, Padrig de Roiste, Kathy Sydor, Max Heppermann, Zen Space Pirate, Patricia Nicely, Rob, Christian van Nimwegen, Johan Tivéus, Jonathan Woody, LONEWARRIOR, Anne Cosnow Awh, Preet Panda, Bill, Fidel Morla, Emily McKnight, Clem Maurer, Howard Hale, Ben Meighan-Carey, Kent Thompson, Ari Zelanko, Darryl Odom, jeff kolander, Jerome McCollom, Juan Bavaresco, and Maria for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Lindsey Walker 01:50 - Higher Lower 08:04 - Draw It! 12:35 - Favorite Facts 18:48 - Yoda Style 21:25 - Taboo It! 25:08 - Charades 31:48 - Mold It! 39:43 - Closing Thoughts Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Unlocking the Brain’s Potential, with Gül Dölen

Sep 12, 2026

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e What if you could reopen your childhood brain and what do octopuses on MDMA have to do with it? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly sit down with neuroscientist and psychedelics expert Gül Dölen, to explore the cutting edge of psychedelic science, critical periods, and what a high octopus can teach us about the human mind. Learn about the history of psychedelics and how LSD got its start with inventor Albert Hofmann's first accidental trip on a bicycle. Why did Gul give MDMA to octopuses? Because studying a creature maximally different from humans, but capable of surprisingly similar social behaviors under the drug, strips away the accidents of evolution and reveals something fundamental about brain chemistry itself. What is a critical period? Learn how this powerful discovery is leading to new methods of approaching mental conditions. Gul explains how every form of learning and memory is regulated by windows of sensitivity that open and then close and how the reason we are so terrible at treating brain diseases is that by the time we intervene, those windows have already shut. How can psychedelic reopening of critical periods help create therapeutic treatments? We discuss the therapeutic uses of MDMA, LSD, and ibogaine. Is opening a critical period always a good thing, or is it opening Pandora's box? Could psychedelics help stroke patients relearn motor skills, or help people fall in love again? What is the noetic property of psychedelics? We discuss why people get a sense that they know the “real truth” after taking drugs. Finally we ask: what does the fact that a single molecule can radically alter consciousness tell us about the nature of reality itself? Thanks to our Patrons Edward Tuten, CJP, David Williamson, Shelsea Evans, Curious1, brittanivstheworld, Mark Huth, Annmarie Pine, Austin Wiggins, John Sprot, T.C. Polk, David Rossi, Murat Tahtali, Levi Jackson, Jeff L Kelly, Average Joe Paracord, gert alex, Ruthanne, joe, Arash Ghorbani, Fretbuzz Lightyear, Cody Asbury, Doyle Vann, APwater, Daniel Baker, K, Adam Boyher, Thom@0, Michael D Saladino, Cyrus Niccore, Lance W Roberts, Merix Style, Serhii Rieznik, slowbrow, Kamil Ignatowski, Dustin DeRollo, Jake Spector, Teemu Rönkkö, Kamron Barker, Chris Michel, Lee Patrick Anderson, Adam Deeb, Joshua10902, Arash Mehrnama, Juliejon Rondeau, Nickolaos Podias, Alex Seymour, Robert Harwood, William Ridout, Enck, Ryan Robertson, Fi Higgins, Roger Wacker, Bryce Weicht, Max, Burgai Atal, Misselvira, Kangee Gold, Bill Beauregard, and Jim Derych for supporting us this week. Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Gul Dolen 05:57 - Our Fascination with Psychadelia 08:53 - The Very First LSD Trip 11:15 - Giving Octopuses MDMA 16:46 - What Do Psychedelics Have in Common? 12:35 - Critical Period Reopening 22:54 - Plasticity & Encoding Memory 27:35 - Why Critical Periods Are Critical 37:12 - The Noetic Property 41:45 - Using Reopened Critical Periods 50:50 - What’s Ibogaine? 59:11 - Relationship to Reality 01:06:00 - Why Octopuses? Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

The Era of Man-Made Elements

Sep 10, 2026

Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e How do you get heavier elements when two protons want to fly apart? Neil deGRasse Tyson and Chuck Nice get to the nucleus of the problem, breaking down isotopes, the strong nuclear force, and radioactivity. Timestamps: 00:00 - More Periodic Table 00:40 - The Strong Nuclear Force 03:08 - Transmutation 05:33 - The First Man-made Element 08:00 - Marie Curie 12:11 - Closing Thoughts Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Life May Only Be Able to Exist in this Part of the Galaxy, with David Kipping

Sep 8, 2026

Scams are a trillion-dollar industry; keep your loved ones safe with Bitdefender: https://bitdefend.me/90-StarTalk T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Did we discover an exomoon? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice learn about the search for exoplanets with biosignatures, super Earths & mini Neptune's, and whether rogue planets outside of a solar system could harbor life with astrophysicist David Kipping. We explore the possible discovery of an exomoon and whether a brown dwarf orbiting a star is a planet or not. Should we update the definition to include more satellite objects? Why do exomoons even matter? We discuss whether the Earth-moon system is common in the universe and how the most common type of planet in the universe is one we don’t have in our solar system. Learn about dimethyl sulfide detected in an exoplanet atmosphere and what it would actually take to make an airtight scientific argument for life beyond Earth. We explore the atmospheres of super Earths and why rocky planets even slightly bigger than Earth would have very different conditions. Does the Goldilocks zone shift depending on the type of star? What does that mean for Earth's long-term future as our Sun slowly brightens? Would detecting smog or other technosignatures be more convincing evidence of intelligent life than biosignatures? Learn how the universe is full of mini-Neptunes, a type of planet our solar system doesn't have, and binary star systems with planets in stable orbits are far more common than expected. Is our version of a solar system rare? Discover rogue planets: planets that got ejected from their home solar system. How many did our solar system eject? We explore the Roman Telescope and if it could help find rogue planets through microlensing. Could life survive on a planet wandering between the stars with no sun at all? Plus, is there a galactic habitable zone? Could stronger gravity trap a civilization on its own planet forever? Are the unknowns unknown due to our vantage point in the universe? Thanks to our Patrons Eric Solomon, Jakob Jegge, william northup, Mariam Fischer, Beirne, Sean Fox, xKansasxCowBoyx, xoydev, David Ostrow, Daniel Ramsey,Jessie Caldwell, Tyrone P, Matt, Ajari T, David,Luis Molina, jamescory, Albert Maneri, Zachary Samuel, Ken Kaneda, Nicole Wolf Lady MacBrick, Ką čia spaust?!, Nav, Mike, Luke Fregona, Walter Mathews, Joe Mathews, Gabriel Patterson, Derek Richards, Hope Cliver, Daniel 3, Josh,Josh Mullins, Ken Tinkler, Robinson Medina-Sanchez, JOHN MOODY, Cynthia Elm, Lisa Rice, Trevor Stratton, Karl Forar, Don from NJ, Kaloyan Mehandzhiyski, Mike Tindal, Sean Jūshin Keijō, Jimmy Ebbert, Lincoln Berland, Nalita S, Bill Frye, Rick L Newman, Natalie Kendall, Gradient, Seth Pajak, Cassidy, Dominique, John Contreras, Josh, Carter Mican, Alok Yadav, Jon Hoover, and Eric Landeros for supporting us this week. Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains How the Periodic Table Works

Sep 3, 2026

How did we uncover the elements? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explain how the periodic table of elements came to be from the discovery of atoms to the way we categorize them to the elements we make in the particle accelerator. Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com Timestamps: 00:00 - The Periodic Table of Elements 00:58 - Back When There Were Four Elements 03:21 - The First Chemical Elements 6:58 - Grouping the Elements 10:17 - Discovering Nuclei & Electron Orbitals 16:97 - Creating Elements Not Found in Nature #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

All About The New Telescope NASA Just Launched, with Jason Rhodes

Sep 1, 2026

Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e How do you build a telescope to study something you can't see? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Paul Mecurio sit down with Jason Rhodes, senior research scientist at JPL, to explore the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its search for answers on dark energy and dark matter. What is dark energy? Who was Nancy Grace Roman? We explore the story of Nancy Grace Roman herself before diving into why Lagrange Point 2 has become the most valuable piece of real estate in space. When will this special spot in space get too full? The conversation also tackles the growing problem of satellite streaks contaminating observations from both ground and space-based telescopes. How does Roman actually measure dark energy? Jason walks through three approaches: using Type Ia supernovae as standard candles to measure the universe's accelerating expansion, mapping the clustering of galaxies across cosmic time, and using weak gravitational lensing to trace dark matter by the subtle distortions it imprints on light from distant galaxies. Will this telescope finally put an end to Hubble tension? Could evolving dark energy or modified gravity finally replace Einstein's cosmological constant? Learn about the two different devices within the Roman telescope: the coronagraph and the wide field. We explore how the coronagraph could enable direct imaging of exoplanets and eventually the search for atmospheric biomarkers like oxygen and methane. We talk about how microlensing could detect rogue planets floating free of any star, which may actually outnumber planets in stable orbits. Plus, how much information can a single pixel bring? More than you’d think! Thanks to our Patrons Bullseye, Steve Klein, Mr. G, Rachel Cecil, James Langfels, Amanda Dalton, Mark Robinson, Heyyo, Joshua Clark, Ava, Oliver Thomas, Daniel Treherne, Adam, David Fulps, Hanspeter, Derelict Doug, Maryrose, Robert Latta 3Rd, Benjamin Dudley, Henry De Sosa, AKlight47, Ray, Sarah Storie, Priest Of Forgotten Gods, Yamil Lopez, Patrick Nisius, Jay, Carey-Donois, pupperoni jo, Antonio Codato, slash128, Deedra Hansen, Benjamin Briggs, E, Anita, Gustavo Almeida Neves, Elissa Yoder, Alex, John Nawrocki, preston frizz, Brian Kaiser, Chad Perkins, Junkyard Monk, Lance Steinberg, Dumisani Yishvahk Tembe, Bruno Vieira, Jes Hughson, John Brocklesby, I'm Dave, Darryl Gillespie, Isa, Myopic Philomath, Mo Al-Sheikhly, Stuart, Duane McCurdy, Regina Anavy, Bob Lux, and Vino Miranda for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Jason Rhodes 03:15 - The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope 07:10 - Too Many Satellites? 08:45 - How do you see Dark Energy? 11:35 - Resolving Hubble Tension 16:59 - Is Dark Energy Not Constant? 20:01 - The Coronagraph Taking Direct Images of Exoplanets 22:33 - Mapping the Dark Matter 25:41 - Discovering Exoplanets Through New Methods 30:40 - Detecting Rogue Planets 37:38 - Getting a Whole World in a Pixel 43:17 - Euclid Update 48:17 - Dark Matter & Dark Energy Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970 Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

How The Brain Perceives Time, with David Eagleman

Aug 29, 2026

What are the limits of the human mind? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly turn the telescope inward exploring sensory perception, dreaming, synesthesia, time, and the astonishing flexibility of the human brain with neuroscientist David Eagleman. Why does time seem to slow down during an emergency? We explore the brain’s flexibility in how it receives and interprets sensory signals. Can you see with your tongue? Eagleman explains how the brain doesn't actually care where information comes from. We explore sensory differences like blind people navigating the world through vibrations on their skin, echolocation, and tactile reading systems like Tadoma, and how the brain repurposes space for what’s needed. Could dreams be the visual cortex defending its territory against a takeover from other senses during sleep? Learn about the transitions your brain makes in modulating sensory data. Are dreams the brain's screensaver? We discuss how the more neurologically plastic the species, the more it dreams. Why don't we remember our dreams? Why does eyewitness testimony fail so dramatically? What does the invisible gorilla experiment reveal about how little of reality we actually perceive? We explore how memory isn't a recorder, it's a reconstruction. Learn about synesthesia, aphantasia, tetrachromacy, and how some of Pixar's best animators turned out to have no visual imagery in their heads at all. We break down time perception and why time seems to slow down in life-threatening situations. David tells us about how he dropped subjects from a 150-foot tower to find out. We explore memory density and why childhood summers felt endless and adult years blur past. Could time perception be the key to understanding and developing treatments for schizophrenia? Plus, the hardest question in all of science: why does it feel like anything to be a brain? Thanks to our Patrons Wynona Pyrtel, BarefootCajun, Jaap Ouwejan, Ananda Mills, Rob Schebel, Ray J, Larry Chan, Steve Pynn, Andy K, Chefscary, Rebecca Tibbs, DucksOnQuack, Deatric Wilson, Dominica Larissa, Amy Morgenthau, 芽美 湯浅, Lisa Jones, Mandie Mack, Noah Henscheid, Ethan Brady, Paul, Scott Brasfield, Alfonso Moreira, Denislav Tsankov, Chris Clawson, Miranda Kagy, Jack Frosty B.B., Rohan A, Kevin Turpin, michelle palmer, SMAYS, Francoise De Larkeen, David, Anita Taesali, Atum Ra, Ty, Joel, Emerson Castaneda, Julie Hendrickson, Mike Bayliff, John Dunn, Julian James, Davit Harutyunyan, Jakub Schmiedberger, Tristian Phillips, Tristian Phillips, Michael Pennywell, Doguhan Uluca, Aislinn P, Andrew Hatton, Misti, WB, Lindsey Walker, Clifton Beasley, Shawn Grider, Patrick Rizio, Neil LaGrace, Brooke, and keith becker for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: David Eagleman 03:02 - Seeing With Our Tongues 07:35 - Is Reading Braille the Same as Reading with Vision 13:37 - The Competition Between Senses 22:55 - Gaps in Our Memory 30:47 - Does Synesthesia Make You More Creative? 33:23 - Aphantasia: The Vivid Movie in Your Brain 37:18 - Hallucinations 38:55 - Does Everyone See the Same Colors? 42:34 - Do You See in Slow Motion in an Emergency 47:15 - Why Time Seems to Speed Up as You Grow Older 48:12 - Mental Time Dialation & Neural Time Dialation 50:37 - At-Home Experiment 52:55 - Time Perception & Credit Misattribution 57:27 - Explaining Consciousness Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

It’s A Bug’s Life, We’re Just Living In It, with Jessica Ware

Aug 25, 2026

Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. Why are bugs so weird? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Negin Farsad sit down with entomologist, Jessica Ware, to dig into the extraordinary world of bugs, insects the size of navel oranges, how they invented flying and so much more. What actually is a bug? Learn how the way an insect eats determines whether they are a bug or not. Jessica traces insects back 400 million years to their single common ancestor. Discover how dragonflies were the original flying design for living things. Why are insects so successful on Earth? They predate dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years, were the first animals to fly, and have had enough time to fill every ecological niche on the planet. Learn about dragonfly eyes and how their methods for mating impact their vision. What do dragonfly brains actually look like and what can they remember? Would territorial dragonflies have larger brains than non-territorial ones? Do migratory insects develop bigger brains to navigate? Is there a single common ancestor for all insects? We talk about the species unique to New York, cockroaches that only reluctantly share our spaces, and how warming weather will make our future more buggy. What would actually happen if we eliminated mosquitoes entirely? Jessica walks through why wiping out the three most dangerous species would be a net positive for humans, while the things that eat mosquitoes would largely survive. The episode closes on the alarming collapse of insect populations worldwide. We break down all the ways that humans impact insects from light pollution disrupting firefly mating, urbanization destroying habitat, and the sobering reality that all life on land came after insects and still depends on them. Plus: what did bed bugs feed on before beds existed, and just how big can an insect actually get? Thanks to our Patrons Farouk, David Arnold, Michael Gugel, Forbidjon, Lech Kaniuk, Jay C, Taylor -, Colton Harward, Patrick Duncan, Jimmy, William R. Turk IV, Melisa Benard, Bob Woitas, Louie W., Mohd Amri, Daniel Rodriguez, Michael Davison, Keith Knight, Lincoln, Trevor Forbess, Lisa Terry, Joseph Diaz, Kylrean, Steve, Steve, Lee T., Zilgaro, DJ Lenny Ducano, Jens Lundvang, Brian Moore, Richard Dressner, Cory Hartman, Joshie Versace, Leigh Miller, Tonya, aaron bremner, BeatBakker, Mark, Joe Brandt, Khalled Alves, David Eddy, Kai Shire, Ross Mackenzie, PreserveCommunity, Niko Schultz, Dave Baxter, Keith Spillane, Jessica Whitney, Brandon Doyle, Zach Free, Connie Tran, Daniel Haynes, Darryl Barotn, Aila Rousu, Joshua Dickerson, Red, XEnterprise, Ahmad Al Khalifa, Gaetan Nicodeme, and Vincent Bauer for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Jessica Ware 04:58 - What Are Bugs? 08:35 - The OG flyers 14:46 - The Origins of Insects 20:49 - Manhat-ant & Insects in the City 28:28 - Climate Change Impacts on Insects 37:46 - Getting Rid of Mosquitos & Lantern Flies 44:54 - Lice & Bedbugs 50:51 - Smallest & Largest Bugs Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! © 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved. STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions. This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced. For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson