StarTalk Live! Satisfying our Curiosity about Mars

Post Date: 10 February 2013

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Season 4, Episode 1

Photo Credit: ©Stacey Severn.

StarTalk Live descended on The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY on 9/14/12 to celebrate the landing of the Curiosity Rover on Mars and the exploration of our solar system. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Eugene Mirman were joined by Dr. David Grinspoon, a co-investigator on the Radiation
Assessment Detector, one of the experiments on the Mars Science Laboratory, and comedians Sarah Silverman and Jim Gaffigan (Mr. Universe). Part 1 of the show is focused on exploring the Red Planet. You’ll find out why Curiosity needed a nuclear power source… what an Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer does… what Mars has in common with Earth… what stratigraphy is… what gives Eugene Mirman joy… how scientists fall in love… and the real origin of the giant face on Mars.

Co-Host:
Eugene Mirman, comedian

Guests:
Dr. David Grinspoon, Curator of Astrobiology at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Sarah Silverman
Jim Gaffigan

Music:

Curiosity — Carly Rae Jepsen
Music from the movie John Carter (of Mars)
“X-Ray” – Camouflage
“How Deep is Your Love?” – Sean Paul featuring Kelly Rowland
“Turn, Turn Turn” – The Byrds
“24 hours” – Jem
“In My Blood” – Black Stone Cherry
“Wonderful Life” – Hurts
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – Roberta Flack

16 Responses to StarTalk Live! Satisfying our Curiosity about Mars

Denny North on February 10th, 2013 at 7:27 pm

I’m glad y’all are on the job, sirs and dames.
e2-e4,
Denny

Jeff on February 10th, 2013 at 7:29 pm

Thanks, Denny.

Erich Zajac on February 10th, 2013 at 10:51 pm

I wish we could watch the show!

Ryan C on February 11th, 2013 at 2:41 am

Netflix has ruined me. Waiting for part 2 of This startalk is painful.

I really enjoyed part one though! Please keep making these podcasts.

Carrie on February 11th, 2013 at 12:04 pm

How is this new? Was it posted on youtube first?

Nate on February 11th, 2013 at 1:28 pm

Isn’t this a re-run?

Jeff on February 11th, 2013 at 2:06 pm

Nate and Carrie: Some of this episode aired as part of StarTalk on the Nerdist Channel on YouTube. The podcast is longer, with more content. Plus, there’s a part 2 of the podcast that will have even more content premiering the Sunday after next.

Jeff on February 11th, 2013 at 2:09 pm

Erich, you can watch some of the first part of this show on video on The Nerdist Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBQn0nD27nc&list=PLnaXrumrax3XISqOqj_wXmkRVp8rs9_zj&index=10

rgblight on February 11th, 2013 at 2:19 pm

This was a funny episode. I dread these 2 part things though.

Elizabeth Collins on February 11th, 2013 at 2:59 pm

Neil’s face in that picture is the best! He’s like a happy science muppet.

Stvcobbs on February 11th, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Sarah asked the question that I felt too stoopid to ask @ 25:30
Thank you Sarah

Cheers for Neil Muppet

Tim Gleason on February 11th, 2013 at 7:45 pm

Hahaha! “its one of those, good safe nuclear power plants…” This is some great audio. “It’s a joy to see his mustache get angry” – hah, every time I hear that I envision Neil with that smirk… Great group of people here. Thanks for this podcast! Keep um coming.

Gunzo on February 12th, 2013 at 8:58 am

I really enjoyed this episode – Sarah, Jim and Eugene are great together. Lots of good information, but I’m with Nate and Carrie. It was great on Nerd Channel last year. I was hoping we’d hear the Feb 7th Bell House talk . Mars and the rest of the solar system isn’t going anywhere.

Oh well, still very entertaining. Thanks for an enjoyable podcast.

Cesar on February 19th, 2013 at 12:59 am

Loved it… You teased me by bring up the subject on the movie John carter! Will that be on part 2?

Edward Yoon on March 5th, 2013 at 10:23 pm

sarah silverman is a bag of crap, not funny, and added nothing to the show. she also says some of the most terrible, unfunny, offensive crap ever in her shows. why she was invited to this i will never understand. i love neil degrasse tyson but silverman is terribly painful to listen to talk.

Jeff on March 6th, 2013 at 1:11 pm

But how do you really feel, Edward? In all seriousness, our comedian guests tend to be our most polarizing, from Janeane Garofalo to Bill Maher, so you’re certainly not alone in your opinion.