February 2, 2020 9:00 pm

Monday, Neil deGrasse Tyson Answers the Quirkiest of Cosmic Queries

On this week’s episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio are back together again to answer the quirkiest of fan-submitted Cosmic Queries, recorded live at YouTube Space NY. From binary star systems to consciousness traveling across the multiverse, we cover it all.

We start with binary star systems. Would planetary orbits be stable in a binary star system? Neil tells us why orbital allegiances might be shaky and why distance is the deciding factor if something works or doesn’t. We ponder whether humans would be the most intelligent species in the universe if it turns out that no other intelligent life is waiting to be found. You’ll learn about the small differences in DNA that separate humans from our closest relatives, the chimps, and what that difference would look like comparing humans to other intelligent life.

We investigate when it may become possible to achieve immortality. But, even if it were to become possible, would you want to live forever? Neil and Paul argue why death is the thing that makes life most beautiful. Paul also shares why he thinks the first person to live forever will be Beyoncé.

Find out what science fiction concept Neil would like to see come to life. We explore the positives and negatives of x-ray vision and warp drives. Discover more about the interstellar object ʻOumuamua. Was it something more than a comet? Could it have been controlled? What can the trajectory tell us about what it was?

We investigate some of the most counterintuitive things about the universe, including the tides on Earth and what happens after you die. We debate where the lines blur when it comes to engineering and creativity. Lastly, you’ll hear why, even in a multiverse, there’s still only one “you.”

Please join us tomorrow for Quirky Cosmic Queries at 3pm ET right here on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you’re a StarTalk+ Patron or an All-Access subscriber, you can watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 3pm, too.

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
-Ian Mullen