New cadets. New era. Infinite possibilities. Catch a new episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy every Thursday starting Jan. 15th on Paramount+. Can quantum tunneling occur at macroscopic scales? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice sit down with John Martinis, UCSB physicist and 2025 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, to explore superconductivity, quantum tunneling, and what this means for the future of quantum computing. What exactly is macroscopic quantum tunneling, and why did it take decades for its importance to be recognized? We’ve had electrical circuits forever, so what did Martinis discover that no one else saw? If quantum mechanics usually governs tiny particles, why does a superconducting circuit obey the same rules? And what does superconductivity really mean at a quantum level? How can a system cross an energy barrier it doesn’t have the energy to overcome? What is actually tunneling in a superconducting wire, and what does it mean to tunnel out of superconductivity? We break down Josephson Junctions, Cooper pairs, and other superconducting lingo. Does tunneling happen instantly, or does it take time? And what does that say about wavefunction collapse and our assumptions about instantaneous quantum effects? Learn what a qubit is and why macroscopic quantum effects are important for quantum computing. Why don’t quantum computers instantly break all encryption? How close are we to that reality, and what replaces today’s cryptography when it happens? Is quantum supremacy a scientific milestone, a geopolitical signal, or both? Plus, we take cosmic queries from our audience: should quantum computing be regulated like nuclear energy? Will qubits ever be stable enough for everyday use? Will quantum computers live in your pocket or on the dark side of the Moon? Can quantum computing supercharge AI, accelerate discovery, or even simulate reality itself? And finally: if we live in a simulation, would it have to be quantum all the way down? Thanks to our Patrons Fran Rew, Shawn Martin, Kyland Holmes, Samantha McCarroll-Hyne, camille wilson, Bryan, Sammi, Denis Alberti, Csharp111, stephanie woods, Mark Claassen, Joan Tarshis, Abby Powell, Zachary Koelling, JWC, Reese, Fran Ochoa, Bert Berrevoets, Barely A Float Farm, Vasant Shankarling, Michael Rodriguez, DiDTim, Ian Cochrane, Brendan, William Heissenberg Ⅲ, Carl Poole, Ryan McGee, Sean Fullard, Our Story Series, dennis van halderen, Ann Svenson, mi ti, Lawrence Cottone, 123, Patrick Avelino, Daniel Arvay, Bert ten Kate, Kristian Rahbek, Robert Wade, Raul Contreras, Thomas Pring, John, S S, SKiTz0721, Joey, Merhawi Gherezghier, Curtis Lee Zeitelhack, Linda Morris, Samantha Conte, Troy Nethery, Russ Hill, Kathy Woida, Milimber, Nathan Craver, Taylor Anderson, Deland Steedman, Emily Lennox, Daniel Lopez, ., DanPeth, Gary, Tony Springer, Kathryn Rhind, jMartin, Isabella Troy Brazoban, Kevin Hobstetter, Linda Pepper, 1701cara, Isaac H, Jonathan Morton, JP, טל אחיטוב Tal Achituv, J. Andrew Medina, Erin Wasser, Evelina Airapetova, Salim Taleb, Logan Sinnett, Catherine Omeara, Andrew Shaw, Lee Senseman, Peter Mattingly, Nick Nordberg, Sam Giffin, LOWERCASEGUY, JoricGaming, Jeffrey Botkin, Ronald Hutchison, and suzie2shoez for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: John Martinis 03:28 - The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics 8:30 - Quantum Tunneling in an Electric Circuit 16:45 - Is Tunnelling Instant? 24:02 - Josephson Junctions & Cooper Pairs 27:35 - What is a Qubit? 35:30 - Regulating Quantum Computing 37:53 - The Hardware of Quantum Computers 41:48 - Will We Have Quantum Computing Terminals? 43:06 - Combining Quantum Computing and AI 47:24 - Will Quantum Computing Be Comercially Viable? 49:36 - Are Limits to How Many Qubits? 55:11 - Do We Live in a Simulation? Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson answers the burning questions Chuck Nice, Gary O’Reilly, and the StarTalk Team have been saving all year about gravity as a force, cosmic rays, free will, emergence, and how physicists decide which equations to apply. What was Neil’s favorite non-astrophysics topic from the past year? Chuck asks: Is gravity really a force, or just the bending of spacetime? Neil unpacks Einstein’s equivalence principle, curved spacetime, acceleration versus gravity, and why it may not matter which explanation you prefer. Are cosmic rays causing airplane computer glitches? Are particles from deep space really to blame? Neil explains cosmic radiation, solar activity, space weather, and why redundancy, not blaming the universe, is the real solution. Why does the strong nuclear force grow stronger with distance? How do gluons interact with quarks to create protons and neutrons? How do physicists choose equations? Neil breaks down the real value behind problem sets and building up your physics toolkit. Is free will an emergent property of consciousness? Could you predict an action someone does before they do it? How does solar energy end up locked inside trees, food, and fossil fuels? Thanks to our Patrons Hubert Górecki, Michele and David, Antonio, Luigi, Normie, Ronald Stephens, Jessica Shawley, Michelle Harris, Angel Cuevas Hernandez, S MB, Tony Pryor, Mike LaHaye, Samuel Ahn, Kenderick Frison, Lori Harting, David Aldrich, allen chen, Mark McDuff, daketchek, Nathan Boorom, Steven G., Emilio Lopez Hatt, Leslie Lantz, Ken Gelwix, Nick4547, James G Avdoulos, Astitva, Dana Lewis, T, Claire Davis, Richard S, Glen Brown, Sierra Tornabeni, Sue Peters, Stefano Ete, Shawn Sellers, Adriane Underwood, jason jones, Charles, Infuriated Jurijcorn, Que the music, Jeremy Hunter, Sampson, Bhushan Nene, Paul Kruger, Sean Wyatt, Carlos Pelayo, Joey Mack Newell, Alex Iakovidis, Cookiehart, W Hollifield, Dave Martin, Hd4122, Shon Bucklin, Tony Taveras, aeonoku, Shawn Browning, ben dewrance, Black____Monday, J Hardman, Erik Krasguidotti, Thegayestmanalive, YBenali, Richard Green, Brian Charbonneau, Syronn Terry, Bruce Griffith, Amir, Tom Pritchett, Guido Vermeulen, Povvy, Sigurbjorn B. Larusson, David Paul, Kristof De Maeseneer, Scott Strum, Roni Riabtseb, Monopolyworld, Naeem C, Jayson Cowan, Steph Dean, Q, Shawn Piers, travis amiot, Scott Blaylock, Paul, Griffin O'Hara, Starlah Mutiny, Cristi Giangu, Joe Boon, Jase, Crimson, Johnny_Kash, Craig Otto, Andrew McTaggart, Mark Pflug, David Hosmer, Robert Carreon, and Trina Orloff for supporting us this week. Timestamp: 00:00 - Introduction: Burning Questions 02:47 - Top Non-Astrophysics Topic? 4:02 - Is Gravity Truly a Force? 20:21 - Cosmic Rays Affecting Air Travel 30:30 - Explaining the Strong Nuclear Force 40:09 - How to Pick Equations 46:10 - Is Free Will Emergent? 53:10 - The Burningest of Questions 55:45 - Closing Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

How did scientists discover evidence for dark energy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio explore dark energy, Hubble tension, and the beginning and end of the universe with astrophysicist and Nobel laureate, Adam Riess. Learn the story of how Adam helped discover dark energy, and how he wrote equations expecting to measure deceleration only to watch his computer spit out negative mass, signaling acceleration instead. From calibrating candles to worrying about bad weather on Hubble observing nights, he walks through the beautiful mistake that held up. Learn how astronomers once wondered whether there was enough matter to slow the universe’s expansion, and how parallax, Gaia data, Cepheid variables, and the search for ever-brighter standard candles led them to Type Ia supernovae. He breaks down why these explosions are so uniform, how the Chandrasekhar limit works, and how dust tricks astronomers by dimming and reddening starlight. The conversation widens to dark energy’s role in the universe’s ultimate fate: the Big Freeze, Big Rip, or Big Crunch. We discuss the ΛCDM model, where 97% of the universe remains unknown. We explore Hubble tension, why early- and late-universe measurements refuse to overlap, and whether shifting dark energy, new particles, magnetic fields in the primordial plasma, or revised pre-CMB physics could reconcile the mismatch. With JWST confirming Hubble’s results, new facilities on the horizon, and the community hunting for overlooked assumptions, sometimes the universe moves the goalposts, and our job is to follow the thread. Thanks to our Patrons micpoc, Nathan, Matthew, Aislynn Schaffer, Mark Domino, Lou Wheeland, Matrograde, Elliott Natale, Machael Lipovski, Mathew Moore, Tony, Pablo P, Toni, Brian Futterman, quantumAnomaly, Robin Steiner, Errol Norwitz, Donovan Meek, Alan Geist, Sriganesh Arunanthi, Nuno Abreu, Ross Ziobro, Petr Doležal, Mandar Parikh, Bryan Tollin, Fooj, David Bozarth, Kolja Dobrindt, Sean Poplawski, Brad Durbin, Christian Nielsen, Zen Kurokawa, Lương Tiến, Joel Arbuckle, Chad L Ingham, Mark Morris, dylndmg, Derrick Korstick, EleanorRigbyy, Tarun C, Larry Infante, Jaclyn Anderson, Dave, Kayla Finch, The Bayside Volunteer Jam Band, Dale Allen Platt, Raymond Boulay, Lawrence Zeller, David, Kim Matthews, Jon Gefen, Mark A. Hasty, Clifford Dedmore, Mario De La Crus and Brianni Massin, jordan visina, Ryan Brown, Sebastian H, Daniel Voth, Karen Hollis, Josua Ennis, Julius Adams, Christie L Hall, Filip Risteski, scottdunbar_io, Samantha Davis, Don Franks, Corey Butler, Josh Jones, Daniel Vilasuso, J MR, joe, I Am Austin, bobmac69, Anthony cole, Zan, Erik LeRoy, Kevin George, Arman Adei, Christopher Pickett, John Morlock, AllTheScience, Juana Bee, Jeff Chastain, Jaimal Eiseman, Ed Matte, Lorkhan, D, roninraver, z67760, Orghanik Productions, and CubedWombat for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Adam Riess 05:10 - The Mysterious Term in Einstein's Equations 11:08 - Finding Standard Candles 18:47 - Supernovas, Cepheids & Dust 23:32 - Discovering the Universe’s Accelerating Expansion 31:55 - The Emergence of Hubble Tension 37:59 - Is Dark Energy Shifting? 42:29 - Transforming Our Understanding & New Measurements 52:31 - Resolving Hubble Tension 55:42 - Error & Democratization of Science 59:32 - Chunky Space 01:00:52 - The Age Crisis 01:02.25 - A Cosmic Perspective 01:06:00 - Closing Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/startalk What if our universe is the inside of a black hole… inside another black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Paul Mecurio answer a grab bag of fan questions about black hole mergers, the misconception about gravity assists, and if there’s such a thing as laws of physics. Could you see the merger of two black holes from inside one? What would the collision even look like without outside reference points? Neil breaks down nested universes, warped timelines, and what falling through the event horizon really means for your perception of the outside world. Listeners ask whether we could detect when we crossed an event horizon, how spaghettification feels moment to moment, and whether time dilation means the universe outside would speed ahead as you descend. We explore Hawking radiation, particle pairs, and whether black holes truly evaporate. Plus, the practical question: what observational evidence do we actually have? Neil explains accretion disks, X-ray emissions, and why telescopes see what they see. Can a black hole swallow another without collapsing spacetime? Are wormholes theoretically stable? Could information ever escape a singularity? One listener wonders how gravity assists really work. We get spaghettified: what happens to time, perception, and an object as it meets a black hole? We tackle science education for distracted learners and whether science is made up of laws or theories. Wormholes, white holes, and the fate of information in black holes get cosmic attention, and listeners ask whether repetition makes our lives inevitable. Thanks to our Patrons Beth, Rebecca Yoswein, Leigh, Desiree Doporto, Bao Le, Thomas Alvarez, Eric Venus, Max And Gaz, Angel, Rebecca Schatz, Micheal Booth, Bruce Walton Jr, Rhea Rosier, Blake Rottmann, Patrick Clark, Cap, Paul Porter, Matthew Walton, Tiffany Brown, Brenda Eaves, Nash Bosworth, Billy Smith, Mike, Frenchy (Michael French), Teddy Funk, Randall Napier, Mary Zoellner, Carl L. Blackwell, Boris Barberic, Dexter Blackman, Joel Barjon, Kev, Abhay Joshi, Catherine Mary Darensbourg, Dav W, Brian Loop, cryHAVOC884, Daniel Bernal, Brian Page, Brendon Dougherty, hello hello is this thing on, Randy, Mary, Max, lo-res file, "CK" with th maual curly quotes, Draszje, David Szacik, Jason Nowak, Charlie Waddell, Danielle Taylor, Guillermo Gonzales, Gary in SD, Ohana, Jesse Abelson, Alex Nijman, Thorigrim, Peter J. Kushar, Kerry Lamb, Lengua Franca, Pamela Diane Carls, Jon, L Moore, RobbaYaga, Vilius Kazakauskas, Bjorn Nelson, Bob Watson, Shawn, MadWarrior, Devin, Brady Tomberlin, Micheal McEvoy, Pat, Kevin B, Tyler, Blaine Willick, Matthew CRessman, Zac, Julius Chatterjee, and Rigel Lopez for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Grab Bag 03:22 - The View of Black Holes Merging from the Inside 07:40 - Universe Favoring Black Holes 11:57 - Proving Hawking Radiation 17:39 - How Gravity Assists Work 24:29 - Time From Inside a Black Hole 29:27 - Astrophysics for People with ADHD 36:46 - The Multiverse 42:20 - Laws v. Theories 47:23 - Are Black Holes Collapsed Wormholes? 50:40 - Keeping Humanity Alive 54:50 - Closing Thoughts Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

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. What is truly foundational to the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice welcome physicist and author Brian Cox for a discussion about emergence, particles, consciousness, and the very fabric of spacetime. Learn about Brian’s new show and it’s focus on emergence. Starting with Kepler’s six-cornered snowflake, Brian unpacks why symmetry appears in nature and how simple molecular rules scale up to astonishing patterns. We explore how complexity arises, from birds flocking to consciousness itself, and why understanding the brain doesn’t require particle physics, even if physics underpins everything. Is life just computation? Are we just symbol-shuffling machines? Brian shares debates from neuroscientists and computer scientists, on whether AI might someday count as a lifeform. We zoom down to quarks, protons, and the Standard Model’s mysterious triplicate particle families. Why do particles have the masses they do? Why does gravity resist unification? Could spacetime itself be emergent, built from entangled quantum bits or wormhole-like connections? Brian and Neil tackle black hole information, the Hawking chronology prevention conjecture, entropy flow, and whether casuality is what underpins the entire universe. We explore quark catastrophes inside black holes, whether dark matter and dark energy might be relics of earlier cosmic phases, how tides emerge from curved spacetime, why particles decay when they do, and what limits the smallest possible wavelength of light. Thanks to our Patrons Kyrie Diantonio, Brandon Zimmerman, Blane Sibille, Eva Dis, Micheal Bejarano, Z A N, Bart, Aaron Gannon, Chad McJannett, I'm here for the Knowledge Fight!, Daish, Jim, Zachary Casey, Nasry Al-Haddad, Mackrobin Bille, Rebecca, N, Tom Roughley, COrry Pogue, Matthew McNabb, Christian Kendall, Robert L Eberle, Alan Harris, Dayne Mauney, Christopher Moore, Shaq-q, David Maurice, Edmund Prieto, Dan Central Jersey Is Real Alles, Tony Isaacs, Erik Gregemar, Galaksee, Kellen, Amr Saleh, Mystery Jay, MisteryJay, Crosley Duckmann, Jim Hudson, Michael Mustillo, Tony Bacon, John Ordover, Jordan Senerth, MARK LOFTIS, CodyDon, Reader, elliott C, Andrs Larsen, San Anderson-Moxley, Nex Gen Pools LLC, Hayden Quinlan, Aaron Corn, ryan hurst, Tressa Eubank, David Heckert, Matteo ADD Ideas, JCampos Entertainment, Gavin K Chase-Dunn, Olexander Samoilenko, Alexandre Deme, Oyunokata, Natasha Johnson, Julianne Gray, Julia Whitted, Jani Jaikala, Justin Kupsick, peppertree73, chuck Kessler, Jay Goldberg, Cody Moore, Rose, Logan Kuehl, Charles Wayman, and Quantum Crusader for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Brian Cox 06:58 - Kepler & Complexity 10:10 - What is Emergence? 14:13 - The Advancements in Science 21:24 - Misinformation in the Information Age 25:31 - Examples of Emergence 35:53 - Is Life Computation? 41:34 - Emergence in the Standard Model 42:26 - What is a Particle? 44:29 - Why Particles Come in 3s 50:50 - Is Spacetime Fundamental? 01:03:28 - Infinite Quark Catastrophe 01:11:18 - Are Dark Matter & Dark Energy Emergent Phenomena? 01:19:25 - How Does Curvature of Spacetime Cause Tides? 01:21:41 - Will the Word “Particle” Maintain Meaning? 01:24:04 - How Do Particles Know to Decay? 01:31:28 - Light with a Wavelength of One Planck 01:35:22 - What is the Information in Hawking Radiation? 01:37:00 - The Limits of Newton’s Laws 01:40:18 - Galilean Transformation 01:43:40 - Closing Thoughts Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Are we making science fiction a reality? Is that a good thing? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and guest Adam Becker, science communicator and author of More Everything Forever, take a clear-eyed tour through sci-fi dreams, tech-bro promises, and the real science shaping our tomorrow. We explore the predictions made by billionaires and futurists who claim they’ll build space empires, conquer death, and upload human consciousness. Adam breaks down how he researched the book by reading tech bro predictions, cross-checking with experts in their field, and getting stonewalled by the CEOs themselves. From there, the trio examines Mars fantasies: Elon Musk’s dream of a million-person colony by 2050, the brutal physics of radiation exposure, perchlorates in Martian soil, and why even The Martian got key dangers wrong. We explore the singularity, “functional immortality,” and whether intelligence is a single number fated to grow exponentially. We unpack why Moore’s Law has already hit physical and economic limits, why AGI won’t magically fix global warming, and how physics (not hype) sets hard boundaries on computation, energy, and runaway technological dreams. Do tech bros need a lesson in reading comprehension? We explore the misreading of science fiction as blueprints instead of warnings, and the real dangers of concentrating wealth, power, and hypothetical AI “genies” in the hands of a few. Along the way they revisit Star Trek, dystopian futures from Blade Runner to Soylent Green, and what science fiction can teach us about ourselves—if we actually read it correctly. Neil closes with a cosmic perspective: the future will be shaped not just by invention, but by wisdom, restraint, and how responsibly we wield the tools we create. Check out Adam's book 'More Everything Forever': https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/adam-becker/more-everything-forever/9781541619593/ Thanks to our Patrons Jeremiah Washington, Lawrence Burr, PAscal, Melissa Lange, Noah Naccarato, christian lopez, Matthew Thomas Dunn, thalian, Morten Leirkjaer, Jonathan Markey, Expo, Heather, Brandon G, S Gr, carwingo, Neil, Micheal Rogerson, Torgeir Sundet, Nina (aka HelloDaydream) Scott Polaske, Christopher Branch, Matthew Tarter, Jeff Dasteel, Matthew Light, Dj Stuffin, Virginia Walters, Pablo Rojo, Don T, Jacob Searcy, Jeffery Marraccini, Madam Power, Bartosz Jaworski, Jonathan Amir, Brandon D, Zdeněk Bučko, Mason, Benedikt Hopf, L4NK, Susan Baumgartner, Austin Browning, Kari Windham, How to Poe, Richard C, Margie Baker, SubTheGator, Harry W Peters Jr, Sean, Ravi Kapoor, Diego Sanz, Jeremy Malli, Walter Mashman, Arthur Cousland, Jordan Dck, Ryan Kroboth, Daniel Carroll, Bartlomiej Lepka, Christopher M, Starry Dust, Kingfisher9000, Pdub, Mat Cauthon, Leithor, Wesley Wright, MJ Ladiosa, Minty FreSH RandoMness, Gilberto Garza, Daryle Lockhart, Lyric Kite, Sasquatch, Carolyn Duvall, Heather Renn, DavidX, Mr. Thrasher, and Tracy Boomer for supporting us this week. Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/startalk Can you listen to a picture of the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice welcome back Chandra X-ray Observatory data-sonification expert Kim Arcand of the to explore how translating cosmic data into sound lets us sense the universe in entirely new ways. We break down what sonification is and why it helps both sighted and non-sighted people interpret information hidden in invisible wavelengths like X-rays and infrared. From reconstructing images through sound to rethinking how we perceive radio signals in movies like Contact, Neil and Chuck trace how these translations shift our understanding of space itself. With Chandra’s razor-sharp resolution, we explore how it is perfect for studying black holes, pulsars, and high-energy cosmic events. We break down stellar explosions, the bizarre behavior of Eta Carinae, and how 3D-printed nebulae help scientists analyze structures like the Homunculus. Learn about the power of sonification for detecting patterns, color-mapping choices in astrophysics, the eerie “sounds” of black holes, and how visualization can reveal details that raw numbers alone might miss. They dive into VR for space missions, coordinated global telescope campaigns, and explain why every new observatory opens a fresh cosmic window. Buy the book! 📖 'Why Space Will Freak You Out: The Scariest, Strangest Parts of the Universe' by Kimberly K. Arcand: https://a.co/d/eZTXWWV Outro Music Courtesy of @DrumState Song — 'DrumState - Data Sonification I': https://youtu.be/waTMyblr0dw?si=C2QI_zT2fORdEyi5 Thanks to our Patrons William Ash, Jonathan Bond, Frank Clowes, Aureus Griffith, Steven Tull, Jane, Rachel Banks, Dave, Colin Segovis, Danilo Alcantara, Nick Poulos, Val Teal, jr242, Kenny MacFarlane, LT From DC, A.J. Gonzalez, Aria Vaughn, Damion King, Aluarua Borealis, Thom Sturgill, Justin Perleoni, Elizabeth Fortier, Jagger Carter, FutureFear, AI, Aaron Hardy, GillaBreed42, Leah Stoker, Shayba Muhammad, Micheal Shepard, Jyri Körmöläinen, Christopher Boggs, Robert, Alwaleed Althani, sonja, Stephen Vyskocil, Luc Sr, Gina Boyd, Nathaniel Toups, Pam Floyd, Dent, Arthur Dent, Judie Stanley, Corey Therrien, Jay Lo, Bret, Matthias Beckmann, Girlgeek101, Alek Pyers, Wingo, Ricky G, Austin, Ian Simonson, Jennifer A Ford, Mark Shaefer, Stephen Karlson, Tyler Evans, Gabriel Najul, Evan F, Jeff Soner, Stiven Miranda, Joey Ostos, Lian, Deontae R, Brian Isaman, Chris Kempel, Mike Burns, Alicia Mendez, Dan Dial, Trey Hopkins, Nater Tater, Nata, Lynn Wladen, Allison T, Daniel Hall, Mick JB, Dick Cox, Yonatan Broder, Clayton Smith, DBP19, Justin Cooke, Braulio A Rivera, TurboShark, Tmac, Cory Hack, Nick Haner, Stephy B, Sophie, Will Atwood, Julie Bradley, Greg, Davey Qasem, Jeff, Malerie Corniea, Micki Thomas, and Will P. for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Kim Arcand 03:41 - Invisible Data 07:07 - Sound & Radio Waves 08:55 - CHANDRA’s High Energy Universe 14:22 - Pulsars 16:46 - Eta Carinae & Our Local Galactic Neighborhood 20:00 - Understanding Black Holes & Supernova 24:20 - Why Will Space Freak Us Out 30:02 - Maximizing Detection of Photons 35:18 - Assigning Color Pallets 42:41 - What Do Black Holes Sound Like? 46:16 - What Would You Sonify? 48:52 - Visualizing Supernova Data 50:54 - VR for Deep Space Training 53:50 - Black Hole Feedback & Galaxy Growth 01:02:11 - Closing Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson