♪ ♪ ♪
EVERYBODY, THANK YOU, LOUIS. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST
GUEST IS A RENOWNED ASTROPHYSICIST WHO HAS JUST
WRITTEN A NEW BOOK, "STARRY MESSENGER: COSMIC PERSPECTIVES
ON CIVILIZATION." PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE
SHOW," NEIL DeGRASSE TYSON!
( APPLAUSE )
COME ON. NEIL, MY FRIEND,s IT'S GOOD TO
SEE YOU AGAIN. >> THERE WAS ONE SECTION WHO
DIDN'T GIVE ME A STANDING OVATION.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT LATER. >> Stephen: THERE IS ALWAYS SO
MUCH TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT, MY FRIEND.
YOU WERE LAST HERE IN APRIL. >> OKAY, YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: CHECK YOUR CALENDAR.
IN APRIL. SINCE THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE
WEBB TELESCOPE GOING OUT THERE. THE THE WEBB TELESCOPE IS OUT
THERE, GIVING US NEW GLIMPSES TO OF THE UNIVERSE.
THIS IS A SUCCESSOR TO THE HUBBELL TELESCOPE, WHICH WAS
IMPRESSIVE AND IMPORTANT. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE NEW
TELESCOPE SO FAR? >> IT'S ALL THAT.
>> Stephen: AND A BAG OF CHIPS.
>> BY THE WAY, YOU KACIALGLY SAID IT UNFOLDED.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THIS TELESCOPE IS WAY BIGGER THAN THE
FERRING THAT LAUNCHED IT. THE ENGINEERS SAID LET'S FIGURE
OUT HOW TO HOLD THE TELESCOPE, STICK IT IN THE FERRING AND
UNFOLD IT A MILLION MILES OUT FROM WHERE IT'S PARKED.
>> Stephen: IT LOOKS LIKE A FLOWER.
IT LOOKS LIKE A STAMEN. >> WE WERE SHOCKED FOR IT HAVING
MET THE SPECS. BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY WAYS
THAT COULD HAVE FAILED THAT WHEN IT MET WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO
DO, WE WERE ALL-- WE WERE SHOCKED.
>> Stephen: THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF SINGLE-POINT
FAILURES. IF THIS THING GOES WRONG, THE
WHOLE THING FAILS. >> YEAH, YEAH.
SO WE WERE DELIGHTED. AND IT DID EXACTLY WHAT WE
EXPECTED IT TO DO. IT LOOKED AT THE EDGE OF THE
UNIVERSE, FINDING GALAXIES BEING BORN.
AND YOU COULD-- BECAUSE IT'S INFRARED IT PEERS THROUGH NEARBY
GAS CLOUDS. STARS ARE MADE OF GAS.
THEY'RE MADE FROM GAS CLOUDS. SO WHEN YOU PEER IN, YOU SEE THE
STELLAR NURSERY THAT LURKS WITHIN.
AND. >> Stephen: YOU SOUND-- YOU
SOUND LIKE YOU'RE DOING THE VOICEOVER FOR, LIKE, A TRAILER
FOR A MOVIE. "THE STELLAR NURSERY THAT LURKS
WITHIN." IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
HERE? >> YES, YES, I WANT TO LOOK AT
IT. SORRY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
THEY DON'T DESERVE IT. >> IT'S TV.
IT'S TV. >> Stephen: EXACTLY.
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT UP THERE. >> THIS IS A GAS CLOUD, DEEP
WITHIN, IS FORMING BRAND NEW STARS.
IT'S A STELLAR NURSERY. IT'S FORMING NOT ONLY STARS, BUT
PLANETS THAT ORBIT AROUND THAT, EXOPLANETS.
WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 5,000 EXOPLANETS IN THE CATALOG, WHICH
IS TELESCOPE WILL BE, AMONG ITS MANY ABILITIES, IT WILL BE ABLE
TO MEASURE THE CHEMISTRY OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF EXOPLANETS THAT
PASS IN FRONT OF ITS HOST STAR. >> Stephen: HOW WILL THIS
IMPROVE OR IN ANY WAY CHANGE OUR MODEL OF EXOPLANETS?
>> HERE'S THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.
IF YOU CAME UP TO A HOUSE AND IT HAD A LAWN, YOUR VISION WAS NOT
ALL THAT GOOD, YOU WOULD SAY, "THERE'S A GREEN KEARPT,"
SURROUNDING IT. THAT'S ACCURATE.
BUT IF YOU HAD BETTER VISION, MORE RESOLUTION, YOU SAY, "WAIT
A MINUTE, THERE ARE BLADES OF GRASS THERE."
SO THIS IS AN EXTRA DETAIL, DEEPER THAN WHAT YOU HAD FIRST
THOUGHT. IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOUR VIEW.
IT ADDS TO IT. NOT EVERY SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY
CHANGES WHAT WE THOUGHT BEFORE. IT'S ACCRETIVE SO THE GROWTH OF
OUR KNOWLEDGE-- HERE'S THE PROBLEM-- AS THE AREA OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE GROWS, SO, TOO, DOES THE PERIMETER OF OUR IGNORANCE.
( APPLAUSE )
DO YOU STAY UP LATE AT NIGHT "PERIMETER OF OUR IGNORANCE,"
AND WRITE IT DOWN. "I'M USING THAT SOME DAY SOON."
>> I'M FEELING IT. WHEN YOU'RE FEELING IT --
>> Stephen: THE WORDS ARE FLOWING.
YOU'RE SPITTING SCIENCE, IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, TALKING ABOUT WORDSMITH, J.F.K. SAID A LITTLE
OVER 60 YEARS AGO, WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON AND DO OTHER THINGS
NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE EASY BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE HARD.
IN '72 WE WENT WE'RE DONE GOING THERE WITH APOLLO 17.
WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN BACK? >> YOU DIDN'T QUOTE THE PART OF
THE OF SPEECH IN MAY 1962, THE RUSSIANS JUST CAME OUT OF ORBIT,
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A SPACESHIP THAT WOULDN'T BLOW UP ON THE
LAUNCH PAD THAT COULD CARRY PEOPLE.
THEY CALLED A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS, AND HE ADDRESSED THEM.
THERE'S A WHOLE PARAGRAPH, THE EVENTS OF RECENT WEEKS-- HE
COULDN'T UTTER THE MAN'S NAME-- "IF THE EVENTS OF RECENT WEEKS
ARE ANY INDICATION OF THE IMPACT OF ADVENTURE ON THE MINDS OF MEN
EVERYWHERE WE NEED TO SHOW THE WORLD THE PATH OF FREEDOM OVER
THE PATH OF TYRANNY." TEN HE SAID, "LET'S GO TO THE
MOON." >> Stephen: IT WAS
SPECIFICALLY A POLITICAL RESPONSE.
>> HE GUARANTEED THEY WERE GOING TO WRITE THE CHECKS.
WE DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THAT PART.
>> Stephen: DO WE NEED TO BE IN A FIGHT WITH SOMEBODY?
>> I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT WOULD HELP, BUT THAT WOULD HELP.
YES. >> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE "ARTEMIS" MISSION. "ARTEMIS" IS SUPPOSED TO BE UP
THERE. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SEND A
FEMALE CREW IN 2024. >> "ARTEMIS" IS THE TWIN SISTER
OF APOLLO, BY THE WAY. >> Stephen: I DIG IT, DADDY-O.
>> YOU'RE ALL IN. >> Stephen: THEY'VE TRIED TO
LAUNCH TWICE AND HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE WITH THE MISSION.
>> WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN 50 YEARS.
GIVE THEM A BREAK. LET THEM HAVE A COUPLE OF
DELAYED LAUNCHES. >> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW WHAT
THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE DELAY? >> YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE-- YES,
I READ IT. >> Stephen: YOU'RE NOT GOING
TO TELL ME WHAT IT IS. BECAUSE YOU'RE MAD AT ME.
>> WE'RE RETURNING TO THE MOON, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US CONTINUE
ON TO MARS. BUT THE MOTIVATION HAS TO BE
THERE. OTHERWISE, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING
TO DO IT. WHAT'S THE MOTIVATION?
EITHER YOU CAN MAKE A BUCK OR THERE'S A GEOPOLITICAL PURPOSE
FOR DOING IT. WHAT MIGHT THAT BE?
CHINA SAID THEY MIGHT PUT ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON.
OH, MY GOSH. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE SAY THAT'S
THE NEXT THING WE MUST DO. HERE'S WHAT I WANT CHINA TO DO
-- >> Stephen: I JUST WANTED TO
KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ROCKET.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO STRIKE A NERVE HERE.
I'M SORRY, MAN. >> I WANT THE CHINESE TO LEAK A
MEMO-- IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE TRUE-- LEAK A MEMO THAT SAYS
THEY WANT TO PUT MILITARY BASES ON MARS.
WE'LL BE IN MARS IN 10 MONTHS. ONE MONTH TO DESIGN, FUND, AND
BUILD THE SPACESHIP AND NINE MONTHS TO GET THERE.
OR MAYBE ELON HAS ONE IN HIS GARAGE.
THAT WOULD BE AN EASY SELL IN CHINA.
JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. TO MARKET THAT.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: WAS THERE A HYDROGEN LEAK?
WHY DIDN'T THE ROCKET GO OFF? THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO KNOW.
WHAT WAS WRONG. >> SOMETHING WITH THE FUEL.
>> Stephen: SOMETHING WITH THE FUEL.
SURE, YOU DON'T KNOW. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK. YOU STAY THERE, AND YOU STAY
THERE, WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE NEIL deGRASSE TYSON,
EVERYBODY. STICK AROUND.