( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS
THE DIRECTOR OF THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM AT THE AMERICAN
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, THE HOST OF "STAR TALK" AND
"COSMOS," AND THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK, "LETTERS FROM AN
ASTROPHYSICIST."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: NEIL, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> HEY, HEY.
>> Stephen: ALWAYS PLEASANT.
YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE YOU MISS MY VEST OR SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: I WAS LOOKING FOR THE VEST.
I REALIZE IT'S GONE.
>> NO, NO, NOT TODAY.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU JUST WEARING IT UNDERNEATH THE SHIRT,
LIKE A HAIR SHIRT?
>> YEAH, IT'S UNDERNEATH THE SHIRT.
>> Stephen: WE WERE TALKING BACKSTAGE BEFORE YOU CAME OUT,
AND PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME WHO IS MY FAVORITE GUEST ON THE
SHOW AND I ALWAYS SAY NEIL TYSON, AND PEOPLE ALWAYS SEEM TO
UNDERSTAND THAT.
ONE OF THE REASONS IS YOU'RE ONE OF THE EASIEST GUESTS TO GET ON
BECAUSE IF I'M LUCKY, I'LL GET IN A WORD EDGEWISE.
( LAUGHTER ) MY FIRST QUESTION IS NOT EASY
BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR AND IN THAT PAST YEAR
YOU WERE ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT BY A FEW WOMEN.
I KNOW THERE WERE THREE INVESTIGATIONS.
>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND AT THE END OF THOSE, THEY DID NOT FIND ANY
GROUNDS TO DISMISS YOU FROM YOUR JOBS AT THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM
OR ON "STAR TALK" OR "COSMOS" ON FOX, BUT, REGARDLESS OF THAT
OUTCOME, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WAS A PARTICULARLY SATISFYING
RESULT FOR YOU OR THESE WOMEN WHO HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE NOT
SATISFIED BY THAT RESULT.
WHAT HAS THIS LAST YEAR BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?
>> IT'S BEEN VERY LONG, AND IT'S BEEN.
BEEN -- WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT I VALUED OVER THAT TIME, IT WAS,
IN PARTICULAR, JUST THE VALUE OF SUPPORT FROM FAMILY, FROM
FRIENDS, FRIENDS EVEN SUCH AS YOU, EVEN, AND ESPECIALLY FANS
WHO WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME, AND THEY'RE THERE NOW, RECEIVING
ALL THAT I DO FOR THEM, TRYING TO BRING THE UNIVERSE DOWN TO
EARTH FOR WHOEVER WILL LISTEN.
>> Stephen: I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, DURING THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS OF SORT OF THE ELEVATION OF THE EXPANSION OF
THE #METOO MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN ASKING THE QUESTIONS WHAT CAN WE
LEARN FROM THIS?
WHAT DID YOU LEARN OVER THE LAST YEAR, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE
OUTCOME IS HERE, WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED.
I LEARNED THAT I HAD FRIENDS IN TIME OF NEED AND IN TIME OF
STRESS, THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AS A SCIENTIST, MOST OF THE TIME I'M JUST THINKING
OBJECTIVELY ABOUT THE WORLD, THINKING A LITTLE LESS ABOUT
EMOTION, ABOUT FEELINGS, ABOUT -- AND WHEN I NEEDED IT
MOST, PEOPLE WERE THERE FOR ME -- AGAIN, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND
FANS, ESPECIALLY FANS.
>> Stephen: AND FOR THE FANS, AS I THINK I'VE SAID TO YOU
BEFORE, CLEARLY, THE AUDIENCES LOVE YOU, AND THEY WANT TO LOVE
YOU, AND PART OF THE LAST YEAR IS AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE BECAUSE
FACTUALLY IT HAS BEEN ADJUDICATED BUT WE WEREN'T
THERE.
THE FULL RESULTS WEREN'T REVEALED TO US.
WE WEREN'T THERE FOR ANY OF THE INSTANCES AND THE ACCUSATIONS.
IT IS AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
>> YEAH, SURE.
BUT I WOULD YOU WILL ALSO SAY THAT THE FANS ARE -- AT LEAST
WHAT I TRY TO DO WITH THE FAN BASE IS TRY TO NEVER BE THE
OBJECT OF THEIR INTEREST, THAT IT'S THE UNIVERSE AND I'M JUST A
CONDUIT TO THE COSMOS FOR THEM.
SO I THINK OF IT DIFFERENTLY, I THINK THEY LIKE LEARNING ABOUT
SCIENCE AND THE UNIVERSE AND I'M A VEHICLE FOR THAT --
>> Stephen: WELL, THEY PIGGY BACK ON YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL ENTHUSIAST.
WHEN I TALK TO YOU, I FEEL ONE SIDE OF MY BODY IS SINGED BY THE
RADIO ACTIVE ENTHUSIASM YOU HAVE FOR SCIENCE.
>> IF IT WAS RADIO ACTIVE, YOU WOULD LOSE YOUR ARM LATER IN THE
WEEK.
>> Stephen: IT'S STILL EARLY IN THE NIGHT
( LAUGHTER ) >> JUST F.Y.I.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE UNIVERSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU AND I BOND ON IS OUR LOVE OF EXPLORING THE
UNKNOWN.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE ON MY COMPUTER IS THE LIVE FEED FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
>> VERY NICE.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON ON PLANET EARTH
AROUND THERE.
FOR WEEKS NOW THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS ON THE I.S.S. FEED.
IT SAYS "PREVIOUSLY RECORDED."
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT DO THEY NOT WANT US TO
KNOW, NEIL TYSON?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WHAT ARE YOU SCIENTISTS HIDING
FROM US ALIENS?
>> I AM NOT AUTHORIZED TO DIVULGE.
( LAUGHTER ) IT IS TRUE THAT, IF IT WERE
ALIENS, THE FIRST THING THEY WOULD TAKE OUT IS YOUR ABILITY
TO MONITOR THE OATH.
SO CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
>> Stephen: I SAY TO YOU, AH-HA, NEIL TYSON.
>> I'M NOT SAYING IT IS ALIENS.
I AM SAYING IF ALIENS WANTED TO POKE INTO OUR SITUATION, THEY
WOULD MAKE US BLIND ATHAND NOT HAVE US SEE WHAT WE'RE UP TO.
>> Stephen: I'M SAYING N.A.S.A. IS SHUT IT DOWN SO WE
CAN'T SEE THE ALIENS, WE ARE BEING PROTECTED FROM THE
KNOWLEDGE BY OUR OWN GOVERNMENTS, LIKE THE SNAKES IN
THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, THE CLUSTER OF LIGHTS OFF THE COAST
OF NORTH CAROLINA.
>> OH, YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO PULL THAT
OFF.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: LET ME TELL YOU --
I'M JUST SAYING.
>> Stephen: -- LAST WEEK N.A.S.A.'S CHIEF SCIENTIST SAID
N.A.S.A. IS CLOSE TO MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LIFE ON MARS
AND WE, THE HUMAN RACE, ARE NOT READY FOR IT.
COME ON, THAT'S SAYING WE KNOW BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU.
>> FIRST, I'M WORRIED I'M READY FOR IT AND THAT MIGHT MEAN I'M
NOT PART OF THE HUMAN RACE, GIVEN THE LOGIC OF THAT
SENTENCE.
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE READY FOR IT?
>> TOTALLY.
>> Stephen: I'M READY FOR IT, TOO.
>> ARE YOU?
> ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: IF YOU WEREN'T READY WOULD YOU KNOW?
IF YOU FOUND OUT THERE WAS EVEN MICROBIAL LIFE RELATED TO MARS
MAYBE THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD WOULD BLOW OFF.
>> IF WE FOUND LIFE OFF EARTH I WOULD CHANGE THE HUMAN CONDITION
THAT WE CANNOT IMAGINE.
>> Stephen: WE WOULD WANT TO KNOW IS IT EDIBLE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU CAN IMAGINE ENTIRE
STRAINS OF LIFE THAT ARE ENTIRELY NOT EDIBLE TO US.
THERE ARE AMINO ACIDS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT KIRALITY.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S KIRALITY.
THEY'RE MOLECULES THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN A MIRROR THAN THEY
ARE IN YOUR HAND.
THEY'RE MIRROR REFLECTIONS OF EACH OTHER.
>> Stephen: ARE MOLECULES LIKE THAT?
>> SOME ARE.
>> Stephen: ARE WE KIRAL?
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED IN THE
MIRROR LATELY?
YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR SYMMETRIES?
( LAUGHTER ) DNA TURNS IN ONE DIRECTION, NOT
THE OTHER.
>> Stephen: WHICH WAY.
CLOCKWISE UP.
>> Stephen: NEVER COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
>> NOT FOR LIFE ON EARTH, NO.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN A MIRROR.
IF YOU FIND LIFE, IT COULD BE -- YOU MIGHT WANT TO EAT IT, BUT IT
WOULD HAVE NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE TO YOU, LIKE FIBER.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU
THINK -- >> THAT'S TRUE.
DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER, GOES RIGHT THROUGH YOU.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: SO WE'RE GOING TO
FIND MET MU -- METAMUCIL ON MARS ( LAUGHTER )
>> SO ASTRO PHYSICALLY, IT IS PRACTICALLY AS INTERESTING IF WE
FOUND MATS OF MICROBIAL LIFE AS IT WOULD IF IT WERE A GREEN
ALIEN WITH A RAY GUN BECAUSE IT'S LIFE SOMEWHERE OFF OF
EARTH, THAT'S THE BOUNDARY WE WOULD BE CROSSING IN OUR QUEST
TO CONVERT IGNORANCE INTO KNOWLEDGE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK THAT IT WOULD UNITE HUMANITY?
>> GOOD POINT.
SO I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, GIVEN HOW TABLE WE
HAVE ALL BEEN, ESPECIALLY IN RECENT YEARS, WHERE WE ARE
FINDING REASONS TO SEPARATE OURSELVES AND THEN FIGHT, TO
FIND LIFE SOMEWHERE ELSE MIGHT BE THE FIRST OCCASION TO UNIFY
EARTH AS A TRIBE OF ITS OWN.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, WE HAVE TO
TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
DON'T GO AWAY.
BACK WITH MORE NEIL deGRASSE TYSON, EVERYBODY.