MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE BELOVE THE
ASTROPHYSICIST, AUTHOR, AND DIRECTOR OF THE HAYDEN
PLANETARIUM AT THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
PLEASE WELCOME MY FRIEND, NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NEIL.
>> BEAUTIFUL-- I LOVE THE STARS.
>> Stephen: JUST FOR YOU, MY FRIEND, JUST FOR YOU.
>> LOVE WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE PLACE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NOW, ON THE OLD GIG OVER ON THE OTHER NETWORK,
UPPER THE GUEST I HAD MORE THAN ANY OTHER GUEST.
>> REALLY?
>> Stephen: YEAH-- YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT --
>> COULD IT BE THAT I LIVE NEARBY, SO I WAS A CHEAP DATE?
>> Stephen: COULD IT BE WE MOVED THE STUDIO SOME PLACE
CLOSE TO YOU SO WE COULD BE NEAR YOU, NEIL.
I JUST FOUND OUT YOU'RE ALSO-- YOU'RE HOLDING A VAST LEAD ON
ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS SHOW.
YOU'VE BEEN ON NINE TIMES.
NINE TIMES!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) NUMBER TWO.
DO YOU KNOW WHO NUMBER TWO IS.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: JOHN OLIVER.
>> IS THAT RIGHT?
>> Stephen: SIX.
>> OKAY, OKAY.
>> Stephen: BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> BUT THE UNIVERSE IS VASTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE
UNIVERSE.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: WHAT?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
DON'T PRE-BLOW MY MIND.
DON'T PRE-BLOW MY MIND BEFORE I'M READY FOR IT.
WE HAVE TO LOT TO DO HERE.
>> THERE'S A LOT IN THE UNIVERSE TO TALK ABOUT, RELATIVE TO
ANYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE.
>> Stephen: FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>> THANK YOU, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.
>> Stephen: NOW, DOES THE NEW YEAR HAVE ANY PARTICULAR
ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: WHY NOT?
>> NOT, NOT -- >> Stephen: WE'VE GONE AROUND
THE SUN ONCE.
>> THE PLACE WHERE WE RETURN TO, THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL OR
INTERESTING ABOUT IT.
IT'S A COMPLETELY ARBITRARY SPOT ON THE CALENDAR THAT WE HAVE
CHOSEN TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR.
PLUS IT'S-- I THINK IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD THAT WE ALL
CELEBRATE THAT INSTANT THAT THE BALL DROPS, AND THEN ONE HOUR
LATER, THEY CELEBRATE EXACTLY THE SAME THING, AND THEN AN HOUR
LATER, AN HOUR LATER-- THEY DO THAT 24 TIMES AROUND THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: I KNOW HOW CLOCKS WORK, NEIL.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> THE WORLD IS NOT CELEBRATING THE SAME MOMENT.
IT'S KIND OF-- IT'S ODD TO ME AS AN ASTROPHYSICIST.
BUT THAT'S FINE.
IT'S CULTURE.
THAT'S HOW WE DO IT.
>> Stephen: COULD YOU BE MORE NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON RIGHT NOW?
YOU LIVE-- YOU LIVE TO SUCK THE JOY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S
TRADITIONS.
>> NO, NO.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU LOVE?
WHAT IS WORTH CELEBRATING?
IF IT'S NOT NEW YEAR'S-- >> ALMOST EVERY OTHER HOLIDAY IN
THE YEAR HAS SOME ASTRONOMICAL BASIS.
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, THE JEWISH NEW YEAR, RAMADAN, EASTER, LENT
-- >> Stephen: TOYOTATHON.
ALL OF IT!
>> ALL OF IT.
SATURNALIA.
CHRISTMAS -- >> Stephen: WHAT DOES
SATURNALIA HAVE?
>> SATURNALIA, IT'S BACK IN THE WINTER IT'S SUN IS GETTING LOWER
AND LOWER IN THE SKY EACH DAY AND WORRY THAT MAYBE IT WILL
NEVER COME BACK.
>> Stephen: IS SATURN GETTING HIGHER IN THE SKY?
>> NO BUT SATURN IS THE GOD YOU PLAY TO AND CELEBRATE.
SO SATURNALIA EVERYTHING SLIPS, THE MIDDLE EASTER SERVES THE
SLAVES, THE SLAVES GIVE COMMANDS.
IT'S AN INTERESTING ROMAN TRADITION THAT IS LONG GONE.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
>> BUT I'M SAYING IT'S IN THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE THE SUN
IS BASICALLY REBORN, SO IT'S SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS.
AND CHRISTMAS WAS PUT THERE TO BE A GOOD PLACE TO SORT OF BRING
IN ALL THE PAYING AN WORSHIPERS, WHO WERE ALREADY CELEBRATING
THAT TIME OF YEAR.
>> Stephen: AND IT WORKED.
>> IT WORK, OH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WE WON.
SO 2018, WHAT'S GOT YOU EXCITED FOR 2018.
( LAUGHTER ) WE WON.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
WE WON.
WHAT'S GOT YOU EXCITED-- >> WAIT, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> YOU NOT ONLY WON THERE.
YOU WON THE CALENDAR RACE, TOO.
>> Stephen: HUH?
>> THE WORLD'S CALENDAR IS THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR AFTER POPE
GREGORY PUT IN PLACE IN 1582.
THE PREVIOUS JULIAN CALENDAR WAS MESSING UP IN THE YEAR.
>> Stephen: IT WAS OFF-- >> BY 10 DAYS!
AND THE POPE SAID, "WE'VE GOT TO FIX THIS."
>> Stephen: THE POPE FIXED IT?
>> WELL, POPE, JESUIT SCIENTISTS, JESUIT PRIESTS WERE
THE ACADEMIC ORDER OF THE CATHOLIC-- YOU'RE CATHOLIC.
YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING THIS, OKAY?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: I'M AWARE OF MY RELIGION.
>> OKAY!
SO THERE'S A VATICAN OBSERVATORY TO THIS DAY THAT THAT AT THE
TIME, BEFORE TELESCOPES WERE INVENTED, THESE JESUIT PRIESTS
WERE PUT INTO THE SERVICE OF FIGURING OUT WHY THE CALENDAR
WAS SHIFTING IN THE YEAR.
>> Stephen: AM I CORRECT IN SAYING THAT IT WAS A CATHOLIC
PRIEST WHO FIRST PROPOSED THE IDEA OF THE BIG BANG?
>> YES, GEORGE LEMATRE, THE BIG BANG ITSELF, USING EINSTEIN'S
EQUATIONS.
EINSTEIN COULD HAVE DONE IT, BUT HE DID ENOUGH.
>> Stephen: HE WAS BUSY.
>> LAID DOWN THE EQUATIONS.
OTHER PEOPLE CALCULATED WITH HIS EQUATIONS AND HE DEDUCED THE
HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE MUST HAVE START WADE BANG.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
GOING TO 2018-- >> SO CATHOLICS HAVE BEEN IN
THERE IN MULTIPLE -- >> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO
TELL ME.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: I'M TEAM R.C.
NOW-- >> TEAM ROMAN CATHOLIC.
>> Stephen: YES, OKAY.
( APPLAUSE ) NOW-- YOU'RE-- YOU'RE WALKING
FOOTNOTE, NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON.
>> I DIDN'T THINK YOU BROUGHT PEOPLE WITH YOU ON THAT COMMENT.
SO I WAS JUST HELPING IT OUT.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE WITH ME.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) OKAY.
>> NO, NO, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ASK IT.
WHO WAS NOT WITH HIM?
( APPLAUSE ) SEE?
THERE YOU GO.
>> Stephen: I FEEL BETRAYED.
( LAUGHTER ) SO 2018, LET ME GET TO THE
SECOND QUESTION OF THE INTERVIEW.
IN 2018, WHAT MYSTERY ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN SCIENCE
CRACKING?
OR WHAT DO YOU THINK WE ARE LIKELY TO LEARN THIS YEAR THAT
WE'RE CLOSE TO FIGURING OUT?
>> IN MY FIELD, THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS, GENERALLY WE MAKE
DISCOVERIES WHEN A MISSION IS LAUNCHED.
SO WE-- SO WE KNOW WHEN TO BEGIN TO EXPECT DISCOVERIES.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE BIG MISSION REACHING ITS FRUITION.
>> THE MISSION NOW IS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND DARK MATTER AND DARK
ENERGY MORE THAN WE CURRENTLY DO.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> WE KNOW IT'S THERE, BUT IT'S A COMPLETE MYSTERY.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ORIGIN OF 85% OF ALL THE GRAVITY OF THE
UNIVERSE.
IT'S NOT BLACK HOLES, COMETS, STARS, PLANETS-- IT'S NONE OF
THE ABOVE.
>> Stephen: SO THE MATH SAYS THERE SHOULD BE MORE THERE BUT
WE CAN'T SEE IT?
>> RIGHT, IT'S MISSING GRAVITY RATHER THAN MISSING MASS-- I'M
SORRY, IT'S GRAVITY WITH NO KNOWN SOURCE.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS WHAT I SAID.
WHEN IS WHAT I SAID A MOMENT AGO.
>> IT'S DARK GRAVITY.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> IS REALLY WHAT IT IS.
THEN-- THEN THERE'S SOME MYSTERIOUS PRESSURE IN THE
VACUUM OF SPACE.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> WHICH WE CALL DARK ENERGY.
BEAUT BUTT WE SHOULD JUST CALL IT FRED AND WILMA-- I JOKE ABOUT
THIS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
DON'T GIVE IT A NAME THAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK WE KNOW WHAT IT IS
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT'S A PRESSURE IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE FORCING THE UNIVERSE TO
ACCELERATE NONETHELESS EXPANSION.
AND I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I LOSE SLEEP OVER THIS
FACT--
CAN I SHARE THIS?
I DON'T WANT TO BE BLAMED -- >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW THAT
I COULD STOP YOU.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I DON'T WANT TO BE BLAMED IF YOU CANNOT GET TO SLEEP TONIGHT.
>> Stephen: DO IT.
I'LL BE OKAY.
>> SO THIS DARK ENERGY IN THE FUTURE WILL RENDER THE UNIVERSE
SO LARGE, HAVING ACCELERATED SO SIGNIFICANTLY, THAT ALL THE
GALAXIES OF THE NIGHT SKY WILL HAVE ACCELERATED BEYOND OUR
HORIZON.
>> Stephen: WHAT?
>> ALL THE GALAXIES ARE THE SOURCE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF
COSMOLOGY, OF THE BIG BANG, EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE
HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE COMES TO US FROM THESE GALAXIES.
IF THEY ACCELERATE BEYOND OUR HORIZON, THE NEXT GENERATION OF
COSMIC EXPLORERS WILL ONLY HAVE THE STARS OF THE MILKY WAY TO
THINK ABOUT.
AND I-- SO, THERE'S AN-- THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ENTIRE
CHAPTER OF THE UNIVERSE RIPPED FROM THEIR VIEW.
AND THEY WILL BE TRYING TO CONTEMPLATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THE UNIVERSE WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT PART OF WHAT ITS
PAST WAS.
AND SO I LOSE SLEEP WONDERING, TODAY, WAS THERE SOME PREVIOUS
CHAPTER RIPPED FROM THE UNIVERSE ITSELF?
AND HERE WE ARE--
AND HERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, TOUCHING THE ELEPHANT, NOT
KNOWING THAT IN FACT THERE'S AN ELEPHANT STANDING THERE.
OR MAYBE THERE'S THE SHADOW OF THE ELEPHANT, AND THE ELEPHANT
HAS BEEN MOVED.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND THIS LEAVES ME WEAK AT NIGHT.
I SLIEWZ SLEEP OVER THAT.
>> Stephen: I AM NOT GOING TO GET A WINK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THAT'S CRAZY.
HOLD ON.
WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A BREAK.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON, EVERYBODY.