( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Jon: WELCOME BACK.
MY GUEST TONIGHT AN ASTROPHYSICIST AND THE DIRECTOR
OF THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM.
HIS NEW SHOW FOR THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL IS CALLED
"STAR TALK."
>> THE CLOSER ARE YOU TO A STRONG SOURCE OF GRAVITY, THE
SLOWER YOUR TIME TICKS RELATIVE TO PEOPLE YOU LEFT AT HOME.
>> YEAH.
>> AND SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO COMMIT TO A VISIT OF A PLANET
WHERE TIME IS TICKING MORE SLOWLY, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO BE
PREPARED FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
HOW MUCH MORE SLOWLY IS IT TICKING?
>> YEAH.
>> AND WHAT ARE THE AGES OF YOUR KIDS RELATIVE TO YOU WHEN YOU GO
BACK AND -- >> YEAH, WELL, BEFORE I GO DOWN
THAT BRAND, ANNE HATHAWAY'S CHARACTER HAS A LINE, YOU KNOW,
SHE SAYS "WE'VE GOT TO VIEW TIME AS A RESOURCE" LIKE OXYGEN.
>> AS A COMMODITY.
>> AND FOOD. EXACTLY.
>> THAT'S A GREAT LINE.
>> AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A COOL IDEA.
>> Jon: THE BLOND GUY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT NEIL WAS
TALKING ABOUT.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOUNG MAN!
PLEASE.
WHAT AN EXCITING TIME.
>> OH, MAN.
>> Jon: SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> HOW YOU DOING, MAN?
>> Jon: WHAT AN EXCITING TIME TO BE YOU AND AN
ASTROPHYSICIST.
>> YOU'RE LEANING IN HERE.
MAN, OKAY.
>> Jon: LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
ARE WE GOING TO LIVE ON MARS?
>> AS FAR AS I CAN TELL NO TIME SOON.
>> Jon: NO TIME SOON.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE MARS IS-- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO GO THERE
AND HANG OUT -- >> Jon: RIGHT. RIGHT.
>> AND YOU HAVE TO REMIND THEM THAT, LIKE, YOU
CAN'T BREATHE THE AIR. RIGHT?
LITTLE-- LITTLE FACTS -- YOU KNOW, THE PILGRIMS CAME FROM
EUROPE TO THE NEW WORLD. >> Jon: YES.
>> WHEN THEY GOT OFF THE "MAYFLOWER" THEY COULD BREATHE
THE AIR. RIGHT?
LIKE THE TREES-- THE TREES IN THE NEW WORLD WERE MADE OF WOOD,
JUST LIKE THE TREES THEY BUILT THEIR SHIPS WITH.
>> Jon: YES.
>> SO THEY COULD REPAIR THEIR SHIPS AND PEOPLE WERE THERE TO
GREET THEM IN THE NEW WORLD.
IF I GO TO MARS-- NO.
NO.
>> Jon: YOU CAN'T BREATHE.
>> NO, YOU CAN'T BREATHE.
YOU CAN'T REPAIR YOUR SHIP.
>> Jon: THE, THE -- SO WHAT-- WHAT-- WHAT HAS LIT A
FIRE FOR YOU SCIENTIFICALLY RIGHT NOW?
YOU ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING IN YOUR POCKET THAT
GIVES YOU THE PASSION, THE SPARK.
WHAT IS IT IN THE SCIENCE WORLD RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOT YOU THERE?
>> I'VE GOT TO SAY IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT SCIENCE.
IT'S-- IT'S THE WARMTH-- THE RISE OF THE WARMTH THAT I SEE IN
THE PUBLIC FOR LEARNING ABOUT SCIENCE.
>> Jon: OH, REALLY?
>> AND THE EXCITEMENT THAT BRINGS.
>> Jon: YOU FEEL THE DIFFERENCE?
>> I FEEL. IT.
OH MAN.
OH
>> Jon: THAT'S INTERESTING.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT'S NOT JUST THIS IS SCIENCE, LET ME LEARN ABOUT IT.
IT'S THAT THERE IS A CULTURE THAT THINKS ABOUT SCIENCE AND
LIKES SCIENCE -- >> Jon: RIGHT.
>> THAT IS RISING UP IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> Jon: RIGHT.
>> AND IT'S EXEMPLIFIED BY -- LIKE THE GEEKOSPHERE LED THAT.
>> Jon: RIGHT. NOW IS GEEK, IS GEEK A WORD?
IS THAT SOMETHING I CAN USE OR ONLY YOU GUYS CAN USE?
IS THAT -- HOW DOES THAT--
>> WELL, I'LL TELL YOU. IN THE OLD DAYS --
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE OLD DAYS.
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> IF YOU WERE A GEEK IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> YOU WERE THE ONE WHO GOT THE WEDGY BY THE
FOOTBALL QUARTERBACK. >> Jon: RIGHT.
>> YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WERE EXPLOITED --
>> Jon: RIGHT.
>> CALLED YOU FOUR-EYES, OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND THEN THE QUARTERBACK LEARNED THAT THEY NEEDED YOU --
>> Jon: RIGHT.
>> TO FIX THEIR COMPUTER.
AND THEN THE STOCK VALUE OF GEEKS ROSE.
THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IS THE PATRON SAINT OF NERDS,
BILL GATES.
SO THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THIS.
BECAUSE WE ONLY ENTER THE FUTURE ON THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL
BROUGHT TO THIS WORLD BY THE GEEK-O-SPHERE.
( APPLAUSE )
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. >> WHAT'S THAT?
>> Jon: AND I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON THIS BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY,
YOU'RE A LEARNED MAN.
YOU'RE AN EDUCATED MAN.
YOU'RE A MAN DEALS IN FACT AND REALITY.
SUPERMAN VERSUS BATMAN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S BEEN SOME
DISCUSSION IN THE AUDIENCE -- >> YEAH.
>> Jon: ABOUT WHO WOULD WIN, SUPERMAN VERSUS BATMAN.
WHO WOULD WIN, SUPERMAN VERSUS BATMAN?
PERSONALLY, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A QUESTION-- BATMAN'S JUST A GUY
WITH A NICE BELT.
SUPERMAN IS INVINCIBLE.
HE IS FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET.
HE CAN FLY.
HE CAN -- I JUST, I DON'T EVEN SEE IT AS A CONTEST.
>> I WOULD TELL YOU WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
I WOULD TELL YOU.
I WOULD TELL YOU. OKAY?
WHO DOES BATMAN REPORT TO? THE MAYOR --
>> Jon: COMMISSIONER GORDON.
>> YEAH, YEAH. THE COMMISSIONER --
THE POLICE COMMISSIONER AND ULTIMATELY THE MAYOR.
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> WHO DOES SUPERMAN REPORT TO?
>> Jon: THE GUY IN THE ICE CASTLE.
>> YEAH, YEAH, RIGHT. SO IT'S NO ONE WE KNOW.
IT'S NO ONE WE HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO.
>> Jon: EXACTLY.
>> HE JUST BEHAVES IN WHATEVER WAY HE WANTS.
>> Jon: YES.
>> SO AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT MIGHT MATTER IS THE PUBLIC
RECEPTION OF THE SUPERHERO AND SUPERHERO'S CONDUCT.
AND IF BATMAN EXECUTES OUR WISHES IN THE CITY AND SUPERMAN
DOES WHAT THE HELL HE WANTS, THAT'S-- THAT-- THAT'S A
CONFLICT.
>> Jon: YOU CANNOT BE A GUY IN A LEOTARD AND NOT
-- AND JUST BE HUMAN.
LIKE SUPERMAN CAN GET AWAY WITH IT CAUSE HE'S SUPERMAN.
>> AND THESE ARE BLUE LEOTARDS, YEAH, PANTYHOSE,
WHATEVER HE'S WEARING -- ( LAUGHTER )
>> Jon: THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IRON MAN I THINK FIGURED SOMETHING
OUT, WHICH IS THAT I SHOULD WEAR IRON AND NOT A LEOTARD.
( LAUGHTER ) >> THAT'S RIGHT -- BASIC FACTS.
>> WHEN IS "STAR TALK" ON?
>> OH, THANKS.
IT'S-- IT JUMPED SPECIES TO TELEVISION.
>> Jon: IT DID.
IT WAS ON THE RADIO. IT WAS A RADIO SHOW.
>> AND DID YOU KNOW, HE WAS ON AN ORIGINAL EPISODE OF
"STAR TALK."
>> Jon: THE ORIGINAL "STAR TALK."
>> AND I FOUND OUT, THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT HE MAJORED
IN CHEMISTRY IN COLLEGE AND THEN I ASKED THE GEEK QUESTION
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ELEMENT?
AND HE SAYS I HAVE A FAVORITE ELEMENT.
I HAD A POSTER OF IT ON MY WALL. >> Jon: WHAT'S UP? WHAT'S UP?
>> IT'S CARBON. >> Jon: BOOM.
>> AND I SAID WHY IS IT CARBON, AND HE SAID, BECAUSE HE KNEW
THAT CARBON COMBINES WITH ALL OTHER ELEMENTS ON THE TABLE.
AND HE SAID CARBON IS LIKE THE SLUT OF THE PERIODIC TABLE OF
ELEMENTS. THAT'S IT!
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Jon: BONDED WITH EVERYBODY.
CARBON IS ALWAYS LIKE-- OH, SNAP.
WHAT IS THAT, OXYGEN?
GIVE ME TWO OF THOSE BAD BOYS.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT! THAT'S RIGHT, I MEAN CO2 --
>> Jon: OH -- HYDROGEN.
>> YEAH, GIVE ME FOUR OF THOSE.
CH-4.
YEAH.
>> Jon: I'M GOING TO ESTER THAT ( BLEEP ).
>> SO, SO "STAR TALK" IS ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE --
>> Jon: YEAH. YEAH.
>> HEWN FROM POP CULTURE SUCH AS YOURSELF --
>> Jon: YEAH.
>> AND EXPLORING ALL THE WAYS SCIENCE HAS MATTERED IN
THEIR LIVES.
SO IT REVEALS THE FACT THAT SCIENCE MANIFESTS EVEN IN OUR
CHERISHED POP CULTURE INSTITUTIONS.
>> Jon: YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THAT?
THAT TO ME IS THE SLOGAN FOR YOU. "SCIENCE MATTERS."
I LIKE THAT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
"STAR TALK" AIRS ON THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
CHANNEL MONDAYS AT 11:00.
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON!