( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
FOLKS.
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AMERICA'S FAVORITE ASTROPHYSICIST AND THE
DIRECTOR OF THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM AT THE MUSEUM OF
NATURAL HISTORY.
PLEASE TO "THE LATE SHOW," NEIL deGRASSE TYSON.
♪ ♪ ♪
ALWAYS A PLEASURE.
NEIL, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>>ING WITH, THANK YOU!
OVER THERE ON THE BAND, TOO.
>> Stephen: OH, COME ON.
GIVE IT UP FOR THE BAND.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I WAS SHAKING EVERYTHING BACKSTAGE.
I JUST COULDN'T STOP MOVING BECAUSE THE SOUND MOVES THROUGH
THE WALLS.
I'M WITH YOU ON THAT.
>> Stephen: AND HOW DOES SOUND WORK, NEIL?
>> IT'S A MEDIUM THROUGH WHICH TO TRAVEL.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> WHICH MEANS IN SPACE MOST "STAR WARS" MOVIES WOULD BE
SILENT.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> BECAUSE AN EXPLOSION -- >> Stephen: NO ONE CAN HEAR
YOU JAZZ.
>> CORRECT.
NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM OR EXPLODE.
>> Stephen: LISTEN, YOU'RE MR. .
EVERYONE IS GOING TO SPACE THESE DAYS.
WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN YET?
WHY HAVEN'T YOU GONE UP WITH ELON OR BRANSON OR--
>> BEZOS.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> BEZOS AND BRANSON, I'M AN ASTROPHYSICIST.
SO WE ASK, "HOW HIGH UP DID THEY GO?"
ASK ME THAT.
>> Stephen: HOW HIGH UP DID THEY GO?
>> REMEMBER YOUR SCHOOL ROOM GLOBE IN THE BACK.
>> Stephen: I DO.
>> HOW HIGH ABOVE A SCHOOL ROOM GLOBE, THE THICKNESS OF TWO
DIMES IS HOW HIGH UP THEY WENT.
>> Stephen: 100 KILOMETERS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> AT MOST!
>> Stephen: I'M ON YOUR SIDE, MAN.
YEAR IN THIS TOGETHER.
I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS, AND YOU'RE GIVING ANSWERS.
NO ONE'S ATTACKING YOU.
>> AT MOST.
SO PEOPLE SAY, "OH, I CAN SEE NO BORDERS WILL OF THE COUNTRIES."
THAT'S TRUE FROM AN AIRPLANE, TOO.
RIGHT.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
>> GENERALLY.
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE NOT IMPRESSED?
>> IT'S BETTER THAN NOT DOING THAT.
IF BILLIONAIRES ARE GOING TO COMPETE AT SOMETHING LET IT BE
THAT AND NOT HOW BIG YOUR YACHT IS.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT AS AN ASTROPHYSICIST -- >> Stephen: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN
INVITED ON ONE OF THOSE YACHTS.
>> ORIGINALLY, I SAID I'M NOT GOING UP UNTIL ONE OF THEM SENDS
THEIR MOTHER AND BRING HER BACK SAFE.
BUT THEN THEY SENT WILLIAM SHATNER, WHO IS 90, SO THAT
COUNTS.
THAT COUNTS.
YOU SEND UP WILLIAM SHATNER AND BRING HIM BACK SPACE, THAT
COUNTS.
>> Stephen: SOME SAY THEY WENT TO SPACE.
DID THEY GO TO SPACE?
>> AN AN ASTROPHYSICIST SPACE IS MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND, RATHER
THAN GOING BOLDLY WHERE OTHERS HAVE GONE BEFORE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE SAYING ORBIT IS NOT SPACE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> THERE'S THE CARMEN LINE.
>> Stephen: WHERE IS THAT?
>> JUST THE WAY YOU SAID THAT.
>> Stephen: WHERE IS THAT.
>> "WHERE IS THAT?" CARMEN LINE IS THE PLACE AS YOU
ASCEND OUR ATMOSPHERE, WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AIR MOLECULES
ABOVE YOU TO SCATTER SUNLIEPT AND TURN THE SKY BLUE.
SO YOU GO UP IN A PERFECTLY BLUE DAYTIME SKY, AND THE BLUE SLOWLY
DISAPPEARS, AND THEN THE STARS COME OUT, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT,
ALONG WITH THE SUN.
THAT'S THE CARMEN LINE.
>> Stephen: HOW HIGH IS THAT?
>> THAT'S ABOUT 100 KILOMETERS.
>> Stephen: I SAID THAT.
>> YOU DID SAY THAT.
BUT I'M SAYING WHY SHOULD THE DEFINITION OF SPACE BE LIMITED
TO EARTH,'S ATMOSPHERE.
IF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE WAS HALF AS THICK, IT WOULD BE 50
KILOMETERS.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE, WOULD WE ALL BE IN SPACE NOW?
BY THAT DEFINITION, THE ANSWER WOULD BE YES, SO THAT'S NOT MY
-- >> Stephen: NEIL, I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO BREAK IT TO YOU, BUT WE ARE IN SPACE RIGHT NOW.
>> THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
>> Stephen: DIJUST BLOW YOUR MIND, NEIL?
>> WE ALL ARE ABOARD SPACESHIP EARTH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME I WAS RIGHT ON THAT.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE WELCOME.
I KNOW YOU LOVE HEARING IT.
( LAUGHTER )
>> WHAT?
>> Stephen: I THINK THAT'S YOUR RING TONE, "NEIL, YOU'RE
RIGHT.
NEIL, YOU'RE RIGHT."
WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK, BUT WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK, AND I WILL
ASK NEIL WHAT HIS FAVORITE QUESTION ABOUT THE UNIVERSE IS.
STICK AROUND.