THE MIGHTY NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON!
THERE HE IS!
NEIL, IT'S BEEN SO LONG!
>> IT'S BEEN TOO LONG!
I MISS YOU.
> James: IT'S BEEN SO LONG.
I CAN'T BELIEVE -- LIKE, I'M ONLY AWARE NOW, SEEING YOU ON
THIS SCREEN, AS TO HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE
SUPPOSED TO BE HERE LAST MARCH.
I THINK YOU WERE ON THE DAY THAT WE SHUT DOWN, YOU WERE THE GUEST
THAT DAY.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
>> I HAVE DISAPPOINTED WITH HOW THINGS UNFOLDED.
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF AT THE TIME, THIS IS A TEST.
WE HAVE A COMMON ENEMY OF OUR SPECIES.
WILL WE PUT AWAY ALL OUR TRIBAL WAYS AND COME TOGETHER TO
PROTECT THE SPECIES?
AND WILL PEOPLE HEED THE WARNINGS AND THE ADVICE OF
MEDICAL AND SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS?
THAT WAS THE BIG QUESTION A YEAR AGO.
AND, NO, THAT IS NOT HOW THIS UNFOLDED.
VERY DISAPPOINTED.
IT IS A DRY RUN FOR THEIR ALIEN INVASION.
ALIENS WILL ATTACK ALL HUMANS.
WILL WE BAN TOGETHER TO ATTACK BACK?
APPARENTLY NOT.
>> James: I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I'M NOT SURPRISED BY IT BECAUSE I FIND -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO
MANY PEOPLE -- YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE, THIS IS A VERY REAL
THING, AND PEOPLE GO, NO, IT ISN'T.
I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE IN A CAR WITH AN ALIEN ABOUT TO KILL YOU
AND YOU WOULD SAY TO SOMEONE, THIS ALIEN'S GOING TO KILL US,
THEY'RE GOING TO GO, NO, HE'S NOT.
( LAUGHTER ) NAH, FAKE NEWS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> YEAH, SO IT'S A PROBLEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
I'M TRYING.
>> James: WELL, YOU ARE TRYING BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THIS.
YOU WROTE A BRILLIANT ARTICLE IN "THE WASHINGTON POST."
YOU TITLED IT NEIL deGRASSE TYSON ON THE PANDEMIC YEAR,
SCIENCE NEEDS BETTER MARKETING.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO MAKE THAT
HAPPEN?
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVELY USING THEIR CELL
PHONES, THEIR SMARTPHONES, WHICH ARE THIS EXTRAORDINARY
JUXTAPOSITION OF ENGINEERING, MATH, PHYSICS, ASTROPHYSICS,
EINSTEIN RELATIVITY IS IN THIS, AND WHILE THEY'RE TALKING TO
THEIR GRANDMA, THEY'RE WALKING DOWN THE BEACH AND THEY SAY, OH,
I'M NOT GOING TO TRUST THE SCIENTISTS ON THIS, OR I'M GOING
TO CHOOSE WHAT I WANT TO DO BASED ON MY OWN POLITICS, MY OWN
BELIEFS, MY OWN CULTURE.
AND I'M THINKING, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
THE SCIENCE IS TRUE WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELIEVE IN IT.
AND, SO, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT CHALLENGES WE FACE IN
MODERN TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE WISDOM TO SHEPHERD CIVILIZATION
INTO THE FUTURE IN A WAY THAT WILL ENSURE OUR SURVIVAL.
>> James: AND ON THAT NOTE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
( LAUGHTER ) SO HOW LONG DO YOU THINK WE'VE
GOT -- HOW LONG DO YOU RECKON, IF I WERE TO SAY TO YOU RIGHT
NOW, NEIL deGRASSE TYSON, HOW LONG ARE WE AS A SPECIES ON THIS
SPINNING ORB, HOW LONG HAVE WE GOT?
>> PLEASE DON'T ASK ME THAT!
>> James: ROUGHLY.
ROUGHLY.
>> LISTEN TO ME...
LET'S SAY WE WANT TO TRY TO FIND ANOTHER PLANET, AND THEN YOU
HAVE PEOPLE BANNING TOGETHER TELLING US EARTH IS FLAT, I
DON'T KNOW -- OKAY.
MAYBE IN A FREE SOCIETY, IT'S OKAY AS LONG AS THOSE PEOPLE
DON'T BECOME HEAD OF N.A.S.A., OKAY?
>> James: YES.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF JOBS FOR SCIENCE DENIERS OUT THERE.
>> James: YES.
YOU JUST DON'T WANT THEM IN CHARGE OF DECISIONS WHERE OUR
FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT AND WHERE SCIENCE LITERACY MATTERS, IN THE
SURVIVAL IN THAT FUTURE.
>> James: SEE, I THINK THERE'S AN EASIER WAY TO DO THIS.
I THINK ANY PERSON THAT DOESN'T BELIEVE IN SCIENCE SHOULD JUST
BE GIVEN A NOKIA 3210.
( LAUGHTER ) THAT'S YOUR PHONE.
>> AND YOU SAY, DEAL WITH IT.
>> James: PHONE, TEXT, EMAIL.
THAT'S IT.
OR, ANYTHING YOU POST HAS TO GET VERIFIED BY YOU BEFORE IT'S
ALLOWED TO BE POSTED UP THERE.
WOULD YOU DO THAT FOR US, NEIL.
>> NO.
>> James: IT MIGHT TAKE UP A BIT OF YOUR TIME.
>> NO.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO IS SNEAK IN, IN THE DARK OF NIGHT, AND TAKE
AWAY EVERYTHING IN THAT PERSON'S LIFE THAT THEY NEED TO, THAT
THEY THRIVE UPON THAT IS BASED ON SCIENCE, ON ASTROPHYSICS, ON
SPACE PHYSICS, TAKE IT AWAY.
AND THEY WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, THEY'RE BASICALLY IN A
CAVE -- THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE
HEADED RIGHT NOW, BACK TO THE CAVE.
>> James: DO I GET TO KEEP A TOASTER?
NO.
( LAUGHTER ) THE TOASTER WOULD GO, RIGHT?
>> TOASTER -- NO, TOASTER'S NOT BASED ON SPACE TECHNOLOGY.
>> James: WELL, FINE.
I CAN SURVIVE, THEN.
I GENUINELY THINK, IF I'VE GOT A TOASTER, I COULD OUTLIVE YOU
ALL.
>> YOU'RE GOOD.
>> James: THAT'S NOT EVEN A JOKE.
>> JUST DON'T TAKE A BATH WITH IT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: YEAH.
NOW, THERE'S SO MUCH TALK RIGHT NOW, NEIL, ABOUT BACK TO
NORMALITY.
>> YEAH.
>> James: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FEEL THAT WE SHOULDN'T BRING
BACK POST-COVID?
ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE THINK WE SHOULD SAY WE JUST DON'T DO
THAT ANYMORE?
WHAT SORT OF THINGS.
>> PERSONALLY, I LIKE THE ELBOW HAND SHAKE.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
>> James: YEAH.
YOU'RE STILL TOUCHING A BODY PART BUT YOU'RE NOT RUBBING IS
NOT THEY JUST SNEEDS INTO THEIR HAND ON TO THE OTHER PERSON'S.
CERTAIN HABITS WE HAVE THERE, SANITATION HABITS, THAT WILL
BENEFIT US ALL, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING TO HAVE.
ALSO, IS ANYONE SHOWING UP AT WORK ANYMORE IN POST-COVID, WILL
ANYONE SHOW UP AT WORK ANYMORE SNEEZING AND COUGHING?
USED TO BE, OH, THEY'RE A HARD WORKER, THEY'RE WORKING EVEN
WHILE THEY'RE SICK.
IF YOU SHOW UP LIKE THAT TODAY, THE EJECT BUTTON GETS PUSHED.
NO, THERE'S NO ROOM FOR YOUR SNEESNEEZY SNOT IN THE OFFICEPLA
>> James: I THINK IT'S DOWN TO EMPLOYERS.
SOMEONE SAYS, I HAVE A SNIFFLE, AND THEY GO, GO AHEAD AND COME
IN.
YOU ARE KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE BY NOT BEING THERE.
>> THE STAFF WILL M MUTINY.
WE KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.
A MASK IS A BADGE OF HONOR AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SCIENTIFICALLY
LITERATE.
IF YOU RUN AROUND WITHOUT A MASK, YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THOSE --
IT'S YOUR ADVICE THAT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE END OF
CIVILIZATION, NOT ITS CONTINUANCE.
>> James: I MEAN, HISTORICALLY, AFTER PANDEMICS,
THERE'S BEEN -- HISTORICALLY, WHENEVER THERE'S BEEN BIG GLOBAL
PANDEMICS, THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT INNOVATIONS.
ARE THERE ANY POSITIVE INNOVATIONS OR INVENTIONS THAT
ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC, DO YOU THINK, AND WHAT
MIGHT THEY BE?
>> OKAY, CAN I GET A LITTLE DEEP ON YOUR HERE.
>> James: LET'S ROLL DEEP, BABE.
>> EINSTEIN'S RELATIVITY TELLS US WE EXIST IN TIME AND IN
SPACE.
SO YOUR WORLD LINE ARE YOUR COORDINATES ALL THE IN TIME AND
IN SPACE.
SO IF I SAY, JAMES, LEST GO MEET FOR BREAKFAST TOMORROW AT 10:00.
YOU WILL SAY, WELL, WHERE?
ALL RIGHT, NOTICE THE TIME IS INSUFFICIENT ALONE.
YOU HAVE TO BRING IN THE PLACE.
OR IF IRK SAY, LET'S MEET AT OUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST PLACE.
WHEN?
ALL RIGHT, SO DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW YOU NEED TIME AS A
COORDINATE AND SPACE AS A COORDINATE.
BUT DURING THE PERCHING, SPACE WAS NO LONGER A CONSTRAINING
COORDINATE.
I HAVE ATTENDED MORE SCIENTIFIC PROFESSIONAL TALKS THAN I EVER
HAVE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO BE AT
THE SAME PLACE.
I JUST HAVE TO BE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND IF MY TIME CAN INTERSECT THE TALK, THE PLACE DOES NOT MATTER.
WE HAVE BROKEN APART THE EINSTEINIAN SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM
AND MADE TIME THE ONLY IMPORTANT VARIABLE.
THAT IS A GIFT OF COVID TO CIVILIZATION GOING FORWARD.
( APPLAUSE ) >> James: SO ARE WE HAVING
BREAKFAST?
ARE WE HAVING BREAKFAST OR ARE WE NOT HAVING BREAKFAST?
( LAUGHTER ) BECAUSE WHAT'S WEIRD IS YOU SAID
LET'S HAVE BREAKFAST.
I DIDN'T THINK WHERE.
I THOUGHT, OOOH, WHAT SHALL I ORDER?
( LAUGHTER ) THE PLACE WAS IRRELEVANT.
( LAUGHTER ) I THOUGHT, OH!
WONDER IF I COULD GET INTO THAT REALLY GOOD PLACE WITH THAT
BACON.
NOW, NEIL, LET'S CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR "NEW YORK TIMES"
BEST-SELLING BOOK "COSMIC QUERIES: STARTALK'S GUIDE TO WHO
WE ARE, HOW WE GOT HERE, AND WHERE WE'RE GOING."
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS?
>> WELL, THANKS FOR ASKING.
I HOST A PODCAST CALLED STARTALK, AND ONE TO HAVE THE
POPULAR FORMATS IS COSMIC QUERIES, WHERE INSTEAD OF ME
TELLING YOU WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW, PEOPLE WRITE IN ALL
QUESTIONS, SOME ARE DEEP AND PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOME BORDERING
ON SPIRITUAL, AND I SAID WE HAVE TO PUT THAT IN A BOOK BECAUSE
THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION INSTEAD OF ME JUST RATTLING OFF
ANSWERS.
QUESTIONS IN THE BOOK ARE HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN, HOW WILL IT
ALL END, WHAT'S OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE?
SOMETIMES WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S THE RIGHT QUESTION.
WE'RE ON THE BLEEDING HEART OF DISCOVERY AND WE DON'T KNOW IF
WE EVEN ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION.
WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE IS THE QUESTION I HAVEN'T ASKED YET.
>> James: NEIL, WE COULD TALK TO YOU ALL DAY.
NEIL'S "COSMIC QUERIES" BOOK IS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE.
STICK AROUND.