LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST
GUEST IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE
HAYDEN PLANETARIUM AT THE
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY, THE HOST OF "COSMOS,"
AND HE'S MY FAVORITE
ASTROPHYSICIST.
PLEASE WELCOME NEIL DEGRASSE
TYSON!
s
♪ ♪ ♪
 ( APPLAUSE )
 ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU.
BUT FIRST --
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU
BACK.
>> FESS UP-- HOW MANY
ASTROPHYSICISTS DO YOU KNOW IF
I'M YOUR FAVORITE?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT
MEANS?
>> Stephen: I DON'T WANT TO
KNOW ANY OTHERS, NEAL.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T REMEMBER MY OLD
GIRLFRIENDS.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE
ASTROPHYSICISTS BEFORE I MET
YOU.
NEAL-- SPOILER ALERT-- YOU'RE A
SCIENTIST.
>> INDEED.
>> Stephen: AND LEGALLY I AM
REQUIRED TO ASK YOU YOUR
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> OH.
>> Stephen: AND I UNDERSTAND
YOU'RE NOT A VIROLOGIST, YOU'RE
NOT AN IMMUNOLOGIST, YOU'RE NOT
AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST, BUT I
SUSPECT--
>> I'M AN ASTROPHYSICIST, JIM.
>> Stephen: BUT I SUSPECT YOU
HAVE AN OPINION?
>> A POINT OF VIEW, I WOULD SAY.
I'M BROADLY SCIENTIFICALLY
LITERATE, BUT WHAT I WAS SAYING
OF THIS VIRUS, I THINK WE'RE IN
THE MIDDLE OF A MASSIVE
EXPERIMENT WORLDWIDE.
AND THAT IS --
>> Stephen: WE'RE THE GUINEA
PIGS?
>> MAYBE.
THE EXPERIMENT IS WILL PEOPLE
LISTEN TO SCIENTISTS?
 (  LAUGHTER  )
 ( APPLAUSE )
IN THIS CASE, REFERRING TO
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS--
>> Stephen: SAY ANTHONY FAUCI.
>> FOR EXAMPLE.
ARE YOU WASHING YOUR HANDS?
AND ARE YOU TAKING THESE
PRECAUTIONS?
THESE ARE WARNINGS OFFERED BY
SCIENTIST S.
>> Stephen:  FOR OUR OWN GOD.
>> FOR OUR OWN GOOD.
IT SEEMS TO ME IF WE ALL
LISTENED AND ALL PAID
ATTENTION-- DON'T FREAK OUT.
DON'T LIVE-- A LIFE LIVED IN
FEAR IS A LIFE HALF LIVED.
SO YOU DON'T WANT TO--
 ( APPLAUSE )
I'M JUST-- SO IT WOULD BE
INTERESTING IF WE ALL PAID
ATTENTION TO WHAT SCIENTISTS
SAY.
MAYBE THE CORONAVIRUS WILL JUST
BLOW ON BY, WITH A MINIMUM OF
CASES.
AND THEN WE KICKED ITS ASS FOR
OBEYING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF
STOIFTZ HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR
CHANCES OF GETTING IT.
THAT WOULD BE-- IT'S AN
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT WE'RE IN
THE MIDDLE OF.
>> Stephen: I HOPE WE WIN?
 (  LAUGHTER  )
I HOPE SCIENCE WINS.
I HOPE ACKNOWLEDGE  KNOWLEDGE
COMES OUT ON TOP.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: LAST WEEK IT WAS
ANNOUNCED THAT SCIENTISTS HAVE
JUST DISCOVERED, OBSERVED, THE
LARGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG
BANG.
WHAT WAS IT?
WHERE WAS IT?
AND WHY WAS IT?
>> SO WE DIDN'T SEE THE
EXPLOSION.
WE SAW THE HOLE-- THE GAPING
HOLE LEFT OVER BY IT.
>> Stephen: SO THERE'S--
THERE'S A VOID, OR SOMETHING.
>> 14 MILLION LIGHT-YEARS AWAY
IS A CLUSTER OF GALAXIES, AND
THE MEDIUM IN WHICH THESE
GALAXIES MOVE, THERE'S A VERY
HOT GAS.
MOST CLUSTERS HAVE THIS HOT GAS.
YOU CAN DETECT IT ON XRAYS.
IT'S GLOWING SO HOT, YOU SEE IT
ON EXPRAIZ.
THEY OBSERVE THIS GAS IN A
GALAXY CLUSTER AND IT WAS A
GAPING HOLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
THE MONSTER GALAXY IN THE
CENTER.
AND NO ONE UNDERSTOOD IT AT
FIRST.
AND WE REALIZED SOME TIME IN THE
PAST THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION FROM
THE BLACK HOLE IN THE CENTER OF
THAT GALAXY AND BLEW OUT A HOLE
THROUGH THIS CLUSTER.
>> Stephen: HOW BIG ARE WE
TALKING?
 (  LAUGHTER  )
I UNDERSTAND.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ON SUPER-GALACTIC
SCALES, THE NUMBERS DON'T MEAN
ANYTHING.
IT'S LIKE, "HOW MUCH MONEY DID
MIKE BLOOMBERG WASTE?"
IT'S TOO BIG A NUMBER FOR US TO
UNDERSTAND.
HOE BIG ARE WE TALKING HERE?
>> MANY, MANY DIAMETERS OF OUR
ENTIRE GALAXY ACROSS THE HOLE
THAT CAME OUT OF THIS GALAXY
CLUSTER.
BUT HERE'S A FUN POINT HERE.
YOU CAN ASK HOW BIG WAS THAT
EXPLOSION?
AND IF NOTHING ELSE WAS EVER
THAT BIG, THEN YOUR ADJECTIVES
ARE CHALLENGED BY THIS.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> OKAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD
HORSES, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: RIGHT, YEAH, YEAH.
>> HORSE AND BUGGY GLI
UNDERSTAND WHAT A HORSE IS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT IT OUT.
THE BIG THING WITH THE HOOVES.
>> SO THEN WE INVENTED CARS AND
WE SAY, "HOW DO WE KNOW HOW
POWERFUL THE CAR ENGINE IS?"
WE MEASURE IT IN HORSES, HORSE
POWER.
TO THIS DAY, NASA WILL STILL
REPORT THE POWER OF ROCKETS IN
HORSE POWER.
WHICH IS COMPLETELY ABSURD.
BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MANY
HORSES YOU STRING TOGETHER, THEY
WILL NOT ELEVATE INTO SPACE,
OKAY.
 ( LAUGHTER )
SO IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY
SENSE.
IT'S JUST-- THEY'RE NOT HORSES
LINED UP INSIDE OF HERE.
THAT'S NOT HOW THAT --
>> Stephen: I GOT IT.
SO OTHER NEWS CLOSER TO HOME--
HOW FAR AWAY WAS THIS ONE, BY
THE WAY?
>> ABOUT 400 MILLION
LIGHT-YEARS.
>> Stephen: SO A GOOD
DISANCE.
>> SAFE AWAY.
>> Stephen: ALSO NEWS FROM OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM-- WHICH I'M RATHER
EXCITED ABOUT-- THERE'S A
MINI-MOON OUT THERE.
THE SECOND EVER DISORDER.
YOU DON'T LIKE THIS QUESTION.
WHY DON'T YOU LIKE THIS
QUESTION?
>> IT'S A ROCK.
>> Stephen: IT'S A MINI-MOON.
>> THEY COULD HAVE CALLED IT A
MINIROCK.
WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ACCURATE.
>> Stephen: IT'S ORBITING US,
RIGHT?
>> SO IS SPACE JUNK.
PLUS WE HAVE A WHOLE REAL MOON
STILL VYING FOR OUR ATTENTION
AND WE PAY ATTENTION TO A ROCK
THAT JUST HAPPENED TO WANDER BY.
>> Stephen: COME ON!
EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FOR A NEW
MOON.
 ( APPLAUSE )
>> WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT
THE ORBITAL PATHWAYS IN THE
SOLAR SYSTEM ARE SUCH THAT
OCCASIONALLY WE CAN CAPTURE A
WAYWARD ROCK.
>> Stephen: THIS WAS DRIFTING
BY AND GOT WHIPPED IN.
>> IN A TRAJECTORY THAT ENABLED
IT-- MOST THAT GO BY GO BY
UNSCATHED BUT THIS ONE WE
HAPPENED TO CAIRPT OF.
>> Stephen: WILL IT DEGRADE
AND COME IN?
>> I'M NOT SURE.
I HAVEN'T STUDIED THE MECHANICS
OF IT.
IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT I THINK
UNLIKELY.
OF ALL THE THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT
IN THE WORLD TODAY, DON'T WORRY
ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT WORRIED.
THERE'S ALSO SUPPOSE TO BE
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIZE OF
MOUNT EVEREST WHIPPING BY IN
APRIL.
>> THAT WOULD BE BALD.
>> LIKE TWO AND A HALF MILES
WIDE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> FIVE OR SIX MILES ACROSS.
THE DINOSAUR-- THE ASTEROID THAT
TOOK OUT THE DINOSAURS WAS THE
SIZE OF MOUNT EVEREST, SO YOU
DON'T WANT ONE OF THOSE COMING
DOWN.
>> Stephen: SO SHOULD I BE
MAKE MIGHT GO PEACE WITH A GOD
WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE THERE?
>> NO, THIS IS NOT GOING TO HIT
US.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU KNOW
THIS?
>> BECAUSE WE HAVE PHYSICS.
I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP.
>> Stephen: WHY DID I LEARN
ABOUT THIS ROCK IF IT'S NOT
GOING TO HINT US.
>> IT'S CALLED A MASS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
BUT THEY'RE TELLING ME THIS IS
GOING TO COME--
>> IT'S CALLED "CLICK BAIT."
>> Stephen: THAT I UNDERSTAND.
THAT I UNDERSTAND.
 ( APPLAUSE )
BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING IF
THIS THING IS GOING TO COME BY--
IF IT WAS GOG HIT US ON APRIL
22, I'M LIKE WHY AM I PURELLING
MY HANDS?
IT DOESN'T MATTER.
>> APRIL 22, EARTH DAY.
YOU WOULD HOPE IT WOULDN'T HIT
ON-- TO ME THAT WOULD BE
EMBARRASSING.
HERE WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT
EARTH AND NATURE KILLS EARTH.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE
50th, RIGHT?
>> A NICE ROUND YEAR FOR EARTH
DAY.
>> Stephen: THIS 50th--
SEEING HOW WE'RE TREATING THE
EARTH, SHOULD WE CELEBRATE EARTH
DAY OR JUST APOLOGIZE TO THE
EARTH THIS TIME AROUND?
>> WE SHOULD DO BOTH.
FIRST APOLOGIZE AND THEN TELL
EARTH HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE
THINGS BETTER.
THE FIRST EARTH DAY WAS IN 1970.
YOU KNOW WHY IT WAS 1970?
WHY WASN'T IT IN 1960 OR 1965 OR
1980?
>> Stephen: I HAVE A FEEL
YO'RE ABOUT TO TELL ME.
>> WE'RE ACTIVELY GOING TO BE
WALKING ON THE MOON BY 1970,
WITH THIS SPACECRAFT, THE SATURN
5.
ALL OF US DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE
MOON.
JUST A LITTLE UPPER PART WHERE
THE ASTRONAUTS ARE.
YOU NEED THAT MUCH FUEL TO PULL
THAT OFF.
SO THEN WE GO TO THE NOON
EXPLORE THE MOON, AND WE TURN
AROUND AND DISCOVER EARTH FOR
THE FIRST TIME.
>> Stephen: NONETHELESS
ENTIRETY.
>> EARTH, EARTH.
 ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: NOT ENOUGH GUESTS
TO BRING VISUAL AIDS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> I'M JUST SAYING, EARTH.
AND THERE IT WAS ALONE IN THE
VACUUM DARK OF SPACE.
AND YOU SEE IT NOT AS THE SOCIAL
STUDIES CLASSROOM GLOBE SHOWED
YOU.
THERE WERE NO COLOR-CODED
COUNTRIES ON IT.
ALL YOU SAW WAS BLUE OCEANS AND
DRY LAND AND CLOUDS.
AND AT THAT MOMENT, EVERYONE
CHANGED.
EVERYBODY SAID, "OH, MY GOSH.
POLLUTION IS NOT JUST THIS RIVER
BEHIND MY HOUSE OR THIS LAKE.
IT IS GLOBAL.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT EARTH AS
A PLANET."
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN
1970?
EARTH DAY WAS FOUNDED.
THE-- THE-- THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY WAS VOTED
INTO-- INTO EXISTENCE.
BY THE WAY, BY A REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENT.
AND WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?
OVER THOSE YEARS THAT WE WERE
WALKING ON THE MOON, THROUGH
1973, LEADED GAS WAS BANNED.
WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?
THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION WAS
FOUNDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE
CLIMATE ON EARTH.
NO ONE BEFORE HAD THOUGHT OF
CONNECTING THE OCEANS AND THE
CLOUDS BEFORE.
AND THEY'RE BOTH IN THE SAME
TITLE OF THAT AGENCY.
A COMPREHENSIVE CLEAN AIR ACT,
CLEAN WATER ACT-- ALL THAT
HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE GOING TO
THE MOON.
AND PEOPLE ASK--
 ( APPLAUSE )
AND PEOPLE ASK, "WHY ARE WE
GOING TO SPACE?"
YOU KNOW WHY YOU GO TO SPACE?
A COSMIC PERSPECTIVE CAN DESCEND
UPON YOU IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU
ARE REALIGNED WITH YOUR OWN
SURVIVAL AND THE SURVIVAL OF
OTHERS IN SUCH A WAY THAT MAYBE
YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
AND ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY
OF THAT, AND WE NEED TO KEEP
DOING IT.
 ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I AGREE.
CAN YOU-- NEIL... CAN YOU RUN
FOR PRESIDENT?
WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF
A BREAK.
PLEASE STICK AROUND.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
MR. NEIL deGRASSE TYSON.
I'M SORRY, DOCTOR.
