THE STARTALKER, ISSUE 49 NEWSLETTER

Issue 49, October 3, 2013 This Week's New Podcast The Joe Rogan Experience  October 6, 2013, 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT We’re not going to get political here. But we did want to recognize NASA’s birthday 55 years ago, on October 1, 1958. And for those of you concerned that the government shutdown will result in satellites falling from the sky, astronauts dying from neglect, and space telescopes spinning wildly, no longer under the control of their earthbound masters, never fear. Apparently, NASA submitted a plan for the shutdown to the Office of Management and Budget, but, unfortunately, that plan is hosted on NASA’s website, which we can’t access because the site is down. Read more. Photo Credit: ©2009 Joshua Heges. All rights reserved. Catch Up on Last Week's Podcast Cosmic Queries: Human Endurance in Space  September 29, 2013 What challenges await humanity on our journey into space, and will we be up to the task? Find out when Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss why pressurized suits are required for spacewalks, how the Sun’s ionizing radiation can harm humans, and other dangers of space exploration. Find out about colonizing Mars, from food being developed by NASA to the Mars One project. Learn about conditions on Mars that allow water to simultaneously coexist as a liquid, a solid and a gas. Neil and Chuck also speculate on sports in space, and for Harry Potter fans, how zero gravity will impact Quidditch,  brooms, and the Golden Snitch. Listen now. Photo Credit: NASA. Best of the Blog Happy 55th Birthday, NASA –Surprise!  Posted October 1, 2013 We’re not going to get political here. But we did want to recognize NASA’s birthday 55 years ago, on October 1, 1958. And for those of you concerned that the government shutdown will result in satellites falling from the sky, astronauts dying from neglect, and space telescopes spinning wildly, no longer under the control of their earthbound masters, never fear. Apparently, NASA submitted a plan for the shutdown to the Office of Management and Budget, but, unfortunately, that plan is hosted on NASA’s website, which we can’t access because the site is down. Read more. Have You Seen Our New "Behind the Scenes" Video? Neil deGrasse Tyson on Corrupt Politicians and Black Holes When a fan asks Neil deGrasse Tyson for coordinates and a precise trajectory to launch corrupt politicians into the nearest black hole, Neil and Eugene Mirman discuss whether the problem is scientifically illiterate politicians or the people who voted for them. Watch now. Don't miss any of our StarTalk Radio videos on YouTube. Subscribe to the StarTalk Radio YouTube Channel.

PRESIDENTIAL SPEAKER SERIES: NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON AT KENT STATE SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

           

Presidential Speaker Series > Presidential Speaker Series: Neil deGrasse Tyson
 

 

 

Wednesday, September 25 at 7 p.m.
Kent Student Center Ballroom

DIRECTIONS

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ph.D., is an astrophysicist and the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Tyson’s professional research interests include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies and the structure of our Milky Way. In The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, he chronicles his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status.



In February 2012, he released his 10th book, containing every thought he has ever had on the past, present and future of space exploration: Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. Currently, Tyson is working on a 21st-century reboot of Carl Sagan’s landmark television series COSMOS, to air in 13 episodes on the FOX network in the spring of 2014.


Learn More About Neil deGrasse Tyson

NEWSLETTER: THE STARTALKER, ISSUE 43, AUGUST 15, 2013

Issue 43, August 15, 2013 This Week's New Podcast The Science of Sex (Part 1) August 18, 2013, 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT     This week, StarTalk Radio trades the cosmic for the orgasmic. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Kristen Shaal, author of The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex, tread not so lightly into taboo territory with guests Mary Roach, author of Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and astrophysicist Charles Liu. But it’s still StarTalk, so Neil and guests focus on the science, not the lasciviousness, of sex. You’ll learn that females can have nocturnal erections just like men, what the other erectile tissue in the human body is (it’s not the nipples!), and why pharmaceutical research has moved beyond Viagra™ to developing pills for post-menopausal women with flagging sex drives. Listen on our website, this Sunday, August 18th at 7:00pm ET and on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher by 7:30. (Note: Portions of this podcast appeared previously in a StarTalk Radio video on The Nerdist.) Catch Up on Last Week's Podcast Cosmic Queries: Viruses, Outbreaks and Pandemics August 11, 2013       Infectious disease expert Laurie Garrett is back to answer your questions about viruses. First, she describes two current outbreaks: H7N9 influenza, which killed 25% of its victims in China, and MERS-CoV, a genetic relative of SARS. With pilgrimages like the Haj in October, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is a serious pandemic concern to the worldwide health community. Next, Laurie explains how viruses like Ebola and HIV jump from bats and primates to humans through “zoonosis” and why they’re so lethal when they do. All this, plus a fungus that turns ants into zombies, pathogens that spread via rain, the dangers of the anti-vaccine movement and, unfortunately, so much more. Listen now. Photo Credit: MGVP/UC Davis. Best of the Blog New Survey: What’s Your Favorite Classic Television Sci-Fi Series? Posted August 12, 2013 Recently, Neil told us that The Twilight Zone and Star Trek The Original Series are his favorite science fiction TV series. Naturally, we started discussing what our favorites were, and that got us wondering, what are your favorite classic science fiction television series? So we put together this nifty survey to find out. We decided to let you pick your 3 favorite series, because narrowing it down to one or two was just too excruciatingly difficult. If you do take our survey, and you'd like to have us email you a digitally autographed photo of Neil deGrasse Tyson, be sure to fill in your first name and email address at the bottom of the survey form. Read more. Have You Seen Our Latest "Behind the Scenes" Video? Neil deGrasse Tyson on Alien Diseases A fan asks, “If we were to make contact with alien life, would it be possible for us to contract diseases from them, and could our immune systems adapt to them?” Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and infectious disease expert Laurie Garrett approach the answer differently, bringing up references as varied as Michael Crichton’s book, The Andromeda Strain, Dutch elm disease, Star Trek’s Tribbles, NASA’s quarantine of the Apollo moonwalkers, and the impact of Western European settlement on the indigenous life forms and Aboriginal peoples of Australia. Luckily, Chuck Nice is on hand to mediate and summarize. Watch now. Keep in touch Facebook Twitter YouTube Google + Pinterest Homepage  iTunes Shows (RSS) Blog (RSS) Subscribe to The StarTalker - click here!  Join Our Cosmic Community! If you represent an academic or scientific organization that would like to join our Cosmic Community, just click on the following link to complete and submit a short application form and we'll be in touch. Cosmic Community Sign-Up Become a StarTalk Satellite! Add the StarTalk Radio widget to your website or blog and let your friends listen to the show right from your site. Get the widget now. StarTalk Radio is now accepting corporate sponsors.If your company shares our mission and would like to support StarTalk Radio, please email: Laura Berland The StarTalk Team StarTalkTeam@startalkradio.net http://www.startalkradio.net/ Hear us on iTunes Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook

STARTALKER NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 42, AUGUST 8, 2013

Newsletter:

Issue 42, August 8, 2013 This Week's New Podcast Cosmic Queries: Viruses, Outbreaks and Pandemics  August 11, 2013, 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT   Infectious disease expert Laurie Garrett is back to answer your questions about viruses. First, she describes two current outbreaks: H7N9 influenza, which killed 25% of its victims in China, and MERS-CoV, a genetic relative of SARS. With pilgrimages like the Haj in October, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is a serious pandemic concern to the worldwide health community. Next, Laurie explains how viruses like Ebola and HIV jump from bats and primates to humans through “zoonosis” and why they’re so lethal when they do. All this, plus a fungus that turns ants into zombies, pathogens that spread via rain, the dangers of the anti-vaccine movement and, unfortunately, so much more. The show will be on our website and iTunes this Sunday, August 11th at 7:00pm ET, and on SoundCloud and Stitcher by 7:15pm ET. Photo Credit: MGVP/UC Davis. Catch Up on Last Week's Podcast Cosmic Queries: Dark Matter and Dark Energy August 4, 2013   If dark matter is the longest unsolved problem in astrophysics, how can Neil deGrasse Tyson answer your Cosmic Queries? Well, it turns out we do know something about the stuff that makes up 96% of our universe. For instance, how it affects the rotation of galaxies, and what would happen if it disappeared. And whether dark matter is increasing as the universe expands. You’ll find out if there are connections between black holes and dark matter and what Hawking Radiation is. Did the recent experiments on the ISS explain why dark matter doesn’t interact with ordinary matter? Plus, Neil tells comic co-host Leighann Lord why he thinks dark energy should be named Fred. One of our most popular shows this season...if you haven't heard it – Listen now. Photo Credit: Dark Matter Visualization courtesy of SDSC and NPACI Visualization Services. Best of the Blog The Perseids Are Back this Weekend! Posted August 7, 2013   Here’s a recipe for a bit of tasty cosmic cuisine this weekend: 1. Take a dash of stellar dust and debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. 2. Sprinkle into Earth’s atmosphere. 3. Lie back and watch the show. And if the weather cooperates and you’ve got clear skies – it’s looking good for the NY metro area, so I’m hopeful – then you’re in for one of the best meteor showers we get to see each year, The Perseids. At peak, there can be as many as 100 meteors burning across the sky per hour. But even if you just catch a few, they’re worth the effort. And, according to NASA, the Perseids have the most “fireballs” of any meteor shower. For more information and some great images - Read more. Have You Seen Our Latest "Behind the Scenes" Video? Nanobot Viruses and Biotechnology on StarTalk Radio Get a sneak peak of this week's new podcast in this "Behind the Scenes" video taken from the episode. In it, Laurie Garrett answers a fan's cosmic query about whether we can create “nanobot” viruses that we could use to fight disease, and if we do, how we can control them. She also tells Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice how we’re developing human engineered microorganisms in the lab, including a competition where high school students invent new life forms. Watch now. Don't miss any of our StarTalk Radio videos on YouTube. Subscribe to the StarTalk Radio YouTube Channel. Keep in touch Facebook Twitter YouTube Google + Pinterest Homepage  iTunes Shows (RSS) Blog (RSS) Subscribe to The StarTalker - click here!  Join Our Cosmic Community! If you represent an academic or scientific organization that would like to join our Cosmic Community, just click on the following link to complete and submit a short application form and we'll be in touch. Cosmic Community Sign-Up Become a StarTalk Satellite! Add the StarTalk Radio widget to your website or blog and let your friends listen to the show right from your site. Get the widget now. StarTalk Radio is now accepting corporate sponsors.If your company shares our mission and would like to support StarTalk Radio, please email: Laura Berland The StarTalk Team StarTalkTeam@startalkradio.net http://www.startalkradio.net/ Hear us on iTunes Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook

THE STARTALKER NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 40, JULY 26, 2013

Issue 40, July 26, 2013 This Week's New Podcast The Science of Hip Hop with GZA (Part 2) July 28, 2013, 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT The role of science in hip hop culture is the theme that runs through Part 2 of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s interview with rapper GZA. There’s a spirited discussion between Prof. Chris Emdin, Neil, and Chuck Nice about the distinction between real science and pseudo-science, the importance of a creative approach to learning, and the drawbacks of the “banking model” of education. GZA raps about his early days, and schools Neil about the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan, the golden age of MCs, and the lack of lyrical creativity among current rap artists. The Science of Hip Hop with GZA concludes on our website and iTunes this Sunday, July 28th at 7:00pm ET. (Note: Portions of this podcast appeared previously in a StarTalk Radio video on The Nerdist.) Photo Courtesy of RapGenius.com. Catch Up on Last Week's Podcast The Science of Hip Hop with GZA (Part 1) July 21, 2013 If you think rap music is just about violence, then you’re about to have your expectations shattered. Columbia Asst. Professor of Science Education and hip hop culture expert Dr. Christopher Emdin joins Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice to explain how he uses rap to teach inner city youth about science. But the soul of the episode comes from Neil’s interview with rapper GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. They explore science as a creative muse, and GZA talks about the difference between how he thinks of his music and how fans relate to albums like Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). GZA talks about growing up in the hood and how violence is sometimes a choice. Part 1 ends with Neil and GZA spitting a cosmic verse together, leaving us hanging for Part 2 next week. Listen now. (Note: Portions of this podcast appeared previously in a StarTalk Radio video on The Nerdist.) Photo Credit: © 2012 David Gamble. Best of the Blog Ever Dream of Going into Space? Jim Clash Has a Ticket on SpaceShipTwo Posted July 24, 2013 Most everyone has dreamed of going to space at least once, wondering what it would be like to blast through Earth’s atmosphere, weightlessly peering at our planet from above. I know I have… The company closest to liftoff is Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Airways (Galactic tickets sell for $250,000). A few months ago, Galactic completed its first rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo. Rumor has it that the first commercial flight may go as early as Dec. 25, 2013, with Sir Richard as one of its passengers. I recently sat down with my friend Jim Clash, Galactic ticket holder #610, to chat about his upcoming trip. Clash, a fellow and director at The Explorers Club, is a seasoned adventurer who began his undergraduate studies as a physics major. Read more. Photo Credit: Space Adventures. Have You Seen Our New "Behind the Scenes" Video? Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Rogue Stars Could solar systems form in the intergalactic medium, and could they have planets with intelligent life? To answer this Cosmic Query, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how rogue stars form to comic co-host Chuck Nice. Learn all about “homeless, galactic stars” and why it’s so hard for us to discover them. Watch now. Don't miss any of our StarTalk Radio videos on YouTube. Subscribe to the StarTalk Radio YouTube Channel. Keep in touch Facebook Twitter YouTube Google + Pinterest Homepage  iTunes Shows (RSS) Blog (RSS) Subscribe to The StarTalker - click here!  Join Our Cosmic Community! If you represent an academic or scientific organization that would like to join our Cosmic Community, just click on the following link to complete and submit a short application form and we'll be in touch. Cosmic Community Sign-Up Become a StarTalk Satellite! Add the StarTalk Radio widget to your website or blog and let your friends listen to the show right from your site. Get the widget now. StarTalk Radio is now accepting corporate sponsors. If your company shares our mission and would like to support StarTalk Radio, please email: Laura Berland The StarTalk Team StarTalkTeam@startalkradio.net www.startalkradio.net Hear us on iTunes Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Forward To a Friend. Share this content