StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Science, pop culture, and comedy collide on StarTalk Radio! Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Director of New York's Hayden Planetarium, and his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities, and scientific experts explore astronomy, physics, and everything else there is to know about life in the universe. New episodes premiere Tuesdays. Keep Looking Up!
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Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Episodes
Mentioned books
42 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 40min
Things You Thought You Knew – Sonic BOOM!
They explain what creates a sonic boom and how shockwaves form when something breaks the sound barrier. They explore why the hottest part of the day and summer often lag behind peak sunlight. They unpack what drives wind, from local pressure imbalances to hurricanes and planetary differences like Mars and Venus.
29 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 1h 4min
Our Burning Questions – Simulation Debate
They debate whether our universe could be a computer simulation and what experimental signs might reveal that. Consciousness gets probed: can AI truly think, and does substrate matter? Practical science pops up with ways to weigh Earth and estimate a truck’s mass. They also tackle education reform, AI ethics, energy use, and a scientific take on death and legacy.
6 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 50min
Dark Universe Decoded with Katherine Freese
Katherine Freese, theoretical physicist and cosmologist who studies dark matter and dark stars, joins to explore the dark universe. She explains paleo detectors that use ancient rocks, why xenon sits in underground labs, and how JWST findings relate to dark energy. Topics include WIMPs, axions, primordial black holes, dark stars, modified gravity, and detection strategies.
12 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 55min
True Crime & Forensic Pathology with Patricia Cornwell & Dr. Jonathan Hayes
Patricia Cornwell, bestselling crime novelist who digs deep into forensic research. Dr. Jonathan Hayes, forensic pathologist and medical examiner who channels real-case experience into fiction. They unpack autopsies, wound interpretation, the sensory realities of morgue work, how microgravity would affect blood spatter and decomposition, and the line between forensic fact and fictional flair.
8 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 41min
Cosmic Queries – Gravitons & Hyperspeed
They tackle wild what-ifs from moving Earth to throwing Jupiter into the Sun. Topics range from gravitons and why they evade detection to the physics behind hyperspeed and artificial gravity. There are deep dives on galaxy spins, black hole optics, and whether cosmic expansion stops galaxies from colliding.
19 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 2min
Cosmic Queries – Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking with Charles Liu
Charles Liu, astrophysicist and professor of physics and astronomy, gives clear takes on quantum measurement, entropy, and how spectroscopy reveals stellar secrets. He explains spontaneous symmetry breaking, why the early universe avoided becoming a black hole, and how future telescopes and multi-messenger astronomy will deepen our view of the cosmos.
17 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 20min
Science at Warp Speed: StarTalk Live!
Pete Holmes, comedian and podcaster, brings a layperson's curiosity. David Saltzberg, particle physicist and film/TV science advisor, explains antimatter and detectors. Erin McDonald, astrophysicist and Star Trek science consultant, tackles warp drives and gravitational waves. They explore antimatter energy, warp-bubble math, neutrino detectors, extra dimensions, and how sci‑fi balances story with real science.
15 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 56min
Is the Universe a Math Problem? With Terence Tao
Terence Tao, UCLA mathematician known for wide-ranging breakthroughs, joins to explore math’s role in physics and computation. He discusses toy models and approximations, unsolved problems like Collatz, how pure math later finds application, bases and number systems, and whether new math or tests could reveal a simulated reality.
108 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 1h 31min
The Origins of Artificial Intelligence with Geoffrey Hinton
Geoffrey Hinton, a cognitive and computer scientist and founding architect of deep learning, reflects on neural networks and the shift from symbolic AI to biology-inspired models. He traces learning rules, backpropagation, scaling with data and compute, risks like deception and overconfidence, and promising uses in healthcare and discovery. Short, clear tales of how modern AI arose and where it might head.
11 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 50min
Cosmic Queries – Your God Is Too Small
Listeners explore optics and how light behaves in weird situations. They debate cosmic mysteries like dark energy and whether we are alone. History and science collide with Giordano Bruno’s vision of many worlds. Quantum entanglement, black holes, and limits on communication get a lively breakdown. Speculation on which species might inherit Earth after humans adds a surprising twist.
