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Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains The Three-Body Problem

2024-04-16 Science & Technology
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StarTalk
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Description

What is the three body problem? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down why the three body problem is unsolvable and what makes it mathematically chaotic. Is the solar system unstable? Find out about Isaac Newton’s worries about the solar system, Pierre-Simon Laplace’s calculus, and perturbation theory. Would a binary star system be chaotic? What about a star system with three suns? Four suns? Five? Learn about the restricted three body problem and how the Jupiter-Earth-Sun system could be chaotic down the line. Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #neildegrassetyson 00:00 - Introduction: The Three-Body Problem 00:31 - The Chaos in Our Solar System 3:29 - Laplace & A New Branch of Calculus 6:21 - Orbiting Two & Three Suns 8:45 - The Restricted Three-Body Problem 10:09 - Chaotic Systems

Top Comments (10)

@RelativelyBest 2024-04-17

I had a three body problem once. Luckily, I know people who discreetly take care of that sort of thing.

9.5k 113 replies
@StarTalk 2024-04-16

Are you watching “3 Body Problem” on Netflix?

6.5k 676 replies
@moonchile245 2024-04-23

"where is your gravitational allegiance?" with no context is my new fav question to ask people

4.8k 54 replies
@junerex687 2024-04-17

the small animations in between are really helpful

4.8k 15 replies
@harrykaye8820 2024-04-17

Goes perfectly with the saying, "Two's company, three's a crowd".

3.9k 30 replies
@PhaseControlDNB 2024-04-17

I love it how Chuck sometimes says "Gotcha" but his face tells you "I don't get it" 😃

2.8k 66 replies
@GiulioDean 2024-09-24

I'm a PhD student specializing in astrodynamics, and I really appreciate how he explains complex topics so clearly without oversimplifying. He stays true to the subject, presenting things as they really are, which I really appreciate

1.8k 134 replies
@SambuddhaBisi 2024-08-29

I'm 40 and I want to thank Neil for the times he makes me feel like a 10 year old kid with a sparkle in his eyes listening to his favourite uncle talk about the world. That is like time travel :)

1.5k 25 replies
@alpinereplica 2025-08-06

2:04 EH WHATS UP EARTH 😂

67
@StrangeWorldArchives 2026-05-21

This episode's explanation of the "Three-Body Problem" is top-tier! The way Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks it down from the two-body to the three-body problem is incredibly logical and easy to follow. I was particularly impressed by the anecdote about Laplace and Napoleon [05:43]—what a historical mic-drop! The breakdown of orbital chaos at [07:08] makes the universe feel both fragile and fascinating. Thank you, StarTalk, for making such a complex mathematical problem so accessible. Keep up the great science series! 🌌⚛🚀

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