Answering Questions About Virtual Particles, Moon Bases & Negative Gravity

Are we closer in size to an atom or the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Paul Mecurio answer grab-bag questions about Hawking Radiation, power on the moon, and whether our universe is inside a black hole. If we only know 4% of the universe, could there be entirely new sciences yet to be discovered? Neil explains why nature resists disciplinary silos and how new fields like neuroscience and AI are still in their infancy. We explore Hawking radiation: why do black holes seem to “choose” which particle escapes? We break down virtual particles and why momentum decides the outcome. Are we closer in size to the universe or an atom? Learn about the universe at its largest and smallest scales. What’s the best power source for a moon base, fission or solar? We crunch the numbers on watts, hair dryers, and nuclear reactors on the moon. What happens if a meteor hits the reactor? How dangerous are tiny black holes for interstellar travel? Neil explains why their lifespans are too short to be a threat and why asteroid belts aren’t as perilous as Hollywood suggests. Was the famous “Wow!” signal ever solved? Could the JWST data support the black hole universe hypothesis? Neil explores rotation, wormholes, and whether physics would even match across parallel universes. What if primordial galaxies are really light from beyond our universe? Plus, if gravitons exist, could we cancel gravity waves? Thanks to our Patrons Raj Gaddam, Jason Thurman, Foosoul, Jeff, Micheal Flint, Charles Watson, Sn3aky Viking, Chotch Kam, Nick the Winemaker, David Perez, Greg Haile, Daniel Smith Jr, Ryan Herchenbach, Demetrius Green, Wong Tang clan, Yash Vardhan, Enrico Klau, Micheal, Prakhar jai kumar, Dom, Stepphanie Young Raszagal1045, Leigh Hunt, Adam Hinckley, Adventure Music, MadHarold, Josh Edenfield, Noah Benoit, CN Scott, Andriy Knysh, Erkka Lehtonen, Eduardo Mancilla, Emil Roman, Brandon van Hinte, Eli The Great, Jonne Ticklén, T W, Murderbot, otto mann, Bob Binion, Stephen Pelo, Héywud Xiablomé, Morgan Greenhalgh, Mary Beebee, Kacey Biggs, Barry INgram, Host - History of Money, Banking, and Trade, Stefan, George Evans, Tyler Zarzeka, Jim Kirkpatrick, Jason acosta, Vincent L., C Edward George, Daniel Hester, Fahad Sheikh, Thor Maier, Msemaji Nlan, De'Saun Thomas, steve chilcote, Kevin, and hedrick sanabria for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Grab Bag 03:41 - New Types of Science 08:42 - Which Virtual Particles Go Into The Black Hole? 11:46 - Are Closer in Size to The Universe or an Atom? 17:17 - Power Sources for a Moon Base 24:45 - Black Holes in Interstellar Travel 29:00 - Did We Solve the Wow Signal 32:37 - Other Black Hole Universes 36:37 - Light from Beyond the Universe 39:43 - Cancelling Gravity 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