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The Link Between Milankovitch Cycles & Climate Change

2025-08-07 Science & Technology
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StarTalk
StarTalk
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Climate Change Causation: Natural Cycles vs. Anthropogenic Impact

Understand the precise astronomical rhythms—the Milankovitch Cycles—that naturally drive Earth's ice ages, and learn how current human activity is overriding these ancient patterns to create unprecedented climate change.

Short Summary

  • Pinpoint the three celestial mechanics that determine long-term climate cycles (Obliquity, Precession, Eccentricity).
  • Establish that human activity has increased atmospheric $\text{CO}_2$ 50% faster than natural removal processes can handle.
  • Confirm that current warming has already prevented the planet from entering the next predictable 100,000-year ice age cycle. This discussion demystifies natural climate drivers and provides scientific evidence for attributing rapid modern warming to anthropogenic emissions. This context is crucial for understanding the scale of warming currently underway.

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Description

Go to https://ground.news/startalk to stay fully informed on the latest Space and Science news. Save 40% off through our link for unlimited access to the Vantage plan this month. One show. Infinite adventures. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns July 17, only on Paramount+. Is climate change “natural”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice are joined by astrophysicist Steve Soter to break down the Milankovitch Cycles, what ended the Ice Age, and how we can tell that climate change is manmade. Is global warming preventing the next Ice Age? Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Steve Soter 01:14 - Milankovitch Cycles 2:30 - What Caused the Ice Age? 5:49 - How the Ice Age Ended 7:40 - What Determines Earth’s Temperature 10:22 - We Did It 12:31 - Overshooting the Next Ice Age 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

Top Comments (10)

@svetozarpopovic3986 2025-08-16

Along with Tesla and Pupin, another remarkable Serbian scientist who left a profound mark on world science was Milutin Milanković!

2.5k 210 replies
@ryandelatte3294 2025-08-07

FINALLY someone big covers the Milankovitch Cycles

983 49 replies
@lupussilva6060 2025-08-17

Thank you for talking about Milutin Milanković cycles. Also people should read about Milanković calendar too.

720 3 replies
@linolina6953 2025-08-20

Tesla,Milankovic,Mileva Einstein (Albert Einsteins's wife and a physicist herself),Pupin. All Serbian scientists.🎉

652 40 replies
@rajmathew6220 2025-08-07

First time I'm this early for a StarTalk video. Can I be pinned plz? thx

411 47 replies
@petarswift5089 2025-08-10

Milankovic was the spirit of the 20th century in many ways

292
@cdubya3 2025-08-08

How you only gonna have 15 minutes with this genius? Give us more

280 3 replies
@natasaloknarpereyra627 2025-08-22

Milanković also wrote books. I love the one called "Kroz vasionu i vekove" ("Through the cosmos and centuries") in which he explains Solar system, the Earth's history and famous minds who contributed in understanding all of that in a form of love letters to a lady. He was an amazing writer, as you can actually feel and visualise all of that easily, plus it's incredibly easy to read, even if your have no previous knowledge about that. Not sure if it's translated to English, but definitely worth reading!

214 3 replies
@4k4DexYT 2025-08-20

So we Serbs have Tesla, Pupin and Milankovic but some people here still belive in flat earth and other conspiracy theories and at the same time praise all those great scientists and take pride from them.

169 14 replies
@kitanowitsch 2025-08-08

Milutin Milanković is depicted on 2000 Serbian dinar banknote.

85 4 replies

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