Things You Thought You Knew with Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Published 2021-09-09
We start with mass, weight, and density. If you’re trying to get in shape you need to lose weight, right? Neil deGrasse Tyson says wrong. Neil tells us why when you want to get in shape, you need to lose mass. You’ll learn why a weight-loss book written by a physicist would just be one sentence. We explore the difference between mass and weight and why weight is all about forces. Find out why heavy cream is lighter than skim milk. We explore how the hull of a ship keeps the ship buoyant. All that, plus, Neil explains why, if you want to lose weight quickly, just head to the Moon and hop on a scale.
Then, we move on to another seemingly simple question: Why does ice float? Neil explains why peculiar things happen to water when it changes state. We explore what happens when water freezes. Chuck gives a demonstration of why you usually see 10% of ice above water. You’ll learn why the arctic ice sheets float on the water. And, why the ice we need to worry about is the ice on land and the “runoff.” We discuss the power of freezing ice (which leads to bursting pipes). Find out more about the density of water. What if bodies of water froze from the bottom up? Neil tells us how a certain property of water protects aquatic life over the winter.
Lastly, we turn our attention to space. How much do you weigh in space? Neil tells us why we should be thinking about how much mass something contains instead of how much something weighs. You’ll learn why your weight in water is basically zero. Why are astronauts weightless in space? Neil explains how Sir Isaac Newton discovered orbits. Find out why most energy from a rocket launch is not used to get the rocket into space. All that, plus, we explore the science of Ad Astra, The Expanse, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Thanks to our Patrons Christopher Sukhanenya, Dmitry Pugachevich, Eugenio Barrera, Dakota Clifford, Nick Mancusi, Nicholas Musial, Sebastian Roser, Bryan J. Jacop, Robert Frasco, and Obumneme Ozoh for supporting us this week.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
About the prints that flank Neil in this video:
"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. inuit.com/
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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!
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All Comments (21)
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Can we just appreciate the fact that we have the honor of being alive in the same life time as this man?
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Neil is literally never going to forgive that one barista who forgot his whipped cream that one time. That anonymous lad will be immortalized in physics lectures for the rest of human history.
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I love how excited Chuck gets when he suddenly understands the concepts Neil is teaching him. The thrill of discovery and understanding.
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I have seen a lot of Youtube shots with him and just now found this channel by accident and I am so glad I did. This man is a genius and I can listen to him for hours.
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GO SEE NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON GIVE A LIVE LECTURE!!!! I saw him two weeks ago and it was amazing. He asked the audience a question. I yelled out an answer. He looked right at me and said No. My heart fluttered a bit. He spoke to ME! I was so excited, that I forgot the question he asked in the first place. HE SPOKE TO ME!
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When you've been a Tyson fan for long, you know you've heard so many of his stories over and over and over again. PS: Not complaining <3
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Learning can be so much fun! Thanks Neil and Chuck!
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The comedy of chuck while learning makes this a true experience
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I could listen to this wise man all day long! Wish I had him as a teacher back when I was on school. Don't understand how anyone couldn't find this man wise, smart, and interesting! Whenever he's on tv, he's a must watch!
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I love Dr. Tyson, but I adore Chuck. This is a perfect 50/50 partnership. Thanks for the great content!!
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"Why would you want soap that floats?" was a fun line, but it shows how young Neil DeGrasse Tyson is. When people regularly took baths rather than showers, they'd often drop bars of soap in the sudsy water – and have to find them by feel. Fun episode in a FINE series. Thank you.
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Now thats what i call a great comunicator of science. Even i understood that
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Awesome team... Chucks genuine appreciation and enthusiasm for the pearls if wisdom imparted by Neill are priceless. Thanks Guys
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I absolutely love how Neil patiently waits and allows Chuck to conduct his experiment so that he can duplicate the results of the scientific claim on his own. That first hand experience in my opinion, is extremely powerful in creating permanent storage of knowledge gained as well as generating a strong interest and desire to learn even more.
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Neil is the real deal...he has a passion that is only matched by his incredible talent
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It's reassuring that concepts that I would never otherwise understand from the way they were taught in conventional classrooms in my day can be explained in terms that are comprehensible and humorous when they are discussed by Neil and Chuck. Thank you, guys!
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Chuck is the reason I got over my crippling depression.
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17:10 Would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss why ice takes up more volume than the liquid state: crystal packing/hydrogen bonding etc. The question "why does ice float?" answered with "ice is less dense than water - takes up more volume" only begs the question : "why is ice less dense than water - take up more volume?" A perfect opportunity to discuss hydrogen bonding, crystal packing and maybe even a great place to discuss entropy.
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So that's why it feels like a hippo jumps on my back as soon as I get out of thr water. 😅
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Loved that why does ice float explanation , wish we had more teachers in school like Neil, seems like such a gentleman and happy to teach.
