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Is ageing a disease that can be cured? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly discover the field of epigenetics, the Information Theory of Aging, and curing blindness for mice with Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, David Sinclair.
What is epigenetics? Discover the difference between genetics and epigenetics. We discuss whether aging is a disease and if there have been any changes in aging throughout the centuries. David breaks down the information theory of aging and how epigenetic inheritance works. Plus, Chuck tells us about some of the studies he’s reading and how behaviors during your lifetime can be epigenetically passed onto your children.
Could we someday cure death? What does aging look like in the broader animal kingdom? We look at aging from an evolutionary standpoint, restoring vision in blind mice, and what the length of your telomeres tells you. We break down conflicting information regarding diet and how to not just live longer but live younger, longer. What are the genes that control aging?
We break down what anti-aging medicine would look like and whether it would be affordable for everyday people. Learn about the world’s oldest mice with the youngest eyes. We discuss the Yamanaka genes and how they can be utilized to turn back time on a cellular level. Is DNA destiny?
Thanks to our Patrons Jason L, Daniel Holzmann, Anne P Vance, Unknown, Myles G Blanton, Paul A. Straus, and Gregory Dees for supporting us this week.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
I prepared a summary just to give you some context and introduce you to this topic:
Free will, in philosophy and science, is the supposed power or capacity of humans to make decisions or perform actions independently of any prior event or state of the universe.
Philosophers have been debating fate vs. free will for centuries. Some believe that people’s lives and choices are predetermined, while others believe that humans are responsible for their own actions.
A person who is forced at gunpoint to do something, does so with considerably less free will than someone who does something voluntarily. Similarly, a person with a brain disorder that causes constant coughing lacks free will over their coughing, even though they likely retain free will in other ways.
Most of us are certain that we have free will, though what exactly this amounts to is much less certain. According to David Hume, the question of the nature of free will is “the most contentious question of metaphysics.” If this is correct, then figuring out what free will is will be no small task indeed.
Most neuroscientists believe humans have at least some degree of free will. So do most philosophers and the vast majority of the general population. Free will is essential to how we see ourselves, fuelling the satisfaction of achievement or the shame of failing to do the right thing.
There is a kind of free will that we don’t, and cannot have, which is called Absolute Free Will. This is the kind that allows us to do otherwise for any previous decision. This type of free will is required for Moral Responsibility because if someone could not have done otherwise then they are not morally responsible.
Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky believes humans have no free will. By studying baboons in Africa and human behaviour for decades, he’s concluded neurochemical influences determine human behaviour. The supposition should create a more just world, Sapolsky claims.
Here the paradox is that not only is the status of the concept a matter for debate, but the very existence of free will as a subject of research remains unclear.
Many philosophers and theologians have however, taken the general idea of free will as a legitimate defense and explanation for the problem of evil. The (religious) argument is made that God desires free creatures, free creatures are created, and therefore it is the free creatures that bring evil into the world.
Most psychologists use the concept of free will to express the idea that behaviour is not a passive reaction to forces but that individuals actively respond to internal and external forces.
14 Mar 2024
Is there a quantum reason we could have free will? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the concept of free will and predetermination with neuroscientist, biologist, and author of Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will, Robert Sapolsky.
A special thanks from our editors to Robert Sapolsky’s dog.
Could we put an end to the question of whether or not we have free will? Discover “The Hungry Judge Effect” and how little bits of biology affect our actions. We break down a physicist’s perspective of free will, The Big Bang, and chaos theory. Is it enough to just feel like we have free will? Why is it an issue to think you have free will if you don’t?
We discuss the difference between free will in big decisions versus everyday decisions. How do you turn out to be the type of person who chooses vanilla ice cream over strawberry? We explore how quantum physics and virtual particles factor into predetermination. Could quantum randomness change the actions of an atom? How can society best account for a lack of free will? Are people still responsible for their actions?
What would Chuck do if he could do anything he wanted? We also discuss the benefits of a society that acknowledges powers outside of our control and scientific advancements made. How is meritocracy impacted by free will? Plus, can you change if people believe in free will if they have no free will in believing so?
Thanks to our Patrons Pro Handyman, Brad K. Daniels, Starman, Stephen Somers, Nina Kane, Paul Applegate, and David Goldberg for supporting us this week.
A special thanks from our editors to Robert Sapolsky’s dog.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
31 Jan 2024
Does free will truly exist, or are we merely sophisticated meat machines running our biochemical programming with sentience as a byproduct? Stanford University neurologist Robert Sapolsky, having extensively studied the topic, asserts that not only is free will a myth but also that our insistence on its reality adversely affects the world we inhabit. In this episode, Adam speaks with Dr. Sapolsky about how choice is an illusion and the impact this has on our society, from workplace meritocracies to criminal justice reform. Find Dr. Sapolsky’s book, Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will, at factuallypod.com/books
The universe witnessed a stunning cosmic expansion before the Big Bang; doubling in size at least 80 times in a fraction of a second. Because of this tremendous inflation, the cosmos became barren and frigid. That’s when the cosmos stopped growing in size and the vacuum energy transformed into matter and radiation, ushering in the Big Bang’s era of intense heat and density, forging the elemental building blocks that would eventually coalesce into the galaxies and stars we see today. Now, for the first time, the James Webb Space Telescope has peered into the distant past of the universe, and we have made a discovery so unexpected that it presents challenges to our understanding of the cosmos.
The stars have always held significance for humans, but it is only recently that we have begun to comprehend vast groups of them, or galaxies, in the far reaches of the universe. The Webb telescope was anticipated by everybody as a game-changer in the field of astronomy. And we knew exactly what we believed Webb would completely astound us with. However, its most recent findings have blown away the proportions of our expectations. The Webb Telescope, according to American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, has allowed us to glimpse ghosts from the past.
Are we rethinking the Big Bang? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice break down Big Bang skepticism and what’s going on at the frontier of astrophysics. What are the core tenets of the Big Bang Theory? We explore the frontier of scientific research and what ideas are being contested. We also walk through the scientific process and experimentations.
Could the Big Bang just be a small piece of a bigger theory? Learn about Vulcan, the hypothetical planet pulling on Mercury that was invented to save Newton’s Laws. When Einstein’s relativity came along, why didn’t Newtonian physics go away?
Sep 7, 2022
The James Webb Space Telescope was eagerly awaited before its launch last year! However, now that the most powerful and most expensive ever telescope is in operation, the JWST is threatening to turn astronomy upside down with a single finding! The latest pictures from the JWST have proven the Big Bang theory did not happen, sending the scientific community into a frenzy! What are these latest pictures from JWST?
How do the pictures prove the Big Bang theory was wrong? Join us as we dive into how the James Webb Space Telescope finally proved the Big Bang theory is wrong! How expensive can a telescope get? The James Webb Space Telescope set a new record in that regard! In terms of work hours, the telescope guzzled millions of hours, with development stretching over decades! In terms of money, no other telescope comes near, at 10 billion dollars!
The JWST was also an engineering nightmare as it involved designing it to fit the launch rocket! No rocket was large enough to contain it, so the engineers had to design it to fold in multiple places! The large heat shield folded and had to be unfurled as it journeyed to its permanent location.
Disclaimer Fair Use: 1. The videos have no negative impact on the original works. 2. The videos we make are used for educational purposes. 3. The videos are transformative in nature. 4. We use only the audio component and tiny pieces of video footage, only if it’s necessary.
Aug 25, 2022
Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about why James Webb definitively proves Big Bang did happen and is still happening
our planet has just as little as another 100 years if we do not stop climate change !
Jun 23, 2022
Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Piers Morgan Uncensored for one of the most fascinating interviews we’ve had. Piers asks him how long we have on Earth, to which Neil replies it could be a little as 100 years if we don’t do anything about climate change. Neil then explains some other theories as to how the world could end, including the theory that eventually the sun will run out of fuel in its core and expand until it eventually collides with Earth.
Don’t worry though, he explains this might take up to 19 billion years to happen, much like The Big Rip theory he explains. Piers then references his interview with Stephen Hawking on whether Artificial Intelligence will end humanity and asks Neils his thoughts on the matter.
Piers then asks what is the one thing Neil is obsessed with figuring out and Neil explains that he would love to understand the different space time continuums you see when entering a Black Hole. Finally, Piers asks Neil what he would do with his final moments if the world was ending – watch to find out what he says!
Jul 13, 2022
NASA released a full batch of images and data from the massive James Webb Space Telescope that provides a first look at cosmic mysteries yet to be untangled. NBC News’ Tom Llamas is joined by America’s top astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to analyze what these images mean for the future of space exploration.
Jul 12, 2022
Now that the James Webb Space Telescope has released its first images, it’s time for the science programs to begin.
We meet 5 scientists who will be using the telescope during its first cycle of operations looking at the earliest galaxies, red giant stars in the disc of Andromeda, star forming regions in the MIlky Way and nearby galaxies, the Trappist-1 exoplanet system, and mysterious icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune.
NASA released a full batch of images and data from the massive James Webb Space Telescope that provides a first look at cosmic mysteries yet to be untangled. NBC News’ Tom Llamas is joined by America’s top astrophysic
15th July 2022
The first full-color images from the James Webb Space Telescope are finally here! Let’s take a look, talk about what we’re seeing, and compare them to the most detailed version of these images we had before.
Since the birth of philosophy, we’ve never stopped wondering about the answer to the question: Are we alone? Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the possibility of the prevalence of life in the cosmos by comparing our sole data-point we have, life on Earth. He points to the fact that life on Earth formed as soon as it had a chance after the late heavy bombardment period.
Neil deGrasse Tyson also extrapolates from the fossil record that Intelligence as we humans have defined it is not necessary for survival, therefore intelligent life in the cosmos might be extremely rare.
In the summer of 1950 Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi, while walking to lunch with his fellow physicists was having a casual conversation about recent UFO reports and the possibility of faster-than-light travel. Allegedly Fermi suddenly during lunch said, “But where is everybody?
This later became known as the Fermi problem or paradox. Which is the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial life and the high estimate probability for their existence.
So what could possibly explain this semblant paradox?
Whatever is preventing non-living matter from undergoing “Abiogenesis” in time, to expanding lasting life as measured by the Kardashev scale, in the context of the Fermi paradox, is known as the “Great Filter”.
As NASA has explored our solar system and beyond, it has developed increasingly sophisticated tools to address our endless curiosity for the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the cosmos. Within our solar system, NASA’s missions have searched for signs of both ancient and current life, especially on Mars and soon, Jupiter’s moon Europa. Beyond our solar system, missions, such as Kepler, are revealing thousands of planets orbiting other stars. Fueling our imaginations further with bewilderment, wondering if there are other civilizations out there, perhaps asking the same question. Are we alone?
A growing number of people believe we’ve already answered this question due to recent UFO reports over the last few years. However, eye-witness testimony and ambiguous video footage does not qualify as extraordinary evidence to definitively answer this age old question. But to be respectful to the people who believe we’ve been visited by extraterrestrial crafts, we will dedicate a whole video on the topic.
Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson reacts to videos of alleged UFOs and explores the possibility of whether humans on Earth are alone in the universe.
6 Jun 2021
NASA’s new chief is setting up an effort to further study unidentified flying objects within his first month in office. Bill Nelson, the former Florida senator and spaceflight veteran, told CNN Business’ Rachel Crane during a wide-ranging interview on Thursday that it’s not clear to anyone — even in the upper echelons of the US space agency — what the high-speed objects observed by Navy pilots are. Nelson added that he does not believe the UFOs are evidence of extraterrestrials visiting Earth.
“I think I would know” if that were the case, Nelson said. But, he acknowledged, it’d be premature to rule that out as a possibility. Nelson’s comments echo the findings of a new Pentagon report expected to be released later this month. Five sources familiar with the results of that study told CNN that US intelligence officials found no evidence that the UFOs are alien spacecraft, but investigators also have not reached a definitive assessment as to what these mysterious objects might be.
“We don’t know if it’s extraterrestrial. We don’t know if it’s an enemy. We don’t know if it’s an optical phenomenon,” Nelson said. “We don’t think [it’s an optical phenomenon] because of the characteristics that those Navy jet pilots described … And so the bottom line is, we want to know.”
The multiverse hypothesis or theory holds that a group of multiple universes (possibly infinite universes) comprise everything that exists: The entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains in detail the multiverse hypothesis.
However, prominent physicists are divided about whether any other universes exist outside of our own. Some even go as far as to say that the multiverse is not a legitimate topic of scientific inquiry. Because it can not be empirically falsified. But Neil deGrasse Tyson among other prominent cosmologists, thinks that given our understanding of quantum mechanics and the thoery of General relativity, the possibility of the existence of the multiverse is a legitimate scientific hypothesis.
Steven Weinberg said that if the multiverse existed, the hope of finding a rational explanation for the precise values of quark masses and other constants of the standard model that we observe in our Big Bang is doomed, for their values would be an accident of the particular part of the multiverse in which we live.
Some scientists analyzed the data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, an uncrewed spacecraft operating from 2001 to 2010 that measured temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic microwave background, the radiant heat remaining from the Big Bang, and claimed they found evidence suggesting that our universe collided with other parallel universes in the distant past.
However, a more thorough data analysis from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and from the Planck Satellite, a space observatory operated by the European Space Agency from 2009 to 2013, which mapped the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background, did not find any statistically significant evidence of universe collisions. there was no evidence of any gravitational pull of other universes on ours either.
And to add insult to injury to the proponents that the multiverse hypothesis has been backed up by statistical evidence, the Planck satellite, has a resolution three times higher than the WMA Probe. Our brains are not evolutionarily equipped to intuitively understand quantum mechanics and large scale cosmic phenomena. But Neil deGrasse Tyson with his usual wits explains the multiverse hypothesis in layman’s terms.
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