The Columbia University researcher describes his quest for HIV in San Francisco and SARS in China, the immune cascades that may cause autism, and the infectious roots of psychiatric disease.
05.11.2012
A patient’s heart tumor is all but inaccessible to his surgeons. The only way to deal with it: Remove the heart and operate on it outside the body.
05.09.2012
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first moon walk, Neil Degrasse Tyson and guest host Tom Henricks take a look at the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Richard Branson has formed Virgin Galactic and is now taking reservations aboard the maiden voyage of SpaceShipOne. Would you spend the estimated $200,000 for a 45-minute trip into space?
The Star Trek TV and movie series imagine a bright future for humans in space, one in which we explore alien worlds with the aid of advanced technology.
Time marches on—except in astrophysics. Einstein taught us that time is a coordinate in space, and it's all relative. Guest J. Richard Gott, author of "Time Travel in Einstein's Universe."
The incomparable comedienne Joan Rivers provides color commentary for a Red Carpet parade of previous show topics, including space tourism and the search for alien life (both in space and in Hollywood!).
Geometry, physics, and the other sciences describe the world we live in, and artists often play with these properties in their own imaginative investigations.
Jon Stewart is the first guest of the new season. He and Neil discuss the Daily Show book, "Earth: A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race"—the last thing left to document the world as we know it after humans are gone.
Do sci-fi classics like Star Trek provide a glimpse into future fashions? Neil chats with stylist James Aguiar of Full Frontal Fashion about the dance between science fiction and style.
Neil talks about winter sky constellations, Santa's sleigh ride & the astronomy behind the Star of Bethlehem. Co-hosts Chuck Nice & Leighann Lord; guests Seth MacFarlane, Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno & Bill Nye the Science Guy.
In this spirited toast to the science of wine, Neil, wine jedi Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, and comedians Lynne Koplitz and Brian Malow dive deep into everyone's favorite juice.
Have you ever seen mysterious lights in the sky, or glimpsed an alien spacecraft? This show provides a probing yet playful discussion about Unidentified Flying Objects.
Space scientists Steve Squyres and Heidi Hammel, comedian Chuck Nice, and Bill Nye the Science Guy join Neil in a look around our own corner of the cosmos.
"Will you donate your body to be stuffed and put on display (at the American Museum of Natural History)?" This is one of the many questions John Hodgman poses to Neil.
Life has suffered many major population crashes and extinctions, often due to conditions caused by life at the time. Will human beings' self-destructive behavior eventually bring us to our knees?
Dr. Charles Bourland, who developed food for astronauts for 30 years, propounds on the preparation and packaging that goes into making food fit for space.
Neil delves into the science behind the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Physicist and author Michio Kaku discusses the science of nuclear power and the damaged nuclear plant.
Oliver Sacks, author of best-selling books on brain disorders, including "Awakenings," discusses some strange cerebral shenanigans that can shape our senses.
From old poisons like belladonna and lead-based paints to tanning beds and the neurotoxin Botox, cosmetics are serious—and seriously dangerous—business.
How much of the science presented on the silver screen is accurate? DISCOVER blogger Phil Plait, the "Bad Astronomer," joins Neil and comedian Leighann Lord to review the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of science in the movies.
James Kakalios tells us about the physics principles of the caped crusaders; Lee Silver discusses animals that have super-abilities that could expand the limits of human biology; Eugene Mirman imagines what it would be like to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Extreme weather events around the world are dominating the news, making people wonder whether climate change is the culprit for all these catastrophes. A few experts drop by the StarTalk studio to discuss the science and politics of climate and weather.
Neil and Jon Stewart talk about Jon's love for science, scientists as guests on The Daily Show, and the cosmic connections that unite us all--because even New Jersey is made of star stuff.
Space telescopes and other technology act as our spy-glasses on a realm that's entirely invisible to the naked eye: the huge swaths of the electromagnetic spectrum that are not in the narrow band of visible light.
Neil discusses and Phil Plait, the "Bad Astronomer," lead a journey to the land of time travel movies, including Planet of the Apes, Back to the Future, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Star Trek, and the Terminator series.
Bestselling personal finance author and TV host Suze Orman gives us her two cents about investing, the economic meltdown, and the impact of science on the financial world. MIT's Andrew Lo guides us on a non-random walk down Wall Street.
In much of the past, the future was depicted as being a time when there were no people of color?a scary prospect, especially if you happen to be a person of color. And that's why Star Trek's Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols, was such a revelation.
Through her ground-breaking role as Star Trek's Chief Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, Nichelle Nichols became a passionate advocate to get women and minorities involved in real-world space exploration.
Doctor Manhattan of Watchmen can use quantum mechanics. Professor X uses electromagnetism. Doctor Solar has power over the periodic table. Neil and James Kakalios talk about when science goes super.
Morgan Freeman joins the show to discuss his Science Channel program. From the birth of the universe to the end of time, this series addresses some of the most long-lasting and quandaries facing science and philosophy.
Once worshipped as a God, we now know the Sun is one of many similar stars in a relatively quiet region of the galaxy. See the Sun with new eyes as we discuss the many ways this ball of plasma illuminates our past, present and future.
Animals have been our companions, co-workers, and food since before the dawn of civilization; more recently, they've also become our lab rats. The president of PETA, argues that, thanks to new techniques, we'll soon be able to eat meat and do science "without the patter of little feet."
On September 11, 2001, the United States was hit by the biggest terrorist attack in our nation's history. Ten years later, we talk with people from different professions to discuss how the event affected them then and now.
Actor Alan Alda, comedian Eugene Mirman, and more great guests engage in a hilarious discussion about aliens, black holes, asteroid Apophis, and the end of the universe.
Actor Alan Alda, comedian Eugene Mirman, and more great guests discuss the state of science literacy and take audience questions that explore just how weird and funny science can be.
After sending NASA astronauts into low-Earth orbit for 30 years, the Space Shuttle program is over. Neil talks with the final shuttle crew about how will we now make the great leap into space.
Neil talks with Bill Prady, co-creator and writer of the hit CBS show, David Saltzberg, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and science advisor to the show. From romantic relationships to religion to reflections on relativity, learn about the many ways "The Big Bang Theory" uses science to shine a light on society.
Paranormal investigator Joe Nickell talks to us from beyond our corporeal plane; Mary Roach provides a post-mortem on the history of spiritualism; and Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, devilishly dissects our favorite ghost movies.
Janeane Garofalo joins the show to engage in political warfare, exploring the divide between Democrats and Republicans, and their furious debates over scientifically driven issues that affect our lives.
Oscar-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg joins Neil to talk about her love of science, and how it eventually led to her role as Guinan on Star Trek, The Next Generation.
Revisit some of the best highlights of our Season 2 shows. This show includes interview excerpts with Whoopi Goldberg, John Hodgman, Nichelle Nichols, Phil Plait, and Morgan Freeman.
Astronaut Mike Massimino and three comedians discuss how space adventure can be an extraordinary combination of comedy and cosmic discovery, from astronaut diapers and the dangers of pop rocks to spacewalking above the Earth.
Astronaut Mike Massimino and the comedy crew discuss how space telescopes like Hubble (which Mike repaired) and Kepler are being used to search for planets orbiting far-distant stars.
Neil talks with Freeman about the many roles he has played over his career that celebrate science, the dramatic potential that science can offer, and his thoughts about alien life and space exploration.
For our third Bell House show in front of a live audience, we peer into the vast and mysterious cosmos of consciousness. Featuring psychiatrist Heather Berlin, science blogger Cara Santa Maria, and comedians Eugene Mirman and Wyatt Cenac.
Psychiatrist Heather Berlin, science blogger Cara Santa Maria, and comedians Eugene Mirman and Wyatt Cenac discuss mental mysteries like the chemistry of love and the altered psychology humans might experience during long space voyages.