I love Chuck so much, for the non math people, he adds a break that let's me process the information, makes me laugh so I'm not stressed out about it. He makes Neil laugh and that's funny to me. Anyway, all the love to you Chuck for acting as a proxy for all the non math people who love Neil and all his guests.

Anybody knows why the radio show stopped between 2009 and 2013?

I recently started listening to the show and was wondering why there are no episodes between those dates.

I figure I'd contrast against the "Anyone else find Gary O'Reilly unbearable?" post.

I genuinely can't stand when Chuck goes on these "OMG LJANKLANSDLKJN!!!!!!!" over-exaggerated reactions. Here is a perfect example. Unbelievably annoying. Why are you screaming, dude?

And look at Brian the whole time. He looks super uncomfortable, like he has to force a smile and go along with it like "Haha.... yeah... funny.... "

Here he is again. You can see when he makes that 😲, Brian looks at him like "Oh no, not again", before he completely cuts him off to try and be funny, saying he needs some weed.

I get they wanted a comedian on the show to cut the dullness, but I legitimately find Neil to be more humorous. Being funny is about being witty and clever, saying funny things and making jokes. Being funny is not having these obnoxiously loud caricature exaggerations.

Anyone, nothing against Chuck personally just think he needs to chill the f'c k out.

I was just getting into Star Talk after loving Neil's Cosmos many years ago and this put me so completely off him that it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth years later when I see or hear NGT. Was there ever an apology or anything like that to maybe put my mind more at ease? Or did noone really care or make a big deal about it?

For reference: https://startalkmedia.com/show/are-you-out-of-your-mind/ @ 3-4 minutes in.

I've been listening for almost 5 years now and when he was just on for "sports edition" it was ok here and there but now he seems to be on all the time. I find myself skipping episodes because of Gary.

While I'm on this...I also can't stand Bill Nye episodes...

i want to start listening to startalk, but i'm completely new here so where should I start? is there a season or episode specifically or should i go from top to bottom

Hello fellow fans!

Look at this! https://imgur.com/a/Pbfp91Q

Original post: https://www.facebook.com/share/15rkds4DYw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Can we make it arrive to Neil and make this happen? Personally, Neil and Yann are two of my favourite scientific personalities and all around good persons of all time, and would absolutely love to have them together!

Neil, if you are reading, will you treat us with this wonderful Christmas present?

It is probably my favorite series of all time. On the Wikipedia page for the show it says Ann Druyan intends on making a fourth season, but I’m curious if someone may know any updates about production.

I was watching the episode where they talked about the single electron theory. I had thought about this before i heard this theory. I thought what if the world is shaped in a way that an electron in a higher dimension is at a certain point that it sticks out in multiple places in our dimension as the similar electrons. This single electron could in theory be every electron in our dimension (or electrons are all different but the differences are so small we can't see or notice them).Also i thought we experience the 3rd dimension be we obviously exist in higher dimensions. A good example i thought of is a cross-stitch cloth. Our experienced dimension being the top part of the pattern that we see, but in the higher dimension we see both sides (the back sides with all the excess stitching. ).what do you think?

I’m new to star talk and so far have been enjoying it immensely. I usually don’t sleep well to begin with thanks to insomnia but now I’m laying awake because I can’t for the life of me understand what our universe is expanding into after the Big Bang. Does Neil have an answer for this in one of his videos somewhere?

In my opinion, discussions about consciousness often stumble in two key areas. First, they tend to anthropomorphize consciousness, crafting narrow and complex definitions that exclude all but humans or a few species, overlooking entities like AI or LLMs. Second, they conflate distinct concepts—consciousness, free will, and intelligence—blurring lines that should remain separate. While intelligence may vary in degree, consciousness itself is better understood as a binary state, independent of free will or intelligence.

Definition of Consciousness:

Consciousness is the presence of an internal mechanism or process within an entity that allows it to meaningfully affect outcomes by deviating from probabilistic expectations over time. To qualify as conscious, these deviations must stem from the entity's internal processes rather than random chance, external inputs, or mechanistic feedback loops.

Follow-up:

This definition avoids anthropocentrism by focusing on observable phenomena rather than subjective traits. It applies broadly to both biological and artificial systems, emphasizing inclusivity until consciousness is better understood. Consciousness is treated as a binary state: an entity either possesses the necessary internal mechanisms or does not, regardless of its level of intelligence.

Importantly, this definition separates consciousness from free will, intelligence, and agency. Predictability of behavior does not preclude consciousness; even entities whose actions can be forecasted may have internal processes that meaningfully affect outcomes. For example, a rat’s brain may be mapped and predicted in certain scenarios, but this does not negate its conscious experience.

Conversely, processes like those observed in plants, which lack the ability to deviate from probabilistic outcomes in any meaningful way, would not meet this threshold. A Venus flytrap’s response to stimuli, while complex, is purely mechanical and deterministic, distinguishing it from conscious entities.

This framework encourages a cautious and ethical approach. It errs on the side of attributing consciousness broadly—particularly to animals and artificial systems—to avoid causing unnecessary harm or ethical violations. By recognizing consciousness in entities capable of meaningful deviations, we can begin crafting legal and societal structures that promote humane treatment and respect for their potential needs or desires.

My intuition is that somethings can escape but how much and what. Can atoms escape can compounds? Love the show and hope you have time to answer.

#Free Palestine 🇵🇸

It’s completely unlistenable and has been this way for months. It’s fine up until the first commercial break and then the skipping starts. I listen to podcasts on this app all the time and Startalk is the only one that does it. I don’t think it’s a glitch in the app because the time stamp doesn’t change when it skips.

Hey everyone! I’m hoping someone could give me some insight… I’ve recently joined the Star Talk Patreon since there have been maany questions I’ve thought up while listening to the podcast.. My question is how do I submit Cosmic Queries? Do I need to just wait until I see them post for one? Or is there somewhere I can go on Patreon to submit them??

Thanks!

I started listening to this recently, and loved it so much that I started from the beginning. To my disappointment, Chuck Nice has not always been the cohost. Instead, I have to listen to the equivalent of a mosquito and dumb rock cohost with NDT and I tolerate it because the episodes are fascinating despite her. Can anyone end my torture and tell me when lynne koplitz STOPS co-hosting?