How do diseases and information spread? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice discover the history of pandemics, how social networks impact spread, and the hidden math behind it with sociologist Nicholas Christakis.
Yesterday
Running Out of Matter with Michelle Thaller
Could spacetime curve in the opposite direction and produce a repulsive field instead of gravity? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice tackle fan questions about photons, heat death, gravitational waves, neutron stars and more with astrophysicist Michelle Thaller. NOT ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 14
Getting Entangled with Sean Hodgman
How do you get entangled particles? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice unpack the experimental side of entanglement, superposition, and the quantum underpinnings of our universe with experimental physicist, Sean Hodgman. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this en ... Show More
1h 2m
Mar 2020
#190 — How Should We Respond to Coronavirus?
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Harris speaks with Nicholas Christakis about the coronavirus pandemic. They discuss the likely effects on society, proactive vs reactive school closures, community transmission, false comparisons between coronavirus and flu, the imperative o ... Show More
1h 18m
Apr 2020
Stay Social While Staying Distant - How to Strengthen Your Network During COVID-19
In this episode, we explore the science of networks and human relationships, uncover how people you’ve never met have a huge impact on your life, and look at how we can respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic with our guest David Burkus.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co ... Show More
53m 6s
Dec 2021
#270 — What Have We Learned from the Pandemic?
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Harris speaks with Nicholas Christakis about the lessons of the COVID pandemic. They discuss our failures to coordinate an effective response, the politics surrounding vaccination, vaccine efficacy, vaccine safety, how to think about scienti ... Show More
2h 51m
Oct 2020
#222 — A Pandemic of Incompetence
Sam Harris speaks with Nicholas Christakis about the Covid-19 pandemic. They discuss the breakdown of trust in institutions and experts, the corruption of science by politics, the ineptitude of the Trump administration in handling the pandemic, whether the gravity of Covid-19 has ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 2020
#191 — Early Thoughts on a Pandemic
Sam Harris speaks with Amesh Adalja about the spreading coronavirus pandemic. They discuss the contagiousness of the virus and the severity of the resultant illness, the mortality rate and risk factors, vectors of transmission, how long coronavirus can live on surfaces, the impor ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2020
Dr. Nicholas Christakis, Yale coronavirus expert
<p>Dr. Nicholas Christakis of Yale University has emerged as one of the nation's leading experts on coronavirus. He joins Will Ahmed to discuss how the virus started, why it's spreading so quickly, and what we can do to limit the number of cases moving forward. Nicholas ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2025
"RE-RELEASE: Neil deGrasse Tyson"
<p>The guys are surprised by renowned astrophysicist, planetary scientist and author, Neil deGrasse Tyson. Neil teaches the guys about the wonders of the universe, the concept of infinity, the power of mind-blowing inspiration, and even his own potential parallel universe. Gravit ... Show More
46m 22s