logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
54m 8s

The Origins of Life with Sara Imari Walk...

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON
About this episode

What is life? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice tackle assembly theory, artificial life, and the origin of lifeforms in the universe as we revise the definition of life with astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: 
https://startalkmedia.com/show/the-origins-of-life-with-sara-imari-walker/

Thanks to our Patrons Bill Williamson, Amanda, Charles Waggoner, Jason Wiatr, Don Lane, Biren Amin, Jean C Roy, david accetta, STAHLGEIST, joshua george, Danny, daniel oliveira, Matthew Szwajda, Gabe Magallanes, Mike Jespersen, Elias, and Jon O for supporting us this week.

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to new episodes ad-free and a whole week early.

Up next
Aug 22
Mindreading with Jean-Rémi King
What would it take to actually read someone’s mind? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science and ethics of decoding thoughts with Jean-Rémi King, a neuroscience researcher at Meta’s Paris lab. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this ent ... Show More
57m 4s
Aug 19
Are We Alone? with Jill Tarter
Are we alone in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen sit down with one of the founders of the SETI Institute, Jill Tarter, to explore the search for intelligent life beyond Earth, technosignatures, The Drake Equation, and more.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons c ... Show More
53m 30s
Aug 12
Cosmic Queries - Flat Universe
If you crunched the asteroid belt into one object, would it make a planet? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohost Chuck Nice answer fan questions about the shape of the universe, the origin of matter, the Casimir Force, pizza toppings, and more!NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this ... Show More
47m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
39 - Why Do Science Communication? (ft. Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham)
Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham talk to us about what science communication means to them.Listen to their podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-daniel-and-jorge-explain-t-29862087/Support WTU on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whythisu ... Show More
27m 20s
Feb 2025
Exploring the Hidden Life in the Air around Us with Carl Zimmer
Scientists now agree that COVID spreads via airborne transmission. But during the early days of the disease, public health officials suggested that it mainly did so via close contact. The subsequent back-and-forth over how COVID spread brought science journalist Carl Zimmer into ... Show More
16m 47s
Jun 2024
Ask a Chemist: Why do chemicals smell "chemically?" (And other questions)
Question and Response 57 In this bonus episode of 'Chemistry For Your Life,' hosts Melissa Collini and Jam Robinson answer listener-submitted questions about various chemistry topics. They discuss the distinction between 'chemical' and 'natural' smells, plant poisons, and the mec ... Show More
24m 45s
Oct 2024
Ask A Spaceman Ep. 234: How Could We Turn the Sun Into a Telescope?
How do gravitational lenses work? Where would a spacecraft need to be to use the Sun’s gravity as a telescope? What could we learn about exoplanets with this on weird trick? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. G ... Show More
35m 39s
Nov 2024
Ask a Chemist: Why are crystals rare? (and other questions)
Question and Response 62 New College-Style Sweatshirt! In this special bonus episode of Chemistry for Your Life, Melissa and Jam dive into listener-submitted questions, covering everything from the rarity of crystals and the chemistry of sourdough to the science behind melting ic ... Show More
28m 59s
Aug 2024
122 [Bonus Episode] Softening and bracing: autism, loneliness and how we can find connection
I am thrilled to bring you this conversation with somatic therapist Aisha Edwards, in which we talk about autism and loneliness. This continues a short series of revisits, where I reconnect with some of my guests from previous episodes. I first met Aisha two years ago, in 2022, w ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2024
AaS! 231: What Made the Local Bubble?
Where do we live within the galaxy? What shapes the local bubble? How long will we be inside it? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/spaceman and get on your way to bein ... Show More
30m 43s
Jan 2019
AaS! 96: Hey, who took all the antimatter?
Why are matter and antimatter symmetric? What happened in the early universe to make matter win? Do we have any clue as to why? What do puppies have to do with it? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter All ... Show More
23m 5s
Mar 2024
Ep. 466 - Fire in the Mountains
The Appalachian region may not readily seem like a fire-prone region, but parts of it certainly are. Fire can be an important tool in sustaining biodiversity, but modern understanding of its role is limited. That is why people like Dr. Don Hagan study the effects of prescribed fi ... Show More
48m 57s