Summary
The StarTalk Podcast episode titled "Physics All Around Us" with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice delves into the physics of everyday life. The hosts explain that physics is not just about memorizing facts but understanding the operations of nature that can be applied to everything. They also discuss the relationship between biology, chemistry, and physics and how they are interconnected. The periodic table of elements is not a perfect rectangle, which may bother some people's OCD, but this is because nature is not always symmetric. The universe is full of asymmetries, such as the different handedness of amino acids, which could be used to identify life from other planets.
The hosts also speculate on how an advanced alien race might view humans and what scientific theory or law they might disprove. Neil suggests that aliens would be impressed with how far humans have come in spite of themselves, given the energy and resources we have used to destroy each other. They also answer questions from listeners on topics such as the asymmetry in nature, the diameter of black holes, and the economics of solar energy.
The hosts explain that thunder is caused by the rapid heating of air during a thunderstorm, which causes it to expand catastrophically and create a shockwave that we hear as thunder. The lightning that precedes the thunder is caused by a buildup of negative charges in the clouds, which are then discharged to the ground or to other clouds. The sound of thunder can be magnified by the angles of the lightning strike, which can create multiple sound paths that hit the listener at the same time.
Overall, the episode provides an interesting and informative discussion of the fundamental principles that govern our world. The hosts emphasize the importance of embracing both art and science in society and how financial forces can drive the interest in having physicists and engineers on staff. The laws of physics are not "laws" in the traditional sense but rather fundamental properties of the universe that can be expanded upon but not swapped out once experimentally verified. The podcast ends with Neil reminding listeners to keep looking up.
